Just wanted to let you all know, Beth had her surgery today, everything went well and she was in recovery by 1:30 this afternoon...She is in her room now and I'll be getting over to see her in the morning...
If you'd like more info ask!
Thanks!

I didn't think you started all the other tests until they made sure you were a candidate for WLS.  I don't want to do all those tests and then not even be concedered a candidate.  Now I'm really discouraged if I have to have all the tests before seeing the NP.

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I just reviewed 6 new products on my blog.  Some bars, yogurt, turkey burgers, organic bowls, etc.  I hope that you like them!

Hi there:

I had my surgery thru Kaiser.  It took me 18 months to jump thru all their hoops.  After you meet with the surgeon, it does'nt take too long to get an appointment date, it depends on how busy they are.  Who is your surgeon?  I had Dr. Moiel,  He is awesome, very truthful and honest, and lays it out on the line.  I had surgery on August 22, 2006, I started out at 526 lbs and am down 301.5.  I feel marvelous!

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

Peggy

I am currently participating in the bariatrics program at Kaiser Permanente. I have been working toward my surgery for about 10 months and finally have a date with my surgeon.

One thing I can say about the bariatrics program at Kaiser is that it is very thorough. They want to make sure you are prepared mentally and physically for surgery and have an extensive pre-op and post-op program.

There are many things you have to accomplish before you get to meet your surgeon.

Step 1: After your primary physician refers you, the severe obesity team reviews your medical records. You have to prove to them that you have made genuine attempts at weight loss for at least 6 months, which must be supervised by a medical professional. This can include Weigh****chers if you have documentation.

Step 2: If accepted into the program, you will receive a long packet of paperwork to fill out. This is a very important step as they will use the questionairre as a guideline of your preparedness for surgery. Fill out the questionairre thoroughly and promptly get it back to them.

Step 3: Attend a group orientation meeting. You will be sent notification of the meeting date and time. It is by appointment only; Mary Lou Greenwood will coordinate this with you.

Step 4: If you have not already done so, attend either the 5-week or 12-week Weight Management class. I did the 5-week class in Salem. You will be required to do this, so you might as well get started now. Start keeping a food and exercise journal. This is highly important as the nutritionist and social worker will request to see it. They not only want you to lose weight, but to change your lifestyle. This is the step that often delays surgery. You must be willing to make changes and prove to the staff that you are working at it. Documentation is essential!!

Step 5: After you've completed the class, call Mary Lou to schedule your next group meeting with the social worker (or maybe it was the nutritionist, I don't recall) and physical therapist. They will go into more detail about healthy eating, emotional challenges, and physical activity.

Step 6: Call Mary Lou to schedule a one-on-one meeting with the social worker and nutritionist. This is where they will look at your food and activity journal. You will set goals at this meeting. Depending on your goals, you could meet with them numerous times. I set very clear and attainable goals for myself, so this process went quickly for me. I only had to meet with them twice before getting my approval for blood work. You might need to see a physical therapist as well, depending on your levels of activity.

Step 7: When the social worker, nutritionist and physical therapist feel you are ready, they will notify Mary Lou to schedule your lab work. This is when things started to move quickly for me. The day after my last meeing with the social worker and nutritionist, Mary Lou sent me a letter stating that she had ordered numerous blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound to check my gallbladder. Make sure you are current on all your routine screenings. They will verify this with you to make sure everything is current.

Step 8: The bariatric team will meet to discuss your readiness for surgery. You are not present at this meeting. They will look at all your information and decide whether or not you are ready. If they determine you are physically and mentally ready for surgery, you will get a call from Mary Lou to schedule a meeting with your surgeon. I meet my surgeon tomorrow. Woohoo!

I'm not sure what comes next, I'm hoping I'll get a surgery date tomorrow when I meet my surgeon. My goal is to have the RNY done before the end of the year. 

It has been a long journey thus far and plenty of hard work. As for how long the process takes, it depends on the individual. Some people have been in the program for two years and are far behind me in their progress. If you are willing to work hard, be an advocate for yourself and do what is expected of you in a timely manner, you can expect to have the surgery within a year. I don't know of anyone who had it within 6 months at Kaiser, simply because of the scheduling of appointments and thorough approach. However, they say it is possible.

I wish you the best of success with your endeavor and will keep you posted on my progress.