mb20mom
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Everything posted by mb20mom
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thoughts....of doing the right thing....
mb20mom replied to johan22's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Yes I thought this exact same thing. Since I am a Kaiser patient, I was required to take a pre-op class for 6 mos and try to lose 10% of my weight. I was so successful at this (typical 1500 cals per day diet) that I thought for awhile I can continue like this and lose all the weight. Then the holidays came and I let myself eat again. I am reminded that the surgery will allow me to not fall back into bad habits, and keep me on track as I continue to lose weight. I don't trust myself to be able to lose the weight without it because all my life I'm either in "diet mode" or "eating mode" and I need to be in "lifelong healthy eating mode"! I am confident the surgery will be just the tool I need to keep going and lose another 100lbs....just 16 more days! -
Anyone just starting the process???
mb20mom replied to jenn20's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hi Lee, Looks like you're right on track to meet your goal already. Look at you, 13 lbs lost just like that! They tried to scare our class with lots of stuff like that too. I remember them saying many times that they check your blood for nicotine right before surgery and won't do it if you've been smoking... really?? Does Kaiser do that for every surgery? Great job on the weight loss, keep it up! -
Oh I thought you would have seen Dr. Zane for final instructions or something. What was the EKG like? I've never done one. How long were you there? Did you lose any weight this week? I'm curious to see how many days we are staying. OMG it's getting close and this is really happening. Keep me posted!
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Hi Stratus!
Congrats to you too on getting started. I lost the 30 lbs during 6 mos of weight classes required by Kaiser. It went on forever. My weight came off easy because it was new weight I had just put on from quitting smoking the previous year. At least that's my explanation, cuz I've never been that successful before! Now that my surgery is about 18 days away, yes I am extremely excited...but I've been heavy for so long that my mind won't let me believe that it's actually going to work. Good luck on your journey!!
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Hi Newday!
I hear ya. I thought those classes would never end. And then I thought the surgeon's office would never call. Now my surgery is just 18 days away...ack!
I think you'll be fine with the weight. You just need to get into a groove now that the holidays are over. I think I gained 5 lbs since Thanksgiving. I let myself eat anything and now paying for it. Keep at it and start walking more and you'll start losing. Which Kaiser are you going to?
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Anyone just starting the process???
mb20mom replied to jenn20's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I lost the 30lbs in the Options program. We had to weigh in every week and yes, lose 10% of our weight before we could be referred. I just tried to stick to my 1500 calories a day and fortunately it came off. I think it came off so easy because I had just gained 30 lbs last year from quitting smoking. I must have been pigging out before and the 1500 calories was just a big deficit. I did a lot of walking too. I'm not sure what they do if you don't lose the weight, except that my surgeon's instructions for pre-op was just 2 days of liquid diet, and I heard from someone else using the same surgeon 1 week before me that she was told to do a 2 week liquid diet. And she said she didn't lose the 10%. Our Options classes were like nutrition classes, all about how to eat, so we were expected to lose it. And my goal weight? I just guessed! Nothing scientific about it...ha ha. -
Anyone just starting the process???
mb20mom replied to jenn20's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hello Jenn20, Welcome to Options. I am having my surgery thru Kaiser, at the Harbor City location on Jan. 26. It's been a very long process to get to this point. Options classes used to be 24 wks long (I heard they were being shortened to 20 weeks). Then there is a few months to wait for the surgeon consultation. I started with my PCP in Feb, started Options in April, and finally got a surgery consult in Dec. While the Options classes aren't that great, it is good that you will have so long to make sure you are 100% on board with the surgery. Fortunately during mine I switched from wanting the LapBand to the sleeve. Thanks to this forum I was able to become better educated and feel I am totally ready for my surgery. So I hope you are a patient person, because it will feel like forever before you get it, but it will be worth it. Good luck! -
Another one for January 27th - WOOT! WOOT!
mb20mom replied to Bambi's topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story
Whoo Hoo! Mine is on January 26th! We can join the loser's bench together. Luckily I am only required to do 2 days of liquids prior to surgery. I think for 2 weeks I would starve. Congratulations on the date! -
I have always wondered, for those of you who have made it to your goal weight, how do you stop losing weight? I mean, why would you, if you're only eating 600-800 calories a day? That is still a deficit isn't it? So why wouldn't you just continue to lose? I know the body will require less caloric intake at a much lower weight, but still...this doesn't make sense to me. If our tummys don't have room for extra calories, how do we maintain?
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Will I be a "slow" loser?
mb20mom replied to MINI-Me's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I am scheduled for surgery 1/26, the same week as you, and I know what you mean. I think I'm still not convinced that I am going to lose weight from the surgery. I think our brains are so conditioned to believe we will never lose all the weight, it sounds too good to be true. "I'll believe it when I see it" is what my brain is telling me...I think if I lose the weight I won't recognize my own body! -
Oh you need to look at your before/after shots again! You can totally tell the difference. Patience, grasshopper...ha ha! You're doing great. And that's funny you mentioned Stereograms..I've been looking for more of those for years. And I rarely find anyone else who knows what they are...loved those things.
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Wow, what an inspiration! It must feel wonderful. Congratulations on your success.
