Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

[AudsMom 2]

Im sure it will all get organized out, considering we just did go thru the holidays..:thumbdown:

I hope everyone gets their appts reallllly soon!

[mastrosl 0]

Hey fantastic news I just got my appointment with my surgeon for January 30. I am to have Dr. Li has anyone had him as their surgeon. I am so excited. I have about 5 more pounds to go to my preop weight and with a date set I am really motivated. Does anyone know why you have to stop taking hormones before your surgery. They said if I was flexible with my surgery date it could be in just a few weeks after the 30th or possibly into March but even that is ok since I know it is really going to happen. Thanks for all of the replies

Laurel

[swrktp 1]

Hey Mastrosl when did you go to orientation? Just trying to figure out when I will be getting a call I have a trip and will be out of the county all of March so I hope to get all my appointments done beforehand than have the surgery sometime when I get back. I think Dr. Lee is great from what I have heard

[momcof3 1]

I had to stop my estrogen pill three weeks before surgery and wait 3 weeks after surgery to start taking it again. It is to help prevent blood clots and strokes. I was starting to get hot flashes by the time I could take them again.

[reggie71 0]

Congratulations Laurel :-)!!

[hpygirl30 0]

Hi all,

I just had my surgeon appt with Dr Im yesterday. He seems like a great guy. I only have 10lbs more to lose to get to surgery weight. He said I couldn't call to get a case manager appt until I was at the goal weight. My concern is how far out are the case manager appointments? I know it will take me a month or little more to lose the 10lbs but then will I have to wait another month to get the appoint with case manager? Any ideas or thoughts? Has anyone heard how far out case manager appointments are being booked? I am going to start the 1200 calorie diet as it seems to have some good results for others. I hope I can lose the weight in a reasonable time and my body doesn't try to be stubborn.

I look forward to your feedback.

Thanks,

Tera

:wink:

[reggie71 0]

Congratulations Tera!! How much weight have you lost now and in what time span? The 1200 calorie is good but you have to tweak it a bit. I hope you get there soon :-).

[riley4183 0]

Yea, Tera! They are SO nice down there, someone would probably just guesstimate for you about how far out they are making CM appts, I don't have one yet so I can't help! My appt. with Dr. Baggs is not until next Friday, but I went down with a friend to her pre-op today and they let me weigh in, and I was actually under my 10%! I tried to get them to set me up a CM appointment right then, but they said Dr. Baggs has to set my goal first so we know I have reached it. Rats! Way to burst my little scale-bubble!

So I have lost 30 lbs since my orientation on November 4th. I do the 1200 diet faithfully EXCEPT I don't eat the straight starches (toast, potato etc.) I replace them with veggies and Protein. Starches are a trigger food for me, so better to avoid them and not be tempted. I also walk 5 miles a day - 12,000 to 15,000 steps on my pedometer, including at least 1 hour of it aerobically. AND I drink ALL of my Water. And NO alchohol. If I do not do all 3 things every day - < 1200, water, and 5 miles - I do not lose. If I do all 3, I lose real well. I journal everything in Calorie Counter Database - Free Online Diet Program, a free service and they give you a nutritional grade every day too (I go for the As!)

Caffeine is my last hold-out, I am down to 1 half-caff cup a day but refuse to let it go until my surgeon demands it.

Good luck! You CAN do this!!!

Riley

Edited January 17, 2009 by riley4183

[riley4183 0]

Nicole, how did you get Dr. Baggs to waive stuff 4 you with the educator? Did you already have a class? I am in a 14-week series of classes on this surgery up here in Santa Rosa (only 4 classes left, and I'm really going to miss it!) so maybe he might waive me too??

Let's see you have a month between surgeon appt. and case manager, I go to surgeon the 23rd so it look like I can't expect case manager until the end of feb, if then! Are you calling for cancellations? Dr. Park's assistant mentioned today that there were some open appointments coming up, but I don't know if that was for her or for the case managers. Can't hurt to call, right?

Best!

Riley

[swrktp 1]

I called today and they told me that they haven't gotten the December group scheduled yet and to wait another two weeks and than call again. They said they are pretty sure I should get a call next week but if not than to keep calling them so they know I want an appointment. It has been over a month since I have heard anything or got anything in the mail.

I am at 40.5 BMI and I wonder if maybe they are taking the higher BMI's first and than worker their way down. Maybe that is why it is taking so long without hearing anything.

I was told to call again in two weeks and insist on talking to Kelly if I still have not heard anything by than. I just an wondering if I wrote the right phone number down?? Seems strange I have not gotten called. I know other people that were there for that orientation that were called two weeks ago.

I have lost 8 pounds however and went for a weigh in as Kaiser here in town and they recorded it for me.

[riley4183 0]

swrktp, congrats on you 8 lbs!!! Thats huge considering that they are not even calling you, which would be totally unmotivating for me. Keep it up!!

Reggie, how do you tweak your 1200?

[swrktp 1]

Yea I figure if nothing else I can be at goal weight by the time they call so that I don't have to wait over a month for the next appointment. I would really like to get this moving and it is very discouraging and hard to stay motivated when I don't don't have dates for my apointments. Even it if was not until April at least I would have something to work towards. Just trying to figure out how I can outsmart the waiting period and I think losing the weight before I see the surgeon might have me on the fast track after that point. At this point I am not even eligible for cancellations because you have to have an appointment to get a cancellation. Ughh..............really frustrated about it all.

Maybe this week.

Also I am vegetarian so I am tweaking the 1200. Probably not in the best way but it seems to be working. I am not sure I am eating the healthiest as I don't eat meat but I am losing so I must be doing something right. I am eating alot of the same things over and over and lots of Water and Soup.< /p>

Soda is down to a couple of times a week. With all the water I don't crave it as much........drinking the crystal light which taste like it should be fattening but apparently isn't!!

[momcof3 1]

Hi all,

I just had my surgeon appt with Dr Im yesterday. He seems like a great guy.

Thanks,

Tera

:huh2:

Dr. Im is also my surgeon and he is a great guy. I got to Richmond at 9:45 on Friday - way too early as my appointment with Robin was at 11 am and my appt with Dr. Im was at 11:30. Robin took me in early and so did Dr. Im. I left Dr. Im's office at 10:55. I got a thumbs up for my food choices and for losing 15 lbs since my first fill on Oct 6. I don't go back to see him for 2-3 months. My bloodwork looked good, but he suggested I take sublingual B-12 as although it is in the normal range, he would like to see it higher.

[reggie71 0]

Congratulations Swrktp on losing 8lbs.

Riley, I have omitted some of the carbohydrates from the meals, i.e. Breakfast I have eggwhite omlettes with bell peepers and mushrooms and low carb yougurt. I don't always eat the carn at lunch eitherm however I do eat the fruit in the afternoon. Also I found these dried applecrisps(35 calories) and no suger added at costco, they taste great. I think most of us can all agree that carbs are our nemesis :-).

[riley4183 0]

swrktp, I am so impressed that you have managed to remain vegetarian through this! I used to be (OL) vegetarian, right up until the day after orientation! There seemed no way around eating chicken and fish both on the 1200 and post-op for me. I'm mostly eggbeaters and tofu and cottage cheese and soy or brown rice Protein Powder, but I am doing chicken and fish (get this, I have to eat it "canned" so it does not remind me of carcass!) to get extra Protein and avoid losing muscle as a lose weight so fast. My goal is to be vegetarian again when the rapid weight loss stops - hopefully when I am on full food again. I also heard (actually, read) that Robin specializes in vegetarianism, isn't that great!?! Anyways, way to GO girl!!

And keep the faith . . .you are right if you are at goal weight sooner you will be banded sooner. I posted earlier about my friend who was at goal and they called her to come see the case manager the next day, they gave her a surgery date and THAT day and then called her the next day to move it up by a whole month! I went with her to her pre-op Friday and they were talking about moving it up again to monday (today) but she said no thanks - she goes next Wednesday for RNY. And they were SO NICE in there! It's almost like if you could just walk in and talk to someone you could get appointments right away . . . . but they want to see that you are motivated, and losing the weight is what shows them that you are. Keep it up!

Riley

:scared2: