Hello everyone...

[Rhonda39 0]

Hello everyone, my name is Rhonda and I'm from California. I'm waiting on a date to be banded. I have been to the introduction meeting and have an apt. with a physiologist tomorrow. I'm hoping that it goes well, that is going to be the determining factor on if I get to have the surgery. I'm very nervous about this, but am praying it will all go well.

[cahollin 0]

Try not to worry. I had my psych eval a couple of weeks ago and it went fine. The psychologist wanted to determine if my view of how much weight I intended to lose was reasonable, if I understood that the weight wouldn't fall off overnight, and how I would adapt and cope with eating differently with the lap band. As long as you're honest with your ideas and feelings about life with lap band, everything will be fine.

Good Luck.

[huntersmom 0]

Nice name. I am Rhonda too, I am from Massachusetts. I hope all goes well for you. It took me 5 months from my first meeting to my actual surgery. The time flew by.

[Rhonda39 0]

Thank you both!! I'm hoping that it goes by fast. Thank you Cahollin for letting me know what they wanted to talk about. I had no idea what to expect.

I called Kaiser and asked if they could try and put this through befor December. That is when my insurance changes. Then I'll have to pay 1,248.00 that I dont have and start from the beginning with a different doctor and insurance plan.

[cahollin 0]

<p>Ronda39,</p> <p>I hope everything works out for you.</p>

[StacieM 0]

Thank you both!! I'm hoping that it goes by fast. Thank you Cahollin for letting me know what they wanted to talk about. I had no idea what to expect.

I called Kaiser and asked if they could try and put this through befor December. That is when my insurance changes. Then I'll have to pay 1,248.00 that I dont have and start from the beginning with a different doctor and insurance plan.

Rhonda39... welcome... I wish you the best. What part of Cali are you in? I am in LA... did they give you a timeline as to how long the process will take? Do you mind me asking your BMI and any other problems you have? Are you confident your insurance should cover it?

Well I look foward to talking to you more as we all go through this process. I did read about you 10% weight loss... funny thing... I ended up putting on 5 pounds to try and get covered... they wanted 25 more pounds... then I would have to loose it to have surgery.. SO STUPID!

[Vicki J 0]

Rhonda39 - When did you go through your orientation? I went through mine on the 5th and I'm still waiting to get my first appointment. Where are you located?

[Rhonda39 0]

Hi, I'm in Fairfield, CA. I had my first apt. on June 8th, and I have Kaiser coverage. From what I can gather, it's been approve. Or I dont think that they would let me go to the meetings and stuff. I had the phy. eval and it went good. I was so concerned about it. But the Dr. I met with was really nice and it went pretty quick. She said that she was going to put her report through that day and I should have an apt with the nutritionist with in 3 weeks. I'm hoping sooner than later just like everyone else here. My mom went to the same orientation meeting with me, but she hasnt received her phy. eval appt. yet. :cry

[Vicki J 0]

Rhonda39 - Did you go to the SSF or Richmond orientation. I can't figure out how come some of us have had their appointments and others haven't. I know that they try to get us "out-of-towners" our appointments together but this silence is killing me. I mean God schedule us and then say you're scheduled for August 1st. At least we would feel like we're working towards something. As it is you feel like you're back on Weight Watchers and doing it by yourself. Not a hi, bye, nothing. Yeah, I'm feeling the stress. I want to get this thing going. As it is I might as well be planning this next year. Can you tell ranting is my thing today.

[Rhonda39 0]

Viki J ~ I've been going to Richmond. I wish I was going to SSF. It's much easer there from what I've heard from a lot of people. Even the Richmond staff. My friend is going to SSF and he was told to loose 30 lbs prior to having surgery and only lost 10 and there were still going to do it, if he hadnt walked in after just having a smoke. (stupid move on his part, if you ask me). I feel the same way. I want this to happen sooner than later. I also feel that I'm sometimes doing the weight watchers thing. If I could do that and hold steady, then I wouldn't need the band aid to change my life style for life. I still dont see why we all need to loose weight before being banded. I also mentioned that during my phy. eval. Do you think that did any good? A: NOPE! (lol)

[maria 0]

Hi my name Maria I started this months ago. First appt. June 4th. orentation. Dr. appt. is July 2nd. I am on a 1200 cal. a day. It is killing me. my stomach wants more casue it is big. Isn't that the purpose of the surgery to make it smaller so you don't want to eat as much. Bingo I need someone to talk to about this befor and after but there is no on line support group at SSF Kaiser. Like so many of us I am alone with questions . :: The people at SSF are great while you are there. I am sure it will get better and I know we all have to hang in there. I guess what it all comes down to is that we have one another

