I am scheduled for my orientation at Kaiser Fremont on May 6th. Anyone else going too? Does anyone know what happens at the orientation? When do I find out how much weight I have to lose? Any and all info is much appreciated.

Hello. I was there!! I meet with Dr. Hanh on May 11. How are you doing?

I met with Dr. Dutta on Friday. I had my psych appt scheduled for the middle of June but I got a call today that they had a cancellation so I am going this week. I am at goal weight because I was losing weight prior. I am having a lot of mixed emotions though and am not sure I am going to go through with it. I just go back and forth. How are you doing? Are you sure you are going to do it?

I had my surgery at KP Fremont by Dr. Dutta on 1/23/12. His bedside manner is not the best, but as a surgeon he's great. I'm made a great recovery, have lost 40lbs since the day of surgery. a little slow compared to others, but my starting BMI was 40 exactly

they expect you to lose 10% of your body weight before they will schedule you, even then it takes forever.... the process was 9 months total (from PCP to day of surgery)

It was worth it for me, I would do it again in a heart beat.

I was 40 exactly also. Part of my issue is my family not being supportive. My husband is but my parents are struggling with it, the permanence of it and the "I think you can do it on your own you just haven't really tried". I have tried multiple times and can lose weight but I just don't maintain. So I am just having difficulty with my parents highlighting every fear I have. I feel good that I am going to do it and then talk with my mom and am conflicted. My mom also feels like "most people just gain the weight back after surgery from what she has heard". Of course that is my biggest fear that I would have surgery and then regain the weight.

Wanted to say also, yes Dr. Dutta is not warm and fuzzy but that is ok. Just want a good surgeon. Do you know if he ever had any patients with leaks?

I also keep going back and fourth. I am 36 and it's harder to lose the weight. I had tired different diets. I am not telling my parents. Just a couple people know about it.

alot of people discouraged me too, but I'm glad I persisted. I've been struggling too long, diets, losing wt then gaining it back. I know the value of the sleeve because when I have something that triggers my binges, I just can't binge, I PHYSICALLY CANNOT OVEREAT!! it's amazing that I have a tool to prevent me from harming my body like I used to. So that's when I'm so glad I did this and ignoring everyone's remarks and discouragement. when people tell me : you have done it on your own, I say yes I could, I have, but I choose this for me and for the rest of my life I'll have this. It just makes it less of a struggle for me. I don't know about the leak rate with Dutta, I know that the Kaiser Fremont docs are not the most experienced with sleeves, but they are doing them more often now and getting more experienced.

Yes it's like my family is having an intervention with me begging me not to do it, that I will never be able to eat a normal meal again, that I haven't tried hard enough on my own. I am 34 but it is difficult for me to deal with all of their negativity. Do you think you will ever regret the surgery? Like when you are older? Can you eat a normal meal? How irritating is it to not be able to drink normally?

I'm 32 years old. the drink part is annoying, but it's still worth it. I have a pathological relationship with food and have been fat since childhood, I will never regret this surgery, It's given me a second lease on living as close to a normal life as possible. so even though I can never "eat normally" and I have to wait 30minutes after meals to drink, I'm much closer to feeling normal then ever before. do you know what I mean?

I do understand. I started becoming overweight when I was 18. I slowly kept gaining until I was about 220 when I was 22-23. Then I kept going up and down with dieting till I was 305 at age 31. I then had two children 19 months apart. Now I am at 267. I am 5'9". I guess I am so conflicted because the last time I seriously dieted before the past month or so was about 4-5 years ago so I am wondering if I should listen to my family and give it one more try. My relationship with food is pathological also. I think about what my next meal is going to be. I will eat a lot when I do eat a meal. I don't do a ton of snacking but I just overeat at meals. Not till I am sick, but just a large portion. So at a taqueria I would get a super burrito and eat it all. I am exercising almost daily with 30 minute walks. Do you exercise? I am worried I don't have a good enough exercise Program

I don't exercise, I walk sometimes, but not really consistently. I work 70+hrs / week, so I don't have time, but I'm still trying. I would have lost more if I exercised, but I still lost and I feel great. I started the surgery process and then under pressure from family, I stopped for 6 months to "try one last time on my own" then I realized I just wasted 6 months that I could have been losing weight. it's ultimately something you have to come to grips with. just go through the Kaiser process ---they make you lose weight to qualify anyway and then you can always change your mind, but if you don't then you'll have a date waiting for you when you are ready

Fitforlife do you go to the support group in Fremont?

no, I don't go to a support group. I moved to Tracy two weeks ago and I don't know if there is a support group nearby here.

no' date=' I don't go to a support group. I moved to Tracy two weeks ago and I don't know if there is a support group nearby here.[/quote']

Its one in Modesto

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S using VST

*raises hand*

I've been in the pre-op process for awhile (took a 6 month break to figure it allll out) and am back in action and in it to win it

Oh, I'm in Tracy too.