Thinking of getting the Sleeve ... need more info

[MacMadame 81]

since I've been able to lose 28 lbs on my own, I may not even get the surgery after all

Which is exactly why they make you do it. Of course, statistics say you'll just gain it back again. When I was going through this, I asked myself "what about this time makes it different from all the other times I lost weight and gained it back?" and my honest answer was: nothing.

The way I look at it is: I didn't get WLS to lose weight. I've always been able to lose weight just fine. I got it because I wanted to keep it off. I've never been able to do that before. And now, with my sleeve, I've got a prayer of maintaining because I'm not hungry all the time. That never happened to me when I lost weight via diet & exercise alone.

Btw, in CA, you don't *have* to do 6 months of classes or lose 10% of your weight. You can appeal to the DMHC and have those requirements waived. That's because there is no clinical data supporting these practices and showing they lead to better outcomes.

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

This is encouraging, you have actually heard of San Diego patients being send north to harbor city? My BMI is 38, i have hypertension, high cholesterol, depression from being overweight, its all i think about all the time.

I am hoping after my consult they will accept me. At what point did you find out you could get this done? Do they run you through the classes then tell you after? Do you get to meet with a surgeon any time before then? Im afraid to go 6 months then be told no. Goodness this is very confusing.

Chargers56,

Every Kaiser does things differently. I have a friend who just finished the classes and she had to do alot more than I ever did. She went through the Kaiser in Hollywood. She had to get a psych eval and nutrition eval and some other things. I never had to do that. You will have to take tests during the course of the 6 month classes. They need to see if you are difficent in somethings. YES when I went to my consult with my Surgeon I was told that they are taking referrals from the pts in San Diego. I think you will qualify with the hypertension and cholesterol. Dont worry, if you get to orientation you are basically in. I know that after orientation the chief bariatric MD reviews the packets (what they will send in the mail) to see if you are eligiable. Make sure that you put down all the diets that you have tried. The more the better. They want to see that you have made MANY attempts at losing weight. Even if you only took pills that were over the counter. EVERY effort should be written down. If you only have 1 or 2 they wont take you. YOu will be fine and I am sure they will accept you. Good luck ... its so worth it:thumbup:

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

Which is exactly why they make you do it. Of course, statistics say you'll just gain it back again. When I was going through this, I asked myself "what about this time makes it different from all the other times I lost weight and gained it back?" and my honest answer was: nothing.

The way I look at it is: I didn't get WLS to lose weight. I've always been able to lose weight just fine. I got it because I wanted to keep it off. I've never been able to do that before. And now, with my sleeve, I've got a prayer of maintaining because I'm not hungry all the time. That never happened to me when I lost weight via diet & exercise alone.

Btw, in CA, you don't *have* to do 6 months of classes or lose 10% of your weight. You can appeal to the DMHC and have those requirements waived. That's because there is no clinical data supporting these practices and showing they lead to better outcomes.

MacMadame,

I tried everything to NOT have to go through the classes. Its a Kaiser REQUIREMENT. At least when I went through the classes it was. I know things have been changing alot since my last class. But the newbies that are starting are being told the same things.

[chargers56 0]

Kikiphiasmom will they try and push Gastric Bypass on you? Are they high on the sleeve at Kaiser? Im really hoping so, when I ask about it id like to not have them look at me like im crazy.

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

Kikiphiasmom will they try and push Gastric Bypass on you? Are they high on the sleeve at Kaiser? Im really hoping so, when I ask about it id like to not have them look at me like im crazy.

Chargers56,

The classes are ALL about the RNY (bypass) you wont hear a peep about any of the the other 2 surgeries. But thats really ok as you will still have to follow the same rules as the RNY. Once you get to your surgeon, you will see that they know ALL about ALL of the surgeries. I didnt hear about the sleeve until I started reaserching it. It was all about the RNY. They wont even mention the band as Kaiser is ANTI band now. They will still do it, but will try their hardest to convince you to get the Sleeve or RNY. I told my surgeon I wanted the sleeve and he just said ... OK .. no problem and gave me a date for surgery. Its quickly becoming the gold standard up there with the RNY.

