Hey everyone going through Kaiser Richmond!!

Where are you in the process?

OMG I am so close to "clinically overweight" instead of "obese!"

HI EVERYONE!!!!!

I am finally at work after orientation. Wow. so much information! I liked Liz a lot, but I didn't like Robin very much; she rubbed me wrong. I weighed in @ 285! eeeek!! They had me keep my shoes on too. So many people had coffee, etc. and they didn't mention or make them feel bad; wish I woulda got mine!!

I have my Surgeon appointment TOMORROW already!! I guess that's where they tell me how much weight to loose, etc? I have Dr. Fisher!

OMG Riley...I went to Kaiser to do my labs & ekg today and when I got my ekg slip it said 'Obesity'

that was the 1st time I saw it written down, reality check!

Yes, at your surgeon meeting, he will look at your body shape and history and let you know how much you need to lose to have surgery. My surgeon was Dr. Im and he also asked me which surgery I wanted to have and why. Yeah - you are on your way!

Hey Tamra! WOW that was fast! Who (surgeon) spoke at your orientation? Oh and you do NOT have to keep Dr. Fisher, you can switch if you don't feel comfortable with him or he won't listen to you. Some people like him, some don't. I was a don't :-) Don't let him talk you out of the band!!!

Tina - how is the govenor's latest line-item veto going to affect you? I am scared for you!

Oh and Tamra check my starting weight, and Pam's!!

Hi Riley

Hey you were the same weight as me!! Dr. Fisher was our speaker today! It shocked me that I got him, and I am wondering if everyone in my class did?? Do you usually see the surgeon so quick after the orientation? What happens after tomorrow I just go on my merry way dieting and checking my weight in once in a while?

Hey Tamra! WOW that was fast! Who (surgeon) spoke at your orientation? Oh and you do NOT have to keep Dr. Fisher, you can switch if you don't feel comfortable with him or he won't listen to you. Some people like him, some don't. I was a don't :-) Don't let him talk you out of the band!!!

Tina - how is the govenor's latest line-item veto going to affect you? I am scared for you!

Hey Tamra,

I had Fisher for my orientation. When they came back with the appointments I had Dr Fisher about 2 days later. Of course I couldn't take that day off so they rescheduled me for Park. I really didn't have a preference one way or the other. I know everybody likes Baggs but go by the rapport you have with Fisher. Some people really like him. my 2cents

Yes Tamra, go on your merry way and lose, lose lose! When you see Dr. Fisher tomorrow, he will PROBABLY give you a surgery goal weight and have the nurse set you up with an appt. with the Psych. I say probably, because he has told some people that they could not even start the program until they had lost more, told 1 friend she had to lose it on her own, made 1 of my friends get his sleep apnea down to under 5 episodes before he would even give him a surgery goal weight . . . but I digress. Those folks all had weird situations, and you do not! I was 285 at orientation and had to lose 30 lbs. for surgery. It went really fast, honestly! A whole lot faster than it is going now!! So start today and log you food girl! I use Calorie Counter Database - Free Online Diet Program but you can do it any 'ol way - and be accountable to us, log here, too! I think we all did the 1200 with some modifications - I didn't do the starches (toast, potatoes) and I lost pretty fast. Not as fast as Heather tho, find out what she's doing!

Clearly I am getting over my flu because I managed 883 calories today, which is good for me except . . . not so much, cause I have not gotten off my butt all day! And a whopping 94 total carbs, but 44 was fiber so only 10 carbs over the 40 net I strive for . . . my body always wants carbs for healing, but it probably could have done without that double handful of honey-nut cheerios!

Jes is right, if you liked him at orientation and you get a good vibe from him tomorrow, stick with him! He rubbed me the wrong way at orientation - but then I liked Robin, and she rubbed you the wrong way! We all need/see different things, do what feels right to you!

Hey Riley

I have no idea what is going on with the line veto. I was at the union office all day today in negotations with management and the union.

I do know that the union told us that things were bad and that they state budget was gonna be brutal.

We have been told that 200 CPS workers are going and that the state is basically drastically cutting protective services for kids. I think I will make the first cut because I have my masters degree. But who know...............

The stated is taking billions from the counties and than also at the same time crippling all social services. I don't think anyone knows what will happen..............union says it will be bad. I work in a non mandated program so I know come September I will be getting a transfer probably back to the court house where I used to work. But I think I will have a job..........unless the state make more cuts in December.

Riley tell me about the line veto..........I haven't seen the news I just got home!!

Band wise I am freaking tight still. But I did find a secret. I can still eat salad if I go really, really slow and chew really, really well.............the rest of the day was soup and yogurt and one protien shake at lunch. I need to see the calorie count........

Oh I also ate a tiny twix the halloween size.............of course it stayed down but it was very clear that only one would fit in there. I was happy with my band cause before I could eat more than one.........today one is the max that fits in my stomach.......

Geeze if I get laid off I hope it is true that I can still get fills with Kaiser. I am also putting on resume's in Denver this week and thinking about tranferring to be a computer programmer where my mom works..................

I am in my something will work out mode!! I also might move back to Arkansas with my brother if I get laid off.

Options, options, options.........but I would rather stay here and keep my job!!

I started at 285 and Dr. Im told me I had to lose 20 lbs - I had lost 12 by the time I saw him. So it will depend on the surgeon and your body shape.

Tina - I hope you will be okay after the cuts. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Were we going to meet for lunch this week? I thought we were talking Thursday or Friday?

Its totally depressing Tina - in addition to how bad the budget already was, today he made it much, much worse here is channel 7 news:

But because the Legislature's package fell $1 billion short, the Governor had to use his veto pen to make more cuts and boost the state's reserves.

The single biggest cut is to Child Welfare Services -- $80 million less for counties to investigate abuse and neglect cases.

Yee gads, what is this man thinking?!?! And Pam is stuck with 3 furlough days a month for the rest of the fiscal year. I hate this guy!

My Masters degree is not going to help me keep my job, it's all by tenure and I only have 5 years at the county - I am #5 on the layoff list and #1 and #2 have already gotten notices . . . . my only hope is that my BOS will say that I am specialized and they have to exempt me from layoff order - and that MIGHT happen, if it comes down to me. Meantime I have everyone else's workload and mine too . . . . .

I am praying for us both Tina!

I hear that Riley this is crazy. I hope your position is saved!!

OMG I did find out about the child welfare cuts. I wonder if the 200 socialworker layoffs was before or AFTER the veto. We are already at 4-5X a normal caseload right now. We already can't handle what is going on. My guess is that todays veto was a total surprize out of left field. I bet CPS will basically be shut down in Sacramento County. 200 workers down is already a HUGE part of CPS.

I guess I will find out tomorrow. But we were told last week before all this that 200 social workers were gone in September worst case scenario...........my guess is that CPS is gonna shut down except for a very small core of workers and we aren't gonna be investigation or taking kids much anymore. Scary no doubt!! This is gonna be bad I hate to even guess how many kids will die...............time to get out of the social work field for sure.

Edited July 29, 200917 yr by swrktp