Kikiphiasmom

I'm so glad you posted. I am one of the people who wanted you to. I will be sleeved on 10/09/09 and feel very anxious about this surgery. The only surgery I have had were my 2 c-sections. My surgeon said that the sleeve surgery is alot easier than a c-section (i'm praying he is right). I had no issue with my c-sections. But I was also in my twenites and about 40 lbs thinner. I will put myself in gods hands and hope for the best. I am so glad that you are having such an easy time. CONGRATS again!! :001_smile:

I dont think so. I think that its mainly the first month the people have to worry about leaks. But I am not sure. Maybe one of the people who have already gotten sleeved can answer that one :001_smile:

Ok well good luck. I am sure everything will work out fine. Congrats on starting the process :001_smile: Ask away if you have more questions :biggrin0:

NO dont tell them anything. Just log it there on the questioneer. Dont give them room to take you out of the program. TRUST me! Just fill it out and go to orientation. And ZIP it ... LOL ..jk

You are so welcome. I know that when I first started this process I felt completely lost. I am glad I can be here for you. Pacific Bariatrics only does the RNY for Kaiser. I think that by the time you are finished with the classes, they wont have that contract anymore, as Kaiser is performing their own surgeries now. They used to contract with UCLA too for the RNY and Sleeve. They no longer have a contract with them. Kaiser is doing ALL surgeries now.

Don't worry about the packet. It's not as scary as it looks:001_unsure:. Like I said in previous posts they just want to know that you have TRIED to lose weight. It doesnt have to be "DOCUMENTED" you just have to document it on the questioneer. They will even take over the counter drugs one has taken. Dont worry about anything. You WILL get accepted into the program. You have sleep apnea and High blood pressure. That makes you a shoe in for it. Dont worry .. you are so in!! :thumbup: Dont worry and just do what they ask you to do. :001_tt2:

I know. I can hardly contain myself. I want it to be here already. I hope I can go back to work in a week though. My surgeon said it shouldnt be a problem since my work mainly in front of a computer sitting on my FORMER fat butt ..LOL ...:001_tt2:

I am getting sleeved on 10/09/09 .. YAY finally after a whole year waiting and taking classes and waiting ... I finally have a date ... WHOO HOOOO!!!

OMG ... I am so glad you posted. I am having my surgery on 10/09/09 and am really anxious. I am so happy that everything went well. Please post your WHOLE experience if you are up to it as I would LOVE to hear what I will possibly be doing. Good Luck and congrats:thumbup:

Chargers56, The classes are ALL about the RNY (bypass) you wont hear a peep about any of the the other 2 surgeries. But thats really ok as you will still have to follow the same rules as the RNY. Once you get to your surgeon, you will see that they know ALL about ALL of the surgeries. I didnt hear about the sleeve until I started reaserching it. It was all about the RNY. They wont even mention the band as Kaiser is ANTI band now. They will still do it, but will try their hardest to convince you to get the Sleeve or RNY. I told my surgeon I wanted the sleeve and he just said ... OK .. no problem and gave me a date for surgery. Its quickly becoming the gold standard up there with the RNY.

Holly, The people that do the surgeries are Kaiser Weat LA, Kaiser Harbor City and Kaiser in the Valley .. I cant recall the name at this moment. Basically any Kaiser Panorama City. They used to consult out to UCLA and Pacific Bariatrics in San Diego ... I dont think they do anymore. Hope this helps

MacMadame, I tried everything to NOT have to go through the classes. Its a Kaiser REQUIREMENT. At least when I went through the classes it was. I know things have been changing alot since my last class. But the newbies that are starting are being told the same things.

Chargers56, Every Kaiser does things differently. I have a friend who just finished the classes and she had to do alot more than I ever did. She went through the Kaiser in Hollywood. She had to get a psych eval and nutrition eval and some other things. I never had to do that. You will have to take tests during the course of the 6 month classes. They need to see if you are difficent in somethings. YES when I went to my consult with my Surgeon I was told that they are taking referrals from the pts in San Diego. I think you will qualify with the hypertension and cholesterol. Dont worry, if you get to orientation you are basically in. I know that after orientation the chief bariatric MD reviews the packets (what they will send in the mail) to see if you are eligiable. Make sure that you put down all the diets that you have tried. The more the better. They want to see that you have made MANY attempts at losing weight. Even if you only took pills that were over the counter. EVERY effort should be written down. If you only have 1 or 2 they wont take you. YOu will be fine and I am sure they will accept you. Good luck ... its so worth it:thumbup:

