Just starting the process??

[Brittbrat 27]

Thank you! It’s been nuts! [emoji23]Maybe because it’s not through the state. When I called BCBSNC last year about it I was told that there were pretty much no requirements if you’re on a state employee plan. But for me, having purchased it through the marketplace, I got to have LOTS of fun with the process. But 12 days to go! I honestly hope no one else has to go through the process like I did! May everyone else have a much easier journey!


HW: 311
CW: 262
SW: We’ll see on May 10!

Are you in Nc?! I moved from Nc->Mo a little over a year ago. My bcbs is through TX for whatever reason that's what my job went with. Well either way congratulations now!! I know it has to feel good with the end being near.

[jackiesays 11]

Great...thanks for the tip. I will give it a try...and keep it out of the car - got it!

My shakes got this gross, slimy film when i got some out of the car. It has been warm a couple days here in socal. Heat is no bueno! They taste fine but the slimy stuff gets me every time and I can’t finish the bottle [emoji24]

[jackiesays 11]

If anyone went through Kaiser socal (specifically South Bay), how does everything run once you start Options? My first class is May 7th. I’m so lucky to have a supportive manager, too. They are accommodating my schedule for Mondays the next 12 weeks so I can leave two hours early. I might even get payed for education time! (I’m a Kaiser employee)

[TaylorMade4One 105]

I went to a seminar are 3/9/2018 then the next 2 weeks went to a 5.5 hr class where i met with nutritionist, talked to them about which surgery might be best for me, watched a film and answered about 600 questions about myself on paper. lol This week I was suppose to go for a stress test and see a nutritionist again but I had a sinus infection with bronchitis and had to cancel. Next week I go for blood work, psych eval, EKG, and endoscopy all in the same day. I'm not sure what comes next. lol I to have 6 months of nutritionist visits but my insurance allows us to go back 2 years as long as they are consecutive months so I am hoping I won't have too much longer to wait. Things are flying by.
I am trying to cut the caffeine and that is not easy for me and also stay on a less carb diet per my dietitian. She wants us to eat around 30 grams daily and also started us on a daily Vitamin which i take anyhow.
It's all been very exciting and I am ready to get things going!!

Wow! How were able to blood work, psych eval, EKG and endoscopy in the same day? Not just cost (unless you've reached your deductible) but all those doctors to be avail on the same day.

[TaylorMade4One 105]

I have my EDG on Tuesday, sleep study, stress stess, and psy eval and I can be submitted. I'm hoping for a June date. Do I really need someone to with me at the EDG??

[Frustr8 7,886]

most places won't let you drive home yourself, my hospital wanted you to have an adult with you for 4-6 hours. Last December I went home and took a nap,in June 2015 when I had my first I stopped at Krogers and did my grocery shopping on the way home.

[newmebithebypass 713]

Hi guys I am on month 4 of 7 I will finish my classes in August and have surgery in September. I have care first blue shield. Of Georgia and I live in Maryland. The requirements for my insurance were 6 months monitoring diet and a psych eval also letter of support from my Pcp. I needed my sleep study and a month of compliance for my surgeon. I'm done all of this and just have to sit be patient and twiddle my thumbs and wait until I finish my clasex7

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[sammi123 116]

8 hours ago, TaylorMade4One said:

Wow! How were able to blood work, psych eval, EKG and endoscopy in the same day? Not just cost (unless you've reached your deductible) but all those doctors to be avail on the same day.

Well the blood work was first, took about 5 min. They then took me across the hall to see the therapist. They said he comes to the weight loss clinic twice a month for them. That took about 15 min. Then they prepped me for the endoscopy. While i was waiting for the dr they done the EKG. The endoscopy took about half an hour then I had a short wait in recovery. We got there at 9am and was litterally done at 11:30am. No kidding. lol With my insurance I have to go to a Center of Excellence so they don't play around.

[baribetty 166]

Thanks!

I don’t need to do the 6 month supervised weight loss program because I have a history of doing watchers, which counted. They didn’t seem to verify that but I have been on and off with them a few times, totally well over 6 months.

During the 12 week class I start on 5/7 I will have to do a food journal. They are looking for loss for sure but I don’t think there is a required amount for surgery. I’m hoping to really focus on once the journaling starts to lose some weight before surgery anyway.

I would love to stay in touch! It looks like you hit the ground running which is really inspiring to me! [emoji16] it sounds like we’re both SO ready for this! I could use an accountability buddy!

Maybe my surgery date will be in October too! This class finishes in August and I’ll have several appointments before surgery which will probably take a few months. Do you have much to do after the 6month program?

I finished the kaiser Options process and I’m scheduled for VSG this Tuesday (5/2/17)! I’m happy to answer any questions you have about my process if you want!

[baribetty 166]

I have my orientation for Kaiser’s 12-week Options program on Wednesday. I am so so excited and nervous to do this- it does not feel real yet. I am from Southern California[emoji5]

I finished my Options course in Fontana and I’m scheduled for my VSG on 5/2/17. Let me know if I can help answer any questions about the process for you!

[jackiesays 11]

I finished my Options course in Fontana and I’m scheduled for my VSG on 5/2/17. Let me know if I can help answer any questions about the process for you!

Ugh yes! I start my classes 5/7. What happens during the 12 weeks? Do i start seeing nutritionists and doctors during that time?

[baribetty 166]

Ugh yes! I start my classes 5/7. What happens during the 12 weeks? Do i start seeing nutritionists and doctors during that time?

After your second Kaiser options class you will be cleared to get your first round of labs, an EKG, and a chest X-ray.

