Hey everyone going through Kaiser Richmond!!

Where are you in the process?

I am all about complications too Chrissy. If something is gonna happen healthwise or complication wise it will be me everytime! LOL.

I found the research on the VSG website I think. I typed in "is kaiser phasing out the band and stuff came up" Not to original I know. LOL.

I think if Kaiser phases out the band they have a very good reason. I have had problems with my band and complications since about six months. Nothing life or death but still I really wish the sleeve had been an option. My main problems reside around fills/unfills. If I had the sleeve that would take out a huge negetive for me!!

I will ask Robin and the Doctor. I don't know if they will answer me but I would think they would.

ALot of bariatric surgeons are phasing the band out that is why I wonder.............for the same reasons complication and intensive aftercare commitments.

I just always worrying about it being a foriegn object and how that works long term. Knowing me...............LOL. I have to worry about that stuff cause my luck is not the best!!

How can I research Kaiser Richmonds Standing I would like to read up on it.

Oh the needles are HUBER NEEDLES, you have to get the extra long, thick ones to reach the port........someone on LBT went to ER and had one in her purse. So she got an emergency unfill on a weekend without going 4 hours to her surgeon. She told me she always carries one now. I just thought knowing me and my luck.........LOL. I think they sell for like 45-60 dollars online. You can also get them from a medical supply store.

well good Tina! Well then when something happens to eachother we can have a pitty party. Lord knows I do all by myself...Yeah this "simple procedure on my neck"? the filter? okay check this out: the procedure takes 15 minutes tops in and out. My surgeon it took him AN HOUR AND A HALF!! Yeah he said in all the 10 years he has done these I am the "WORST" or "Hard" one he has ever ever done. go figure-this is chrissy we are talkin about!!! I am STILL having problems with this damn thing. lol....west nile? Yeah I was the FIRST to get it in Sac-and ohh one outta 25,000 get spinal menenjitus from it? yeah that was me. Cant win the lotto but if there is any side effects or complications its always me. (knock on wood) lol you sound like me-i was like foreign object? erosion? yeah that is my lotto ticket right there if I get the band I am gonna be that "one" Tina do you ever think you would get a revision? I am SURE kaiser would have to pay for it especially if they are gonna get rid of it. And yeah the er doc like I said said during her residency they were not doing bands anymore and at kaisers they were phasing them out too. PLEASE let me know what they say!!!! I am super duper curious now!:smile2:

Wow...79lbs lost...thats awesome! I looked into Optifast but it is way too expensive for me. I was shocked that Kaiser actually pushed surgery before they cover that program. I know several people who have done it and it sure worked for them.

I was tossing and turning last night...I could not stop thinking about surgery. I started to wonder if maybe I should do another surgery. But I just can't do that...I am scared that if there are complications they won't hit until later in life and that scares me. My mind is made up about the lap-band but was even questioning if I should even do that. Is this normal? To go back and forth like this? I want to make a permanent change but kind worries me that they are phasing it out.

What time is the meeting on Saturday? I maybe able to come. Would it be alright to bring my daughter? She is 2 1/2, well she will be 3 in August. Can't believe it! Myabe I will have surgery on her birthday..haha. A gift to me and one for her too of having a smaller more fun mommy that can keep up with her. The weight sure limits me in having as much fun as I want to with her. Actually it limits me in life in general, I used to be super outgoing and happy. Now I worry about seeing people I use to know cause I am ashamed of the weight gain.

Hope you are all having a great morning. Supposed to start warming up a little this week.

Morning all

I AM BACK UP TO 225.5 THIS AM!? wtf!? I don't understand.....well maybe I do, I didn't eat that well this weekend. I am back on liquids today and tomorrow, going to jump start myself again like usual...I have to get back undet the 220 like I did Friday!!! it was such a good feeling!! I am also waiting on TOM and I was alil backed up this weekend too...tmi...LOL

Have a good day everyone, off to school

Mo- I love Everett & Jones!!!!!!!!

Pam- So happy for your loss-79 wow!

Cole- The sleeve has the lowest complication rate of all three surgeries, please research this. VSG is exactly what they do for someone who has had cronich ulsers or stomach cancer with people living well over 40+ years of research.

Side note about the band here is a quote from my Kaiser Fremont Book "The overall re-operation rate for lap bands is as high as 1 in 6 over 10 years."

Anyways, I am doing great-just board with my food. I am on the soft foods- deli meat cheese ect. John/Lee/Ali... What where you all eating at that phase?

Cole - yes you can bring your daughter on Saturday - just bring something quiet for her to do. Others have brought children before.

I am not sure I would get a revision to a sleeve if they let me at this point - Kaiser has not been doing them very long and I want to see what issues occur further out.