Hello Chargers56, Ok so this is how it all began. This time last year I had made up my mind that I needed the lapband. I made an appointment with my PCP to get a referral. When I started this (Sept 2008) you had to have a BMI of 50 or lower with 2 co-morbidities (diabetes/high blood pressure/sleep apnea ..ext) I only qualified because while I was pregnant with my 2 daughters I became diabetic and have a very LARGE possibility of becoming diabetic. My BMI at the time was somewhere in the 40's. My PCP sent a referral to the OPTIONS bariatric program. In October 2008 I got a call to go to the orientation in November 2008 (they sent me that packet too). At that point when you go to orientation make sure your packet is complete. Then you wait for the classes to start. I had to wait until January 2009. These classes are 6 month classes you go once a week. I think they have changed them so now instead of going to 24 classes you only go to 20. You HAVE to take these classes. There is no way around it. They are VERY beneficial. Anyway ... after you are done with the classes ( I was done June 2009 ) they ask you what surgery you want. They offer RNY/SLEEVE/LAPBAND. They HATE doing the band. Kaiser surgeons will talk you out of getting one. They are taking more out then putting them in. When I finished my classes I was told there would be a 6 month wait to get the band ... again ... here I was having to wait.. BUT to my surprise ... I get a call in August from Kaiser Harbor City that they had openings to get consults. My consult date was Sept 21, 2009. I went and spoke with my surgeon Dr. Zane and he talked about all of the WLS and by this time I had already changed my mind and decided on the sleeve. He was happy with my decision as he thought that this was the best surgery for me. Right then and there he gave me a surgery date October 2 ... I couldnt do it that date so he changed it to October 9, 2009. So there you go. This has been my ordeal ... but I wouldnt change a thing .. if I would have gotten the surgery sooner I would have been stuck with the band, and after hearing all of these stories ... im glad I had to wait. Hope this helps you out. Any more questions on Kaiser ... ask away ... oh and btw .. Kaiser Harbor City is getting the pts from Kaiser San Diego ... :svengo:

UPDATE: So I went to my consultation yesterday (09-21-09) and I got a date. The surgery date is 10/09/09. I'm so excited. I am definitly getting the VSG. He wanted to schedule me as soon as 10/02/09, but I am having a Halloween bday party for my lil girls on 10/03/09. I cant believe its happening so quickly. I am still in shock. My surgeon eased and calmed my fears. Dr. Zane @ the Kaiser in Harbor City rocks. I asked if anyone had ever died on him during this procedure .. he said no and kind of laughed at me... LOL .. he said almost all of his pts who have sedentary positions go back to work within 1-2 weeks. I asked about leaks. He said that as long as I do exactly what he tells me that I should be 100% :thumbup:in no time. He said that the one pt who ended with a leak was a pt that upon discharge, went to KFC to eat .. I was like WTH??? Needless to say she busted a staple and had a leak. Well guys/gals this is my update. I am so excited. Not so scared anymore. Cant wait for the 9th:thumbup:. More stories on your hospital stay and feeling while getting the band are appreciated:biggrin0: Toodles :lol0:

Chargers56, I am a Kaiser pt here in Los Angeles. I went through the 6 month classes through Baldwin Park Kaiser. They request that you lose 10% of your weight by the time you finish the class. Kaiser does do the RNY/Sleeve and Band. They discourage the band though, because there are problems that are arising for the long term pts. But they still do it. I am actually going to my consultation today (09/21/09). I was going to get the band originaly but have now changed my mind and will be asking to get the sleeve. I have heard of some SD pts that are coming down to South bay Kaiser to get the sleeve. Just go through the process you wont regret it. It does take time ... good luck :scared0:

Thank you all for all of the information. I tend to be a hypochondriac (SP?) so I am scared. I know that after the inital consultation it will go pretty fast from here on end. That is what I was told. Thinking maybe the surgery will be scheduled for October. Might be later if the H. Pylori hasnt cleared from my system. They found it on routine labs before my consultation ... arrgghhhhh! :cursing: I just want to get it over with and be on my way to healing and becoming the NEW me. I am so tired of being Fat and on yo-yo diets. Thanks again everyone ... you have helped immensley (SP?):party4:

Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate any and all info on this surgery. I am on Lapbandtalk.com. I have been a member for over a year. My main goal was to get the band. But now that I am getting closer to my consultation I am really re-thinking the idea of having the band and thinking more and more about the Sleeve. I am so scared though. They are actually cutting into me. I' m SOOOOOOOO scared and it feels so good to read all of your stories. The make me feel better and make me feel like I can actually do this. MORE STORIES PLEASE .. LOL ... and again ... THANK YOU for all of the detailed information. :thumbup:

Hello all, So my consultation is this Monday (09/21/09) and I am debating between the Lapband and Sleeve:crying:. I've done tons of reaserch on the Band but not so much on the sleeve. I know the band is a much safer surgery. The sleeve coming in second. But what are the statistics? Death rate? complications? I am so frightened of surgery on its own. I have had 2 c-sections and came out really well and was on my feet and doing everything I normally do within 1 week. Is it the same with this type of surgery?:biggrin0: I think its mainly the anasthesia that really freaks me out. How long where most of you out of work. I am a single mom who needs to go back to work pretty quickly. I do administrative work, so its mostly sedentary. I would like to hear your thoughts and experiences. I am so scared. I need to be OK for my kiddos. I MUST be ok for my kiddos. They are the reason I am doing this. They need a healthy mom for a VERY long time. I don't want to become diabetic .. as of now I am healthy, but am pre-diabetic now. Any and all suggestions and help would be much appreciated. I am doing this through Kaiser Harbor City in Los Angeles. :redface1:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: While you get your surgery, i will be at my consultation to get a surgery date. I wish you the best of luck ... as well to me :thumbup1:

Thanks VegasAngel. I am so happy that I found this forum. I am on the lapbandtalk.com forum as well. I was truely considering the band, but now that I have read all of these horror stories and how the band in the long run did not work, made me change my mind. I am still debating which to chose since 2 of my cousins have the band and are doing great. But I am leaning towards the sleeve now that my consultation is this Monday (09/21/09). I called Kaiser and they told me that the people who are going in for the band are coming out with the sleeve. I am so nervous and i know I am rambling on but words of encouragement and hearing peoples stories (fishing here ..lol) is what I need. Thank you all for welcoming me ... MORE stories please? Anyone have it done at Kaiser? How was your experience? Pain level? How long where you out? VegasAngel - 1 week? Not bad .. I can do that. LOL ... whats the mortality rate? Is it the same as the RNY? Thanks again ... :thumbup:

Thank you so much for sharing. I am new to this forum as my first choice was the Lap Band. Now that I have been reaserching things more, I think the sleeve would be a better fit for me. My questions is how long is the down time? I am a single mom with 2 kids (4 and 7). So you can imagine how I need a speedy recovery. How long is the surgery? How long are you under? The anasthesia is what scares me the most. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. Kaiser Harbor City ( Los Angeles) is doing my surgery and I finally have my consult this Monday (09/21/09) I am so nervouse and anxious at the same time. I have been in the process for OVER a year. Thanks again ... :thumbup:

I think they still are doing it. I have my consultation this Monday 09/21 at the Harbor City Location. I finished my classes in June. I know they said it was a 6 mnth wait, but I think they opened more clinic days or got some cancelations so I got called. Only waited what ... 3 months. ... not bad! Good luck:thumbup:

I think they still are doing it. I have my consultation this Monday 09/21 at the Harbor City Location. I finished my classes in June. I know they said it was a 6 mnth wait, but I think they opened more clinic days or got some cancelations so I got called. Only waited what ... 3 months. ... not bad! Good luck:thumbup:

Hi CLB825, The RNY is simply not for me. I am a single mother of 2 young children, and it simply would be to major of a surgery/recoup time. Also, I have family members who have had the band and can be a support system. None have had issues (thank god) and have lost HUGE amounts of weight. I am not ready for the risks assiciated with the RNY either. The band seems safer and more of a TOOL for me. Its slower weightloss. UPDATE: I have recieved a call from Kaiser Harbor city and got a consultation date for Sept 21. I am so excited as I though this would take much longer. I hope this is good luck as this is also my youngest daughters birthdate. My consultation is with Dr. Zane ( HEADHUNTER) knows him well. I just hope that I can convince him that the Band is what is right for me. The other procedure I would consider would be the sleeve. Still have to do some homework on that one though. Good luck to all. :thumbup: