Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

InsideOut · 12-13-2008, 06:57 PM

I've already had all my appointments until I meet the surgeons requirement of 240 :)

swrktp · 12-13-2008, 07:55 PM

I hope they don't cancel the orientation :-) I got the feeling talking to them that they are short staffed for December. They thought the orientation was December 23, than December 30 than she talked to someone there and told me December 16, 2008.

So from the looks of it estimating 10% is about right. Most peoples surgery weight is right about 10%.

I feel like I might have gained weight the last week since I have this better eat it now attitude before Tuesday. Don't like it but I know that is what I am doing. Too bad because I was doing so well before and than they said don't lose until the orientation and it did me in.

I really hope I can lose 10% that is my worry now that I have never been good a this before, why now. I am gonna take it a week at a time.............

swrktp · 12-16-2008, 08:12 PM

Well I went to orientation today at Richmond Kaiser. Alot of information in a short time. Have been processing it all day.
Met Liz and as expected she was very upfront.........which myself I like. Being a social worker I tend to find that approach works best so I get that approach and appreciated it. But I can see how some might be offended. Also met Dr. Fisher who I really like. He too is very blunt and up front which I again loved. Overall just a bit overwhelmed with all the information.

I am hoping to get Dr. Fisher. Does anyone know how long it takes from oreintation until you get the next appointment? I figure a month out but when do they let know you about the next one.

Drive over was bad. Bad storm and accident on the freeway. I was on the freeway in Richmond for 1 hour before I got to the turnoff. Was 5 minutes late but they let me in since the class started 15 minutes late. Lucky.

Very interesting too to see all the different people in the room. A variety of people some you could tell why they were there, others no so much. Made me feel more average and normal I guess to see the variety.

AudsMom · 12-16-2008, 08:20 PM

Call kaiser in teh Am and ask for any canceled appts, i canceled 2 today, cause there were two closer! So call;)

swrktp · 12-16-2008, 08:31 PM

Ok thanks!!! I will call as soon as they open. I would love to get in sooner!!

Aud when did you go to orientation?

AudsMom · 12-16-2008, 08:34 PM

I went to orientation Nov 4. At orientation they gave me Dec 31, and i called and they put me on Jan 8 but never took me off of Dec 31 lol. So i had 2 so when i called today, I canceled both and took, next week!

Good luck, this is one very exciting journey!:)

swrktp · 12-16-2008, 08:58 PM

Wow that is a long way out!! But December 31 is exactly what I need I have the day off. I will call first thing in the morning. I didn't get my appointment today at orientation but they were behind and flustered today which is why we started late. So you got the appointment the same day?

AudsMom · 12-17-2008, 01:29 AM

yeah at my orientation they had a piece of paper that we put our requests for days on. And they came back with our appt at the end. the appts ranged from one month to 3 months. They only have their calendar open so far..

swishbc · 12-17-2008, 01:59 AM

I had orientation on 11/25, surgeon appt 12/10 and psych 12/11!!! The surgeon and psych were really soon after orientation and only a day apart due to them both being cancellation appointments, so I SCORED!

I was so glad to have it all done in a record breaking 16 days! Now I just have to lose another 15 lbs and then Dr. Fisher will schedule my surgery. He told me he wouldn't assign me a case manager and that he'd waive the 5 hour lifestyle/nutrition class.

Dr. Fisher said that when I lose the required weight to go to my Kaiser clinic and have my weight recorded, then email him and he'd send over my lab order to have the EKG, chest xray and bloodwork done. Then he's schedule my surgery!

My goal is to have the weight lost by 1/31 and to have surgery by 3/31/09 OR SOONER! :)

I'm glad everything went well for you (except the traffic) and that you're officially on your way. It's great to have the first weight recorded so you can start your weight loss goals. Are you going to do the 1200 calorie food plan?

swrktp · 12-17-2008, 11:27 AM

I am going to start the 1200 plan today so hopefully that goes well. Hard being a vegetarian.

I did call today for cancelled appointments and was told we call you, you don't call us. They said I will get something in the mail stating when my appointment is that I don't have choices. I was told I can't call for cancellations until 4 weeks have gone by first.

I think it really depends on who answers the phone to be honest. They told me to wait until I was called for orientation but I kept calling and finally got someone who signed me up the same day.

Truthfully the orientation was disorganized and the presenters were really frazzled. We started 45 minutes late and they had to kick out another class to get us in the room and there was alot of chaos. They rushed to get us out by 12pm so I am guessing stuff was missed like scheduling appointments. We were not given any sheets to sign or even asked what would work for us. Just told we will get something in the mail and that they are really backlogged right now. Said they had 200+ referrals a month and they were really, really busy.

so for some reason I seem to be in with a slower moving group....................things aren't coming together very smoothly and the process seems to be taking a long time.

They didn't mention a nutrition class yesterday??? Just the psych and surgeons appoint than a pre-op class. I wonder if they are not doing it anymore or if they tell us later. But it was not brought up on the list of things to do.

I am still hoping for Dr. Fisher. Liz did mention yesterday that no one gets a surgury without a case manager's approval. She said sometimes the doctors try to schedule without one but it won't go through without a signature!! LOL. Don't know what that is all about but she seemed pretty irratated that doctors would try to leave her out of the approval loop you might want to check on that since she seemed pretty adament that everyone had to get approval from her or her co workers first before surgery is scheduled. LOL. Good luck she is tough.

swishbc · 12-17-2008, 11:46 AM

Wow, we've had the opposite luck! Everyone I've talked to has been very nice and Kelly told me that I could call 2-3 times a week and ask about cancellations. I only waited 2 days before I started calling and I got a new appt on that day. Weird.

I'll be in touch via email with Dr. Fisher every 3 weeks (per his request) to check in with my weight and see how I'm doing. I'll be sure to ask him about the case manager thing on my next email.

Our orientation was a bit crazy, but they hadn't had one the previous week so there were about 75 people at mine. We filled out paperwork for the first 45 minutes or so and then they started at about 8:15am. We were out at 11:30, earlier then the stated time.

At orientation I sat in the front row and asked several questions of Liz. I thought she was awesome and didn't get the tough vibe from her. I stayed after class and chatted with her for about 10 minutes. I guess it just depends on the day and mood! BTW--have you seen her pic on the Kaiser website? She looks like she's lost a LOT of weight...I was wondering if maybe she's had weight loss surgery too?

Do you have an appt set up yet? They didn't set ours up at orientation, they were going to mail them to us. That was on Tuesday...the following Monday I called and played dumb about not getting an appt and asked if I was supposed to call them. She said they usually call us but since she had me on the phone she's schedule it right then. Maybe try that and see if you have any luck. :)

Good luck to you! I know it can be frustrating, but it will all be WORTH IT! :)

swrktp · 12-17-2008, 12:05 PM

I will keep calling. That is how I got my orientation ;-) Just seems like it is hit or miss who you get. Last time I called during the lunch hour and they scheduled me right away.

I liked Liz I thought she was cool. We had some smokers in the room and she was pretty tough on them but I thought it was totally appropriate. I liked her.

I really liked Dr. Fisher. I hope to get him too and I think things will go smoother once I get my first appointments. I wish you the best of luck and that is a totally doable goal for March. I am looking about the same timeline I hope.

So how much have you lost now? Seems like this 1200 calorie thing goes pretty quick from what they said. I had Robin for the nutritionist. She had to rush through her stuff to get us out on time.

So did they mention a nutrition class to you guys? Nothing with us. Maybe that is the final pre opt class they were talking about?? It is suppose to be five hours.

WE did'nt get to stay after since another class was coming in right after us. I did stay and ask Robin a few questions about vegetarian protein but we had to talk on the way out the door.

I agree it is worth it. I am gonna stay the course. I will give it a couple of days than call again for an appointment. I think once I have an appointment than maybe I can start to call and try to trade it in for something closer.

I didn't get to sit upfront and I didn't get time to talk to them. Just to crazy of a day. I think that might have helped.

I really like Dr. Fisher you are lucky to have him and let me know if you make it without a case manager;-) Maybe I will get that lucky. Dr. F did seem a bit negetive on the LAP-BAND®.............so I hope he lets me go that route. They had me debating if it was the best option all the way home. But I am pretty firm that is what I want!!

Thanks for the update helps to know the process.

AudsMom · 12-17-2008, 02:26 PM

I AM SO MAD at kaiser right this moment. You know i am on their steps plan, and every time i senda payment they put it on my daughters acct not mine, so i called today to get my online access and it said i was terminated like seriously! So now im dealing with them:(

Sorry just had to vent.

I am so glad i called today instead of next week at my appt! You think their billing would know what acct is due, instead my daughters acct has a positve.

OMG i just found out my daughters acct you know the $5.00 plan had a 500 credit sitting on it, and they are asking why im not paying my bill!!! oh my gosh.

Ok onto the positive. I am hoping since i am already down 30+lbs with the 1200 cal diet that it will be an easy process after next wed. I am also taking helathy ways thru kaiser so i hope they see that and dont make me do the nutriton class since i am doing one currently.

swrktp · 12-18-2008, 12:23 AM

Kaiser is an interesting insurance. It is all about referrals for sure. Everything goes through the PCP first and takes forever. That also means more co-pays in the long run.

This 1200 thing is really hard. I am not used to that much protein and the caffiene thing..........I caved it when the headache got to bad. I will have to do that slowly. Hopefully that won't put me to far off track since it was a diet coke!! LOL.

I kinda want to revert back to Weight Watchers since I know that system so well and am comfortable with it but it seems like this one is created to be quick and WW is not.

What is everyone else doing? 30 pounds in one month!! OMG you must have never gone over 1200.

The slimfast does that have protein? How many calories? What does it count as? I really might try that for breakfast since I hate eating in the morning. I could drink that on the way to work. Taste? What is the best flavor?

swishbc · 12-18-2008, 12:59 AM

I'm doing slimfast for breakfast and sometimes for lunch also. I've been working out on the treadmill and/or bike 5 days a week. I'm bummed that I'm not losing faster than I am. I've been really good at staying at 1200-1300 cal a day and I'm worried that my body is doing that starvation mode thing and holding onto weight because I'm used to eating about 3000 calories a day.

I'm drinking 64 oz. + a day also...what gives?

I've been tempted to do WW also since I know that works for me. I just wanna get this damn 17 lbs off ASAP so I can have surgery and get going!