I said the same thing to Kaiser - why is it they will cover bariatric surgery fairly easily, but they won't cover a program that promotes behavior modification? Optifast is not a magic cure - they only provide that so people will join the program - it is all about behavior changes and mind set changes - none of the bariatric surgeries or even Optifast will prevent regaining the weight - that is up to us. I have seen a lot of people regain their weight who have had RNY and LapBand and you can regain it with the Sleeve too. Kaiser lets us know that from the get go - we all want to think that won't happen to us but it can.

Tamra - you are confusing your body by yo-yoing - starve, eat, starve, eat. Our bodies need food to burn calories, just needs to be the right foods and amount of calories. Please be careful so you stay healthy. Our bands are not magical.

Hey Everyone... i'm kinda frustrated.. I've called Kaiser Richmond and left several messages to Sara.. and I've also emailed Dr. Park about my weight loss.. I asked if I lose too much weight will they still perform the surgery...(I asked last week) and still NO ANSWER.. and usually Dr. Park gets back to me in a day or 2.. so now i'm wondering... I love working out.. but like I said before.. I'VE LOST weight jus to gain it back again later.. so YES. I still want the surgery done.. its kinda stupid to think maybe I shouldn't workout or maybe I should eat more.. (some friends advised me on this) but I want to hear it from the DR. first.. Uggh.. I'm happy that i'm losing weight without any surgery.. But i'm frustrated because.. this is the whole REASON why I wanted to lose weight so I can have the SURGERY.. I feel like i'm stuck in CRAP and I can't get out.... ugghh..

Pam, your doing great! Glad you got the weight loss going again! You may be the first in the Optifast but you will be the example setter!

Chrissy, how are you today? I hope your yucky drainage is getting better--no more cooties!

Cole, was that you that you that asked about how to put up a profile pic? I wasn't sure if that got answered or not; let us know if you still need it.

Happy Monday!

Annalyn, that's a weird situation...but sounds like a good one. To me it sounds like your a great candidate for the lap band since you have the lower bmi and the lap band would be a great tool to keep the weight off!

Let us know when you hear back...you're right--Dr Park usually emails back quicker than that. Maybe they are discussing it....are your ears burning? lol

Or maybe Dr. Park is not in the office? I would give it a day or so more and then send another e-mail as a follow up.

I just got home from my daughter's awards ceremony and put some ice cream in a bowl with a little piece of cake - I ate one bite and thought what am I doing and made my son eat it - if he didn't want it I was going to put it down the disposal. My resistance muscle was screaming at me. Boy I wish this wasn't so hard but I know it is a lifelong process for me.

Morning all.........

Pam: I agree your an example :-) Your motivating me for sure. I can't afford the program but I am trying to work my own to keep up :-)

COLE: I am bringing my daughter she is 15 but sometimes that can be more work than 2!! LOL. Other people have brought their kids before. Just come.

TAMRA:

I say just stick with protiens and forget the liquids. You will start to go down again. Do you have restriction now? I am finding when I eat protiens I have restriction if I don't everything goes straight down. I am doing my liquids by drinking 120 ounces of water a day which makes me full so I don't eat as much. I did have some ice cream this weekend...to much but as of today no more :-)

KAISER RICHMOND has an excellant rating!! I did the research and also found my way into a training power point given by Dr. Li for Bariatric surgeons. Very interesting stuff. That was from 2007 and they were already talking about doing the sleeve eventually. Sounds like the band had just been started. I was impressed and learned alot.

I just wonder if Kaiser is removing bands already and that is why they are phasing them out. I know that ER had alot of band people over the winter with problems. I was not the only one they told me. So maybe that is the complications part of things???

CHRISSY:

Your bad luck is a bit worse than mine!! LOL. Sorry!! I have had pneumonia four times and have scarring on my lungs. I get it very easy now if I am not careful becuase of my history. They told me pre op it could be a problem going under anthesia/or rather coming out. And it sure was I couldn't breathe at all and almost had a panic attack there too!! The nurse was great and talked me through it. Also the morphine wiped me out. I could not do that spirometer test at all......I was told that I needed to be checked for asthma!! Liz told me it seemed like something was wrong with my brething since I couldn't hold my breath long enough to do the test. LOL. I also had my lungs fill up with gunk after surgery that lasted a week or so. Now a year later more breathing problems so I think the scarring is a problem and if I can't breath I panic.............I don't know which come first the egg or the chicken.........so I am back in next week for more testing and to go through the asthma routine to see if that is where I am at. I am sure the scarring on my lungs will be brought up again but not sure how they fix that stuff or work around it. If not than we address the panic attacks. I do know stress and panic tighten your band alot :-) So no more fills for me until I figure the other part out first. But I worry if I got the sleeve I would be to tight and couldn't loosen it!! Just myluck!!! LOL. Now that would panic me and not being able to drink my water would stress me out...........LOL.

