Hi there! This is my first post. I have a few questions and did a search but didn't really find what I was searching for. I really hope someone can help.

When I inquired about Lapband, my doctor gave me a list of things to do. Bloodwork, sleep apnea class (which I have), and mamogram which I just did this past Wed.

Alittle history - about a week prior to the mamogram, I called my Dr. to inquire about the lapband again. I left the message that I did have sleep apnea and at this point the only thing left to do on his list was the mamogram. I day or two later, I got an appointment card in the mail with a scheduled mamogram. Since usually this would be a "walk-in" I was hoping this meant I was on my way.

Today, I called to leave another message with my Dr. that I'd had the mamogram and was inquiring about where I stood in regard to the Lapband surgery. Someone from his office called back and said that the Dr. had referred it over to Freemont for a consultation.

Whew! I said alllllllllll that to say... what do you all think happens next? When I said hoping this meant on my way... I'm wondering on my way where! Thanks Kelley

Hi there! This is my first post. I have a few questions and did a search but didn't really find what I was searching for. I really hope someone can help.

When I inquired about Lapband, my doctor gave me a list of things to do. Bloodwork, sleep apnea class (which I have), and mamogram which I just did this past Wed.

Alittle history - about a week prior to the mamogram, I called my Dr. to inquire about the lapband again. I left the message that I did have sleep apnea and at this point the only thing left to do on his list was the mamogram. I day or two later, I got an appointment card in the mail with a scheduled mamogram. Since usually this would be a "walk-in" I was hoping this meant I was on my way.

Today, I called to leave another message with my Dr. that I'd had the mamogram and was inquiring about where I stood in regard to the Lapband surgery. Someone from his office called back and said that the Dr. had referred it over to Freemont for a consultation.

Whew! I said alllllllllll that to say... what do you all think happens next? When I said hoping this meant on my way... I'm wondering on my way where! Thanks Kelley

Sorry, I want to help but I am confused as to what you are asking. Also, which doctor is which. Who referred you for a mammogram? If you are saying you asked your family doctor about the lapband and he said get all these tests first, I think he just wants to give you the best chance at getting approved for the surgery. Especially, if you have HMO insurance. Maybe he wants to show you have enough problems to warrant a surgery. By the way the mammogram should not even be needed for lap-band. It may have just been time for you to get one. Just a hunch!

The where we go from here is either he has called a lap-band specialist to call you for an appointment or he has given you his approval to go and find a lap-band doctor to have the surgery with. The lap-band doctor and his staff are going to gather as much information as they can to get your insurance to appove the procedure and/or make sure you are safe to have it.

I think the way most people do it is...... they find a doctor they want to go with, investigate his qualification, go to one of his seminars and then make an appointment with the lap-band doctor you choose. It is usually your choice on who you go to. On Obesityhelp.com they have information on doctors there as well. Let me know if I can help you more.

Azoreangal,

Thanks for trying to understand. I reread my post and can tell it's confusing.

Let me slow down, during a visit with my PCP at Kaiser I asked him would I be eligible for the Lapband surgery. He said my bmi was at 39 and for any kind of lapband consideration they (Fremont Hospital) wanted a bmi of at least 40 or higher. He gave me a list of things to have done like bloodwork, the sleep apnea class, and he mentioned a mamogram. He said if I had sleep apnea I would be eligible. Today when I called to leave a message with my Dr. that I'd done everything on his list and wanted to know where I stood as far as the lapband surgery, someone from his office said my Dr. sent "it", (I'm assuming my information), to Fremont Hospital for consultation.

Now that you mentioned it I do rememeber my Dr at Kaiser saying get the mamogram so everything could be done. I was just surprised that he scheduled it.

