mb20mom

Oh congratulations! I am still waiting for my date, so i know how excited and anxious you must be feeling. Just think, the new YOU begins tomorrow...you are so lucky. From what I've read on this forum, I'd say you need to get to the store and make sure you have some Crystal Lite, chicken broth, SF Jello, and SF popsicles. Good luck tomorrow, and post as soon as you can to let us know how you're doing.:sad0:

Thanks for the tip! My doc mentioned trying Peanut Butter in the morning for more protein too. I guess I could try eggs instead of Cereal...is there ever a good time to eat the fruit that won't make me hungry afterwards? I can give up the yogurt, but I love the melon. Speaking of eggs, why don't I ever hear of sleevers eating them? Sounds like it would go down easy and a good source of protein. Too much fat? I'll let you know how I do with the protein breakfast. :bored0:

No, they will let you choose your surgery, don't worry. They will constantly warn you that it's always up to the surgeon. I really think they say this just for liability reasons, so you can't say you were given any medical advice by them because they aren't doctors that teach the classes. Pacific Bariatric is just one of the places that Kaiser uses as a contracted surgery center for bariatric surgery. They don't do the sleeve there, but you can certainly get the sleeve at another Kaiser location. Many more Kaiser hospitals are doing their own surgeries now such as Harbor City and West Los Angeles. And honestly, by the time you finish Options, I bet there will be one closer to San Diego. Don't get discouraged. I'm sure they told you that it would be some 3 month wait to get into the next Options class, and they'll end up calling you in 2 weeks and ask if you can start. And honestly, the people that give the Options classes, aren't that well-informed about the actually surgery centers. You'll be fine, you just have to be patient to wait it out.

So glad to hear it all went well. Wow, 30 lbs? How was Harbor City and how was Dr. Zane? Keep us posted on your progress, and congratulations on finally getting sleeved!:bored0:

Wow. I just wanted to tell you guys how helpful this is for someone who is still waiting to be sleeved. It's amazing to me how little everyone is eating. I am anxious to stop being so hungry all the time so I can eat like this. Just to take you back to the old days, this is what I eat in a typical day: 7am: Bowl of cereal-usually Raisin Bran 9am: Yoplait Lite yogurt 11am: 1/2 cantaloupe, cut up (I seem to be starving in the mornings) also a handful of cashews, trying to curb the hunger I get from eating the melon 12pm: Lean Cuisine 3pm: Lg bunch of grapes, maybe pretzels or ritz crackers 5:30pm more cashews while making dinner 6-7pm: dinner varys, usually chicken or Pasta or steak, whatever we make I eat. 9pm: Creamsicle ice cream bar (100 calories) Not sure how many calories I eat (maybe 2000) but I can tell you I've consistenly lost a pound every week for the past 6 months, which is when I started the Kaiser Options program. I must have been consuming over 4000 calories a day prior to that, I'm sure. Prior to Options I was eating everything I wanted, all the time. Usually fast food for Breakfast and lunch, no holding back for dinners, and of course the best ice cream or sweets for late night TV watching...ughhh. I'm so ready for my sleeve, and so tired of being hungry! Just waiting for my surgery date.:001_tt2:

OMG I think that would have freaked me out too! I just wanted to wish you all the best for tomorrow. I'm still waiting for my consult call from Dr. Zane's office, so I'd love to hear every little detail of your experience there. I've heard nothing but great things about him, so don't worry, you're in good hands. I know your journey has been long, just remember how excited you are to finally get this done. I look forward to my day very much....Take care and welcome to the new you.

I agree with you. I too was set on getting the LapBand, but fortunately since I've been forced to wait it out 6 mos thru my Kaiser Options program, I've had the good sense to switch to the sleeve. I am still waiting for my surgery date, but thanks to all the great information I've seen on this forum, I feel ready and well prepared. I love hearing about everybody's surgery experiences and helpful information about what to expect. For instance, I know I will stall in week 3, thanks to reading about it here, and I will expect it now. And just the other day I learned about blue farts! ha ha... Good luck on your surgery, and I hope to be able to share my story soon.

Yep, that's it exactly. And during those 24 weeks you will be expected to lose 10% of your body weight to qualify for the referral to surgery (the Options program is now only 20 wks though). And you can't miss a single class without making it up. It sounds stupid, but it really does help you prepare. I can see the benefit of it now, but at the beginning I just wanted to get my surgery asap. I honestly think I wouldn't have been as successful if I'd had it back then. Now i know what to expect, and I've actually decided to have the Sleeve instead of the LAP-BAND®. If I had rushed in to it, I might have made a wrong decision.

