Starting my process... Kaiser SoCal, any tips?

[WeightIsntFate 4]

So I am still in the beginning stages of getting the process done. Today I go to Options orientation through Kaiser SoCal. Not really sure what to expect. Does anyone know how the order goes of getting everything done in order to get the surgery?

At first I had my mind set on getting the band but now that I've done more research I feel like there is better longterm results with the sleeve.

Any info on the Kaiser SoCal process would be amazing. Also I am in Orange County if that makes a difference.

[The Candidate 3,215]

Kaiser doesn't do bands any longer anyway. We were told that at orientation and also at the beginning of Options classes which I'm halfway through. Hope to have surgery sometime this summer. Good luck on your journey!

[Dave in SoCal 13]

Kaiser's Options literature is pretty outdated and seems much more geared toward bypass candidates. 2 recs: get the book The Sleeved Life. It's better than Options and is an easy read.

Come to a Kaiser weight loss surgery support group. They met once a month in various locations. These groups are free and open to everyone. You don't even have to belong to Kaiser.

Edited February 13, 2015 by davidlgalt

[LivingFree! 478]

Hope you found in your Options Orientation that Kaiser's information is VERY up-to-date and is quite informative on the RNY and vertical sleeve options. Also, you will find the 12-week Options classes educational and helpful in beginning to learn about our new lifestyle and eating habits. Kaiser will still do the lapband if a patient absolutely insists on it, but it is highly discourged because of the many complications that procedure has had. Kaiser is doing many revision surgeries to remove bands to either the sleeve or RNY. I am 4 years from my sleeve surgery through Kaiser Fontana and cannot say enough good things about the bari program there. Fontana has four support groups per month. Hope you have a similar experience there in OC.

Good luck with your decision!

[The Candidate 3,215]

I think the Kaiser program is wonderful as well, but as someone who is currently going through the Options program I agree with the previous poster, in that the material presented is rather outdated and rudimentary. In my area the classes are 24 weeks, so I'm sure the procedures differ in other ways in different areas. I'm currently halfway through.

We were told by the Kaiser representatives that Lap Band is no longer an option, no way, no how. Not meant as any critique on the surgery itself, just repeating what we were told, and more than once too.

I also agree that the support system through Kaiser is fantastic. They do a lot to prepare you for not only for surgery, but for a whole new way of life physically, mentally and emotionally. Great to hear that you are still doing so well four years out. That's amazing. Congratulations!

[LivingFree! 478]

Thanks for your comments, The Candidate. I hope you voice your concerns about the outdated and rudimentary instructional materials to the educators in your Options program (and higher up if you have the time and energy!). If there's one thing I have learned about Kaiser over the years, they positively respond to members' input. Kaiser's bariatric research and practices are top-notch, but ALL bariatric locations need to catch up with providing the most optimal services to all its members. Best of luck to you as you progress through this awesome process!

[The Candidate 3,215]

You're welcome @LivingFree! And I will definitely follow your sound advice about sharing my personal experience and observations with Kaiser upon completion of the program. I've only completed 11 of the 24 Options classes so far, so I'm reserving final judgement until the end.

In my opinion it would benefit future WLS applicants through Kaiser if they would strive harder to standardize their qualifying requirements. The fact that my area in Southern CA mandates 24 weeks of classes, while most of Northern CA requires only 12 weeks is a good example of this variance. Don't get me wrong, the classes themselves are certainly worthwhile, especially for those candidates that do little to no research beforehand. That in itself was a big eye opener for me, realizing that more than a few of my fellow classmates entered the program with virtually no knowledge of the serious life changing operation they were signing up for.

One of of the best benefits of the classes would definitely be the guest speakers. The other week we heard from a former Options graduate, who is 1 1/2 years out from getting the sleeve. He started out at over 500 pounds and has already lost over 200! We will hear from more post op's in the coming weeks, and that shared experience is beyond beneficial. We bombarded him with questions, ultimately taking the entire 90 minutes, and never even got to the lesson that night. That kind of one on one, plus the generosity of people such as yourself, and so many others on this forum, all willing to share your personal insight with hopeful pre-op's, like myself, make the process so much easier. I thank you for that, and everyone else here, with all my heart.