[lbunnehe 0]

Hi Rhonda,

I live in California also and am waiting on a date. It should be within the next couple of weeks. I have been waiting since November (psych test, dietician, a weekly program called "Healthy Roads" required by my insurance company as well as tons of doctor appt.'s) so I am ready to go. I also get nervous thinking about it. Most of the people that have been banded from the facility I am going to, post on a facility run website. So many have been successful. The ones that get out there and exercise and watch what they eat, have all lost about 100 pounds in 11 months. I hope that will be me also!

[pjrugby 1]

hi everyone.

i am in the uk, and used all my savings to fund the op, i know its a different system to you guys in the usa.. but i agree with all you say.. its such a huge decision we make for ourselves and motivation is a huge part of that. its such a shame the hospitals don't grasp our motivation by the balls and put it into good use.. !! do i sound harse ?

well maybe i do.. but i had to go through the usual assessments and i cant help but wonder whose purpose they where for, the psych just really wanted to check i wasn't depressed and offer my private funded counselling afterwards.

I understand the medical checks... but the other long winded process makes no sense to me. I only had to lose 5lbs, and thank goodness i managed it ok. the dietician was nice , but lets face i am sure we have all been to countless weight watchers classes in the past and if there is anything we are experts on, its what we should eat to lose weight !! its not the knowledge i need it the support to do .

My other issue is my hospital failed to tell me that post lap banding it can take several fills before i get any restriction.... i have only just found this out since i joined this site yesterday (i have been on the site for hours learning so so so much , its fab !!).

I had my first band fill 2 days ago and have no restriction and i am gutted.

i feel a bit fed up with my hospital, in my 'price package' i have two band fills and i have no idea how much they cost after that. ( i thought 2 would be enough -- but thanks to this site i know its so individual i may need many more). my aftercare package is pretty slim... i see the dietician and bariatric nurse monthy (at the same time) and my next surgeon appointment will be 6 weeks from the last.

i cant tell everyone how this site has motivated me this weekend.. its great to not feel alone.

my only problem now is that i have to get off the computer and do some housework :heh:,, but i am desperate to learn all i can from all you guys.

anyhow i have gone on a bit ..

its hard to keep motivated without that nagging thought at the back of your head ; 'i have to eat a lot now as i won't be able to for the rest of my life' .......

but you are on your forward path and i hope the path goes smoothly for you.

[Vicki J 0]

Yahoo! It's about time...I got my next 2 appointments. I go and see the director of bariactrics and the dietitian on the 3rd of August. I know, that seems like a long ways away but at least there is life out there. I was really beginning to feel like I would never hear from them again. It also says that there are more appointments scheduled that they can't show online. Whatever that means. So I head for San Francisco and get these appointments done with. I'm so happy. From what I hear they are scheduling surgeries for September and October right now. I suppose that will mean that I will get done with this and end up having the actual surgery in October or November. Boy they sure make this difficult.

Rhonda39 - The way I understood it is that we need to loose the weight for 3 reasons. 1) to show them that we can follow the meal plan after the surgery, 2) so that the instruments will reach our stomachs, and 3) so that they can move our livers aside to get at our stomachs. I don't mind loosing the weight when I know that they are moving forward on my behalf to get the appointments. I know that they have a lot of people doing this but they could have it set up so that they can schedule the people of each orientation as it happens.

Maria - I guess we must go through some agony to appreciate that when we get the surgery we will be all done with that. LOL I talked to the appointment lady down there today and she said that they were scheduling your group, too. So you must have gotten a couple of your appointments.

pjrugby - Wow it's great to hear from someone overseas who has had the band done. Yeah I would be bent out of shape too if they hadn't told me all of that. I have been doing a lot of research on a few boards and knew that up front. You would think that the hospitals/doctors wouldn't expect us to do that and would provide that information. I know that Kaiser briefly mentioned it at the orientation. I really don't think they explained it much though.

Well, I have to get back to work. I just wanted to let you guys know that I've gotten scheduled for the next appointments.

[Rhonda39 0]

Thats so wonderful VickiJ!!!!! I'm so happy for you. Are you having the band or bypass surgery? I wish I was going down to SSF instead of Richmond. When I went for the phy. eval she told me that there getting 50 referals a day for bariactric surgery.