The Candidate

It depends on where you are. I'm Kaiser Southern CA and they do require 24 weeks (six months) of classes. They call it their Options Program. I just got home from class #2. I started them in Nov. 14 and won't finish until May 15. On the other hand I've heard that Kaiser Northern CA only requires 12 weeks (three months). I have no idea why the requirements vary so much with each locale.

I am grateful for @@bobbyswife for extending the warm hand of friendship. I can't imagine going through this experience without her. I am also grateful to @@plussizecrossfitter and @@Photo925 for sharing all the details of their Kaiser journeys with me. This is an oftentimes difficult process and having the personal insight of others makes it so much easier!

Jen, of course it's okay with me if you make up your class with mine. I look forward to meeting you! 1200 calories? I've definitely been going over that this week. My elderly mother (77) has been in the hospital since Sunday, so I've been spending the majority of my time there. For all the preaching the medical industry does on healthy eating, their cafeterias certainly don't reflect it. I'll be surprised if I haven't gained some. I'll let you know how my class goes tonight. Debbie

Kristina, I want to thank you as well for always being willing to answer our questions. With the exception of LASIK, I've never had surgery. So I am somewhat apprehensive about post op pain. Never to the point that I would reconsider surgery, but I believe that the more prepared you are for the worst case scenario the easier you recovery will be. And congrats, btw, on your continuing progress! Unlike the stock market I rejoice with you in your ticker downward plunge! You're doing great! Jen, are you looking forward to class #2? Let us know how it went on Wednesday. I'm just so happy to be participating in the processonce again instead of waiting on the sideline. It gives me a whole new appreciation for the term benchwarmers! Hope you both have a wonderful day! Debbie

@@kimpossible67 I don't think this topic is a train wreck at all. It just shows that we're all different people with very different life experiences and opinions. We just happen to have this one thing in common that's all. We're fat and we're hoping not to be. We didn't all get to this point in our life in the exact same way, and after surgery, our outcomes will take vastly different routes as well. Nothing wrong with that.

I have also made the decision to only tell a select few, especially at work. Work sometimes walks a fine line between heaven and hell, and by that I mean there are some there that I consider the closest of friends, and others, well - lets just say that if I had any choice in the matter I wouldn't be associating with them. We're all thrown together by chance and nothing more. It's hit and miss. High school was very much the same. And if you happen to work in a typical office setting then you probably know first hand that there are a lot of people who never graduate emotionally from high school. That clique/bully mentality oftentimes comes with the office package, and I've had enough of bullying to last me a lifetime. If I was trying to have a baby I wouldn't make a formal announcement beforehand, and I feel the same way about WLS. Now once I start gaining weight (if I got pregnant) or losing it (after surgery) then of course, I'm going to have to tell people something. But until then, this is mine. I want to get used to it myself first, figure out how the change is going to affect my everyday life before I'm forced to start explaining it to others. The other thing for me is that I've worked at the same place for over 26 years now. I distinctly remember the joy of the time I got down to 126 pounds and size 6 one year, only to regain it all again plus more the next year. All those flattering comments from my co-workers suddenly went eerily silent once the concrete proof of my failure seeped in. It took me years to get over my own self-loathing over that set back. And until the option of WLS came along, I had pretty much given up completely on the idea of ever losing the weight. They've seen me at my highest and my lowest, and then my highest once again. I just don't want to feel their judging eyes watching me day by day, when I come back after surgery for signs of failure. I just couldn't go through that again.

I'm sure your wife meant no harm, but the bottom line is that this is your journey and no one else's. I'm also being very selective on who I tell. The last thing I need to worry about post op is the judging stare of anonymous eyes all measuring my success or waiting for me to fail. I didn't make a point of making an announcement every time I went on a diet, and I see this as no different. It's nobody's business but my own.

Sorry for all the typos. Guess I'm not as fully awake as I'd hoped! ????

Joyful, first let me offer my condolences on the passing of your mother. It just illustrates the strength of your character and resolve that you in spite of such emotional hardship you've made the decision to stay due to yourself and not give up on WLS. I'm sure your mother would be so proud of you for working so hard to get healthy again. Have you heard anything more from the psychologist? I find it absolutely horrible and unprofessional that she hasn't even the decency to return your calls. Especially given the fact that she knows full well what you are going through right now. I hope it has gotten better, but if not perhaps you can request to another psychologist. Maybe call your insurance or surgeon's office to ask for help. There just no excuse for that kind of behavior, and you shouldn't be made to suffer for someone else's inadequacies. Let's us know how it goes, and best of luck to you!

Kristina, thanks so much for the Water consumption tricks. I'm going to give a few of them a try. I especially like putting the bottles out and not being able to go home until I finish. If that doesn't motivate me I don't know what will. I got some of the crystal light packets to give them a whirl as well. I love lemonade so it should help. How has it gone with your doctor visits since you've have your surgery. Are you still having any residual pain at this point? If you don't mind my asking, after waking up from surgery what was your pain level on a scale of one to ten? Do you feel like yourself or like you have a completely new body. I spend so much of my time dreaming of when I'll get my surgery, it really helps to gain some perspective from someone who has already gone through it. You really are an invaluable source to those of us still waiting on the other and I thank you so much for sharing. Jen, you will be finishing a week ahead of me, you lucky duck! How was the birthday bash at work? Too funny about your dream too. Hope you don't end up with a sleep injury to boot! ????. Recently I had a dream that I broke the treadmill at the work gym and everyone was so angry at me. I remember how terrible I felt. Boy our minds sure like to play games with us sometimes. I just started my food and exercise tracking on My Fitness Pal like you two. What an eye opener as far as calories, fat, sodium etc. I had no idea some of the foods I was eating, thinking they were good for me, when in fact it was nowhere near. What goal are you setting your at? Right now I have it at one pound per week. Do you think I should aim for more? Initially Dr. Ray said I needed to lose 20 pounds before surgery, but when they had you sign that paper at the first class it said 24. Six months and probably another two months after that until I get my surgery is a long time to try and lose/maintain the weight loss, especially given my yo-yo dieting past. Hope you're both doing well! Debbie

Happy birthday, Jen! Hope you have a great one. And congrats on already hitting the 64 oz Water mark. I'm nowhere near that goal and I'm kind of worried about getting there. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who rarely drinks water. If I can't seem to get it in now with a normal size stomach and digestive system, how am I going to manage it later? I was hoping maybe if I used the smaller size bottles than visually it wouldn't seem as much, but so far it isn't working. Are you using any special method to get it down, like timing your intake? How is your foot doing? Has your doctor given any indication of when you'll be able to get back to full exercise mode? I know how much you love cross training so it must be so hard being sidelined. I meant to ask if you are using crutches or have a boot of some sort? I'm sure before you know it this injury will just seem like just a bad dream. Oh btw, on that sheet they handed out showing the timeline for classes, is yours still going to be postponed the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's? Since you meet on Wednesdays, the day before each holiday, I thought maybe there was a chance you might not be affected. I was kind of hoping they might just move the day each of those weeks for us, but no such luck! I know exactly how you feel with the anxiety, because I feel it too! It does feels great to finally be involved in the process again though, doesn't it, instead of just waiting for the days to pass. I don't think I've ever been more aware of how slowly time passes than I was this past month. It's a relief that part is finally over! Debbie

Hi Kristina and Jen, Just got home from my first Options class. It was pretty good and we have a very small class. There was supposed to be 11, but only 10 showed up. I like the instructor as well, so I have high hopes. The best thing was finding out I've lost 8 pounds since my appointment with Dr. Ray on 10/06. I felt like I'd lost some, but wasn't sure because I don't own a scale at home as I know I'll just drive myself crazy weighing myself everyday. I do very well with exercising but I struggle with the food, and I'm always hungry, so if my history of yo-yo dieting comes back to haunt me I don't know if I'll be able to meet the 10 percent goal and then keep it off before surgery. I'm going to try though. I was stressing a little about the food and exercise logs but our instructor is very informal. She recommended My Fitness Pal but said we could do them on the back of a napkin if we want. She just wants to glance at them. We don't even have to turn them in and actually tallying the calories is optional. I'm planning to do it anyway though as it's something I want to get in the habit of doing after surgery as well. All in all I liked it. And thanks to this forum and you guys I felt very well prepared. Thanks for everything!

Thanks Kristina for answering my questions! Your first hand knowledge is invaluable. Jen, I'm so happy to know that your first class went so well. How nice it must be, psychologically, to cross that first mark off the 24 tally. I will let you know how my first class went tonight as well. I actually don't have far to commute, I just need a little extra time to myself in the morning. Getting up earlier allows me to get a few extra things done. Plus I'm a morning person. Today's my trial by fire: office Thanksgiving luncheon with all the trimmings, but I'm resolved to stay strong! Wish me luck. Talk to you soon. Debbie

I just hope I'm awake enough to get on the scale. I get up at 3am to be at work by 6am, so it's going to be a very long day. But since I get off at 2:45pm I plan to workout for an hour or two before class, so maybe that will help the numbers! My classes start at 7pm too. Sounds like they've got this whole program coordinated to run on a precisely timed schedule.

Kristina, thanks so much! That is extremely helpful. We really really appreciate you taking the time to type that out. I've thought of another couple of questions, if you don't mind? How much of the class time was devoted to exercise? Were you required to turn in food and exercise logs each week? Did they discuss how much weight you were or weren't losing as far as meeting the 10 percent? is there a lot of class participation or is it mostly lecture? Thanks again for your help! Jen, can't wait to hear how your class went tonight and how much if any it differs from mine. I hope you find it enjoyable and informative. I'm interested in how big your class size is as well. I'm guessing there will be a lot of juggling for surgery slots if both our classes (and probably the other place where classes are being held) will all be graduating at the same time. @Lidawtee, hope your surgery went well yesterday and you're doing well. Debbie

Kaiser Southern CA is very different. We have to go through six months of options classes. Mine finally start tomorrow. Did the orientation, starter pre-op tests/labs, met with head of bariatric program, where I was told I was approved for the options program (this was on 10/06) and now I've been waiting over a month for classes to start. They told us at orientation the whole process averages 9 months. It's a great program, but the waiting is very hard.

@@KQH that is so cool! Mexico is my back up plan in case I'm not approved through Kaiser, so that's good to know!

@@GreenEyes604 I had an endoscopy in 2011. It never occurred to me back then to ask for video or stills. I definitely will if/when I have another. Thanks!

You are so right, and you are absolutely doing the best thing. You're going to have to face all that emotional and physical stress whether or not you have the surgery anyway. This way at least you'll be more physically able to weather it. Your daughter needs you now more that ever and you owe it her and most importantly to yourself to be the best you can be. Right now I think it's normal to lump in all your current woes in with the surgery, but in fact, the surgery should be firmly on the pro side as far as changing your life for the better. Sure there's a lot of sacrificing you have to make to get there, but in the end I think you'll agree wholeheartedly that it was all for the best. I'm pre-op like you, and I can't imagine these people who have come out the other side saying it's the best thing they ever did can all be wrong. So take a deep breath, hug your little one extra tight, and never forget the reasons why you chose this path in the first place. Best of luck to you!

You're probably right. I didn't consider the lawyer/malpractice angle. I'm going to give it a try anyway when I finally get to that point. I'd even be happy with a few stills too.

