New to So Cal Kaiser. Need advice.

Hi, Im new to this site and I'm also new to Kaiser in southern california. I switched insurances and need to find a doctor in the Bakersfield area. Someone sympathetic to wls or other weight loss programs, as my last doctor's advice was to eat less and move more, while giving me pain meds and not addressing my real issues or answering any of my questions. Any advice or experiences are appriciated!

Thanks!

do you have any other med problems other then being over weight with Kaiser if your BMI is in the 50's and have other medical problems like diabetes or sleep apnea. you should get it but you'll have to go to a 3 month class called options be thing to do is call heath ed at the Kaiser and ask them to refer a doctor to you

I have Kaiser insurance.  I had multiple issues pre op, such as sleep apenea, high bp under control with bp meds, took cholesterol lowering drugs, etc.  Kaiser's rule for RNY was (and still is as far as I've heard from other recent surgery patients) that a BMI over 40 allowed RNY.  If under RNY, you needed to have at least 3 comorbid conditions (major health issues). My BMI was a 39.5, so the comorbid conditions qualified me for wt loss surgery.   I believe the sleeve was recently approved by Kaiser, and I heard some rumors at support group meetings recently that Kaiser may not do the lap band much longer.  Finding a specific doctor may or may not be easy. I know that I like my PCP through Kaiser, but new pateints cannot request him as their doctor of record, as he has a high patient load.  Kaiser usually has a wellness center, where bariatric liason doctors have offices. These are the doctors that work with lab work , etc. once you're outside the window of normal services of the surgeon.  These offices will likely know which doctors that approved their pateints for wt loss surgery. They likely can recommend a coupe of PCP's that are wt loss friendly.  Dave

Hello Raquellie25!

I am also from the Bakersfield area. I currently go to Dr. Regina Ng on Stockdale Hwy. She is wls friendly and she is super nice! I've been seeing her for more than a year. If you have any questions you can pm me. Look forward to finding friends in my area!

Kandis

Contact the Baratrics Coordinator and ask for a referral of a doctor. She deals with them and can tell you who is WLS friendly. That is what I did based on another members suggestion!
Gina

This can be a long process. I got my referral last Dec and am still waiting for my surgery date. After the referral you have to wait weeks to get into a 12 week options class that you must take. When you graduate for your classes you will wait a few more week to get your Dr apt to see your.. surgeon. I saw my surgeon on Nov 17 and was told at that time my surgery would be sometime in March. I am still waiting to find out the date. I know this sounds like a ton of time but it will go by really fast. You will also get a chance to work on yourself and figure out how this happened to you. What  mean is the reasons behind why you eat. Best of luck on your journey and remember we are all here to support you. Best of luck

Hi again! Thanks for all of your suggestions, advice, and information. I'll keep all of that in mind when choosing a doctor.
My bmi is currently 40.5 and I have knee problems as well as hip pain that started to occur on a regular basis. Im borderline diabetic so Im advised to do testing once a year due to my weight and family history.
I know its going to be a long journey with lots of hurdles and set backs but after trying traditional weight loss means I feel like Im at my witts end. So knowing there are forums out here like this that provide the support from people that are going through the same struggle is a relief and comfort.

Thanks again for your words!