RE: more questions

[Guest guest]

We just got the generic form too, and so far have not had any problems with it.

Grace also sometimes complains of loud noises, although usually she really likes them. For her it has been contributed to sensory integration disorder. When she dislikes them she will be agitated with nearly everything, like tags on her shirts her socks bother her or any dirt on her hands/face will drive her crazy. From what I understand this is when she is being overloaded. Thankfully, for her and me, she has greatly improved with the help of OT.

The problem may also be from an ear infection or something like that. I'd keep an eye out for it.

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[Guest guest]

We just got the generic form too, and so far have not had any problems with it.

Grace also sometimes complains of loud noises, although usually she really likes them. For her it has been contributed to sensory integration disorder. When she dislikes them she will be agitated with nearly everything, like tags on her shirts her socks bother her or any dirt on her hands/face will drive her crazy. From what I understand this is when she is being overloaded. Thankfully, for her and me, she has greatly improved with the help of OT.

The problem may also be from an ear infection or something like that. I'd keep an eye out for it.

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[Guest guest]

Levocarnitine is the new generic that just came out for Carnitor.

HTH

Kim - Mom to and Lindsey (3) Partial Complex I

more questions

>

>

> Hi All,

> I have a couple new questions to ask. The pharmacy replaced

> Josh's Carnitor with Levocarnitin and although I'm glad it's cheaper

> have any of you heard if it works just as well? Also Josh has

> started complaining the=at loud noises are hurting his ears lately,

> he has never had trouble with them before, has anyone ever

> experienced this? Thanks ahead of time for your replys. Have a

> great day!!!

> Dawn

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Please contact mito-owner with any problems or questions.

>

[Guest guest]

Sheldon has been switched to the generic form of carnitor also

and doesn't seem to have any problems with it.

His sensory problems change all of the time, especially after

illnesses. Sometimes he will suddenly be sensitive to sounds,

especially quiet ones from another room. He often covers his ears but

can't talk so we don't know why.

Hi All,

I have a couple new questions to ask.

The pharmacy replaced

Josh's Carnitor with Levocarnitin and although I'm glad it's

cheaper

have any of you heard if it works just as well? Also Josh

has

started complaining the=at loud noises are hurting his ears

lately,

he has never had trouble with them before, has anyone ever

experienced this? Thanks ahead of time for your replys.

Have a

great day!!!

Dawn

Please contact mito-owner with any problems or

questions.

[Guest guest]

Sheldon has been switched to the generic form of carnitor also

and doesn't seem to have any problems with it.

His sensory problems change all of the time, especially after

illnesses. Sometimes he will suddenly be sensitive to sounds,

especially quiet ones from another room. He often covers his ears but

can't talk so we don't know why.

Hi All,

I have a couple new questions to ask.

The pharmacy replaced

Josh's Carnitor with Levocarnitin and although I'm glad it's

cheaper

have any of you heard if it works just as well? Also Josh

has

started complaining the=at loud noises are hurting his ears

lately,

he has never had trouble with them before, has anyone ever

experienced this? Thanks ahead of time for your replys.

Have a

great day!!!

Dawn

Please contact mito-owner with any problems or

questions.

[Guest guest]

Hi Patti,

I'm sorry that I can't answer your questions - but I hope that you don't

get discouraged by the fact that no one has been able to answer you

(yet?!). I'll admit that I don't know what a Track 4 class is. Things

vary a lot from one Kaiser facility to another - and I am a Richmond

post-op and even there things have changed so considerably that I don't

know what the routine is.

I'm hoping that someone more in the know will respond to your

questions. I'd really like to find out who the surgeons are. (While I

am a Richmond patient, I co-facilitate the Fremont Support Group and I

hope that neither Dr. Dutta or Dennon has moved.)

Friday is nearly here. If no one has been able to answer you, maybe you

could find out at the class and let us know.

Hope to hear more from you as you progress in your journey.

Take care,

Kay (in San Leandro)

Open RNY Dec. 1, 2003

woobedo wrote:

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time. Hopefully

> someone knows the answers to these.

>

> I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't

> seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be scheduled?

> What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has anyone

> already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!

>

> Patti

[Guest guest]

Im with Francisco on this one too, I dont know, they didnt have this

when I had surgery almost 3 years ago.

sorry

> >

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time.

> Hopefully

> > someone knows the answers to these.

> >

> > I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't

> > seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be

scheduled?

> > What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has

anyone

> > already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!

> >

> > Patti

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know if this will help you or not but I attended Lifestyle 4 on March 10 in SSF. That's when we were told that two doctors had left leaving only Dr. Li. They called me with my surgery date (May 25th) about the 28th or so of March. A couple of days later I got the pre-op appointments in the mail. Pre-op class is April 21 - appointment with Dr. Li is May 19. I'm sure everyone is different so like I said I don't know if that will help. Also, I don't know anything about the two other doctors from Fremont. Also I had a question that didn't get answered either - what is the general experience regarding tummy tucks and breast reduction after the surgery? Cherylwoobedo wrote: Hi Everyone,I am going to

try again since nobody answered me last time. Hopefully someone knows the answers to these.I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven'tseen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be scheduled?What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has anyonealready had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!Patti

[Guest guest]

Cheryl:

What was your question about tummy tucks and breast reductions?

I had an abdominoplasty and a male breast reduction.

Francisco

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time.

Hopefully

> someone knows the answers to these.

>

> I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't

> seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be scheduled?

> What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has anyone

> already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!

>

> Patti

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl,

I must have missed your original posting with the questions about

plastic surgery.

I'm not sure if your query is about getting Kaiser to pay for it or just

the general experience of coping with the surgeries and the satisfaction

(or lack thereof) with the results. Anyway . . .

About getting Kaiser to pay for it . . .

This is somewhat of a sore subject for me because it seems that they are

somewhat arbitrary about applying whatever criteria they use. I am also

given to understand that it is getting harder to get Kaiser to cover our

plastics. Nonetheless, I have met lots of folks who managed to get

Kaiser to pay . . . but I am most definitely not one of them. We

cleaned out our savings last year to pay my plastic surgeon for my lower

body lift, brachioplasty (bat wing removal) and breast lift. My legs

are in extreme need of work, but that will have to wait until our

finances recover (and until my knee replacements are both done and

" rehabbed " ).

About coping with the surgeries . . .

A lower body lift is a fairly extreme surgery - after all, they do cut

all the way around - and, in my case, the incision was also extended up

my front to take care of the loose skin in my midriff area. Despite the

amount of cutting involved, the recovery from it was MUCH easier than

from the WLS. I walked hunched over for quite a while, but the pain

wasn't too bad. I didn't even bother to fill the second pain pill

prescription. The drains were the worst part - I came home from the

hospital with 4 of them. They were removed one each week thereafter - yuck!

I had the brachioplasty and breast lift done together. I didn't even

use any pain meds in the hospital. I did end up with a minor infection

around the incision on my left arm, but mostly it just itched. The

only really painful part of that whole experience was that I developed a

pressure sore over my tail bone. In order for the arms to recover at

their best, I was advised to lie on my back with my arms boosted up on

pillows to get them above the level of my heart. Well . . . with having

my arms out of commission and with my knees being so messed up, I just

wasn't repositioning myself enough.

About the results . . .

I was surprised to find out that I have virtually no hips. It is

utterly amazing to me to have a flat tummy. I was always pudgy, so I

never had that experience growing up. I love it!!! It took me a while

to get happy with my new belly button. For a while, my " innie " had

turned into an " outie " - it is more like its old self now. My lower

body work was about a year ago. The scars are very thin and light.

About the breat lift . . . wow! for the first time since grammar

school, I could pass the " pencil test. " At my largest I was a 44FF and

I am now a 36C/D. I did not have implants and I am so glad that I

didn't. Now that I can actually find bras that fit without having to

special order them, I've gone crazy buying them. All different styles

and styles . . . I want them all. That surgery was on Sept. 29th of

last year, and the scars there are already even lighter than from my

lower body work - in fact, they are barely visible.

About the arms . . . I am OK with the results. I do think that my

surgeon did a remarkable job - however all four of the plastic surgeons

I consulted told me that my arms were going to be the most challenging

they had ever done. At my heaviest, I was 375 pounds on a 5'1 " frame

and I carried most of my weight in my arms and legs. I wish that my

forearms could have been tightened more, but there is a distinct danger

of losing sensation that is too risky. These are the most noticeable

scars, especially on the left where I had the infection. But they are

fading and are certainly preferable to the skin that used to flap in the

breeze. One interesting side effect - please forgive me if this is too

much info - but I no longer need to shave my arms pits. There just

isn't any hair there anymore.

One of the sorta strange consequences of the surgeries is that the

feeling in the back of arms and in spots around my hips is rather like

when novacaine is wearing off - not exactly numb, but certainly not

normal. It may improve with time, but it might not. If it does, great

- if not, it is no big deal.

Well . . . I hope that answers some of your questions.

Take care,

Kay (in San Leandro)

Open RNY Dec. 1, 2003

Cheryl Hicks wrote:

> . . .

>

> Also I had a question that didn't get answered either - what is the

> general experience regarding tummy tucks and breast reduction after

> the surgery?

>

> Cheryl

[Guest guest]

Will Kaiser pay for this to be done is deemed medically necessary?manisodream wrote: Cheryl:What was your question about tummy tucks and breast reductions?I had an abdominoplasty and a male breast reduction.Francisco> Hi Everyone,> > I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time. Hopefully > someone knows the answers to these.> > I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't> seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be scheduled?> What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has anyone> already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!> > Patti> > > > > >

> >

[Guest guest]

Will Kaiser pay for this to be done is deemed medically necessary?manisodream wrote: Cheryl:What was your question about tummy tucks and breast reductions?I had an abdominoplasty and a male breast reduction.Francisco> Hi Everyone,> > I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time. Hopefully > someone knows the answers to these.> > I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't> seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be scheduled?> What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has anyone> already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!> > Patti> > > > > >

> >

[Guest guest]

Supposedly.

However, I had to pay for mine out of pocket. However, it was the

icing on the cake, the final step in my transformation.

I wish they would have paid for it, and I believe that, in all

fairness, they should have, but it was worth every penny ($14,000).

Francisco

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time.

> Hopefully

> > someone knows the answers to these.

> >

> > I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't

> > seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be

scheduled?

> > What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has

anyone

> > already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!

> >

> > Patti

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry too that no one answered but I'm from Fremont so I can't

help. SORRY!

PEGGY

> >

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time.

> Hopefully

> > someone knows the answers to these.

> >

> > I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't

> > seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be

scheduled?

> > What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has

anyone

> > already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!

> >

> > Patti

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Patti,

I second Kay's sentiments that we don't want to lose any of our

Fremont Surgeons to SSF! Actually, what I heard from one of our

doctors was that both Richmond and Fremont offered to take some of the

SSF patients into their programs until SSF can hire some more

bariatric surgeons. Otherwise, the SSF program would become extremely

back-logged with only 1 surgeon. It is a specialized field and

apparently takes quite a while to find good candidates, so the other

two programs are trying to help out in this way.

Fremont doesn't do the " Track " classes so I cannot offer any

information on that.

Rosemarie

>

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > I am going to try again since nobody answered me last time. Hopefully

> > someone knows the answers to these.

> >

> > I am going to my track 4 class next Friday at SSF. I still haven't

> > seen a surgeon. How soon do you think my surgery will be scheduled?

> > What are the surgeons names that came over from Fremont? Has anyone

> > already had their surgery performed by them? Thanks!

> >

> > Patti

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl,

I'm not sure just what the criteria is for Kaiser deciding to pay. From

the various folks I've talked to . . . it seems that the decision is

often arbitrary. A number of facotrs will help determine whether

they'll pay. If you have a huge pannus (like one that hangs halfway

down to your knees and therefore hampers your movement), they'll

certainly cover its removal (a panniculectomy). If you have persistent

rashes under the pannus, they may cover the surgery as well. I had

horrible rashes even though my pannus never reached below the pubic

area. Kaiser would have paid for its removal - however they would not

do a full tummy tuck even if I paid the difference. The Kaiser plastic

surgeon said that they would have to do that in a second operation

(which I would have to pay for, of course). I'll admit that I was a bit

offended when the Kaiser plastic surgeon flatly refused to do a lower

body lift on me under any circumstances because I was " too old. " In her

defense, I have spoken to her since and she was quite embarassed for

having said that. In any case, I chose to go outside Kaiser and Dr.

Bermudez did a great job.

Sometimes scars from prior surgeries seem to be a factor and hernias

often seem to be used to get them to pay for a tummy tuck.

Maybe some of the folks who have actually gotten Kaiser to pay for their

procedures will chime in. They can be probably be more helpful than

I've been.

Take care,

Kay (in San Leandro)

Open RNY Dec. 1, 2003

Cheryl Hicks wrote:

> Thank you so much for the info. I hadn't really thought about it

> before but I have already lost 100 lbs. to date and am hoping for

> another 150 with the WLS. My stomach is already giving me a problem

> with the excess skin. How bad does the problem have to be to justify

> Kaiser paying for the surgery I wonder? I also have been " chubby " all

> my life so don't know what it would be like to have a flat tummy. I

> can't even comprehend. I'm just worried about the " rashes " to come

> especially during the summer months.

[Guest guest]

Thank you very much for the information. I guess time will tell. I do already have rashes - actually turned into a yeast infection last summer. Kay wrote: Hi Cheryl,I'm not sure just what the criteria is for Kaiser deciding to pay. From the various folks I've talked to . . . it seems that the decision is often arbitrary. A number of facotrs will help determine whether they'll pay. If you have a huge pannus (like one that hangs halfway down to your knees and therefore hampers your movement), they'll certainly cover its removal (a panniculectomy). If you have persistent rashes under the pannus, they may cover the surgery as well. I had horrible rashes even though my pannus never reached below the pubic area. Kaiser would have paid for

its removal - however they would not do a full tummy tuck even if I paid the difference. The Kaiser plastic surgeon said that they would have to do that in a second operation (which I would have to pay for, of course). I'll admit that I was a bit offended when the Kaiser plastic surgeon flatly refused to do a lower body lift on me under any circumstances because I was "too old." In her defense, I have spoken to her since and she was quite embarassed for having said that. In any case, I chose to go outside Kaiser and Dr. Bermudez did a great job.Sometimes scars from prior surgeries seem to be a factor and hernias often seem to be used to get them to pay for a tummy tuck.Maybe some of the folks who have actually gotten Kaiser to pay for their procedures will chime in. They can be probably be more helpful than I've been.Take care,Kay (in San Leandro)Open RNY Dec. 1,

2003Cheryl Hicks wrote:> Thank you so much for the info. I hadn't really thought about it > before but I have already lost 100 lbs. to date and am hoping for > another 150 with the WLS. My stomach is already giving me a problem > with the excess skin. How bad does the problem have to be to justify > Kaiser paying for the surgery I wonder? I also have been "chubby" all > my life so don't know what it would be like to have a flat tummy. I > can't even comprehend. I'm just worried about the "rashes" to come > especially during the summer months.