Kaiser Bureaucracy...

[Abby Normal 0]

Okay, So Ive been approved with Kaiser. I have been to all their meetings, psych drs, I have an appointment with the Surgeon next week to get my pre-op goal weight (which I should be close, since Ive lost 20lbs so far on my own)....What Im wondering is how strict, or intrusive is Kaiser before and after surgery. They tell me that they test for nicotine, alcohol and caffine....they ACTUALLY drug test? I have a pre-op diet (very VERY strict) which Im not really following. I excersise six days a week, which is why the weight is coming off. Im trying to do the things they say are important, like chewing my food thouroughly, eating slower, making better choices (for the most part), not snacking...etc... but there are some "rules" that Kaiser has, that Ive never heard anywhere else. I heard from someone that Kaiser has a basic plan that works for lap band and Gastic bypass, and thats why it has to be so restictive. They tell me I can never have a glass (or 1/2 glass) of wine...ever again. They tell me that I can never eat Cereal, bread, Pasta, or Peanut Butter...EVER AGAIN. Im 25 years old, and yes, I want/need/long to lose weight, but at what price?

Im slowly realizing that I need to find a balance between Kaiser's obvious restictive plan, and what will work for me, for the rest of my life.

Anyone with Kaiser who has an experience (positive or negative)? They seem to be so hard nosed about the whole process, its very cold and indifferent so far. I am going to the Kaiser Richmond facility...anyone have experience there?

How many of you can eat Peanut Butter (in small quantities)? It might sound weird and petty, but I LOVE peanut butter. I dont have to eat it by the spoonfull or anything, but the thought of a world without it, is not a world I want to live in...

Before someone jumps me for "not being ready for the surgery", I make no claims to being ready for this surgery, Im weighing my pros and cons on a daily basis...Im extremely conflicted regarding this...and any insight is always appreciated..

A

[Vicki J 0]

Hello Abby - It's always nice to meet other Kaiser patients. I went through So. San Francisco for my surgery. Maybe I can shed some light on this stuff. Before I start, look up Warrior on this board and she went through the Richmond program. She can answer the specifics about their program.

Now for the list of stuff they told you:

1. From what I understand (I'm a lightweight smoker) there are tests that will give them results to tell you if you smoke, drink, or use drugs. SSF didn't run any but I imagine they do have them. However, once they do the surgery what are they going to do...take the band back? If Richmond does test for these, then stop until after surgery if you must continue.

2. Yes, there are many people who drink an occassional drink (some drink more but that's another issue) and they do just fine. However, alcohol is loaded with useless calories and doesn't mix well with loosing weight. BUT, you can plan ahead and figure that amount into your daily intake and still loose weight. Constant drinking will slow or prevent you from loosing weight. It is a bypass thing not to be able to drink EVER AGAIN!!!

3. bread, Pasta, rice and anything else that you can take in your hand and ball up (like when we were kids) CAN give bandsters problems. If it will ball up in your hand it will ball up in your stomach and cause you grief. You can find substitutes like whole grain breads, pastas, and non-sticky types of rice and you may be able to eat these. This falls into that everyone's different stage. These along with potatoes and Peanut Butter are not really condusive to weight loss. BUT, if you want to count them into your day and use them on occassion you can.

4. Kaiser is in it's infancy in Norther California. They just started doing the bands last year. This means that in order to make sure that they have the best results they will be more causious than most places. They also want to make sure you know that there are ways to eat around any WLS and cause yourself not to loose weight or to loose it very slowly. This is a lifestyle change that you need to be comfortable with or wait until you are. There are a lot of people who don't make the change and cause themselves a lot of grief. I guess the thing I'm trying to say is become knowledgeble about what those foods will do and proceed with caution.

Do I sound like a know-it-all? :w00t: I'm not. I eat things that I'm sure my surgeon would be shaking a finger at me for. BUT - I accept what I'm doing as my responsibility and I don't blame them if my weight loss is slow one week. I also am VERY cautious about introducing new stuff that might be a problem. I haven't been stuck or PB'd or slimmed and I DON'T WANT TO. But, I do want to enjoy my life. When I decide to do something it's not on a craving or a emotional issue, it's because I wanted to do that and I keep it under control.

So, learn to say the right things to the doctor's, if they test for something make sure you come up clean, and become as knowledgeble about this process as you can. If you don't know something, take the responsibility to learn it. And for goodness sake, if you're not ready to make this lifestyle change then don't put yourself through it. You're way too important to do something like this and then put yourself through hell.

If I can be of any assistance, please contact me. It's actually a wonderful journey and suprisingly I haven't wanted a lot of those things since I've been banded. It's way more fun to buy clothes, watch myself shrink and get the compliments then it was to eat anything I set eyes on.

Good luck!

[Vicki J 0]

Oh yeah, and if you must drink, don't do it until you puke. That will bother the band.

[Shrinking Violette 0]

Okay, So Ive been approved with Kaiser. I have been to all their meetings, psych drs, I have an appointment with the Surgeon next week to get my pre-op goal weight (which I should be close, since Ive lost 20lbs so far on my own)....What Im wondering is how strict, or intrusive is Kaiser before and after surgery. They tell me that they test for nicotine, alcohol and caffine....they ACTUALLY drug test? I have a pre-op diet (very VERY strict) which Im not really following. I excersise six days a week, which is why the weight is coming off. Im trying to do the things they say are important, like chewing my food thouroughly, eating slower, making better choices (for the most part), not snacking...etc... but there are some "rules" that Kaiser has, that Ive never heard anywhere else. I heard from someone that Kaiser has a basic plan that works for lap band and Gastic bypass, and thats why it has to be so restictive. They tell me I can never have a glass (or 1/2 glass) of wine...ever again. They tell me that I can never eat cereal, bread, Pasta, or Peanut Butter...EVER AGAIN. Im 25 years old, and yes, I want/need/long to lose weight, but at what price?

Im slowly realizing that I need to find a balance between Kaiser's obvious restictive plan, and what will work for me, for the rest of my life.

Anyone with Kaiser who has an experience (positive or negative)? They seem to be so hard nosed about the whole process, its very cold and indifferent so far. I am going to the Kaiser Richmond facility...anyone have experience there?

How many of you can eat Peanut Butter (in small quantities)? It might sound weird and petty, but I LOVE peanut butter. I dont have to eat it by the spoonfull or anything, but the thought of a world without it, is not a world I want to live in...

Before someone jumps me for "not being ready for the surgery", I make no claims to being ready for this surgery, Im weighing my pros and cons on a daily basis...Im extremely conflicted regarding this...and any insight is always appreciated..

A

congratulations on being approved, and hopefully by now your post surgery, can i ask if anyone in your class was denied and if so for what reason they were denied? thank you.

s.v.

[Vicki J 0]

Abby - Excuse me while I snicker at Kaiser's hard line. I am a SSF Kaiser patient and had the lapband surgery. I am also a smoker and a diet rebel. Ok, all of you who are crouched and ready to pounce, cool off.

I have heard that they can test for different things. I would stop those items now and stay off of them until 30 to 60 days after surgery. The reason for not smoking, drinking and such is for healing. As far as the caffine, you will want to keep it to a minimum. I used to drink a gallon of iced tea a day and have dropped it to 1 glass of non-carbonated caffine a day. No energy drinks because they are so high in caffine. Like I said, you will want to give yourself time to heal.

Wine and Peanut Butter are something that adds a lot of calories. You'll have to add those into your daily calories if you want to be successful. GB patients have problems with alchol because of the digestive changes. Kaiser is still a newbie to bands and so they are being overly causious when it comes to stuff like that.

As far as bread, rice and other white starchy, clumpy stuff goes, proceed with caution. If you use a whole grain bread, non-sticky rice, etc., you'll probably have better luck. Things that you can clump up in your hand can be hazardous. Mixing your textures can help and really listening to your body is essential. Normally you just end up eating a better quality of stuff.

Now do you run into Kaiser boasting about how you did this or that? NO! But this is something that you can live a normal life with (the band that is) and you just have to learn to manage it. I love International Suisse Mochas. I drink a couple of them in the morning. I checked the caffine content and I would have to drink 8 of them a day to make one cup of coffee. I use the sugar-free to keep the calories down and this keeps me away from Starbucks. Have you checked the calorie count on them? WOW! I also allow myself to enjoy SF fudgescicles. Once a month I have birthday cake at the office. Otherwise I try really hard to eat the good stuff. I still journal once in a while for spot checks. I've been at goal for about 6 months now and I don't want to get lax.

The band can be a wonderful tool. Some of the stuff I have said above isn't fact with GB. There is a wonderful yahoo website for bandsters that has a banded bariactric nurse on it. You should check it out.

Lots of people will come back with the "why would you want to do those things when you're doing this to better your life?" Answer - you're human. Keep in mind what you want most. A calorie is a calorie and if you drink them or use them on stuff that is high calorie, you're either going to be hungry or not loose weight.

PM me if you want.

Vicki

[swrktp 1]

I am going through Kaiser Richmond and had my surgeon and psych appointment in two weeks ago. I am at goal weight so I will see the CM next week. So far everyone at Kaiser has been great. I think once you get in to see the staff you will find they are alot more understanding and easy to work with. I was probably at the same orientation as you (Dec 16, 2008?) and I think they try to weed out the people who are not serious at that first appointment.

I have not followed everything strictly I have had to modify the Protein part a bit as I don't eat meat. I have probably had more carbs than they would like but I am losing. They didn't get picky about the details with me. They just wanted me to be losing and doing my best to try and follow the program.

For me caffiene is an issue and I let them know I have cut way back but not totally. They just give me some ideas and tips to slowly taper it all off. But it was very understanding and not condescending.

For me I am 38 years old and am willing to change whatever within reason. I know that my ideas and ways have gotten me where I am. And even with my messing up and not following all the rules I have still lost 15 pounds so they do have a good solid program.

But I hear you about debating a major lifestyle and surgery. I am debating everyday but I am about 80% ready to move forward as I am 38 and tried everything.........I am embracing the changes especially since they are working for me.

I think there is no shame if your really not ready in deciding not to do it. Better that than to be sorry afterwards and feel to restricted.