Just looking to start a new thread or meet some NEW people that have had Kaiser sleeve surgery or are going to have sleeve surgery soon. I am Chrissy I live In Sacramento. I was JUST sleeved on June 16, 2010! I was sleeved at Kaiser Richmond by Dr. Im. Looking for new people, Fun, Friends, new issues, recipes, suggestions, or just to talk!

Hey there,

Congratulations!! That's awesome, and you are right behind me. I have my pre ops on the 24th of this month, and my surgery with Dr. Alami on June 6th. I'm also in SR and will probably be looking into the support groups soon. Boy, my family sure is in for a new me and I can't wait!

Darlene

Hi-

just found my home...

SSF June 13th. Dr. Alami.

been in the 14 week wls program in SR. doing pre-op on june 7th.

it's getting close...

talk to me- I'm ready- willing and able...

My wife had RNY in Dec (-106 lbs.). we are looking forward to the changes ahead.

I hope I get some of the same nurses as my wife had, they were sooo nice!

Does kaiser have a pre op liquid diet requirement?

either I fell asleep in class- or they do their own thing with the pre-op diet???

Hey Darlene and Neil...big congratulations to both of you!!! It's really going to happen and your life and health will change for the better forever. I'm so happy for both of you. Stay the course and you will do fine. I was a porky 381 in August of last year when I started the program and now I'm down to 254 and feeling like I can take on the world. I've got a ways to go but i know I will get there.

There is no Kaiser requirement of a liquid diet that I know of--I think they would rather you lose on real food so that you learn along the way. The Pre op meal plan really helped me internalize what was most important for success--healthy eating along with portion control. It works.

Congratulations again and you both are in great hands with Dr. Alami. He is a SSF favorite.

David

If you had a choice between Kaiser and pretty much any other surgeon out in N. Cali (anthem blue cross) would you stick with Kaiser? I know there's probably no correct answer, just looking for opinions here. Thanks.

Hi Steve,

I had Dr. Alami at kaiser SSF and I was very happy with the process and would be very comfortable recommending him. I too had the option of going outside with Anthem Blue Cross and looked around. I did meet with a surgeon at Laparoscopic Associates in SF and I felt really comfortable with him, but I realized that I would probably be going to kaiser for all my follow up so it made sense to go through Kaiser. Plus the cost would have been SIGNIFICANTLY higher because they added on about 5k worth of "extra" fees that are not covered my insurance. I could have paid it, but I have to admit that that turned me off because it seemed like a bit of a money grab.

My only complaint with Kaiser is that they tend to lump the RNY and Gastric Sleeve together in their recommendations. They are totally different surgeries with different limitations. The classes I went to, and maybe I just got bad instructors, told both RNY and Gastric Sleeve patients that would have the same food/medicine restrictions. I did a lot of research and specifically selected gastric sleeve because I wanted to be able to eat anything and I can. The only absolute no for me is bread. I can have a bite of pretty much anything else. I found it annoying that they gave out that misinformation, but I also knew it wasn't true so i just ignored the incorrect info.

Good luck in your journey!

I too find it annoying about lumping together the RNY and Sleevers. They do that at Kaiser Richmond as well. I think they're all trying to catch up. I've always found it strange that the three Kaisers (I'm including Fremont) all have different food plans for post op. I think SSF and Fremont both recommend protein supplementation at the beginning while Richmond is stricly no protein powder or bars. The beauty of it is that regardless, it all works and we all lose weight if we follow whatever the guidelines are. I'm 15 months out now and I can tell you that if you just follow the rules, the weight will stay off. Love my Sleevie!!

A few of us on here have put together a support group just for VSG. We were having trouble finding groups that weren't lumping sleever's with bypass and wanted just a sleeve group, so we made our own!!

Our next meeting is this Saturday at 2:00 if anyone is in the area or knows someone in the area that would like to join us!! Everyone is welcome to come.

If you have any questions, please feel free to inbox me.!!

Saturday 5/28

Location: Market Square food court @Arden Fair Mall.

Street: 1689 Arden Way

City/State/Zip: Sacramento, CA 95815

If you have any Protein drinks, please bring them! It's a protein flavor

try-out. Also, if you have a pile of clothes ready for donation, bring those

too.

Hey there Chef,

Like David said, Kaiser has no liquid diet requirement, but they are okay if you substitute one Protein drink per day for a meal. I substituted one Protein shake for Breakfast and the nurse was fine with that, although you will need to find a shake with at least 25 grams of protein per serving.

My wife had RNY in Dec (-106 lbs.). we are looking forward to the changes ahead.

I hope I get some of the same nurses as my wife had, they were sooo nice!

Does kaiser have a pre op liquid diet requirement?

either I fell asleep in class- or they do their own thing with the pre-op diet???

Thanks David! I'm getting very excited, but also nervous about the surgery itself. I've had two C Sections so I'm hoping I'm prepared for this. Just a question for you....at what point did you explain to people about your weight loss surgery? Before, after, or have you kept it a secret? I'm pretty much an open book and have told all my friends and most of my family. there are a few people who I know would be completely against it so I have not said anything to them just yet..

Hey Darlene and Neil...big congratulations to both of you!!! It's really going to happen and your life and health will change for the better forever. I'm so happy for both of you. Stay the course and you will do fine. I was a porky 381 in August of last year when I started the program and now I'm down to 254 and feeling like I can take on the world. I've got a ways to go but i know I will get there.

There is no Kaiser requirement of a liquid diet that I know of--I think they would rather you lose on real food so that you learn along the way. The Pre op meal plan really helped me internalize what was most important for success--healthy eating along with portion control. It works.

Congratulations again and you both are in great hands with Dr. Alami. He is a SSF favorite.

David

That's great kelly, but I think you might be a little far for me...it's such a great idea though!! I love the Protein shake testing and the clothes sharing!

A few of us on here have put together a support group just for VSG. We were having trouble finding groups that weren't lumping sleever's with bypass and wanted just a sleeve group, so we made our own!!

Our next meeting is this Saturday at 2:00 if anyone is in the area or knows someone in the area that would like to join us!! Everyone is welcome to come.

If you have any questions, please feel free to inbox me.!!

Saturday 5/28

Location: Market Square food court @Arden Fair Mall.

Street: 1689 Arden Way

City/State/Zip: Sacramento, CA 95815

If you have any Protein drinks, please bring them! It's a protein flavor

try-out. Also, if you have a pile of clothes ready for donation, bring those

too.

I am already doing the Protein shake for breakfast-

when I was vegan I did green smoothies and so the transition over to pre-op was easy to just ferget the spinach and dump protein powder.

I still use ground flax seed,

just for fun- my wife and I just did a 5k walk- (4.66 miles including the walk to car)

since I started my 14 week class- I have now walked 43.82 miles (April 25-11)

I am so happy we are doing things on her todo list together.

it started back in february- we walked the Golden gate bridge together.

Thanks David! I'm getting very excited, but also nervous about the surgery itself. I've had two C Sections so I'm hoping I'm prepared for this. Just a question for you....at what point did you explain to people about your weight loss surgery? Before, after, or have you kept it a secret? I'm pretty much an open book and have told all my friends and most of my family. there are a few people who I know would be completely against it so I have not said anything to them just yet..

Hi Darlene,

I bet this sleeve surgery will be a breeze compared to two c-sections. The sleeve was an easy recovery for me with little pain and no nausea at all. A little tired for a day or two but that's really it.

OK, as far as telling people, let me first preface this by saying that this is a very personal decision and there are a lot of opinions out there on what to do. Truth be told, there is no right or wrong way--only the way that works for you.

My choice was to tell everyone that was important to me about the surgery upfront and I received mostly very positive support and one or two people who really questioned if I was doing the right thing or not. The naysayers shook their heads and just did not understand why I was going to go through with this and at the same time, I know that these same people are dealing with their own weight issues and I believe that me making this decision for myself called out their own insecurities around weight loss and getting healthy. The good news is after seeing the results and learning while I am on this journey, they are now much more supportive.

So we know that theere is a lot of ignorance out there around weight loss surgery and especially around the sleeve I feel, that for me, if I remained silent about my weightloss, I was pushing that same ignorance forward by giving credence to the silence and possibly giving people the impression that I was doing something that I was ashamed of. I am just the opposite...I want to enlighten and educate and I do--whenever I can. People are very resourceful. If I didn't say anything, they would find out or at least speculate that I had help and "took the easy way out.". This way, by telling people and educatiing along the way, I can show friends and family how this is tough work and certainly not easy. I felt I could only do this by telling the full truth. I guess I just want to bring the sleeve out of the closet and into the light that it deserves. Sleeve surgery saved my life and I will tell the world.

For me, Sleeve surgery did not make weight loss and getting healthy "easy"--it made it possible!

David

David,

That's a great answer, I love it. I've basically told everyone who's close to me, select co-workers, and management. Those who I know will be opinionated or judgmental will eventually be told, but at my own pace when I'm comfortable. As you said, it's such a personal decision, and for whatever reason, this surgery sparks many opinions, and a lot of judgment. My life, however, is pretty much an open book, and I'm not good at keeping my own secrets so I prefer not to have any. It is what it is. This is a decision I've made, and not one I made lightly. Thanks again for your candid answer, I appreciate the support and best of luck to you!

Hi Darlene,

I bet this sleeve surgery will be a breeze compared to two c-sections. The sleeve was an easy recovery for me with little pain and no nausea at all. A little tired for a day or two but that's really it.

OK, as far as telling people, let me first preface this by saying that this is a very personal decision and there are a lot of opinions out there on what to do. Truth be told, there is no right or wrong way--only the way that works for you.

My choice was to tell everyone that was important to me about the surgery upfront and I received mostly very positive support and one or two people who really questioned if I was doing the right thing or not. The naysayers shook their heads and just did not understand why I was going to go through with this and at the same time, I know that these same people are dealing with their own weight issues and I believe that me making this decision for myself called out their own insecurities around weight loss and getting healthy. The good news is after seeing the results and learning while I am on this journey, they are now much more supportive.

So we know that theere is a lot of ignorance out there around weight loss surgery and especially around the sleeve I feel, that for me, if I remained silent about my weightloss, I was pushing that same ignorance forward by giving credence to the silence and possibly giving people the impression that I was doing something that I was ashamed of. I am just the opposite...I want to enlighten and educate and I do--whenever I can. People are very resourceful. If I didn't say anything, they would find out or at least speculate that I had help and "took the easy way out.". This way, by telling people and educatiing along the way, I can show friends and family how this is tough work and certainly not easy. I felt I could only do this by telling the full truth. I guess I just want to bring the sleeve out of the closet and into the light that it deserves. Sleeve surgery saved my life and I will tell the world.

For me, Sleeve surgery did not make weight loss and getting healthy "easy"--it made it possible!

David

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I just got my appointment card for my 6-month check up in July. Crazy, doesn't seem like surgery was all that long ago. Is the 6-month another group meeting like the 3-month or is it a one-on-one with the surgeon?

I know, the time has really flown by for me as well. I will also be 6 months out in July. I understand that South SF Kaiser does their 6 month as a group meeting. I think we go over our lab results at the same time.