OMG that's awesome! And you switched to the sleeve like I did, that's great. I want to know everything, so keep posting about your experience, as it looks like I will be seen by Dr. Zane also. I'm sure you're nervous and excited at the same time. Oh, good luck and congratulations on finally getting to the end of your long journey! I will be thinking of you on Friday and I hope all goes well.:frown:

Welcome to Options! I have one class left and met with the doctor today and he's referring me to Harbor City for my Sleeve surgery. I started out wanting the lapband, but have changed my mind and am very excited to get the sleeve. I hope to get Dr. Zane. We were told many times back and forth that Kaiser was doing the band, then they weren't, and just last week said again that they were, so who knows what the story will be by the time you get there. Options is a very long journey. At first I hated that it was 6 mos (only 20 weeks now I heard), but after a while you begin to really appreciate this time to prepare for surgery. I was able to lose my 10% weight requirement, and now will be waiting to hear from the patient coordinator to get my surgery date! I think I learned about as much, if not more, from visiting this forum and the VSG forum (verticalsleevetalk.com) than I did in the classes. I hear that each location is very different, tho. I now feel very prepared and excited for my sleeve. Good luck!

I'm in the 6 mos of classes right now, and as long as you lose your required 10% weight during the 6 mos, you'll pretty much be able to get the surgery...although the final determination is from the surgeon. You won't even get referred to the surgeon until almost to the end. You'll see another bariatric doctor where you take the classes, and he will be the one referring you to the surgeon. It's a very long process, but I'm glad, because I've gone back and forth many times between the Lapband and Sleeve, and at this point since I've been able to lose 28 lbs on my own, I may not even get the surgery after all, I'm still on the fence about it. Go to the orientation and just be patient, you'll be on your way in no time. Good luck!

Welcome to the Options program! I have 4 classes left to go. But mine is 24 weeks, they just recently shortened the program to 20, so lucky you. I'm curious, they told us a few weeks ago that Kaiser has stopped the lapband. I'm getting the sleeve, so it didn't matter to me, but what did they tell you in orientation? I think my surgery will be either at Harbor City or West LA, and I'm all the way in Corona which is an hour away. It's good that you're on here, because I think I've gathered more information from these forums about the lapband than I did in the Options classes. They seem to only talk about the RNY (bypass). The nutrition information is good though, and the emotional eating part was helpful. Good Luck!

Hmmm, it seems every location at Kaiser has different information...we were told last month that the lapband was no longer being provided by Kaiser due to too many complications...but you say you're having it done at Harbor City? I have 4 classes left and met with the doctor last week and he is referring me to West Los Angeles Kaiser Hospital for my sleeve surgery. No mention of this location was ever mentioned in our classes, and right now there is no wait. I didn't think it would go this fast and didn't even expect it to be a Kaiser facility doing the surgery, since all they tell us in class is about the contracted surgery centers. And since it's a Kaiser facility doing my surgery, he didn't even need to have me do any pre-op tests, so I'm wondering if I'll have to drive to LA many times for stuff (hour away). Please keep me posted...good luck!

I have So Cal Kaiser and I'm in their 6 month Options program which is required before any bariatric surgery can be approved. They used to offer the LapBand until just a few weeks ago...too many complications so they stopped. They still do the RNY (bypass) and the Gastric Sleeve, which is what I plan to get. I was told last week that my surgery will be performed at the West Los Angeles Kaiser hospital. During the Options classes you must lose 10% of your body weight. At first I thought the class part was stupid, but now I realize how well it's prepared me for my surgery and how to eat. I've been able to lose 27 lbs so far, and honestly sometimes I think maybe I don't need the surgery and that I can continue losing on my own. I first went in to get the LapBand, but once I learned about the Sleeve, I decided it to be a better choice for me. I highly recommend you go through the program at Kaiser.

I too am having my surgery through Kaiser in So. Cal. I have 4 more classes left and met with the doctor yesterday and said he would put me through for surgery at West Los Angeles Kaiser Hospital (1 hour away, my classes are in Riverside). I've just finished losing my 10% required weight of 27 lbs. They told us a few weeks ago that Kaiser has stopped doing the LapBand due to too many complications. Most of the surgeries they do for RNY and Sleeve are done by contracted surgery centers, so I was pleased to hear that mine would be at a Kaiser hospital, just wish it was closer. JageK, how long did they have you stay in the hospital? Did UCLA do your pre-op tests? Curious since my doc said he didn't need to do any tests since I'm being referred to a Kaiser location.