Hi @@Photo925 thanks for checking in! I've been thinking about you a lot so it's good to hear you are doing so well. 47 pounds down already - that's phenomenonal! I especially love hearing that pretty much everything we worry about pre-surgery turns out to be a non-event for the most part post surgery. I guess it's just human nature to be inquisitive to the nth degree about something you've never encountered before. Have you already ready the point where you're saying the gastric sleeve was the best thing you've ever done? I'm sure things will start to speed up time wise once I get to start the classes next week. Thanks for sharing your info with us on your experiences. I know I'm going to have more questions later on. Congrats again on your amazing success. I can't wait to be where you are now. How is the exercising coming along? Any difficulties there? How long did you stay home from work and was it hard going back? Was the exhaustion as bad as they say? How was the hospital stay? Thanks again and hope to talk to you soon!

I'm not even sure this is a service that they provide, but I'm planning on asking my surgeon for a video copy of my surgery. I just think it's a once in a lifetime chance to actually see the inside of my own body! I'm also a big fan of that old movie "Fantastic Voyage" - not that I'm expecting to see a miniaturized ship and crew running around inside there, but still I think it would be fascinating to see! Anyone else?

Being the only one in my immediate family who is overweight, let alone morbidly obese, I know exactly how you feel. I have two sisters and one brother who are and have always been of normal weight. For the most part they've never judged me, certainly never harsher than I judge myself. Since I've undertaken this journey and have become my own advocate for WLS I find myself much more emotional than I normally am. All of those repressed feelings of inadequacies are much closer to the surface now. I cry at the drop of a hat whereas before I was like a suit of armour, nothing could penetrate my self-imposed shields. By opening myself up to hope again I've found that I'm also much more vernerable to off hand remarks and thoughtless insensitivity than I was before. It's almost like you have to step back a few paces before you can move forward again. The other day I burst into tears and was putting myself down over my weight and my brother gets this panicked look in his eyes and blurts out: "Don't cry, you're fine. In fact, you know who my favorite actress is? Melissa McCarthy!" At first I was thinking, are you kidding me? That's your idea of comfort? But then I just burst out laughing. The bottom line is someone who isn't obese themselves can never understand how horrible it is, and no amount of love will ever give them the inside scoop. Doesn't mean they don't love you and it doesn't mean they are deliberately trying to hurt you with inconsiderate words and actions. They just live in a completely different world. Hang in there. Things will get better!

Wow! You look fantastic and serve as an inspiration to us all!

Hello @plusssizecrosstrainer and @lidawtee! For some reason I couldn't get back onto this site until now. I kept trying and trying yesterday. I see you are going away for a few days @lidawtee so I hope I haven't missed you, as I had a couple of questions I was hoping you could answer. How long was it after your classes before you got your surgery date? Were you able to lose the pre-op weight? Was there any homework as Jen was wondering? What other labs/tests were ordered after classes? Did you have an endoscopy done? At what point after class did you get the notice that you were officially approved for surgery? If I'm too late and you're already gone I hope your surgery goes well tomorrow! And please keep us updated on how you're doing! Sorry for all the questions but I get so excited when I find people who are also going through the Kaiser Southern CA experience; it seems to have the longest pre-approval process of all. There seems to be so few of us online too. I too agree that the long duration will ensure we will be absolutely prepared, but sometimes I feel like a kid the night before Christmas feeling that Santa will never arrive! I've been doing some things to help pass the time like making personal video journals so I'll be able to see the physical difference as I go along and remember exactly how I felt from day to day. I'm taking my classes in San Marcos too, @lidawtee! I hope my class ends up as close knit as yours was. There was only 16 people in your class? I'm a little surprised it was that small. I hope mine is as well as it will help us all get to know one another better. Jen, I think you and I will finish at the around the exact same time as my classes will also be delayed by the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all fall on Thursday. I'm thinking they will conclude some time in May. @lidawtee, (if you're still around or when you return) did you have any weeks when your classes were postponed? Jen, I would love to stay in touch and chart our journeys together. I just realized that there's a very real possibility that we might even be in the hospital having surgery at around the same time! It would be wonderful to support each other through the ups and downs. I'm so excited for the both of us! And for your speedy recovery @lidawtee! Take care of that foot of yours, Jen! Hope to talk more with the both of you soon! Debbie