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Tiff, good luck with the quitting. I finally quit almost 2 yrs ago and gained 30 lbs! I used Chantix and a book called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". It took awhile to sink in, but the book talks about how you have to be joyous about your decision to quit, and not deprived, and that helped me alot. I was free, no longer a slave, and that was a happy thing, not a thing to feel deprived about. Weird, but it worked for me. And I finally understood the importance of not having "just that one cigarette" while trying to quit. That will never work. Tiff, you've made your weight loss goal, doesn't that make you feel empowered to conquer something else like the smoking? Funny, it's because I quit that I felt empowered enough to get the weight off and have the surgery! Good luck to you, you can do it!:thumbup:
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Yay! I know exactly how you feel. I just got my date too...Jan. 26 and I can't stand it! I can't believe it's finally happening. Good luck and keep us posted!
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Seeing my tool in action
mb20mom replied to Gingin33's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Funny you should say it like that, since I keep looking ahead to my surgery as a tool to make me a "normal" eater. I am so excited to just be able to look at food like normal people or skinny people do. I ate what I wanted this week and my surgery is in January. Next year I look forward to being "normal"! -
Wow, great job on the weight loss during Options! I lost 30 lbs during the classes which I finished in early Oct. and I just finally met with my surgeon today and got a date...Jan 26! I cant believe how long this has taken to get to this point (since Feb). Where are you having your surgery? I'll be at Kaiser Harbor City. I could've had it done already if I'd gone to the West Los Angeles location, but I wanted to wait for Dr. Zane. He's done over 500 sleeves and is head of the Kaiser bariatric program I believe. Hope you get your consult appt. soon...good luck and keep us posted!
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You say you have an appt. with a surgeon already? I know things are different there, but that sounds unusual. Here we can't expect to see a surgeon until Options classes are complete and your referral goes thru. I've been at this since March and just yesterday I finally got a call that I'm now up on their waiting list and I will have my first consultation with the surgeon on 12/22. I hope they've streamlined the process and you won't have to wait so long. It's very frustrating to wait for something you want so badly. Could it be that you're not seeing a surgeon but seeing the bariatric doctor who works with you during the Options program? Just curious.
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Oh yes I can completely relate to how excited you must be! After many many months I am excited just because I finally have a consultation appt. with the surgeon. It's not until 12/22, but hey, at least I'm in there...(I have Kaiser and while I'm thankful that it's paid for, I've been at this since March and am a little frustrated with the waiting). Good luck to you and I hope you keep us informed of your recovery. I agree with you about being prepared because of this forum. It has been a huge confidence booster and I too feel totally at ease with my decision too. Sweet dreams!
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I actually started out wanting the LapBand, but as I went along, I started learning of many complications with restrictions, fills, ports, etc., and found that many people were converting from the band to the sleeve and that they found it so much better. Kaiser keeps changing their minds about whether to do band surgery anymore. They were on and off 3 times while I was in the Options program. The sleeve sounded perfect for me because I'm so tired of being hungry all the time, and it will force me to eat smaller portions. The RNY didn't interest me at all...way too evasive with the rerouting of intestines, and I always thought that RNY patients look malnourished. After reading this forum for so long, I don't think there is anyone out there who regrets their sleeve. So many people have said it's the best thing they ever did. After being so successful at losing my 30 lbs, I actually considered no surgery, thinking maybe I could do this on my own, but c'mon, who am I kidding? Ever since I fully decided to have the surgery, I'm very excited to get it done and start my new life. Now if only Kaiser would call me....
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I'm going thru Kaiser in Southern California, and yes, they do offer the sleeve. It takes a long time though, as you are required to complete 5-6 months of Options classes (I think it was lowered from 24 wks to 20 wks now) and lose 10% of your weight before getting the surgery referral. Things may work differently in No. Calif., but that's what is required here. I'm on the waiting list for a surgery consultation now, and it feels like it's never going to get here. I've been at this since March, and my patience is wearing thin, but I try to remember that it will all be worth it in the end. Good luck to you on your journey.
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Does anyone remember when they were cleared for baths?
mb20mom replied to beautyqueen's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
OMG that's one of those things I hadn't thought of! Won't it be wonderful to actually fit better in the bathtub?? I'm not sleeved yet, and the waiting is killing me...but things like that just make me remember that this long wait will be worth the results I'll get. Thanks for that. -
Sharing my experience for the pre-ops
mb20mom replied to beautyqueen's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Thanks for posting all the little details. It helps those of us that are not yet sleeved, and helps us be that much more prepared. I see more and more people posting that the surgery was really not a big deal, and that also helps. Good luck with your recovery. :001_huh: -
Kaiser Southern California Pays for Lap Band
mb20mom replied to missbossyboss's topic in Insurance & Financing
I don't think so. They want to know that you've tried many times to lose weight and failed. You'll want to list all the different ways that you tried, like Jenny Craig, WW, Nutrisystem, Atkins diet, etc. They're looking to see that this isn't your first attempt at losing weight, that's all. I'm sure that once you start listing them you'll fill up years worth of attempts, not just 6 months. My classes are over, but they told us at the end that they are approving the Lap Band again. I'm still doing the sleeve, and I'm on the waiting list at Harbor City for it...just waiting for my call...Good luck with the classes!