Then a few weeks later you’ll meet with the bariatric doctor again, sort of as a check in. This appointment seemed pointless to me.

Once you finish your 12 weeks you’ll meet with that doctor again, and get cleared for the psych evaluation and do labs again.

You will start Vitamins during your classes, and if you are Vitamin deficient they may put you on a stronger dose (common for Vitamin D, but I didn’t experience that myself)

At some point you have to go a support group, too. I went to one in West Covina and it was great- you basically just chat with people who have had the surgery and people just like you, with questions before surgery.

Once all that’s done you’ll be scheduled to meet with the surgeon and they will have you do final labs (needed before surgery, Like blood type, etc), and you will get your surgery date!

My bari doctor (Dr. Murali) said there would be about a month before I would see the surgeon and another month before surgery, in reality though, I saw my surgeon 2 weeks later (4/20) and was scheduled for surgery 12 days later (5/2/18).

I jumped at every opportunity to speed up the process, including calling to see if there were cancellations for appointments along the way that I could grab instead of waiting. For example, I went to my Psych appt at 11am and as I left I checked at the appointment window and there happened to be a cancellation with Dr. Murali at noon, so I did both of those appointments in one day instead of waiting 18 days to see Dr. Murali to be cleared to meet with the surgeon.

I lost about 10% of my body weight during the classes but the Dr said as long as you’re making progress that’s what is important, rather than saying “everyone lose 20 pounds”. At the support group they said the people who have lost the most weight get priority, but I don’t know if that is true so much as the fact that it looks good, and the surgeon doesn’t have to ask you to lose more weight or show that you’re serious. My Surgeon (dr. Chin) seemed to think I was doing great. He asked if I had any dates in mind for surgery, and I said the sooner the better, so he scheduled me for 5/2. I was shocked. I overheard a lady next to me being scheduled for August 15, so if you’re flexible let them know!

I know this may be a little dysfunctional, but I didn’t diet before my first class and weigh in, and I never took my shoes off until the last weigh in [emoji23]. You want to look good on paper and show weight loss , instead of trying to be as light as possible at the beginning.

[jackiesays 11]

51 minutes ago, baribetty said:

After your second Kaiser options class you will be cleared to get your first round of labs, an EKG, and a chest X-ray.

Then a few weeks later you’ll meet with the bariatric doctor again, sort of as a check in. This appointment seemed pointless to me.

Once you finish your 12 weeks you’ll meet with that doctor again, and get cleared for the psych evaluation and do labs again.

You will start Vitamins during your classes, and if you are Vitamin deficient they may put you on a stronger dose (common for Vitamin D, but I didn’t experience that myself)

At some point you have to go a support group, too. I went to one in West Covina and it was great- you basically just chat with people who have had the surgery and people just like you, with questions before surgery.

Once all that’s done you’ll be scheduled to meet with the surgeon and they will have you do final labs (needed before surgery, Like blood type, etc), and you will get your surgery date!

My bari doctor (Dr. Murali) said there would be about a month before I would see the surgeon and another month before surgery, in reality though, I saw my surgeon 2 weeks later (4/20) and was scheduled for surgery 12 days later (5/2/18).

I jumped at every opportunity to speed up the process, including calling to see if there were cancellations for appointments along the way that I could grab instead of waiting. For example, I went to my Psych appt at 11am and as I left I checked at the appointment window and there happened to be a cancellation with Dr. Murali at noon, so I did both of those appointments in one day instead of waiting 18 days to see Dr. Murali to be cleared to meet with the surgeon.

I lost about 10% of my body weight during the classes but the Dr said as long as you’re making progress that’s what is important, rather than saying “everyone lose 20 pounds”. At the support group they said the people who have lost the most weight get priority, but I don’t know if that is true so much as the fact that it looks good, and the surgeon doesn’t have to ask you to lose more weight or show that you’re serious. My Surgeon (dr. Chin) seemed to think I was doing great. He asked if I had any dates in mind for surgery, and I said the sooner the better, so he scheduled me for 5/2. I was shocked. I overheard a lady next to me being scheduled for August 15, so if you’re flexible let them know!

I know this may be a little dysfunctional, but I didn’t diet before my first class and weigh in, and I never took my shoes off until the last weigh in . You want to look good on paper and show weight loss , instead of trying to be as light as possible at the beginning.

Thank you! This helps a lot. I am definitely Vitamin D deficient. I wonder if I could see my current psych for the eval? I have been going to him for two years and he knows me so well. I was also told that whoever loses the most weight/puts the most effort in will get priority. In the surgeon's words, "I will bend over backward for someone that lost the 10% or more to give the date they want." It may be true! I am also at around the 39-40-41 bmi range and can't STAY out of that range to save my life. I worry that everyone thinks I am doing this for the wrong reasons I didn't even get a packet at orientation cause the lady thought I was there to support someone.

[AZTina 3]

Anyone just starting this journey?? I would love to keep up with anyone who is new to the process so that I can know what to expect although I know each case is different. Anyone had their first consultation recently?? Or at the beginning stages of the process?? What’s been the experience thus far?

My first Dr appointment is the 16 of may I am so new to this

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[FingersCrossed18 19]

Hi! Good look with your process, first of all! My insurance makes me do 4 months of meeting with a NUT and that's it, luckily, so I have my first appt with her on May 7th, and an appt with my (freakin nice) surgeon the end of July, to get all the tests ordered, so I'll have three months to get everything done, that I need a referral to from him. I don't think I'll be a me to get the surgery done before October, but I would love to surprise my husband when he gets home from deployment with some weight dropped! He gets to come home the day before our daughters first birthday, so it would be cool to have my weight loss for him too. Anyway good look everybody

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