swrktp

Hey Mastrosl when did you go to orientation? Just trying to figure out when I will be getting a call I have a trip and will be out of the county all of March so I hope to get all my appointments done beforehand than have the surgery sometime when I get back. I think Dr. Lee is great from what I have heard

You know I think Kaiser Richmond is slowly catching up with SSF Kaiser. I think Richmond's ability to get people through within six months maybe coming to an end here soon. Especially with the new referral process. I would ask how the timeline at Richmond before I gave up my spot at SSF. But do call. My paperwork got lost at Richmond.....they said there were so many, many, many referrals coming in, in December that they were backlogged. Does anyone know about Fremont???

Or it could be the faster yet since you have your end goal in sight. I would start to get nervous this close to the surgery and the time would fly by. Best of luck. I hope I don't have to wait 9 months but so far three has flown by and I still have not seen the surgeon yet :-) Where is your surgery?

MOm do you feel the band? Someone told me that as soon as she woke up from surgery she could feel the band in her body and wanted it out. Do you actually feel the band all the time in your body? I was under the impression that you don't know it is there except you feel full quicker. Recovery some are saying it is hell and they regreat their decision. HOw was your first week or so?

Welcome. So where are you in the process? When did you go to orientation and yep I am sure the lap band will help with all of the above. Do you know which surgeon you will get?

Tera when did you go to orientation? How long tell you got an appointment? Do you know who you get for a surgeon? I would love to hear how it goes and what you next step is? Seems like the process is a bit different for everyone and the appointments sequence is different for everyone. Since I am having to wait so long I just might be at my 10% by my next appointment :-)

Ah inside you are almost at goal weight!!! Yaaaa!!!

I think slow is good for long term change, but crawling is a just a bit to slow for me. I actually started this process last June so it has been awhile for me. I wanted to give it one last try before I made this step and went through the weight watchers..........which is great .........but I can't get motivated enough to get lower than 25 pounds before the hunger does me in. I am debating the RNY just because I worry that the band might not get rid of the hunger and that does me in every time. But I want to talk to the surgeon before I decide. Definetelly prefer band for other reason but hearing alot of problems with the band if your not super disciplined and all the long term appointments has me worried.

And if they drop out than more appointments will open up sooner!! LOL. I know I was tired of hearing it all. Weird thing was a client of mine was at the orientation from way back. She was the one doing the most argueing and I found it very interesting to watch. Oh course I knew way more than I could ever say and unless things have really changed she shouldn't have been there. I sat in the back and left first at the end. I wasn't sure if she would remember me or not but I knew her as soon as she started to talk and talk and talk.................LOL. Small world. Way to small!!

whos is the bariatric educater? Is that the nutritionist? I really don't need that appointment I could probably teach her a few things!! LOL. I just don't follow what I know. I hope they let me skip some steps. I have done so much research on the lap band that orientation was actually a bit of a bore. Our class was argueing about smoking and alcohol. Also gum chewing!! We got out late by the way!! LOL

Crazy how busy they are. Sounds like your having the same issue with waiting Audsmom. Just a different place in the process. I was hoping for a march surgery but I am looking more at May or June with this timeline. Maybe even July. Wouldn't be all bad but still I want to get healthy sooner rather than later and I need some help.

Reggie: Sac County

I wonder how refills go after surgery if it takes this long to get a call back. Hmmm.............concerning. I hope once things get started it goes fast. That is what it sounds like.

I just called Richmond and they told me that they are not scheduling appointments for the December group for 2-3 more weeks. I commented to them that last week they told me to expect a call this week and I laughed and asked if they backlogged. They said they were and it was gonna take some time and not to expect a call for awhile longer. They said to call back in 3 weeks if I have not heard anything by than........... They need to open up something in Sacramento this is really crazy!!

REGGIE: My orientation was December 16, 2008. I am hoping to get an appointment soon. They told me to expect a call on Monday but nothing so far. I will probably call them soon. My paperwork got lost before the orientation and I had to call to get included in the orientation as well. Thanks for the update!! So your a SW too?

I plan to call Kaiser today and get an update on what is going on. I talked to someone else in my group and they said they also have not heard anything or gotten a call yet. She called to try to get an appointment as well but they told her they will call her and not to keep calling. LOL I guess we are a persisten bunch!! By time most of us get to orientation we have already made up our minds and done the research. I thiough about it for six months before I even went to orientation and by the time I did I had done the research and made up my mind this was the way to go. But I do think alot of people at the orientation where still undecided and rather clueless!!

I hope to get an appointment soon. I have only lost 5 pounds. So hard to be motivated when I hear nothing for three weeks. I know I need to just not worry about that and do what I have to do but I kinda feel like getting people moving in the process is not a high priority. I am trying to change the attitude. Just want to feel like something will happen. To hard to stay on this crazy 1200 when I don't have a end goal to look forward too. Not to sure how the lap band can help if I can't stay motivated for three weeks!! LOL long, hard process as they warned in the orientation!! LOL

My name is Tina and I am a social worker. Thus swrktp!! LOL. I couldn't get my lunch time to match everyone elses but next time.........

Oh I want to come to the next one be sure and post it!!

Hey Reggie I went to orientation on December 16, 2008 and no call or appointment yet. They told use they would call us and I would hear something for sure by the 5th of January. Nothing. I plan to call again tomorrow and bug them. But a word to the wise they get a bit cranky if you call to much. They keep telling me that they call patients not the other way around. For me it has been three weeks and no contact at all yet. I hate to say it but I think your on the "waiting list" with the rest of us. I don't know what is going on but I did hear they are very short staffed right now and way behind on everything. I am very anxious to get this going but I am guessing that my surgery might be put out till summer at this rate. It is taking a month in between each contact .......... Let me know what you hear and I will let you know what our group hears. So far no one in our group has appointments or letters from Kaiser.

Hello all!! Where you meeting on Monday. I am in the sacramento area and might be able to make it if I can arrange my lunch time at work right. One case manager is not enough. They did have two. They also have the office scheduler our until Monday. Riley I left at 5:30 from sacramento the day of orientation and still barely made it to richmond by 7:30am. There was rain and it took an hour to get from the bridge to Richmond it was awful. Alot of people were late due to the traffic and sent home. So maybe give yourself another 15 minutes or so I wish I had done that I was very stressed out there at the end. I am still waiting. No luck so far and on appointments. I have kinda changed the timeline to summer for surgery instead of March. But again I am losing and I agree if I hit a plataue or feel like it is never gonna happen it will likely hurt my weight loss. I think they need to open a new center in Sacramento/vacaville area. They are just way to overbooked at Richmond. I also think lap band should be more streamlined. Less steps. I don't think the case manager should be required for bypass yes........not for lapband. I do think some of the people on here are allowed to skip some steps and wonder if that is indicative of how things will be. They do need to speed things up. I also think that Kaiser might just be trying to "weed people out" and hope that a percentage of patients will give up and drop out. Less spending for the HMO's that way.

I know some are not having to meet with the case manager and that makes since if there is only one in the office. I did hear there were two but I think one has been out for awhile now. I am still waiting to hear something back from Kaiser. So far I have been told they are also down an office worker and that she is the scheduler. So therefore nothing and now one has been scheduled since she has been out. I was told we all get random appointments by computer assignement than we can call in once a week to try and change it to a more convient time. I was told the appointments could be more than a month out as they are backlogged right now and short staffed. I believe the random assignments also mean random doctor assignments and I am anxious to see who I am assigned to!! Hey Reggie let me know how your orientation goes and don't be late. They sent people home last time for being 5 minutes late. They are serious. I have lost some weight even with my half hearted christmas break diet..........today everyone went home and I am getting serious. Just shocked that I still lost just by limiting carbs and haven't totally cut them out yet!! Would love to get this moving...............

Hello Minx I was told that we 1. Orientation 2. Psych appoint 3. surgeon appoint 4. Nutrition class? 5. Case manager appointment 6. pre op 7 surgery They told me today they are running behind with the lastest group that was oriented on December 16, 2008. The lady who schedules has been out for awhile and that is the reason we didn't get appointments that day and have not heard anything. It has been almost three weeks now......they said she will be catching up next week and we all get a random date which we will get in the mail. They did mention she might call for an appointment but to wait and see. I have been calling once a week to check in......... Minx when did you start out?

I talked to Kaiser Richmond today and they said the person who schedules appointments is out but that those of use still waiting should get a phone call next week to schedule our first appointment after orientation. Minx what is this about fast tracking? I heard that from someone else a couple of weeks ago that they were being fast tracked as well. What is going on with this. They went to surgeon app, psych app and than lose weight and straight to preop and surgury. No case manager or nutrition class. Is this the new thing for the new year?? Hmmm Kaiser Richmond seems disorganized right now. They have a few people out and there is a lack of communication for sure. I hear with the new year things are going to change at Kaiser Bariatrics. No more PCP referral after the new year. So alot more patients no doubt Keep me updated