[MacMadame 81]

MacMadame,

I tried everything to NOT have to go through the classes. Its a Kaiser REQUIREMENT.

Did you appeal to the DMHC? They always make Kaiser overturn the requirement in every case I know about.

[chargers56 0]

Ok! So I received my packet today from Kaiser. It comes with a 23 page booklet about the whole process. Also a Bariatric Pre-Program questionnaire.

Im a bit worried from some of the stuff I have read in the booklet. For example, they want me to show proof I have been on a program for at least 6 months in the last 10 years. Well years ago my old doctor put me on Medifast and I went to some support meetings for it. I was able to lose weight over a course of 8 months but I gained it all back. They charted our success at the meetings, but I wasn't given any documentation on letterhead or anything like that. Ive also done HMR supplements last year and lost 25 lbs and gained it back. I'm worried I don't have the proper documents they are looking for.

Also im a bit nervous with this questionnaire. I'm afraid if i answer wrong ill get turned down.

It also says a BMI of 50 or 40 with 2 morbiditys. Im 38BMI and I have hypertention but it is not severe, and the booklet says severe. I do have gerd, sleep apena and joint and back pain. And some depression from my weight.

Any advice you can give me if you have filled this out for kaiser before would be helpful. Id like to know what happens when I bring this in. I feel like its my only chance and I dont want to mess it up.

Edited September 24, 2009 by chargers56

[thinoneday 445]

Hello all,

So my consultation is this Monday (09/21/09) and I am debating between the Lapband and Sleeve:crying:. I've done tons of reaserch on the Band but not so much on the sleeve. I know the band is a much safer surgery. The sleeve coming in second. But what are the statistics? Death rate? complications? I am so frightened of surgery on its own. I have had 2 c-sections and came out really well and was on my feet and doing everything I normally do within 1 week. Is it the same with this type of surgery?:thumbup: I think its mainly the anasthesia that really freaks me out. How long where most of you out of work. I am a single mom who needs to go back to work pretty quickly. I do administrative work, so its mostly sedentary. I would like to hear your thoughts and experiences. I am so scared. I need to be OK for my kiddos. I MUST be ok for my kiddos. They are the reason I am doing this. They need a healthy mom for a VERY long time. I don't want to become diabetic .. as of now I am healthy, but am pre-diabetic now. Any and all suggestions and help would be much appreciated. I am doing this through Kaiser Harbor City in Los Angeles. :lol0:

Good Morning! Well having had my seminar last night I can share my decision with you. . . I started off as wanting the band and that was it! So I joined that lapbandtalk forum and was totally convinced of the band. . go to the seminar and find out that it's not as great as i figured. there are those fills (cost $$) and then the risk of port failure (more $$) and the risk of slippage ($$) and then you may only lose about 50% of your weight, and it could erode into you stomach or leak ($$) on and on, (could end up costing alot more then you expected). . . then the gastric bypass is just a bit too invasive for me, I don't want my plumbing rearranged (don't do it with my furniture why my inners?:001_tt2:) but the sleeve seems more economical (in a sense) because only a portion of the stomach is cut away and your left with a sliver of stomach, you still absorb food (you can't eat much cause you have a small sliver of a stomach) you don't have to take Vitamins and minerals but it is totally recommended. . .there is no gagit in you to get infected or filled, or removed in case you don't like it. The risk is of course its surgery (laproscopic) they go through your belly button, minimal scarring (Ya!) and there is a risk of leakage! (no you won't die from it) but if you don't leak within 1-2 weeks you are rest assured you never will. . . and you don't have to worry about fills and so on. . . when you have it you have it. . . hope this helps a bit. . . as for me, I'm just elated to be getting it in January!

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

Ok! So I received my packet today from Kaiser. It comes with a 23 page booklet about the whole process. Also a Bariatric Pre-Program questionnaire.

Im a bit worried from some of the stuff I have read in the booklet. For example, they want me to show proof I have been on a program for at least 6 months in the last 10 years. Well years ago my old doctor put me on Medifast and I went to some support meetings for it. I was able to lose weight over a course of 8 months but I gained it all back. They charted our success at the meetings, but I wasn't given any documentation on letterhead or anything like that. Ive also done HMR supplements last year and lost 25 lbs and gained it back. I'm worried I don't have the proper documents they are looking for.

