Driver Deb

MARCH 15 !!! Anyone else in March??? :smilingface (52):

Everyone is different. My dad lost 45 pounds in 25 days... I think it depends on who you are.

Hey Jerry, So glad you survived the accident. I am a truck driver and believe me, I have seen hundreds of accidents and the motorcyclists NEVER fair well... you are a lucky man.

I am having my surgery in Feb. also. I wont know the exact day until wednesday...

I have been on a low carb, high Protein diet for 4 months. My pre op diet is only 2 days of liquids.

Hope to see you on the losers bench.

The fact that you live with a man who treats you so poorly is disgusting.

With all due respect to your situation, it seems like you didn't do much research. You indicate you had plication done, but this is a vertical sleeve gastrectomy- these are very different surgeries. Did you know what you were having done? You also call him Dr. Rod and Dr. Rodregus- his name is Dr. Rodriguez. Perhaps living in Los Angeles makes me more familiar with Mexican last names, but I felt like I practically knew my Dr.'s entire life story before I got surgery from him- I read his name so many times just from my internet research. I'm not trying to discredit your experience, but it sounds like you were very misinformed and didn't really do much research.

You are trying to discredit her experience by stating that if she doesn't know how to spell her doctors name she probably didn't do enough research. Get off your high horse and let the woman vent.

YOU ARE DEHYDRATED !!! GET 64OZ OF Fluid A DAY, IF YOU ARE REALLY FEELING BAD, GET TO THE ER AND GET AN IV TO REHYDRATE.

I live in Sac too. Having surgery on the 9th at Kaiser Richmond.

Awesome.....I'm getting sleeved in early January down in Burlingame. Maybe we will get the same day. :smile1:

Wouldn't that be a riot?! My birthday is Jan 8, I would love to be sleeved by my birthday. :present:

Right on! :biggrin: I see you are in NorCal....where are you having surgery?

Kaiser Richmond, although I live in Sacramento.

WOW...

I don't believe in food funerals. I had 744 calories on thanksgiving day, and I am down 2 more pounds... I find out my surgery date on Dec. 7.

So the saying is true... you get what you pay for. It blows my mind when people take short cuts with their healthcare. Most people won't bat an eye to pay 17,000 for a new car, but they only want to pay 5,000 for a sleeve. :banghead:

You Rock !!!

I started this journey in 8/1/11. I have Kaiser (Richmond) and after taking a few classes, seeing the psych and the Nut, I have my pre op 12/7/11. I was told to take a week to 10 days off work to heal (more if I was a lumberjack, lol).

My father started this journey in September and he is self pay and is having his surgery on 12/15/11.

I think the average time is 3 to 6 months...

I am 42 and not sleeved yet... but December 7 is my pre op appt. so I guess I will find out my surgery date then. Welcome to the journey.

What you're writing about Kaiser applies to ALL insurances. Not just Kaiser. And the wait to get the surgery is that Kaiser makes all of us go through the Option's Plan. And it is a wonderful plan. they prepare you for the surgery and what happens afterwards. I see and read about so many people that have this life changing surgery and they are totally lost afterwards! I'm so happy that I did go through the classes. Kaiser has the best plan out there IMO for this life changing surgery. The reason they have it, is so you'll be successful long term in your weight loss goals.

I started the Options classes June 1st. I finished them in August. I also lost the required 10% weightloss they ask for, for my safety. Plus more. If someone doesn't lose the weight before surgery, they're not going to be very successful in keeping it off long term. It is no rumor that people that go through the Option's Plan at Kaiser have their surgeries in 4 months, IF that is the route you want to go. I am having my surgery tomorrow and this is the Kaiser in So CA. So I don't know who told you it was an 11 month wait for the surgery.

I have done all the required classes and I have lost well over my 10% but they told me they wanted me to lose more... I was reactivated in the program at 290, I now weigh 256 and they want me at 235. That is unreasonable !!! That is why I am raising hell... I have to lose 55 pounds? I have NEVER weighed 550 pounds !!!

