CamarilloCA

Also referred to as Isopuke. It's terrible. I cannot tolerate it. It's the aftertaste which is like vomit. Save your money.

I have a 38, and I think it is the best of both worlds. I can take six pills at once (supplements), and I never had a problem with drinking liquids quickly to get rehydrated, and I never vomited once other than in the hospital the day after surgery. I feel restriction quickly, but I can take more than five bites. I can eat a whole taco, and that's about it for a meal if I want to. It's a size that I can live with for the rest of my life. The smaller sizes work too, but I think there is more of a risk of strictures and problems with a smaller sleeve. You will lost weight either way, and ultimately, it won't affect your weight loss. I would trust your surgeon's advice.

I was in the same boat as you not long ago as many others are here. Be sure to check out the lap band to sleeve revision forum and insurance forum as both are helpful. I too had the lap band put in in 2008 (see "My Story" on my Profile Page).
I just had revision surgery eight weeks ago to the sleeve. I have Kaiser, and I didn't have to go through classes for the revision, and they covered everything. I had self-paid for the lap band, but I would have qualified through Kaiser back in 2008 if I had wanted to wait for six months while I took the classes. (Classes were once a week for six months in Los Angeles back then.) I was impatient and ended up self paying for the band.
I would make an appointment with your Primary Care Provider and ask him/her to refer you to the barriatric program. I think just having the lap band in makes you qualify for having it out at the least and having revision surgery if you want it. I wouldn't think you have to qualify again.
At the very minimum, you'll probably have to have an Upper G.I. so that they can see where the band is and what it is doing. You'll also have some blood tests, etc., prior to surgery and possibly an endoscopy.

I was just sent a letter that I have a Breast Reduction Class at the Kaiser Permanente facility in Woodland Hills in December. I am so excited!

I am going to put down what I learned in the past few weeks with the hope of helping someone that is looking for reconstructive surgery here in Southern California. I came here a few weeks ago looking for this information but couldn't find it, and so hopefully, someone else will benefit from what I have learned.

First, let me say that I love Kaiser Permanente insurance, Kaiser Permanente doctors, and Kaiser Permanente coverage. I have had them for over ten years, and they have rarely let me down. I used to be under an employer's health insurance, but now that my husband is retired, we pay out of pocket for our coverage.

I did get a referral for my excess skin from my Primary Care Doctor to Plastic Surgery in West L.A. when I asked for one. In that case, you have to attend a class, and then you can see a surgeon immediately following the class to see if you qualify for the pannectomy. I did not go this route because I was certain that I would not qualify. It is my understanding from several people that the excess skin has to hang below the pubis in order to have the insurance cover the pannectomy. If you have a history of documented rashes between the folds of excess skin, especially if they have turned to infections at times, this can also help you qualify for an insurance-paid pannectomy.

Instead, I contacted Jene Miles, (310)857-2116, and she gave me the information that follows. You have to call the appointment scheduler at (310)857-2763 and schedule a cosmetic (paid) consultation. I had an appointment in West L.A. on Cadillac Ave to see a Dr. Lee, who came highly recommended. It is difficult to get an appointment with him right away because he only sees one patient in the morning and one patient in the afternoon on the days that he does cosmetic procedure examinations. You have to specify when you call that you are a cash pay consultation, and the fee is $100. The soonest that I could get an appointment in early July was for September 5th, but you can call and keep calling every day or every week to see if he has had any cancellations, and sometimes people do cancel their appointments with him.

The pannectomy is the removal of skin only. Kaiser's rates are as follows (as of this writing): If you qualify for a pannectomy, you can "upgrade" to a Tummy Tuck or to a 360 lower body lift. The tummy tuck is $9750 if you don't qualify for the pannectomy and $4500 if you do qualify and are upgrading. A 360 circumferential body lift (or belt lipectomy) is $17,000 if you don't qualify for the pannectomy and $14,000 if you do qualify and are upgrading. The 360 numbers include a one-night stay in the hospital, which is mandatory. All other procedures are outpatient. All cosmetic procedures are done in the Kaiser hospital on Saturdays only. Some other numbers: if you add a breast lift, the cost is $6500, but you will get 20% off a second procedure on the lowest price, and so if you added a breast lift to one of the other procedures, the cost for the breast lift would be $5200. You can get a breast lift with implants, but they don't recommend it, and that price is $15,000 through Kaiser. An arm lift is $5900 less 20% if it is the second surgery, which would make it $4720.

