Helen of LaCroix

Welcome @Muriel!! And congrats on getting a date and starting a new chapter of your life! 🖤🖤

Thanks friend! I’m in the same boat. I got home and was excited to sip some cold water from the fridge and my stomach was NOT happy about it. Room temp is my bff at the moment too. I’ll try some warm liquids on day 2. I’m almost afraid to say that I’m surprised at how much pain I am not in. Maybe it’s still pain killers from the hospital? 😬 I hope I’m feeling this eh or better tomorrow.

We made it through the wilderness. Somehow we made it thru oo oo. Home. But not before ugly crying the entire time while I waited to be wheeled in. Gas pain in my sternum. Threw up at the hospital. It sucks but it’s not the worst thing-there’s nothing in to throw up… so just sorta dry heaved a couple times. They tell you to not panic if there’s blood-completely normal. now to try to find a rhythm and schedule for all the things to do. someone said somewhere somewhere on the internet that if you’re sipping water and it hurts or feels uncomfortable, play with the temp- it really does help. Leaving that lil nuggets of wisdom here for yall.

Surgery in 1.5 hours. Currently fighting LA traffic to get to the hospital. This is surreal. You read all blogs and captions about how everyone is afraid they’ll fail and it’s normal. It’s so common. How everyone worries they won’t be able to adjust to new schedules, new ways of eating, not preparing enough before surgery, not practicing enough, etc. It makes you feel better until the time is here… and you’re in a car panicking that you didn't do enough. I’m just praying that it all falls into place. I guess this is where I start reminding myself to “TRUST THE PROCESS” Well kids, here we go!!!

This has been immensely helpful! I have surgery on Tuesday and just realized today that I’d been spending so much time preparing for how to eat-not how to feel. Thank you for sharing your experience and uplifting words.

This is such an important thing to address. I got my date… 5 months earlier due to a cancellation. I wasn’t expecting the scheduler to call me until February, for a date in “April/May”. I’m not prepared and have been scrambling trying to get isopure, cups, protein water and shakes, soup, etc. I havent had a moment to even think about pain management. It’s not something I can predict-seems like everyone is different. Any recent post-op peeps in here have some wisdom to share regarding post op pain management-outside of the meds prescribed?

Amazing! Congrats! ❤️

Hi. I have the flu. I was expecting to get a call some time in February for a surgery date in “April/May”. Woke up to a call from Kaiser, saying they had a cancellation and asked if I wanted to have surgery IN 6 DAYS! After 20 minutes of freaking out and asking myself if I was ready, I called back and said yes. 1/16/24 is my official date! Let’s hope this bug goes away by then. Freaking out because I don’t have ANYTHING ready. I’m combing through emails from Kaiser with lists of all the things I need. Thank god today is also payday. Would love to find a buddy going thru VSG in Southern CA with Kaiser.

Hi everyone, I'm finally doing it. I started this process back in 2017 but then hiking and backpacking changed my trajectory. Then COVID caused chaos in my life and here we are again. I'm officially starting this journey and my first official Options class is Wednesday (5/24)! I'm so excited, so anxious and so ready to get this train moving. Tired of stalking all the WLS IGs and YouTube channels. Looking for new friends in Southern CA, with KAISER who are starting or already attending their Options classes. ❤️

Hi Friend, I finished my Options classes last Thursday. They called me to schedule my consultation today (5 days later). HOWEVER.... when I signed up for the Options classes no one told me the wait time from end of classes to Surgical consultation/final clearance (only the amount of time from consultation to surgery, which was relatively short). I learned today that the next available in-person consultation appointment is 10/13..... then who knows (looks like I dont belong to this August cohort anymore. Sigh). The woman I spoke with told me I could contact the nurses office daily to see if there were any last minute cancellations. This is all specific to Kaiser Panorama City. Hope that helped. 😕

Hi!  Sometime during the 10 weeks of options classes you’ll get a consultation appointment with a surgeon. I’ve heard that SoCal Kaiser is 2-3 months out with scheduling surgeries (if your surgeon doesn’t have any other requirements for you). I’ve also heard that Kaiser will give you up to one year to schedule your procedure before they’ll make you go thru the 10 weeks of Options classes again.

