Anyone From The BaY???

[GBear 0]

I just joined here because I'm in the very early stages of my research and making appointments, etc. I live in Mountain View and I'm considering Dr. Pamela Foster and the rest of her gang at Thinner Future, but based out of El Camino Hospital instead of up by Mills Peninsula. I was going to consider Dr. McKeen at Good Samaritan hospital at first, but he's not in my network, but Dr. Foster is. So, we'll see how it goes as I make my consultation appointments, etc.

[evansmom 0]

Hi GBear,

I was banded on 3/3/08 and have been doing very well. Dr. Foster is my surgeon and my surgery was done at Mills-Peninsula. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Foster- she has a great reputation (from what I've heard from others). She is definitely a stickler for rules, so no straying from the program once you're with her! I'm down 24 pounds in six weeks and she did my first fill today.

Good Luck in your decision process!

-Rukshanna

I just joined here because I'm in the very early stages of my research and making appointments, etc. I live in Mountain View and I'm considering Dr. Pamela Foster and the rest of her gang at Thinner Future, but based out of El Camino Hospital instead of up by Mills Peninsula. I was going to consider Dr. McKeen at Good Samaritan hospital at first, but he's not in my network, but Dr. Foster is. So, we'll see how it goes as I make my consultation appointments, etc.

[MacMadame 81]

Every time I post to ask about a doctor in our area... no one says anything! Where are all the SF Bay people? Come out of the wood work and say HI!

:biggrin:

[redchili 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie from Marin (M. Valley) and planning to get banded this June with Dr. Aceves in Mexico! Thing is, I want to have a fill doctor in this area... and I am in the process of getting a new insurance. I'm looking into Kaiser for it seems they have a lot of lap band patience! But I'm wondering is it that simple? Any advice is much appreciated. I am really a 'green horn' in this forum still....

[Latricee 0]

Hi Kim, I was wondering if you could tell me what the process was for you since you had your surgery at Kaiser. I hope to have my surgery at Kaiser richmond sometime this year. I'm going to my new referral info class on May 16. So any info you can share will be helpful.

Thank You

Latrice

[heartfire 4]

Welcome Latricee!

I'm hoping to have surgery with Kaiser this year too. I don't know if it will be at Richmond or not. I went to the referral seminar and then had to start a 20 session nutrition and weight management class. During this time I asked my PCP to refer me to the dietitian and to psychiatry for a psych eval. I've done those. During the class they are helping you to prepare for after surgery as well as lose 10% of your official start weight (they monitor you in class). The weight they take at the beginning of the class becomes your start weight and then you weigh in during each week at class. Once you've seen the dietitian and gone for the pysch eval your PCP then sends an "application" to the surgery dept with the reports from your referrals and your medical history. Once you see the surgeon, then there is supposedly another round of meetings and appointments. Don't know for sure about that end of it. Not there yet.

I'm in a little different situation in that I have to meet with the local surgeons who only do open bypass here, before they will refer me to the lapband surgeons in the bay area. I may have to do everything I've already done again once I've gotten to the lapband surgeon. I'm hoping they just take the stuff I've already done instead of making me do it again. I'll find out.

I haven't gotten my PCP to do the application yet because I have to wait for my new PCP. My former one left right after he made the referrals for me and my new one isn't starting til the end of the month. He should be getting into the office about the time the pysh eval report gets back, so hopefully the timing will work out for me.

Hopefully you don't have to jump through as many hoops as I do. It kind of sounds like every one going through Kaiser is doing a little something different. Strange. I guess they are trying to streamline everything for No Cal but they haven't quite got there yet.

Take care and best wishes!

[Latricee 0]

Thank You.

[spclk60 0]

Hi everyone, I had my lap band surgery on March 28 and I will going in for the first time tomorrow to see my surgeon. It has taken me awhile to get in to see him. Due to insurance reasons. I started at 197 as of the middle of January and I am currently 174.5.

Spclk60

Manteca, CA

[MichelleInCA 22]

I just joined here because I'm in the very early stages of my research and making appointments, etc. I live in Mountain View and I'm considering Dr. Pamela Foster and the rest of her gang at Thinner Future, but based out of El Camino Hospital instead of up by Mills Peninsula. I was going to consider Dr. McKeen at Good Samaritan hospital at first, but he's not in my network, but Dr. Foster is. So, we'll see how it goes as I make my consultation appointments, etc.

Sorry, haven't been here in a while! Dr. Foster did my surgery at El Camino on March 5. Everything went really well, and I found ECR to provide great service. It doesn't seem as busy as other hospitals I've visited, so you don't wait hours for a nurse or anything. Dr. Foster is very competent, very no-nonsense. If you need a lot of emotional support from your surgeon, she probably isn't the best choice. She's more down to business. :thumbup: The whole experience was less traumatic than I envisioned for years beforehand, that's what I'd say.

I had my first fill April 18... 4 cc's now in my 10 cc band. Unfortunately I still don't have restriction, so going again next week. I've been losing very slowly as a result, but I'm hopeful I"ll get to that sweet spot!

[MichelleInCA 22]

Hi GBear,

I was banded on 3/3/08 and have been doing very well. Dr. Foster is my surgeon and my surgery was done at Mills-Peninsula. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Foster- she has a great reputation (from what I've heard from others). She is definitely a stickler for rules, so no straying from the program once you're with her! I'm down 24 pounds in six weeks and she did my first fill today.

Good Luck in your decision process!

-Rukshanna

Well done, Rukshanna! Are you feeling restriction? How did you manage to stick to the plan before your first fill?? You must have more willpower than I do!

[GBear 0]

Hi Michelle,

I'm glad to hear you had a great experience at ECR. I hope you get the restriction you need soon.

As it turns out, Dr. Foster and the gang at ECR are *not* in my network, so I'd be self pay. Also, the coordinator at their office and the coordinator at Dr. McKeen's office in San Jose both said they think the odds of me getting insurance to pay are very slim because I am "only" 37+ BMI with no co-morbidities. To say the least, that ticks me off because I'm 115 pounds overweight. That's the problem with being 6' tall! Anyway, that's all to say I might end up going to Dr. K. in the Denver area. His fees are $5K less than Dr. McKeen and I have relatives there, so I really only need to pay for my airfare and a rental car.

Good luck with the rest of your journey!

[MacMadame 81]

Dr. Foster is in my network now, but I have an exclusion on my policy and may change insurance in Aug 1. She's not in the network for the new place. It's very annoying.

[shhca 0]

Hi All - I am from Sunnyvale - Palo Alto area and got banded on June 2nd at Stanford with DR.Morton

kinda odd nobody else has mentioned him or Stanford. Are there any local support meetings that anyone knows about?

Best of Luck to you all.

[TheWatcher 1]

I just got approved august dr. morton... what can i expect?

[MacMadame 81]

According to their web site, Stanford has support meetings. Didn't they tell you about them. :confused_smile:

I'm going to the intro seminar next Wed. and there is a support meeting after that. Maybe we could all meet up.