Sooo... kaiser has an OPTIONS class that we must take and complete in order for them to pay for surgery and today I graduated! yay! So now I will wait to go see the surgeon within the next couple of weeks at Pacific Bariatric In San Diego. This is all happening so fast. Getting closer....

How does everyone prepare themselves? Seems over whelming! Theres too many Vitamins, Protein drinks, things to ask the surgeon, things to take to the hospital....ahhhhhhn

what should I do to prepare!?

=):thumbup:

Congratulations...doesn't it feel good to check things off the list and know you're getting closer?

Just keep reading..it all seems overwhelming right now....but it's really not that bad. It'll all fall into place. Your surgeons office will give you their protocol on Vitamins...just as the post op food plans differ from doc to doc...so does their Vitamin regimen.

Most people will tell you not to invest in Protein powders, drinks, etc. ahead of time because for so many of us our tastes change and what we liked pre-op we no longer liked post-op.

That hasn't been true for me...at least not yet.

You can try ordering different sample packs...there's a thread called where to get protein samples or something like that I believe in the food and nutrition forum. At least that way you'll have lots of different things to try when you're post -op and see what you like.

Good luck to you!

Congrats and enjoy the ride. Your surgery will be here before you know it.

I had my surgery thru Kaiser also, so I know just how you feel about finishing the Options classes. But when I was in it they were 6 mos long and I thought my surgery would never get here. My surgery was at Harbor City Kaiser (Southbay) which is closer to you than San Diego isn't it? Did you choose to go all the way to San Diego? I'm an hour away from the surgeon, so it sucks having to drive that far for appts...just something to think about. Good luck on your surgery!

Congrats. I also did the options program. I was also wanting to ask the same question. Why go to San Diego? I also had my Sleeve done by Dr. Zane (LOVE HIM) at Kaiser Harbor City. Are you doing Bypass instead? Well in any case, CONGRATS .. and welcome to your new life ... well almost :-)

Hello everyone,

Well I am doing my surgery in San Diego pacific Bariatric only because it's way faster there. If I were to go to Kaiser in Harbor City right now it wil be a 3-6 month wait.....and at pacific bariatric its 4-6 WEEKS. Not alot of people know but Pacific Bariatric recently started proving the sleeve and kaiser contracted with them so it's fell right into my lap with a great opportunity. To give you and an example I graduated last monday from my options class and yesterday pacific Bariatric made me an appointment to see the surgeon June 14th. So I have to go down there and then hopefully I will get my suregry date already!! fast fast lol I like it!

Good Luck to you all and keep me updated! I should begin putting pics up! I've alread lost 45 pounds since January by eating less and better choices =)

Thanks so much for sharing that info Jenn. I'm on it! I graduated almost a month ago and have yet to hear from Kaiser about the group surgeon info session that's a pre req to even have a one on one with the surgeon. I just left a message with the Options director and will try to be referred to Pacific Bariatric in San Diego. Small price to pay to save months and months of time.

Any other tips? Do you just request to go and they say okay??

You graduated after and will get your sleeve before me. No fair! lol jk . . . Congrats on your success thus far and thanks for sharing the great info. I will share it with my fellow Options class members as well. :thumbup:

Good luck getting referred somewhere else, once they send the referral it's almost impossible to get referred somewhere else! Unless it's necessary but it's really tough to do... but good luck! Keep us updated =)

ohhh one more thing!!!!..... I got a call from pacific Bariatric and they set me up for my 3 day appointment with them for June 14th! =) then shortly after that I will get my surgery date. I will keep everyone posted!

I'm very happy to learn of all of this. I'm a KP Orange County patient (and employee) and I'm seeing my PCP tomorrow. Coincidentally, my PCP is one of the dr's in charge of the weight loss program for OC, I think you need to see him to be referred to the WLS class (not 100% sure if I understood them correctly at member health). Anyway, I'm going to see him tomorrow for referral. Up until this weekend, I assumed that KP didn't cover VSG, so I was going for the lap-band although the VSG was more attractive to me. Now that I know, I can talk to him about the Pacific Bariatric option.