Klbs: I just started my Kaiser journey toward the lapband. Their process is somewhat lengthy. You PCP usually will have you do all the tests you need prior to getting the referral to the bariatric division. Next you get a card letting you know when your orientation is. I just had mine today in SSF. It is a 3.5 hr class explaining the steps to getting Bypass or banding and what the differences are as well as you new way of eating etc... They stated to expect the whole process to take about a year. In fact they told me not to expect my next apt for another 24 weeks!! Meanwhile I am supposed to lose as much weight as I can. For SSF its not 10% its individually tailored and I wont know what I'm supposed to lose for about 36 weeks.. The speaker said that our start weight will be the one we were referred with and everyone in the room will be expected to lose between 20-50lbs before they will be approved for the surgery. I know there are other threads that go into detail a little more on the Kaiser steps but thats my experience so far.

Here is a Kaiser thread that has a lot of good information

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f18/kaiser-permanente-insurance-66458/

Azoreangal,

Thanks for trying to understand. I reread my post and can tell it's confusing.

Let me slow down, during a visit with my PCP at Kaiser I asked him would I be eligible for the Lapband surgery. He said my bmi was at 39 and for any kind of lapband consideration they (Fremont Hospital) wanted a bmi of at least 40 or higher. He gave me a list of things to have done like bloodwork, the sleep apnea class, and he mentioned a mamogram. He said if I had sleep apnea I would be eligible. Today when I called to leave a message with my Dr. that I'd done everything on his list and wanted to know where I stood as far as the lapband surgery, someone from his office said my Dr. sent "it", (I'm assuming my information), to Fremont Hospital for consultation.

Now that you mentioned it I do rememeber my Dr at Kaiser saying get the mamogram so everything could be done. I was just surprised that he scheduled it.

Okay, I think I am understanding it now. Sometimes Docs send over information ( to fremont in your case) so they(Fremont) will call you for an appointment. Sometime (lots of times) your information gets lost in the suffle and they don't call right away. I am in the medical field and know this for a fact.

If I were you I would call your docs office and ask then if Fremont is suppose to call you to make an appointment or what. If so tell them they haven't and you would llike to get the ball rolling. I would ask for the contact number to the Fremont place and call them and ask them what is the process and when will they call for an appointment. Where are they in this process. I don't know how long you have waited but don't be afraid to ask them "what next". You wouldn't believe how things fall through the cracks in the medical field. You have to be the one to take charge. Let me know how it goes and if I can help anymore.

Freemont will send a card with an orientation on it. If you want direct answers to your questions, call the bariactric unit at the Freemont facility and they will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Minxz - Congratulations on getting started on your journey. I, too, am a SSF lapbander. I had my surgery Dec. 12, 2007. The bariactrics unit there is a good one even if the process is long. When I went through (boy that sounds like it was a long time ago) they had us loose 10% give or take some. But the rule of thumb to get you started and close was 10%. I jumped into the weight loss thing with both feet after getting reassurances that I couldn't loose too much and wouldn't get kicked off the program.

I had heard from another patient that those that succeeded in loosing the weight and following the program got their surgeries faster. I don't know if it had anything to do with it but I was supposed to get my surgery mid to end of February of this year and got it in December.

Hang in there, it's worth it. I kept telling myself on the 1200 calorie diet that I would be getting the band soon and to keep loosing weight. I'm now within 6 pounds of goal and I'm happy I gave myself that headstart.

Vicki

Thank you all for responding. I know I'm just going to have to relax and be patient. I'm always so quick to give up when things don't happen as fast as I think they should so I'm having that self talk now. I need to relax.

Did any of the doctors or nursing staff ever ask you why you wanted the surgery? A friend that had the gastric bypass said be careful how you answer this because if they think your weight is related to stress they won't approve you.

Do any of you have sleep apnea?

KLBS,

I am glad someone was able to let you know the drill on Freemont. This way you are not sitting around wondering and waiting. Hang in there.

I have sleep Apnea. About 2 yrs ago, I was so tired all the time. Even if I slept all day I was so sleeping all the time. I would go to work and come home and sleep and the next morning I still was too sleepy to feel rested. I was so concerned. My doctor sent me to a sleep study, they prescribed a CPAP machine and I feel soooo much better. More energy. Now after the band I hope to have lots more energy.

Azoreangal,

I'm excited for you! 5 days! How are you feeling? Anixious? Excited? Now having talked to you a couple times I feel like I'm your out of state friend anixiously waiting for you to tell me what's going on!

I have sleep apnea as well. I got my Cpap machine alittle over a month ago and can't believe how much better I feel. Rested, alert now. The only thing though is I've kind of thrown all caution to the wind and allowed myself to gain more weight. I was hoping I'd take advantage of how good I felt to take better care of myself.

I'm dealing with a major amount of stress right now and I'm hoping that that doesn't prevent me from qualifying for the surgery and I have plantar fasicitis so I can't really exercise like I'd like to. I really need a break right now. Do you mind me asking how you qualified? and excuse the spelling, I'm getting tired!

Azoreangal,

I'm excited for you! 5 days! How are you feeling? Anixious? Excited? Now having talked to you a couple times I feel like I'm your out of state friend anixiously waiting for you to tell me what's going on!

I have sleep apnea as well. I got my Cpap machine alittle over a month ago and can't believe how much better I feel. Rested, alert now. The only thing though is I've kind of thrown all caution to the wind and allowed myself to gain more weight. I was hoping I'd take advantage of how good I felt to take better care of myself.

I'm dealing with a major amount of stress right now and I'm hoping that that doesn't prevent me from qualifying for the surgery and I have plantar fasicitis so I can't really exercise like I'd like to. I really need a break right now. Do you mind me asking how you qualified? and excuse the spelling, I'm getting tired!

KLBS,

I qualified because my BMI was over 40, I had sleep apnea, plantar fascitis. I decided to take a loan out and pay for it myself. I could have gone thru insurance but it was going to take too long. I recently injured my arm at work and had surgery on it and thought I would take advantage of the time off and have my Lap-band. When I decided about a year ago that I was going to have surgery. I also through caution to the wind. I quit all dieting. It felt good in a way and I did gain weight but I will be taking it off. I stopped exercising over a year or 2 ago because of foot and joint pain. I have been off work since May and my feet still hurt terribly. I am not really nervous about the surgery. I had several in the last few years (neck, shoulder and now elbow). My joints dislocate easily and with the weight and age it is worse and I have more pain and injuries. I am anxious to get this surgery over with and move on. I have been on liquids and want to get that past me. Well I am off to bed. I am going to add you as my friend. Feel free to keep in touch.

Marilia

Azoreangal,

I'm excited for you! 5 days! How are you feeling? Anixious? Excited? Now having talked to you a couple times I feel like I'm your out of state friend anixiously waiting for you to tell me what's going on!

I have sleep apnea as well. I got my Cpap machine alittle over a month ago and can't believe how much better I feel. Rested, alert now. The only thing though is I've kind of thrown all caution to the wind and allowed myself to gain more weight. I was hoping I'd take advantage of how good I felt to take better care of myself.

I'm dealing with a major amount of stress right now and I'm hoping that that doesn't prevent me from qualifying for the surgery and I have plantar fasicitis so I can't really exercise like I'd like to. I really need a break right now. Do you mind me asking how you qualified? and excuse the spelling, I'm getting tired!

klbs, By the way I also frequent the www.obesityhelp.com site and I like it too. There is a Lapband forum and a state forum. I navigate that site easier for some reason. Check it out. Lots of before and after pics too. Good night

Hi KLBS,

My PCP submitted a referral for me to Fremont Kaiser on 6/23 and I received the orientation packet from Kaiser in the mail on 7/9. My orientation class is scheduled for 7/27.

I know that Kaiser Bariatrics is a tough and lengthy program to navigate but it is going to be sooo worth it. I have a friend who just had her surgery this week @ Richmond and she had nothing but good things to say about the entire process. She emphasized that the Kaiser process makes sure you are totally committed to a life change and if you follow the process correctly you should have smooth sailing throughout your WL journey.

I am so ready to do whatever it takes to succeed at finally losing weight. Bring it on!:biggrin2:

KLBS,

I qualified because my BMI was over 40, I had sleep apnea, plantar fascitis. I decided to take a loan out and pay for it myself. I could have gone thru insurance but it was going to take too long. I recently injured my arm at work and had surgery on it and thought I would take advantage of the time off and have my Lap-band. When I decided about a year ago that I was going to have surgery. I also through caution to the wind. I quit all dieting. It felt good in a way and I did gain weight but I will be taking it off. I stopped exercising over a year or 2 ago because of foot and joint pain. I have been off work since May and my feet still hurt terribly. I am not really nervous about the surgery. I had several in the last few years (neck, shoulder and now elbow). My joints dislocate easily and with the weight and age it is worse and I have more pain and injuries. I am anxious to get this surgery over with and move on. I have been on liquids and want to get that past me. Well I am off to bed. I am going to add you as my friend. Feel free to keep in touch.

Marilia

Marilia,

Wow, how did you go about finding the right place to do the surgery! You know, I never thought of that. Well, my husband mentioned something in passing about paying for it but I never thought of that as an option so I didn't really engage him in the conversation. We were just chatting about me not qualifying for the surgery and when he said it I didn't really comment on it. But now, that is something to think about. The few people I know that have had surgery/lapband went through thier insurance. That would be something worth looking into. Are you having it done in your state?

I fell off a loading dock at work back in Dec. and although I didn't break anything I've been pretty messed up ever since. I'm always bothered by my cyatic (sp?) nerve, I have a degenerative (sp?) disc in my back, and the plantar fascitis. Man, those feet problems are terrible aren't they. And don't you have when people tell you what you need to do cause they did such a such and now thier feet don't hurt anymore! I hate that! My feet been hurting like this for years, way before I gained all this weight. And I don't care what I do or try my feet hurt!

That's good you're not nervous. I'm sorry to hear the reason you're not nervous but that's good that your not. And dislocationing your joints sounds extremely painful. My knees have done that and this last time I couldn't walk right for a couple of months.

How tall are you? I'm 5'7", 261lbs, and turned 46 in June. I have 7 children and raising my grandbaby. And just want to be healthy again because 5 of my children are little boys and they run me raged! Talk to you soon. Oh, my name is Kelley

Hi KLBS,

My PCP submitted a referral for me to Fremont Kaiser on 6/23 and I received the orientation packet from Kaiser in the mail on 7/9. My orientation class is scheduled for 7/27.

I know that Kaiser Bariatrics is a tough and lengthy program to navigate but it is going to be sooo worth it. I have a friend who just had her surgery this week @ Richmond and she had nothing but good things to say about the entire process. She emphasized that the Kaiser process makes sure you are totally committed to a life change and if you follow the process correctly you should have smooth sailing throughout your WL journey.

I am so ready to do whatever it takes to succeed at finally losing weight. Bring it on!:biggrin2:

Right on Sister! Bring it on! I just want to get going with something. So far all I have is a return call from my PCP's office saying my doctor sent "it" to Freemont. Course now everyday I'm eagerly checking my mailbox. I hope I hear something soon. Wouldn't that have been cool if we could have went to the orientation class at the same time after having chit chatted on here!

I'm going to have to just relax and take it easy though because coming to this site and reading the post is going to make me anxious about when I'm going to hear something. On my way home from work I always stop at the mailbox, our mailbox is down the street. I saw a letter from Kaiser and course I instantly lite up thinking, oh please Lord let this be a word from them. Of course that would have been to much like right! It was the results from the mamogram I just had last week or so. I was happy to see I was fine but man I wished it was from Freemont!

From 6/23 to 7/9 wasn't to bad a wait. Hopefully, it will go as fast for me. I'm going to literally be holding my breath till I hear something.

I am going through kaiser Richmond and I have an orientation on July 15th . My PCP sent the referral on June 25th. Although I haven't received a packet in the mail from Kaiser Richmond. Maybe kaiser Richmond does it a little different than Kasier Fremont