Next month I'll be attending the required surgical seminar, and we're always encouraged to make full use of the support groups during every stage of our journey. In the end, the program is definitely a necessity and not a hindrance in any shape or form. The Kaiser Options Program is a worthwhile endeavor, and I've no doubt that they are always striving to improve, ensuring that their patients will go into that operating room thoroughly prepared for a whole new way of life.

Thank you for your comments and I wish you continued success and happiness.

[LivingFree! 478]

The Candidate, totally agree about standardizing the Program Kaiser-wide. I thought San Diego area was the only one still using 24 weeks. Where in OC are you? The Inland Empire (where I am in So CA) has been 12 weeks for quite a few years now.

When I was a pre-op, I sooo wanted to hear from the new-ops about their experiences and that just was not available within the Kaiser program. It's getting better in that sometimes a few pre-ops are being allowed to attend the new-op/post-op support groups, but it is on a case-by-case basis. So glad you got to hear a Guest Speaker and hope they give you many more! I am really personally pushing for a new kind of support group (with no restrictions) where ALL pre-ops can attend to ask all the questions they want. You can be required to attend all the "book learning" classes in the world, but NOTHING compares to being among those who are living their surgeries every day. It is THE BEST education there is. It sounds like you ARE able to attend any post-op support groups NOW (before your surgery) that you want? If that's the case, I highly encourage you to take advantage of that.

Keep having FUN--you'll be at your surgery date before you know it. . .

[The Candidate 3,215]

Hi @LivingFree! Thanks for your message!

I am in the San Diego area, specifically North County. I'm attending classes in San Marcos. I started in November and will finish in May. And I have to tell you that it frustrates me to no end that we are required to do 24 weeks while pretty much every other area of CA I have heard about, only requires 12. If I was doing 12 like everyone else, I would be graduating this week. It's part of what I mean when I talked about standardizing their requirements. I do my best to be patient but sometimes it's tough. By the time I get to surgery I'll have been waiting a year, maybe more. You're right that all the "book learning" in the world is nothing compared to hearing from people who have lived the experience, and that's exactly my point, because about 90 percent of the classes is entirely book learning.

You are absolutely spot on when you talked about the benefits of hearing from post op's and others at various stages of the surgery. We didn't actually start discussing surgery options until week 7 and I was disappointed that the information provided was pretty superficial. I have learned so much more here than I have from any of Kaiser's class offered course material. I truly hope you are successful in your petition for an all inclusive support group.

But I have to say, for me, the biggest plus of the classes, besides the guest speakers, is going through it with others. My classmates are great and you really begin to feel a genuine connection with each other, as we are all working towards the same goal at the same time. That personal connection is invaluable. And yes, we are definitely encouraged to attend support groups through Pacific Bariatric. I can't imagine being denied that opportunity as you mentioned you were. Did they say why that was when you were going through the process?

All in all I've been more than pleased with Kaiser's streamlined process and I would recommend it to anyone out there considering surgery. There's a lot of comfort as you progress through in knowing exactly what's ahead of you and around the bend. It's taught me to be a little more patient, and I'm more than confident that this is definitely the right path for me. I've done enough research on my own on Pacific Bariatric and Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, which is where the surgery will be done as Kaiser contracts out, to know that I will be in very good hands.

In the meantime, as you suggested, I will have as much fun as I can. It may sound cliche but the time does really go by quickly. I'm very excited too that I'm at the halfway mark! I'm sure the day will come when I look back on this whole pre op time as passing by in the blink of an eye. I can't wait for that day.

Thanks, and I congratulate you again on your continued success! Are you currently sharing your personal experience as a guest speaker or in support groups? If not, you definitely should be as you have a lot of sage counsel to offer others.

[WeightIsntFate 4]

Thanks for all the replies, advice, and insight!

So when I went to options orientation I was totally blindsided by what the doctor had to say.

The one thing I didn't like was that her information was VERY biased and i do not know how factual it was.

She talked down about the lapband the entire time, even going as far as showing us horrific pictures of eroded and embedded bands. She would skip over lapland slides because "none of you will be getting it"

I was totally discouraged by everything she was saying. I left the orientation confused and angry.

She joked about death resulting from the procedure but "on the bright side it only happens once"

She did say are you ready to have to eat 1000 to 1200 cal for the rest of your life? Which i wanted to know if that was something that would be a definite thing that would have to happen? Also she said something to the affect of ' hope you are ready to live with the extra skin or go through another procedure to have it removed because Kaiser doesn't cover it unless it covers your private areas, and when we do plastic surgery we just cut it off, nothing pretty like a plastic surgeon would do. And its not if you have excess skin, because you will, some more than others'

The way she spoke about the surgery made me extremely hesitant and made me doubt the years and a half I took to come to the decision of having the surgery. Did anyone else have a hard time with the process? Could this have been her way of weeding out the "undedicated" or "quick fix"ers? Was i being punked?

Also what could i do moving forwards from here? Kaiser is making me take 12 weeks of these classes with her or someone who may have the same approach. I am doing this to become a healthier me, i would think the doctor doing orientation would encourage rather than throw all these opinions at us. I am 21 years old and would hate to make this decision to have surgery when it will be a life long thing, i can't change it once its done.

[WeightIsntFate 4]

Kaiser doesn't do bands any longer anyway. We were told that at orientation and also at the beginning of Options classes which I'm halfway through. Hope to have surgery sometime this summer. Good luck on your journey!

Candidate, I was told Kaiser does do bands if that is what you truly want but none of the surgeons will encourage it.

[Dave in SoCal 13]

So a lot of what the doctor (may have a been a nutritionist) said is true. I do think she could have taken a less discouraging approach to it.

Lapband

The biggest drawback in my opinion to the lapband is that it just has the highest failure rate as defined by the percentage of people who gain all their weight back. Our instructor in Hollywood Kaiser said that Lapband is an option, but Kaiser no longer performed the surgeries, so if you elected it you would have to go out of network and pay a percentage of the procedure. There were 2 people in our class that had failed with the Lapband and were getting either the sleeve or bypass.

Loose Skin

Yes, if you have a BMI over 40 you're going to have loose skin when you get down close to your ideal weight. If you want to get an idea of what this looks like, just look at enough before and after pictures on this site. Some people it bothers more then others. If you do want a Tummy Tuck by a plastic surgeon it will be your own dime, and will set you back a few thousand.

Risk of Complications/Death

As is the case with any surgery there are risks of complications and death. This bothered me a lot, and caused me to wait almost 9 months after my class ended to get my surgery. I have 2 kids and the idea of the worst happening and leaving them without a dad was hard to deal with. In the end, I decided the risk was greater to do nothing. I told myself that the risk was similar to the risk my wife took each time she gave birth to our 2 children.

1200 Calories the rest of your life

Hmmm, not sure about this one. This was never brought up in our class. I have learned that once you reach a BMI over 40, the way your body processes food changes. Essentially, your body thinks you're in a feast or famine cycle and starts telling you you're hungry all the time, and when you do eat it is much more efficient processing the food. The efficiency part will likely never change now, even if you reach your goal. So, you will need to eat less than a typical person your size to maintain your weight. The good news is that you'll be far less hungry. When you reduce the size of your stomach, it will impair your stomach's ability to produce a hormone that signals to your brain that you're hungry. I haven't felt hungry since my surgery 2 months ago. I am now 1lb away from halfway to my goal. I eat 1000 to 1200 calories a day, but because I'm not hungry that isn't hard.

I know there are a lot of things going through your head right now. I know because I thought those same things. But, think about this: you have the chance at 21 to change the rest of your life. I wish I did it when I was 21. When I was 21 (19 years ago) this wasn't even an option. Now at 40, I feel like I am finally becoming the person I always wanted to be.

Edited February 17, 2015 by davidlgalt

[WeightIsntFate 4]

So a lot of what the doctor (may have a been a nutritionist) said is true. I do think she could have taken a less discouraging approach to it.

Lapband

The biggest drawback in my opinion to the lapband is that it just has the highest failure rate as defined by the percentage of people who gain all their weight back. Our instructor in Hollywood Kaiser said that Lapband is an option, but Kaiser no longer performed the surgeries, so if you elected it you would have to go out of network and pay a percentage of the procedure. There were 2 people in our class that had failed with the Lapband and were getting either the sleeve or bypass.

Loose Skin

Yes, if you have a BMI over 40 you're going to have loose skin when you get down close to your ideal weight. If you want to get an idea of what this looks like, just look at enough before and after pictures on this sight. Some people it bothers more then others. If you do want a Tummy Tuck by a plastic surgeon it will be your own dime, and will set you back a few thousand.

Risk of Complications/Death

As is the case with any surgery there are risks of complications and death. This bothered me a lot, and caused me to wait almost 9 months after my class ended to get my surgery. I have 2 kids and the idea of the worst happening and leaving them without a dad was hard to deal with. In the end, I decided the risk was greater to do nothing. I told myself that the risk was similar to the risk my wife took each time she gave birth to our 2 children.

1200 Calories the rest of your life

Hmmm, not sure about this one. This was never brought up in our class. I have learned that once you reach a BMI over 40, the way your body processes food changes. Essentially, your body thinks you're in a feast or famine cycle and starts telling you you're hungry all the time, and when you do eat it is much more efficient processing the food. The efficiency part will likely never change now, even if you reach your goal. So, you will need to eat less than a typical person your size to maintain your weight. The good news is that you'll be far less hungry. When you reduce the size of your stomach, it will impair your stomach's ability to produce a hormone that signals to your brain that you're hungry. I haven't felt hungry since my surgery 2 months ago. I am now 1lb away from halfway to my goal. I eat 1000 to 1200 calories a day, but because I'm not hungry that isn't hard.

I know there are a lot of things going through your head right now. I know because I thought those same things. But, think about this: you have the chance at 21 to change the rest of your life. I wish I did it when I was 21. When I was 21 (19 years ago) this wasn't even an option. Now at 40, I feel like I am finally becoming the person I always wanted to be.

thanks for the input. I know i definitely want to take control of my weight and I feel like getting sleeved would be the best for me. When i think about it I know that it will help me to become healthier and it will effect the rest of my life. Having had the surgery do you find you have trouble having meals with your family? Also are you still limited to 3-5 oz meals?

I do want to get some more information from a doctor because I know i want to have children and get married and i feel like i would have a hard time with the choice thinking in my head that it would affect my family lifestyle later on.

[Dave in SoCal 13]

I am not measuring my meals anymore. I eat until I am full, and it happens pretty fast. If I were to guess, it is still around 5oz. When I sit down for dinner with my family, each time I try to eat a little slower, but I still always finish way before everyone else. It's a work in progress. But everyone is used to the way I eat now, and it is not a big deal.

Family time not centered around eating has seen an incredible improvement. I'm running all around our local park playing soccer with our 6 year old. I'm much more likely to have energy and be wide awake in the middle of the day. My wife and I plan active dates. We go walking a lot. The other day we went to a local bar because it had a ping pong table. I'm less embarrassed to go swimming with my kids now.

[WeightIsntFate 4]

Thank you. Thats what worries me the most. I would hate to be the one sitting in the corner counting all my calories and measuring my food while my family was enjoying their meals.

I feel that hearing from people who have went through the surgery and have lived with it is a lot better than a doctor telling you how its gonna be without having experienced it themselves.