I understand that the wait to get into the WLS surgery class can be 3-4 months, I might talk to him about the other service areas. Jenn, are you in the Bellflower or Baldwin Park hospital area? Depending on where you live in Whittier, you can be close to either one of them! I grew up in Hacienda Heights, so that is an area I know and love/miss!

Hi,

I attended my OPTIONS classes at the Baldwin Park Kaiser facility, however, my PCP is in montebello. I'm excited that you are going to ask your PCP to get referred GOOD LUCK! however, I know that Kaiser DOES cover all 3...Lapband, Vertical Sleeve, and Gastric Bypass, but they DO NOT recommend lapband, unless you only have like 30-50 pounds to loose and have TONS of self control. But that's just what we were told.. Lots of people that have had the lapband end up getting the vertical sleeve and regret wasting time, maybe you should really think about it. Anyhow, whatever your choice is GOOD LUCK =). And by the way..I used to go to hacienda all the time when my sister lived there. I live in whittier, I took turnbull canyon all the time....=)

Hey Jenn,

I saw my PCP yesterday, and he was able to get me into the orientation this Thursday. Yay! He's the director of the weight loss program for OC (all weight loss, not just the surgery portion), but he's been my PCP for almost 4 years. I love him, as he's always been very upfront and honest. For me personally, it was nice to be able to talk with him since he knows more than most PCPs of what will be involved with the surgery and the post-op life. Plus, he understands that we obese people have issues that are the underlying cause of our obesity.

Anyway, I digress. I wanted to let you know that he told me that Pacific Bariatric does bypass almost exclusively, but if you tell them you want a sleeve, they will do it, but you will need to let them know your reasons behind it. (Mine - the inability to take NSAIDS, they're the only thing that help my headaches and arthritis is in my future, I know it!) South Bay and Harbor City are more likely to do the sleeve. Come back and let us know what Pacific Bariatric said about the sleeve. For me, I would much rather go to San Diego since I'm in south orange county, it would be close to the ocean, and I really, really hate driving anywhere near LA, kwim?

Oh, the one thing I could tell he doesn't like - the LAP Band! He said most (Kaiser) patients end up having to have it removed due to complications. He said he's going to show pictures in the orientation of it eroded into the stomach, etc. He said the same thing, that it's only recommended for those patients you talked about (lower BMI).

P.S. I lived kinda near Turnbull, once you got over the hill and took tetley instead of continuing on Turnbull, we lived just off Tetley between St. Marks Church and Hacienda Blvd. I always loved the Turnbull drive over to Whittier library!

Great to hear that you are going to attend the orientation. It's the beginning to something amazing trust me! And yes Pacific Bariatric does FOR SURE do the sleeve. It's just that they do the gastric bypass way more. And let me put it this way, nobody gets to choose the surgery they way, but do get to have their opinion and most likely if there are no history or medical problems you get what you want. I know 2 people who have gone to pacific bariatric and I am positive that it will be a faster and smarter choice for you! let me know how the orientation goes! and monday the 14th I have my appt in san diengo to see my surgeon I'll let you know how it goes! Maybe send me a private message with somesort of messenger you have (msn,gtalk,aim,etc.) I mostly have them all hehe!

I went through Kaiser So. San Francisco, and they had to talk me out of the band and into the sleeve. I am so glad they did. I am very happy with the sleeve. One thing about Kaiser in the bay area, is that they hand out a binder with all the necessary vitamin and food recommendations. I don't know if they do that down in So. Calif. But on this site their are good threads on nutrition. I really got more from this site. My only suggestion is that you have a good protein drink that you can tolerate. I use ISOPURE flavored drinks 40 G protein, but many here call it ISOPUKE. I can understand why, since it is sooo tart, like lemons, but I can handle it fine. I also use the premade Pure Premium Frosty Chocolate 35 g protein. heated like hot cocoa in the mornings. Both are available at GNC. But check out the protein threads for other people's favorites. It's all a personal choice on what you can tolerate. Also, KEEP hydrated after surgery. Drink those liquids.