While I was waiting and getting increasingly anxious about my excess skin -- I have lost 100 pounds now since VSG surgery in April, 2012 -- I did some research on some other private practice doctors and was amazed and pleased to see that many of their rates were actually less than Kaiser's best rates. I was sure that I would not qualify for a pannectomy through Kaiser and would therefore not get their best rates, but even if I did qualify, their best rates were actually more than some other plastic surgeon's rates.

I started by having consultations with some plastic surgeons in my area that were experienced with these procedures on bariatric patients. I also asked my VSG surgeon for a referral, and he gave me one. I only wanted to see plastic surgeons that didn't charge a consultation fee. I wasn't going to spend $350 here and $100 there while I am trying to save for these procedures. I had a couple of virtual consultations, which was a pleasant way to go. I took pictures of myself and emailed them with some completed questionnaires and medical history information.

The surgeons that came recommended to me who do a lot of these procedures are Dr. J. Timothy Katzen in Beverly Hills, 310-859-7770, http://www.360bodylift.com/; Dr. Agha in Orange County, http://plasticsurger...contouring.com/, 949-644-2442; Dr. Michael Pickart in Ventura, http://www.pickartplasticsurgery.com/, 805-654-8800; and, Dr. Douglas J. Mackenzie in Santa Barbara, http://www.pacificplasticsurgery.com/ 805-898-0700.

I thought Dr. Agha was a bit too far of a drive for me, and his prices were higher than the others, and his staff really gave me a hard sell on the phone, which I didn't care for.

Dr. Katzen seems like a very nice guy and has a great video on his web site following two bariatric patients that had the 360 done by him. His prices were competitive, and he offered discounts for booking by a certain date. He did a tummy tuck and breast lift with implants on AmySDMom on You Tube if any of you have followed her video blogs. He does do multiple procedures at once, which is appealing to a lot of people to get it all over with at once, but doing some procedures separately can be better for healing and not as expensive if done on an outpatient basis without an overnight hospital stay, which can run $1000 a night.

I ended up choosing Dr. Michael Pickart, who seems extremely competent and approachable. His prices are competitve and affordable for me, and he is the closest to me. He is very experienced in dealing with bariatric patients with excess skin and answered all my questions, and I feel very comfortable with my decision. Needless to say, I canceled my appointment with the Kaiser doctor in September. I am scheduled to have my 360 body lift on September 17th and, following that procedure, will have a breast lift, an arm lift, and an inner thigh lift in subsequent procedures with Dr. Pickart.

I hope this has helped someone. I would love to keep this thread going and hear what your experiences are.

Nursebarbie, I am sure that you are right about the different plans; however, no one has ever checked what plan I am on when giving me quotes about the prices for the cosmetic surgery. I have a feeling that, if these surgeries are not covered by insurance, which they won't be most of the time since they are cosmetic in nature, then the plastic surgeon sets the price by inserting his fee into the equation. But whether or not a procedure would be covered by insurance definitely depends upon the plan that an individual is on as you say.
The other thing I wanted to make sure to emphasize is that, when dealing with private non-insurance surgeons, the fees are all negotiable. Getting estimates from three or four or even five different qualified board-certified surgeons is not unreasonable. There are a lot of qualified surgeons out there, and so you can shop around and get the best price that you can and a surgeon that you feel comfortable with.

Good information. It also depends on your actual policy as they all differ. I work as a case manager for Kaiser and there are thousands of plans and all very different in coverage and exclusions. For specific info for your particular kaiser policy it is best each person call and check their own benefit plan through member services.

I am a case manager for Kaiser and I will tell you your covered benefits vary according to the kind of policy you have. Call the number on the back of your card and ask for benefits dept.

Hello hello! I am home from my plastics operation and let me tell you a little about it. I was very curious, and still am, about other's journeys so I'll tell you what I can.
I will be 3 years post op October 8th. My starting weight was 282 and the day of vsg surgery I was 141. I quit smoking a few weeks before PS surgery. I chose Dr Joesph Capella in NJ even though I'm Tennessee. My insurance, BCBS of TN covered the Tummy Tuck portion because my stomach hung down further than my pelvic bone. I have not been reimbursed as of yet for the surgeons portion however Dr Capella's staff did file my insurance and they paid for my anesthesia, operating room, and hospital stay. I had to cover all the surgeons fees, to stay an extra week (stayed 10 days) past surgery date, flights to and from for my mom and I, hotel, food, rental car. I also had to pay for a mammogram, ekg, chest xray, physical, blood work and put down 2k for the surgeon's office to be filed. I had prepared for insurance not to cover me and my quote w/o all the extras was 19k. I had only planned on having the LBL portion until insurance came through and i knew it was the only chance i had to get everything with insurance paying a big bulk of hospital expenses. If you would like a quote from Dr Capella call his office and send in pics. They are great to work with. That is about all I have to say about the cost of it. Each person is different so telling you exactly what I paid wouldn't help.
So I flew in on a Monday morning,had my preop appointment where Dr Capella went over everything in detail. He's a very warm man with TONS of experience. He pulled up bodies that look like mine, told me what to expect, and what the complications might be for each part. How to take care of it and showed me what I would look like. I took photos and signed paper work. Then that night went out with a friend to NYC. The next morning went to the hospital Hackensack, which was AMAZING in everyway. I got marked up, weighed, bp, all that good stuff. Wiped down with iodine and then I fell asleep from too hard of partying on the surgery table before they even pumped me full of stuff. Woke up bandaged in a room with leg compression on. Slept a lot, liquid diet, drugs, sleep, drugs, sleep. The next day I had an ultrasound on my legs to check for clots, cath out, walking time. I was VERY hunched over and it was hard to walk at first. I was transfered to an after care place which is basically a nursing home later that day. Dr Capella came in and took all my bandages off. I had 4 drains in. Said no more binder/bra needed. That place wasn't bad wasn't great. The next day my Mom flew in and we checked out of there and went to the hotel. Over the next week I slept a lot, walked, was babied and even went shopping a few times. Did blood thinners starting 3 days post op for 7 days.
1 week check up had two drains out and said my good byes. Stayed in the hotel 3 more days. Was told when the drains were less than 30 ccs/24 hours I could take them out. Removed one of my drains the day we left. Flew home. The drive from Nash to Knox was a pita. I had wheelchair assistance from the layover but the whole day exausted and drained me. Got home and the next day one drain site where it went in my body was putting out yellow puss. Called the Dr on July 4th, he called back, sent pics,he said to pull it. He's very responsive which I love.
So here I am. I love my little cupcake boobies. I'm probably an A/B now which means no more shoulder pain, no more rashes. My tummy is swollen but I haven't had lower back pain and my arms have been a breeze. My Mons was lifted (bye bye rashes there too) He cut off 7lbs lipoed (on arms) 2lbs. I'm still at 141 from the swelling but I expect to be at 135 and to maintain it.
I can't start dancing, working out, or having sex until the 6 week mark. I'm so ready to start ab work and get my thighs built up since they are the only saggy thing left. Even the lbl helped pull those up on the outsides and a tiny bit on the insides too.
I haven't started scar therapy yet but I hope to start silicone treatment soon. I'm broke broke broke after some extra expenses in NJ so clothes/scar treatment will have to wait for a while. I really was down to the penny (seriously, no exaggeration) to get this done but I'm so happy with the results thus far. I know about now is when people have sutures that start popping open so I'm just hoping that's not me. My appetite isn't all the way back but i'm trying to eat healthy.
In the future I might go back and get a small implant but I have a lot of saving to do and dental work plus expenses to pay back before I can consider that. Dr Capella will put my implants in without charging me a surgeon's fee as he does breastlift/implants in two stages and any revision work w/o a fee but i pay hospital fees/anesthesia fees/cost of implant. If you do contact him tell him I sent ya. I do not get any money for posting this or promoting him but maybe if enough ppl are sent his way he will cut me some money off the implants (one can dream huh?) http://www.capellaplasticsurgery.net/
I cannot wait to be able to save enough to buy a bra from victoria's secret. I've never been able to own a matching set from there. That was one of my goals pre-weight loss that i couldn't fill even after losing my weight because my boobies were just skin and wouldn't sit right in those bras. That is my final goal that I had before starting my journey and I can't wait to complete it! Other than that I don't HAVE to wear a bra anymore... how freeeeeeeing!
If you have any questions ask away!!

Bemabound,
I know there are a lot of people, probably most sleevers, that feel that way about diet now and maintain later, but I think there of some of us too that have to find our own way and follow our own rules.
I spent four years with the lap band and was unable to eat heathily and was like Carbgrl. I ran to the trash nearly every meal to throw up. It turns out I had extensive scar tissues and adhesions around my stomach, around my band, and around my port.
Anyway, I decided a while ago that I wasn't going to diet anymore. I've dieted for probably 35 years, and I've learned that dieting doesn't work for me because it makes me feel deprived and because I have a wicked rebellious streak in me. (If you want me to do something, tell me I can't do it.) Instead, I just choose to eat healthily for life, forever.
The sleeve allows me to do this where I couldn't do it before on my own. Instead of raging hunger demanding something high in calories and fat, I can choose a healthy lowfat alternative, and this is because I am no longer starving and because I no longer have much, if any, ghrelin.
I don't ever plan to change the way I eat now. It's not a diet for me. I eat everything that I want, and I make good choices most of the time. For example, if I want a piece of chocolate, I'll have a small piece of dark chocolate, which is actually good for you, but I won't have it every day or even every week. If I eat healthy meals 99% of the time, I'm fine with that. If I want a bite or two of something, I'll have it. I eat now the way I plan to always eat: small portions, healthy choices, no drinking during meals, fruit, vegetables, nuts, lean Protein, etc.
This is the way I am managing my life and my health and may not be for everyone. I am happy to report that the scale is still moving at a rate of 2 pounds per week. If I find after I reach goal that I am still losing and when I get to the point that I no longer want to lose weight, I'll address adding in a few more calories at that time, but I'm sure that won't be too much of an adjustment to my current meals.
I've written what I do with the hope that it will help you. The word or concept of dieting sounds like it is distressing to you, and so I wanted to let you know that it doesn't have to be a diet. It can just be that you choose to eat healthy foods now that you have the help of your sleeve. You've already lost a huge amount of weight, and you should be very proud of yourself for that.
Do you know who Cabernet Queen is on You Tube? She's great. I believe she had Gastric Bypass, but she is still an inspiration to me and other sleevers. Anyway, she wrote this thing about what she learned after having weight loss surgery. Here's a link just in case you are interested: http://barefootandbe...-i-learned.html

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone who has Kaiser Permanente insurance got them to cover revision surgery from lap band to a gastric sleeve.
I qualified for the lap band surgery through Kaiser, but I opted to self-pay because they wanted me to do the Options program before the surgery, which would have meant driving into Los Angeles once a week for six months, and I couldn't do that. I wanted to have my surgery performed by a surgeon in Ventura, which is much closer to where I live.
Anyway, I paid to have the lap band surgery and got the lap band in April, 2008, and I had a small amount of weight loss at first, which eventually came back. My band was tightened nearly to the max, and I would throw up at nearly every meal. They told me that my metabolism is very low, which would make it hard to lose weight, and I have found that to be true and try to exercise when I can.
Lately, I have a never-ending stomach ache and am trying to see if Kaiser will remove the lap band and approve the vertical sleeve instead. The endoscope apparently showed that there is no erosion, slippage, or ulcers, but it is possible that I have scar tissue around my band or that I may have a hiatal hernia. I am trying to get a upper G.I. to be able to learn more about my stomach pain, but I have to wait about a month before I can get an appointment with my PCP.
Has anyone here with Kaiser Insurance had revision surgery approved? Can you tell me what your experience was? Did Kaiser make you wait a long time until your revision surgery?
Thanks very much for any advice or assistance.

I would defiantly get a consult. They are free usually. I just had mine the other day...found out that some of the things I thought I needed I don't, and other things that I didn't think would be that hard...like the Tummy Tuck ended up needing a lateral incision! Totally sucks. My doc said he won't Lipo my thighs because it is just loose skin there, not fat.....as well as my back....I am not going to be getting those areas fixed....my arms faired well, so nothing needed there, but the girls are in horrible shape 8) It was really great to be able to talk with the doc and get all my questions answered. I would suggest checking out the doc that you plan on seeing online for any complaints....or malpractice.
As for being less scarred for plastics...I think it's our frame of minds going into the two surgeries.....for the sleeve we go into it knowing that our precious food will be taken away...and we all absolutely love our food......but we don't love our body's. once we get over that hurdle, I think it's our brain working the opposite way. We hate our body image and plastic surgery will help us to feel more normal In our own skin. Still all the same risks with the two surgeries, just different ways our minds think.....that's my opinion anyways. Good luck!

Boob surgeries...like a lift...Doesn't hurt. Implants are a little painful. But if you are just getting a lift...You could go to work the next day. I had a breast reduction in 1999. It was like I didn't even have surgery. I felt no pain whatsoever.

I'm in the same predictament. I have lost 70 pounds and am at 135, but I could easily lose another 20 and be at 115, but 115 is going to make me look really really thin, and so a happy medium is probably around 120-125. I just don't know. I have to see what 115 looks like when I get there. These goals are all mine. The doctor never gave me a goal weight, and quite frankly, I don't think a doctor should tell a person how much to weigh.
Anyway, I digress. My boobs are like mud flaps, and so I am looking into a reduction (removal of skin) surgery now. I am sure that, by the time it happens, I will be at my goal weight anyway. There is no way, however, that I would ever get implants again. I had those for 25 years before they ruptured. They are not meant to last a lifetime.
Good luck to you! I say, "Go for it."

I freeze a lot of stuff. I buy a rotisserie chicken and freeze portions in baggies. I can then thaw and use in salads, Soups, stir-frys or sandwiches. I also freeze lunchmeat, cheese, bread, Bagels, rolls, Soups, chilis, etc. I freeze stuff in baggies, first I squish the baggie to make a thin package and then I stack the baggies like books in freezer once the food is hard. They thaw super fast.
Before I could eat more, one of my favorite veggies was frozen mixed veggies, because it's so easy to take out just 1/8 cup or whatever portion size I could manage.
For restaurant food, I eat what I can if it doesn't freeze well, such as salads and just toss the rest. I also eat junky stuff out and don't bring the leftovers home. French fries, Desserts, etc. Restricting these foods to restaurants and leaving the leftovers behind is one way I manage to have treats without overindulging.
When buying raw meats, fish and poultry, I freeze in portion sizes for my family's meals. For me and hubby, that's usually 12 oz. of ground beef or skin-on fish. Four ounces cooks to about 3 oz, which is what I eat at dinner and lunch. Hubby eats 8 oz, which cooks to about 6 oz. For chicken, I package 4 thighs. I eat one, hubby eats two or sometimes three. If we wind up with one left over, someone eats it for lunch the next day.
Lynda

My dog waits patiently outside the kitchen everytime I prepare any kind of food. As soon as I'm done, he's in there scowering the floor for anything I may have dropped. I love not having to pick up dropped food bits, but I don't know what that says about me that he's been trained to know there will likely be something on the floor.

Just remember to balance out the scraps with lots of doggy walking. My dog maintains about same weight ( still overweight a little) even though I walk him at least 2-3 miles a day. The garbage disposal is working a little too well.

I don't waste food. Ever. I will measure out food (I still weigh and measure 10 months out) and store the rest. I will eat the leftovers until it is gone. Five day old refrigerated food is fine by me. If I get truly tired of something it goes to the chickens.
If I'm not in a position to measure things, my eyes can be bigger than my stomach so I just portion a tiny bit. If I'm still hungry I can go back, but it's rarely necessary. That's how normal people eat right? I was at a potluck yesterday and made sure I got one teaspoon of everything. I'm learning.
Funny about some parents and control issues. Many times I have sat at the table for hours al a Mommy Dearest in front of lima Beans, oatmeal with milk, soggy Cereal in milk, hominy or liver. I still hate those foods today. One time I actually blistered my throat swallowing hot oatmeal.< /p>

That idea is why I love my bulldog!! She is my fuzzy garbage disposal. I don't feel like I am wasting anything. And these days there are so many good garbage disposals looking for homes at shelters!! Take one home with your burrito bowl lol!!

I started putting coffee in my Protein Shakes after I was off of clear liquids (2 weeks). I just don't live on it. I have a cup every other day. When I do, WOW! Alcohol isn't the only thing that affects us quicker. I catch a buzz off one cup!

i agree with everyone. my thoughts on this is we are treated like rny patients. we stillhave our stomach its just smaller and we have a pyloric valve theirs is now man made i think that makes a differance. i drank coffe for years and never had an ulcer now i had that damn h pylory crap and still didnt get an ulcer. again we are treated like rny patients we are not like them at all. anyone agree

coffee (and caffeine) in moderation is Dr. Oz approved. The darker the Beans, the more the antioxidents. I think that sugar, not caffeine, is the enemy, and so as long as you use Splenda or Stevia or some other natural sweetner, if you need that, you will be fine.
Gettingthere, I have a Nespresso machine, and my husband and I just love it. I bought it after buying (and returning) an $400 espresso machine. It is great. You will love it. Don't forget to join the Nespresso club and get your welcome package that comes with a free gift.