I agree that all the classes are great info and I obviously am sticking to the diet, I have lost 34 pounds... which is what someone who weighs 340 should lose !!!

As a Kaiser member (and the wife of a retired orthodontist and one who dealt with insurance/***'s for 20 years) may I just suggest that Kaiser is doing their level best to bully you. Yes, losing 10 pounds a month for 4 months running is feasible, but it's not very realistic. Everyone, even us sleeved folks, hit plateaus! They can not disqualify you from their program because you failed it once before & have gained/regained weight. They can & do gently mis-represent their guidlelines and they do their best to gently intimidate you into losing weight without surgery. But if you read your plan very carefully, and you speak with Member Services you will find that the Options Program (you see the word Options is plural? That includes their liquid program you see??) is filled to bursting with obese folks. They can't afford to do surgery on them all, quite frankly. That's what an *** is... health Maintenance program...they want you as healthy as they can get you without the expense of surgery. Remember that Kaiser is a business. They are in business... and that means that they have to collect more in monthly premiums from all their patients than they pay out for operating costs...building upkeep, salaries, operating rooms, maintenance, etc. So they have to "push out into the future" any procedures they can. They do it so they can stay in business financially. They must do things legally, of course. And there is the key.

That means that you have a legal right to the surgery, too. They have to obey the laws, even if it costs them money. You have to be pro-active about your care. Talk to Member Services. Mention that you feel you are being pushed aside. If you have co-morbidity issues, mention them. They record every single conversation you have with them, so do not ever say anything that you know to be false. You have to "play by" the rules too. Member Services is your advocacy voice and you need to talk with them. You'd be amazed how quickly you can get a needed referral from your PCP if you mention that you are unhappy with the slowness and think you'd better talk with MS.

Obviously, I do have Kaiser. I discovered that here in So Cal I could expect a wait of 10-11 months (although I did hear one rumor about someone who got into Fountain Valley for surgery in just 4 months). Believing the 10-11 mo. wait, I chose to go out of network and pay the $15K on my own. With my deductible at $6K that made the surgery $9K extra and I will have lost 100 pounds by the time they would consider me for surgery. Am I glad that I did it out of network, yes! I have it done now and I am 5 days post op. I've lost 20 pounds, including pre-op diet and I'm very happy. I did it on my time schedule and when I was ready for it.

But Kaiser will do your surgery if you continue to work with Member Services.

Hang in there. Hope these words of encouragement helped!

Mary

It is fascinating that you posted this today... I contacted member services Friday night and told them that I felt I was being pushed aside and that I felt they were delaying services and that I would be filing a grievance with the DMHC who oversees Kaiser. I got a response back in less than an hour. They stated that they were forwarding my email on to a representative who would be looking into the matter and that they want to do everything in their power to make sure my needs are being met. LOL I knew a threat of a grievance with the dept. of managed health care would get their attention !!! I will let you all know how it works out, and how long it takes to get it worked out.

Dear Graceful, (just kidding) I am sorry you "jacked up" your foot. I hope you mend quick and have a great wedding !! Congrats by the way !!

Do they still do the surgery if "aunt Flo" is visiting? Has anyone been on their TOM when they had surgery??

I am pre op... Every time I cut out carbs, I stall. So I keep my carbs under 100g a day, about 30 to 35 g per meal.

INTJ

I have faith !!!! Look at my ticker... I have been dropping weight like bad habits !!! 20 more pounds and I am on the table...

I told my family, friends and boss and anyone who asks...

Yay !!! Happy Birthday and merry christmas all on Oct. 4 !!!

Well, I don't mean to be vulgar... but it's not who she knows... it's who she blows. Haha I can so relate !!! My boss has never even looked at me, he never talks to me or smiles at me or asks me anything. He goes through my supervisor, even if I am standing right there !! He happens to be a workout freak and thinks he is God's perfect specimen and I know what he is thinking when he sees me... I am just a fat chick and I disgust him !! There are two other women who work there who are beautiful and he talks to them and cracks jokes with them and even gave one a ride to her car across the lot one day !! I can't wait til the day he actually notices that I am there, and I act like I don't notice him !!!