Hi Lilu, I'm currently in the Kaiser program in Riverside. It's a required 24-week class before even getting on the waiting list for surgery. Yes they do sub out the surgery and what they've been telling us the last few weeks is that Harbor City is only offering the bypass (no lapband/sleeve) and none of the other subs will allow Kaiser patients anymore because it's causing the wait to be too long for other patients. They're working on finding other surgeons, but none are ready yet. I'm hoping something gets lined up by the time I'm done with classes. I'm only on week 9 or 10, trying not to concentrate on how painfully slow the whole process it. You'll need to lose 20-30 lbs during the course of the classes. Good luck, and hang in there!

I don't know what city you're in, but my doctor is at the Corona Office and is Dr. Lewis Ha. He thought about my referral for all of 30 seconds and said ya, I'll refer you for the lapband. It was that easy.

I've enjoyed milk and dairy my whole life, then all of a sudden about a year ago I can't tolerate drinking milk. The gas and bloating is so painful. I switched to Lactaid milk and can drink it with no problem. I can eat every other dairy no problem, so I don't understand. I'm not sleeved or banded yet, just wanted to let you know that sometimes it can just be age and hormones I think...so maybe you will only have a problem with ice cream, who know?

I'm 6 weeks into the 24week Options Program in So. Calif. Kaiser. Presently they aren't offering the lap band anymore until they can get some more surgeons contracted in the area. They prefer and recommend the RNY surgery over lapband, which I'm not interested in at all. I'll just crawl through the process in hopes that they have surgeons lined up by the time I get to the end. I'm 10 pounds down so far with 17 more required by the time I get surgery. I'm curious how many people go thru the Options program and don't get the surgery because they've learned how to do it on their own. The waiting is maddening...Mexico is not that far away from me....hmmmm.

Hi Guys, I'm in the Options Program thru Kaiser in Riverside. I'm only on week 6 of 24. What a painfully slow process this is. They're telling us that there is NO lapband surgery being offered anymore, until they can get more places contracted. I'm hoping they'll have one lined up by the time I'm done. They really push the RNY, and not the lapband. Also, they will be starting the Options classes at the Corona facility soon, in case anyone is interested. (I live in Corona, but since I started in Riverside I think I have to stay) I'm confused about the Harbor City location, whether they are doing lapband anymore or not, as they made it sound like they weren't...maybe it's just that the wait is 6 mos? As popular as the band is getting, I'm really surprised they don't just do the surgery themselves, at every one of their hospitals!

Donna2153, I think I was in that same orientation class with you. And yes I agree that they push the bypass surgery over the lapband, and they still say they aren't scheduling any new lapband surgeries. They are going to start classes in Corona though, which is where I usually go for appts. I just hope one of these days they say they're going to start doing the lapband at the Riverside hospital or the Ontario surgery center! But at least I'm losing a little weight and if I keep losing maybe I'll just continue on my own...we'll see. Yes, keep in touch!

That was a smart way to go. I'm stuck in this 6-8 month Kaiser program in Riverside before I can get the surgery and it is painfully slow, very discouraging since I want the surgery NOW. Anyway I just wanted to say hi since I saw that you are in Riverside. Good luck to you. You'll probably have lost all your weight by the time I get my band! :smile:

OMG you are so lucky! I'm in the So. Calif. Kaiser Options program and they still require the 24 weeks of classes. I'm only on week 4 and it is very discouraging that I have to wait so long. And we've been told the waiting period AFTER the program is up to 3 months before surgery gets scheduled. I suppose I can hope for a revamp like yours is doing, but it doesn't look likely..good luck with your PCP!

Yes, I'm dealing with Kaiser in So. Cal. and it is a very long process. It's taken me 2 mos just to get to this point which is the beginning of the 24 week classes, then the say it could be up to 6 months afterwards to be considered for surgery. :thumbup: It's very discouraging. You are lucky to go so fast.

Wow, that pretty much sums up exactly what I've encountered with my program at Kaiser (in Riverside). You're right, it is a looong process. I just got the call yesterday to start in an Options class this Friday, so I'm thrilled to finally get it going...just 6 short months to go.. but I am so looking forward to the prize at the end. Week #1, here I go.