Ok back to work hope everyone has a great day!!

Edited June 21, 201016 yr by swrktp

hey hey... ok I just got an email about 5 minutes ago.. she told me that all WLS are for obese patients that cannot lose weight with exercise or diet alone.. and she said it seems like I'm losing with exercise and diet.. so I would no longer be a canidate should I drop to a specific weight. Also, my BMI has to be in a certain range too.. at the end of the email she asked that I contact her in 2 months and we'll see where I am from that point.. it makes sense what she says.. cuz regardless if I get the WLS or not.. I am losing weight with out it. BUT I'M SOOO FRUSTRATED INSIDE. like I said I'm extremely happy losing the weight without any WLS, I love working out.. etc.. but the whole point of me doing this was to get the WLS.. I don't know if any of you understand my frustration.. but yeah.. this kinda sucks.. but it also makes me realize ... I can do without.. its jus frustrating..

Pam you did good!! Mindful eating!! I have this book that I read that says if you take a minute to think you won't just eat..................sounds like your a mindful eater.

I on the other hand did have ice cream this weekend!! I did not stop to think first............sorta on purpose cause I just wanted it!! LOL. I am not gonna buy that stuff anymore.

Hopefully I will get some good tips at the seminar this weekend too. I need some motivation.

Ok back to work.........working last all week so I can have thursday and friday off.

La Chica I say do your think and see how you feel in two months...............that give you time to see how motivated you are and if you can make it long term or not. YOu should know by than if your gonna stick to it or start to regain. YOu can always have surgery later if you start to gain. Just my opinion.

HI Ali! I am doing good! 5 days out. getting sick of eating the same crap....what shall I have for breakfast? yogurt? pudding? lol I am SUPER picky and will only eat that or the cream of mushroom soup so choosing from 3 things is rather BORING and sad! ha ha. alright my sleevesters!!!!!!!!! what else can I have? stage 2 is for 2 weeks! this sucks. ha ha. water is still an issue but Dr. Im said as long as I am peeing I am okay. ha ha. my neck is draining still but the antibiotics are helping this stupid thing looks better already! Thank god for keflex.. it's leaking plasma! ewww I am STILL waiting for neck, head, surgery to contact me. I should start saving it-I know they pay good MONEY for plasma now adays....and waiting for a disability check sucks. lmao!!!!!!!!!! :thumbup:

Tina-yeah we ARE nightmares aren't we. :thumbdown:I feel ya on the panic attacks. I have them too. ohh and I have asthma and get chronic bronchitus and sinus infection like 8-10 a year! I am now alergic to EVERYTHING under the sun because of all the antibiotics I have taken. I get them soooo bad. I totally sympathize with you. You totally panic and that makes everything 1000 times worse. Well now we can grovel with eachother let me know what they do. I hear ya with all the breathing problems. I get sick SO much that I am always checking to see if I am sick. I am so nuts. lol. Everyone calls me hypo-but your not hypo when your always sick! It sucks. It's nice to know someone who has this same problem seriously!!! After I had my gallbladder taken out? They told me I was gonna die cause I had 5 clots on my lungs. I was actually diagnosed with PTS because of all the crap I went through. My hubby and I even split up at that time I went loopy! Thank god he eventually realized that was my mid-life crisis and took my crazy ass back. It was horrible. When the doctors say your not gonna make it-imagine what that does. man ohh man. anywho-so I am here if ya need someone to vent too! Medical nightmares together. :Banane20: awwww lol.

BAND SUBJECT:Yeah ASH I was totally surprised when you showed me YOUR KAISER book. 1 in 6 people is a HUGE amount in people to get a revision!!!!!!!! I think it sucks that kaiser FREEMONT and KAISER RICHMOND's bariatric programs differ so much. I kinda like yours better Ash! They seem to tell you A LOT more. I was all gung-ho for the band in the begining like ash, ali, john, and I were. After doing research and hearing from other bandsters that made my decision. Even Dr. Im told me that he thought the band wasn't even a choice. I guess they have know for a while that they where phasing them out. My dad also JUST went and had his surgeon appointment. They didn't offer him the band! I just talked to him about his appointment. He had it a week ago and I asked him if the Doctor mentioned it and he said it's really not an option. I am HAPPY with my decision with the sleeve. I am SO surprised that I am recovering so QUICKLY! (knock on wood) My health isn't the greatest and I am always slow to heal ect...but 5 days out and I FEEL GREAT!!!!!!!! I HOPE THIS CONTINUES! I don't wanna JINX myself. I walk walk walk so that is proll helping greatly too. Then again it's all a personal choice! I am anxious to see what will happen!

10 POUNDS IN 5 DAYS!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! IF SOMEONE SAYS THAT ISN'T A MIRACLE THEN THEY ARE NUTS! LOL!