Re: I'm So Confused

March 9, 2004

I'm sure it's a little different for everyone, but I can tell you my

experience with this situation. When I first went in to discuss wls

they didn't have a scale that weighed me so they just put 350lbs, and

that was what was sent in on my refferal. Well when I went to get

weighed at the Pacific Bariatrics seminar I was at 440!! So it

looked like I had gained almost 100lbs in like 2 months! No one

really seemed to care, I just had to lose 10% of my weight from the

440. But I do believe that once you get your surgery date you are

not supposed to gain any. There was a girl in my group the day

before surgery who got sent home because she did gain weight. I

don't know how much she gained or what the details were, but she was

very upset and we all really felt for her. I think she was one of

the ones who probably needed this surgery the most. I was 5 lbs over

what I was supposed to be the day before surgery and they still let

me have it, so I didn't worry too much. I would just try and be

careful and not overdo it. Good luck!

-Monika Serve

> All right I had my appointment with the nutritionist and the

Behavioural Medical Consultant yesterday; seems they do it as a group

appointment here in Sacramento or what they call " Bariatric Surgery

Information Class " . Since I joined this group in January I've heard

that you are told how much you should lose when you meet your surgeon

and they don't count anything that you have lost prior to that.

Yesterday, the nutritionist stressed that your weight loss clock

starts ticking from the moment your doctor first puts in your

referral papers (which for me was January 30th) and although the

surgeon may give you an additional goal when he sees you, anything

you have lost OR gained is taken into consideration (in fact she told

us that if you gain ANY weight aftrer receiving your surgery date

they will cancel your surgery! She told us of one poor fellow who

went out on one last hurrah the night before surgery and when he

showed up the next morning for surgery, his weight was up and they

> cancelled him right then and there!)

>

> Anyway that really seemed contrary to everything I've heard on this

list. I have not really watched what I was doing since seeing the

doctor. The bad news is my weight went up but the good news of

course is so did my BMI. But I'm afraid that when the review

committee sees I've gained that will kick me right out! So I'm a

little freaked out. I did tell them on my paperwork that I wasn't

dieting because for some reason I'm gaining and the doctor couldn't

figure out why and I was very frustrated. So maybe that will save

me! Anyway, the nutritionist told us the next step is sending all

our paperwork to our doctor who forwards it to the review committee

in SSF and then we should hear something no later than May 8th.

>

> So can you guys clear up this confusion?

>

> L.

March 9, 2004

Hi

I am very sorry if anything on this list has mislead you. The

comments that have been made here are the results of the experiences we

have had. However, one of the things that is apparent from reading

this list is that different Kaiser programs do vary. Also, the guidelines

for a particular program may vary over time.

I don't know how Sacramento Kaiser does things. Was your Bariatric

Surgery Information Class in place of an Orientation or in addition to

an Orientation? Actually, since you mention that your paperwork hasn't

been sent to committee yet, it would seem that the class was in addition

to the Orientation. Did the nutritionist give you a diet? Did

they weigh you at the class?

please, do not freak out. If your BMI and/or co-morbidities

qualify you for surgery, then I am confident that things will be O.K. for

you.

Please, let us know how things go. Sounds like the Sacramento

Kaiser may be doing things differently from some of the others - it will

be interesting to find out how their process plays out.

All the best,

Kay

open RNY 12/1/03

chris lopez wrote:

All right I had my appointment with the nutritionist

and the Behavioural Medical Consultant yesterday; seems they do it as a

group appointment here in Sacramento or what they call "Bariatric Surgery

Information Class". Since I joined this group in January I've heard

that you are told how much you should lose when you meet your surgeon and

they don't count anything that you have lost prior to that. Yesterday,

the nutritionist stressed that your weight loss clock starts ticking from

the moment your doctor first puts in your referral papers (which for me

was January 30th) and although the surgeon may give you an additional goal

when he sees you, anything you have lost OR gained is taken into consideration

(in fact she told us that if you gain ANY weight aftrer receiving your

surgery date they will cancel your surgery! She told us of one poor

fellow who went out on one last hurrah the night before surgery and when

he showed up the next morning for surgery, his weight was up and they cancelled

him right then and there!)Anyway that really seemed contrary to everything

I've heard on this list. I have not really watched what I was doing

since seeing the doctor. The bad news is my weight went up but the

good news of course is so did my BMI. But I'm afraid that when the

review committee sees I've gained that will kick me right out! So

I'm a little freaked out. I did tell them on my paperwork that I

wasn't dieting because for some reason I'm gaining and the doctor couldn't

figure out why and I was very frustrated. So maybe that will save

me! Anyway, the nutritionist told us the next step is sending all

our paperwork to our doctor who forwards it to the review committee in

SSF and then we should hear something no later than May 8th.

So can you guys clear up this confusion?

L.

March 9, 2004

I really think you need to listen to your doctors and top the people

you are working with at your hospital. This is a group that people

share their experance only. Although this is a great group NEVER

FORGET no one here works for Kaiser (as far as I no)and more

important NO ONE HERE IS A DOCTOR. You have to weight all the

information on this board and take what works for you and leave the

rest. The final word must come from your own doctor.

Thanks

Shell

> All right I had my appointment with the nutritionist and the

Behavioural Medical Consultant yesterday; seems they do it as a

group appointment here in Sacramento or what they call " Bariatric

Surgery Information Class " . Since I joined this group in January

I've heard that you are told how much you should lose when you meet

your surgeon and they don't count anything that you have lost prior

to that. Yesterday, the nutritionist stressed that your weight loss

clock starts ticking from the moment your doctor first puts in your

referral papers (which for me was January 30th) and although the

surgeon may give you an additional goal when he sees you, anything

you have lost OR gained is taken into consideration (in fact she

told us that if you gain ANY weight aftrer receiving your surgery

date they will cancel your surgery! She told us of one poor fellow

who went out on one last hurrah the night before surgery and when he

showed up the next morning for surgery, his weight was up and they

> cancelled him right then and there!)

>

> Anyway that really seemed contrary to everything I've heard on

this list. I have not really watched what I was doing since seeing

the doctor. The bad news is my weight went up but the good news of