Also im a bit nervous with this questionnaire. I'm afraid if i answer wrong ill get turned down.

It also says a BMI of 50 or 40 with 2 morbiditys. Im 38BMI and I have hypertention but it is not severe, and the booklet says severe. I do have gerd, sleep apena and joint and back pain. And some depression from my weight.

Any advice you can give me if you have filled this out for kaiser before would be helpful. Id like to know what happens when I bring this in. I feel like its my only chance and I dont want to mess it up.

Don't worry about the packet. It's not as scary as it looks:001_unsure:. Like I said in previous posts they just want to know that you have TRIED to lose weight. It doesnt have to be "DOCUMENTED" you just have to document it on the questioneer. They will even take over the counter drugs one has taken. Dont worry about anything. You WILL get accepted into the program. You have sleep apnea and High blood pressure. That makes you a shoe in for it. Dont worry .. you are so in!! :thumbup: Dont worry and just do what they ask you to do. :001_tt2:

[chargers56 0]

Kikiphiasmom thank you so much for your support. It is so nice to have someone to talk to about this.

Also I noticed in my manual that it says Pacific Bariatric (Gastric Bypass Surgery and Bariatric Surgery information - Pacific Bariatric) here in San Diego performs these surgeries but on their website it doesnt even have the Sleeve as an option. Hopefully they will let me go to a surgeon that does.

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

Kikiphiasmom thank you so much for your support. It is so nice to have someone to talk to about this.

Also I noticed in my manual that it says Pacific Bariatric (Gastric Bypass Surgery and Bariatric Surgery information - Pacific Bariatric) here in San Diego performs these surgeries but on their website it doesnt even have the Sleeve as an option. Hopefully they will let me go to a surgeon that does.

You are so welcome. I know that when I first started this process I felt completely lost. I am glad I can be here for you.

Pacific Bariatrics only does the RNY for Kaiser. I think that by the time you are finished with the classes, they wont have that contract anymore, as Kaiser is performing their own surgeries now. They used to contract with UCLA too for the RNY and Sleeve. They no longer have a contract with them. Kaiser is doing ALL surgeries now.

[chargers56 0]

I just put in a call to the center, and the program coordinator is going to call me back. Basically I want to tell her that I did Medifast, HMR, and Alli several times over the past 3 years. I have spent thousands on diet food and in joining these programs, but I don't have any documents from them with weights and stuff like that and im sure the support groups didn't keep any records. If only I knew then I could have logged this stuff myself...

Basically I'm going to tell her about this stuff and see what she has to say.

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

I just put in a call to the center, and the program coordinator is going to call me back. Basically I want to tell her that I did Medifast, HMR, and Alli several times over the past 3 years. I have spent thousands on diet food and in joining these programs, but I don't have any documents from them with weights and stuff like that and im sure the support groups didn't keep any records. If only I knew then I could have logged this stuff myself...

Basically I'm going to tell her about this stuff and see what she has to say.

NO dont tell them anything. Just log it there on the questioneer. Dont give them room to take you out of the program. TRUST me! Just fill it out and go to orientation. And ZIP it ... LOL ..jk

[chargers56 0]

NO dont tell them anything. Just log it there on the questioneer. Dont give them room to take you out of the program. TRUST me! Just fill it out and go to orientation. And ZIP it ... LOL ..jk

Ouch I talked to her already today. She told me she needs this information. She told me i could call my old doctor and have him sign off on the fact that I tried 6 months of a medically supervised diet.

I'm going to call him today and see if her will write me a letter.

[Kikiphiasmom 44]

Ouch I talked to her already today. She told me she needs this information. She told me i could call my old doctor and have him sign off on the fact that I tried 6 months of a medically supervised diet.

I'm going to call him today and see if her will write me a letter.

Ok well good luck. I am sure everything will work out fine. Congrats on starting the process :001_smile: Ask away if you have more questions :biggrin0: