Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

[swrktp 1]

Hey all

Yep Dr. Baggs emailed me that he will have an office in Pinole now. I am going to try to get the appointments there from now on. I think it is about 10 miles or so closer. I guess it is a brand new office that just opened up in the fall. I think he just moved over there because he has reminded me twice about the new location :-)

So everyone else where is your appointment? Am I the first to go to Pinole? Acutually I think that the office at Richmond will be rescheduling some of Dr. Baggs appoitments according to what he and the staff said. So check your Kaiser website because they might be moving your over to the Pinole office.

I wish they would open a satellitte center in Fairfield...........or better yet Sacramento. Problem is I like Dr. Baggs and would still drive to the Bay area if that is where he is at..............

MOrning all!! NOt gonna weight until that time of the month is over...........to frustrating!!!

[swishbc 0]

I'm gonna call and see if they'll move my appts to Pinole too...my fill is still scheduled for the same day in Richmond online.

Today I was 242.5! Another pound down...I'm still losing about .5 lb a day, it's crazy. AND I'm on my period too! Pretty cool stuff.

[swishbc 0]

WOWEE!! I'm so glad I called! I just got my first fill appt moved to the Pinole location and OVER a week early! I'll have my fill on Thursday the 5/14 instead of Friday 5/22 and won't even be 6 weeks until Monday the 5/18, but she said 4 days won't matter and I can still get a fill. SO COOL!

You girls should call over there to reschedule too! She said it's a brand new beautiful facility and everyone is so jealous for the people that get to work over there, lol. Dr. Baggs just has sporadic days he's working over there (about once a week) but that's good enough for me! I asked if I can always have my appts there and she said yes, but the availability for appts might be less but since I'm flexible with not working that won't be a problem.

Yay! That means 2 weeks 6 days til my first fill instead of 4 weeks from today!!!

[swrktp 1]

Hey Christine glad you got switched over to Pinole. I think my appoinment is about five weeks out still, and I am almost two weeks out now. So about 7 weeks out. I am ok with that though. I will be back to work by than and don't want to ask for a day off to quick. They already know I have to go back to Kaiser every six weeks or so..........but I don'[t want to push it to much first thing back.

Ok so Dr. Baggs is going back and forth that makes sense. I got lucky to get his day on at Pinole than.

He did seem excited to be over at that office!!

Right now my port is still sore so I am not sure I would want anyone adjusting anything!! I am sure by the time my turn comes I will be ok with it. Just right now a needle and adjustment makes me cringe!! LOL

I really hope I get on a losing streak her soon.............I go to puree's next week and that should be easier with the Proteins. Gotta try that ricotta thing Christine that sounds so, so, soo good.................

Have a great day all!!!

[InsideOut 0]

Just wanted to drop in and say congrats to all of yall!

I got my pre-op appts scheduled yesterday, I go the 15th for 2 appts and the 21st for 3 appts and surgery on the 27th. I'm excited. I feel like the odd ball out lol! The only one who is having RNY - started with lapband in mind!

I'll come back soon, promise

[swrktp 1]

Inside doesn't matter your still one of the original group!! Congratulations on your sugery date!!

Ok so I did weigh today and I am now 219........yahoo. That is from 222 yesterday so something going on with the bloating and Water weight. I just hope we start moving down now!!

Off to walk the mall for awhile............maybe it is all the walking the last few days that is helping.

[riley4183 0]

Yay Christine & Tina, keep that scale moving throughout the month! Ain't it CRAZY??? Now remember this when you hit a stuck spot, like I did and Nicole is now . . . . . that's band life, allright! Nicole, are we celebrating yet?

God I hope I don't get moved to Pinole, esp. since I have to have an appt. with Robin in Richmond before I can get my next fill with Dr. baggs! Pinole would be another 30 minutes away for me . . yucko. Oh well if I have to do it I'll just get an appt. on the same day as one of you so we can visit! I'm gonna go check the KP website now . . . .

[swishbc 0]

Riley, it doesn't sound like you HAVE to move to Pinole, just that the surgeons are going to be at the Pinole office one day a week for those that want to go there. Beverly told me we can schedule our appts for either location, so you should be fine.

Thanks for the advice about plateaus, I'm sure I'm gonna hit one eventually. Honestly I can't believe I haven't hit one yet but I'm knockin' on wood, that's for sure!

[riley4183 0]

Whew, I still have Robin at 10:30 and Dr. Baggs at 11 in Richmond for my fill, but not until May 22nd. So Tina do we know what days he will be in Pinole? I hope it's a nice new office and closer to his home, he deserves it he is SUCH a nice, positive doctor and let's face it, he is the lapband MASTER huh ladies! You know what we should do, we should get him a big, fat thank-you card and all of us lap-banders of his sign it!

I am meeting with 2 friends that I went to Mexico with tomorrow to tell them about the lapband - they have heard I lost 70+ lbs. in under 6 months and they want it too! All Kaiser folks so that's all good, but you just don't know if folks are going to be ready to make all the lifelong changes that come with this program, you know? Seems like a lot of folks just want an easy way out of obesity and this ain't it. Still, I feel like I have to try! By the time I get in to talk to the 14 week class up here, folks are already sold on RNY cause they don't hrear anything about the band so I hope to spread the word a little sooner, I know RNY is the right choice for many but i think folks need to know more about the lap-band choice before they decide. I'm still almost the lone wolf in my smaller support group, and only a few of us bandsters in my large one.

Best, ladies! Giotta go log some more miles . . . been doing 8-10 a day, getting in some jogging now too. OH and I just order a band system home gym, yahoo . . . gotta get rid of the bat wings!!

Riley

[swrktp 1]

Hmm I wonder if I have to see Robin before Dr. Baggs. Hmm......hopefully she is at the Pinole office the same days as Dr. Baggs. Good point Riley didn't think about that.

I will aske Robin when she calls me next week about how that all works.

So Riley what was the amount of the first fill? I am at 3cc now. I don't feel so much restriction. I can eat 1/2 cup easily................I could probably eat more too............don't full totally full or stuffed. But maybe that is bandster full..............it is just a weird full feeling ya know....................If I eat to much I get this weird achy feeling like a charlie horse in my side...........maybe it is just gas!! LOL. But everytime I eat I get that feeling again.

I am not sure my plateau is over. It is that time of the month so I might be at 219 for a week or so. I so want to be under 200..............but my next goal will be 210 now.

Riley I like that card idea for Dr. Baggs. Lets do it!! Would be cool to get a picture of all of us next time we meet up and put it in the card.....................not sure how to get that done but great idea!!

Riley your exercising alot. I wish I wasn't so sore I need to exercise again. Been walking the mall everyday but I walk slowly and get tired faster than usual..............also I start aching where the port is after a trip around the mall...........the second trip around I am cramping up on my left side............the port side.

I think the exercise and Water are big things.............I gotta get on that.

[riley4183 0]

Tina silly girl, I am 2 months out! Not getting tired anymore. I was pooped after them mall at 2 weeks out! So was breaking it up into smaller walks. I still do.

I have found that I lose steadily only if I do all 3 things right: 64 + ounces of water; 3 meals no snacking (and very limited carbs so I don't get hungry); and 3 walks a day - I do between 1-1/2 and 2 hours of aerobic walking with a little jogging thrown in for luck, plus walk as much as I can between. On a pedometer it's about 19,000 steps a day. Its a LOT and I need to start mixing it up . . I do hard hikes at least once a week, I mean HARD hills.

My first fill was 1cc, we did not discuss it that's just what he gave me! When I asked his nurse before she said probably 1cc, so I get the feeling that's his standard first fill. I asked after and he said he'd given me 1, and I had 2 in at surgery. Everyone's going to be different tho . . . sounds like you guys had 3 ccs in at surgery, and I only had the 2. He knows what he's doing tho, look at us go!!

Yes let's do the card, we can find somewhere to meet. I'll make the drive for it!

You don't have to see Robin before your first fill, just before the second one.

[swrktp 1]

Well I will keep up with Nicole and Christine. Usually whatever happens with them I am a couple of weeks behind!! So when they get their fills I will get the update!! :-) With three already I am guessing we will not get more than 1cc. Second fill I hope is a bit more..........I want more restriction than I have now.

There are a few days when I have wondered if I should have gone with the RNY since I tend to get stuck on these plateaus. Even before the band I tend to lose slower and get stuck alot........just couldn't justify cutting my stomach all up when I was barely at a 40BMI. But I have had a few days when I want to see the quick weight loss that I am not really seeing right now.

Anyone else feel that way??

Riley how long until you got back to 64 ounces of water.........I get side cramps when I drink alot of water!! Highest so far has been 40 one day.

Edited April 25, 2009 by swrktp

[swishbc 0]

I hear ya, Tina. I don't ever want to be too tight either. I'd rather have to "diet" and eat healthy and eat what I want than be too tight and only be able to eat a couple of bites of food per meal...that just doesn't seem healthy at all!

On my surgery day I asked Dr. Baggs how much he put in and he said 3ccs...then I asked how much he will put in at my first fill and he said if I lose enough weight and he has room to give me a fill it will probably be 2ccs. We'll see though, I'm sure every body is different and I know I'll get to my sweet spot eventually!

Don't over do it with the exercise!!! Remember, 6 weeks before going back to real exercise and this time is for healing...they don't even expect us to lose very much weight so every pound we lose is just excellent!!! Take advantage of this time to be "lazy" and enjoy it and just heal. You'll have plenty of time to be turbo and exercise in starting in a few weeks.

[swrktp 1]

Yep I don't want to be too tight. The first couple of days after surgery I could feel the band and it was uncomfortable. Not sure it really hurt but I didn't like the tight, tight feeling............I don't want that again.

I want to do this the healthy way.

Not overdoing the exercise...........mostly because I get so tired I have to stop and rest........so often.

A 2cc fill would be nice. Might be just enough to feel some restriction but not feel to tight...........

I have a shower this weekend so I won't be there for the support group........but I will be there at Mimi's on Thursday!!

Edited April 25, 2009 by swrktp

[riley4183 0]

Gosh I felt restriction with just 3cc's total, so good thing I didn't have 3 in at surgery! I read the fill boards on here, every doc seems to be different in what they do, every patient is probably different too. We shall find out! I don't want to be too tight, but I also don't want to start gaining back weight either . . . I just want the feeling that I'm full again before I eat 2 cups, ya know?

No complaints tho. No, I don't wonder if I should have had RNY, because one of my best friends did at just about the same time I had lap-band, we weighed exactly the same on my surgery day. She has many difficulties - still can't take more than tiny sips of Water, can't eat any meats without pain and vomiting, it's nothing that I would want to go through. And yet we both lose at the same rate; in fact, I stay about 3 lbs. ahead of her. I do work harder than she does - I also eat more - but that's OK, I knew I'd have to work hard.

Goodnight all!

Riley