Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

[swrktp 1]

Hey Riley I did some research. Are you talking about the AP lap banding? I think that is the newest lap band and if I remember right that is the exact one that Dr. Baggs showed me. I am not sure about an installation method but I know for sure this is the newest band and it is created to avoid some of the pitfalls of the older band. Also it sounds like the it comes int a 15cc and a 10cc and that they leave about 30% of the fill in it when the place it. Sounds exact like what Dr. Fishcher told SWISH about leaving in 30% of a fill to get faster results. Wish I knew more I can't find much but it seems to me I do remember reading something about Dr. Baggs and his additional training in lap band too way back. Can't remember where I saw that..................let me know and I will let you know!!

[riley4183 0]

Oh heck once I get out there on the "web" I get so lost! I just hate that I can't find my way back to what I was reading the day before. Oh well, when you or I run across it again Tina we'll know where it is!

Hey everyone, did you notice we're up to 20 pages now?!?! I think we should call our thread just Kaiser Richmond or something, and make ourselves a formal group! Does anyone know how to do that? I'm thinking it might make us easier to find for new patients or those who are just signing on . . . . what do you think?

Riley

PS, my Case Manager appt. with Liz is tomorrow! Wish me luck!:confused:

[swrktp 1]

Riley let me know about your appointment tomorrow. I am down another pound out of tghe 2.5 I need to lose. So my guess is I will back over to Richmond in a couple of weeks for my appointment. I would love to know how it goes and what they want to know.

HEy maybe we will end up doing the pre-op classe together.

I have decided on lap band for sure. I am going to email Dr. Baggs and let him know but also will ask him about the new procedure and what brand of band they use. I think it is the new AP. I would also like to know how much of a fill they leave in? I heard up to 30% which would be nice. Also would love to know how the time off from work things goes. When do you tell your empoyer, how long off? I heard 2-4 weeks (I want the 4 if since I have 4 months of sick time now). Do they have to write what the surgery is? Or can that remain private?

anyway I am really anxious to hear how your appointment goes!!!

Where is everyone else. This thread had been a bit quite lately.

[reggie71 0]

Best wishes Riley!

Let us know how it goes

[swrktp 1]

I am having an EKG and all the blood work tomorrow. So has anyone done this yet? Wondering what to expect timewise and how long to get the results back. No chest x-ray I wonder if they will order that later??

Ok down to 241. But that is my scale at home. I am going to weight until I am 238 on my scale just to give myself a little lieway. I don't want to drive two hours and get sent home.

Is everyone getting weighed with their shoes and coat on or off? For me I weighed both ways. I asked to reweigh at the second appointment that day and my coat, shoes and sweater were three pounds!! LOL. They said why did you wear that?? LOL. I was cold!! LOL

So if they weigh me with my shoes on...............than I will need to be three pounds under my goal. I am waiting to hit that point first before I call for the CM appointment. better safe than sorry.

HOw are they weighing most people?

[momcof3 1]

I always weigh with my shoes off. I just take them off and get on the scale - just have to make sure you have socks on. I did the EKG in Sacramento. I did the chest x-ray and blood work in Richmond as I was there anyway and figured it would be faster than having to park again in Sacramento.

[riley4183 0]

Hey everyone;

My Case Manager appointment with Liz went great today, I was down another 2 lbs. and had my surgery scheduled for February 23rd! Woo-hoo! Then they said hey we're taking you chart across the hall and Dr. Baggs is going to see you, I'm like, WHAT? I just saw him Friday, they said yeah well this is your next visit with him, oh and all of your classes and your pre-op exam are on Feb 5th. WHEW! Talk about fast-tracked! Shazam.

So Tina we talked more about the new band today, you were right it's the APS (advanced performance small) and he says it has 3 ccs in it at the end of surgery, and he says the barium swallow is really yummy, hahaha he has a good sense of humor. OK I'm excited but now it's almost too fast! Yikes!

Riley

[mastrosl 0]

Does anyone know if the kaiser system is using the new AP lapbands. Sounds like they have less complications and work better. I hope the answer is yes.

Laurel

[riley4183 0]

Weighing = shoes off, socks on. If you wear sandals, wear socks with 'em!

I had my EKG and bloodwork on Friday before I left Richmond so the results would be there for my CM appt. today. It took about 15 minutes, the lab looked really crowded but they went real fast. The results were actually online by Saturday evening (bloodwork only). Today they ordered a bunch MORE labwork I don't even know what it is yet! They said to get it at Santa Rosa.

[swrktp 1]

Hey Riley

Wow so what was the second surgeons appointment about?

Also what classes are you in now on Feb 5? Is that pre op and nutrition? How long? All day? Another 7:30 am class?

I am right on your tail and am wondering what to expect next. So Feb 23. Wow. I mean wow that is fast!! I am seeing how quick I could be in there. exciting but scary too.

So what was the CM appointment about? What questions and things did she want to know?

What time is your surgery scheduled for? Did you get specifics on what you need to do/how long you will have to be there? I read the whole folder last night and answered the quiz and got the contract and everything ready to turn in. I need to get to the advanced directives read soon here. Really soon I guess. I thought I had a bit of time.

I also emailed Dr. Baggs today and he went over the AP band with me!! LOL. Got right back to me in fact. I Impressive. I am pretty sure the band is where I am headed as well. Only thing is long term if you don't stay with Kaiser your on your own with the band. I don't like that part since my job is at risk right now.

I bet Dr. Baggs wondered why so much interest in the specific band of all the sudden!! LOL.

[swrktp 1]

I didn't make it to the lab today to get my EKG and bloodwork done.Tomorrow for sure. So it can all be done at a Kaiser lab without making an appointment? Great I am going in tomorrow. I though the EKG had to be by appointment only.

Kaiser is very good about getting the labs back quickly. I wish I would have thought about getting my lab work done there!! Never even crossed my mind.

So more lab tests? Ok I know what to expect than and next time I will see what I can get done there.

So did they give you the paperwork for time off work? But they only gave you a month to inform your employer. LOL. My boss won't like that I think maybe I will tip her off now that it might be coming in March or Early April. How long are people taking off for this surgery. They said they recommend 4 weeks but I wonder what is realistic??

I probably won't have the surgery until after March 25, 2009 when I get back from Africa. I am going to see if at the CM meeting this month if they are ok with putting it out a bit more than a month for me. I debated not going to Africa and doing this surgery ............but I think I can do both. Dr. Baggs seemed willing to wait a bit.

Riley do you know if you get a say in when the surgery is scheduled?? Like if I wanted to put it out a couple extra weeks would she be open??

And yep they are using the AP banding which I am really excited about. Brand new.

[riley4183 0]

Tina, how did you email him? He doesn't come up on my selection menu . . . .

They offered to schedule me for surgery on Feb. 18, but I already have almost a week off of work starting Veb 25 - I WAS going to go to Vegas, but not now!

Dr. Baggs said that they do the lap-bands first thing in the day, I should go home by 2 pm. No hospital stay. From recovery (while you are in recovery he sits with your family members and show them pictures of your insides that he took during surgery) you go to a room with the blowy-uppy things on your legs, you wake up fully and they put you in a chair to go to x-ray for your barium swallow, when they bring you back from that they put you in a recliner and give you liquids (you continue to walk around), when you prove you can get liquids down and keep them down you are out of there.

They did not give me paperwork, but I did not need it and didnt ask for it. The appointments on Feb 5 are pre-op eating (8-10) RNY Teach (it covers lap-band too, 10-12) and my pre-op medical exam. They were schedulin through the end of March so you should be fine to get a date you chose! I got within a day of the one I requestd.

[swishbc 0]

OMG this is all so exciting! I'm so proud of everyone here...we're kickin' butt! It's great that they're scheduling surgeries only 3 weeks out right now, I hope that's the case when I get my surgery date.

I've only got 6.6 lbs more to lose and then I'll be at goal. YIPPEE!

[AudsMom 2]

HI!!!

Ok so LBT makes it impossible to log in lol.

But im here now:) So riley, they offered 2/18!!! I hope that date is still open when i go in tomorrow. If i cant get surgery before the end of the month ill have to wait until the end of march, because i HAVE to go to vegas:)

I am nervous about tomorrow, keep sabotaging me, but im trying just to drink Water and eat fruit... :cursing: the scale said 227 this am..

Christina is going with me tomorrow:) I am so excited.. and happy i will have some support:)

I am proud of all of us, we need our own board!!!:tt1:

[riley4183 0]

Christine, you are almost there! Kick on those afterburners and commit yourself to burning off (via excercise) more calories than you take in for a couple of weeks! That will mean several hours of excercise a day if you want to eat anywhere close to your 1200, but you can do it! I had to re-arrange my work schedule to be able to do 5-8 miles a day, but I did it! I use a calorie and excercise counter-tool (www.caloriecount.about.com) and log every single thing I eat, and all my active excercise. This is what got me off of my L O N G platuea (like, the whole month of December!) and started my losing again, from 1 lb lost in 4 weeks to 3 pounds a week. I also don't eat most of the starchy carbs from the 1200 diet . . . no bread or potatoes for me, because they make me want more bread and potatoes! My most important thing, tho, is my 3 support groups - I need my people!!!