Congrats!!! Good luck! 🖤🖤

Hi! Sometime during the 10 weeks of options classes you’ll get a consultation appointment with a surgeon. I’ve heard that SoCal Kaiser is 2-3 months out with scheduling surgeries (if your surgeon doesn’t have any other requirements for you). I’ve also heard that Kaiser will give you up to one year to schedule your procedure before they’ll make you go thru the 10 weeks of Options classes again.

Awesome! Thanks so much for the heads up! I’m hopeful for August!

Hi and congrats to you both! I’m so proud of you! I just started Kaiser’s 10 week Options classes. My fingers crossed for an August date! 🤞🤞 🫶🫶

Hi Everyone, I am new(ish) to this process. Beginning Kaiser Options on 5/15. I've been trying to find good personal blogs to follow/read but havent had the best luck. It seems like every way I search I get 500000000 Surgeon or clinic sites/forums. Anyone have any great blogs, Vlogs, Insta suggestions that are motivational, informative and real?

Hi! I'm looking for Southern California friends who are working their way to a surgery date. I've seen a lot of people from Northern CA but not really any from Los Angeles AND have kaiser. Surely you must be out there. Lets be friends!

Hi, Are you in Los Angeles?

Hi, My BMI was 39.whatever and I ate like a fat kid and drank a TON of water the day before and of my first appointment with the Dr. I just barely made the cut off. I don't have any commodities either. As it turns out, trying to gain weight to get approved by insurance is actually a thing. After the appointment she hat the nurse call me and set me up with the classes. I did my first class last week and will do the second next week. Have you been to any classes yet? Are you in Los Angeles?

Hi, I'm Veronica. I am 32, 5'7 and currently weigh 255 (BMI: 39.somthing). This is the heaviest I've ever been and at 32, I can actually feel it now; its a bit scary. I recently went through a break up and when I tried to get back on the horse and started hiking again, I noticed how sore all my joints were. I wake up and I'm sore. I worry this is going to get in the way of my weightloss process, WLS or other. I'm here because I'm considering WLS/VSG and have Kaiser and in insurance provider. I'v been perusing forums, Instagram, and YouTube vlogs for the last couple weeks and haven't really found much on the process for Kaiser. I realize everyone's plans are different but I was hoping to find someone close in age, insurance and location to share this journey with. My first appointment is scheduled for 12/8/17. Its a "physical" and I'm hoping they'll give me a referral. I have a general idea of the hoops I'll have to jump through to make this happen. I guess my questions are: 1. I'm a hair under the limit to be considered without a second diagnosis (I don't think I suffer from any of the listed illnesses). Do people ever put on a couple pounds to cross that threshold? is that a thing? 2. There is a weight loss plan leading up to the surgery, right? Does anyone know if my starting weight is taken into account for approval or the weight I'm at after the 6 months of weigh ins? I know these are all questions for my doctor, and I will definitely ask them in two weeks at my appointment but I'm anxious and like to be entirely prepared. Thanks!

Hi All, Appointment went very smoothly. I was about 5lb shy of 40BMI so I drank a ton of water and wore leggings under my heaviest jeans, a sweater over two shirts and my docs and it put me over. 40.91BMI! Just scheduled my appointments for 1/4/18 (once my FSA kicks in!). The woman I spoke with on the phone said there are in total 16 classes and they prefer I attend all but not all are required. How many classes did you guys have to attend? @CaliforniaCandy I keep seeing posts about people getting all their appointments in as soon as they begin classes. Did they tell you how many classes you have to attend?

Hi. I’m just starting the process with Kaiser at the sunset office. I did all my blood work last week and am waiting to be scheduled for classes. At what point in the process did you know if Kaiser would cover it? My BMI was almost 41 when I went to my first appointment. I have no idea what’s supposed to happen next and I’ve been having a lot of trouble trying to schedule classes.

Awesome! I’ve been trying to get scheduled all week for whatever the next hoop is I need to jump through with no luck. Kaiser is Slow. Are you going through insurance?

Thanks for the insight! I'm just starting the process for insurance approval and have been stalking a ton of blogs and forums for information and answers. This was really helpful! congrats on your progress!

Los Angeles, CA, Near Hollywood here!