New to Cali board

Hello! My name is Melissa and I have been on the TN board for a few years but am relocating to Cali. I am originally from Hayward and am coming home! So excited. About me, I am 38 and have one son in the National Guard. I am 415 lbs and 5'9ish. I have been turned down 2x for surgery and have not worked steady for about a year. I need help. I am not sure what resources are available to be in Cali. I am considering applying for SSI as I am not able to walk alot or stand and even with sitting in a chair it puts pressure on the back of my legs and makes them swell till i can't walk. I want to work. I am trying to finish my MBA but desperately need this surgery. My sister was able to follow my path and was approved and has now lost 140 lbs. It is hard on me to see it. She had her surgery in Oct last year. I also need to know a good surgeon. I would love to get to know you all and appreciate any help and support you can give me.

Welcome to California and Welcome to the boards.  I am sure someone here can help you with resources.  They are a great group on these boards.  Good luck to you and again Welcome and Welcome back.
Rhonda

Thanks!

Welcome back to CA and to the CA board. I do not live in that area of CA so I am not to sure of what is there. I am also sorry that you were turned down before. I will pray that it all works out for you. There are alot of great DR's here in CA. Sue

Welcome to the California Boards, Melissa. (that's my sis-in-law's name too)

I'm in So Cal so I don't know about the doctor close to Hayward, but I'm sure someone will be able to help you.  Keep us posted on your journey so we can help and support you along the way.

HI THERE MELISA

I AM SO SORRY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN.  IT CAN'T BE EASY FOR YOU TO WATCH ANY ONE LOSE WEIGHT LET A LONE YOUR SISTER THAT HAS STARTED THE JOURNEY WITH YOU.  I DO KNOW THAT IF YOU GIVE UP THEY WIN. JUST BE THERE FOR YOUR SISTER AND REMEMBER THAT WILL BE YOU SOON!

THINK POSITIVE!!!
 
ONCE YOU GET OUT HERE AND SETTLED IN, YOU WILL NEED TO LET US KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND THAT WAY SOMEONE MAY BE ABLE TO RECOMMEND A GREAT DR. FOR YOU.

YOUR WAY TO YOUNG TO JUST SIT AND GIVE UP ON LIFE NOW.

KEEP POSTING AND LET US KNOW WHEN AND WERE YOU CALL HOME.

ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY AND HAVE AN EVEN BETTER TOMORROW.

TAKE CARE

Hi Melissa!  Like everyone else, I just wanted to welcome you to our little corner of OH.  And welcome back to Calif!  I don't have any suggestions for you, but I'm sure someone who lives in your soon to be neck of the woods will....take good care and don't give up.  I love the quote from Randy Pausch who said, "The brick walls are there for a reason," he said during his lecture. "The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."  Kim

Welcome Melissa,
  the Ca board is the best place to be for support- I have made some great friendships here, there is always someone here ready to help.  Just don't give up, there are many people here who have waited for years and had to fight legally  but they did and they won.  Once you get located post again and look for a surgeon in your area.
                             Good luck.......................Chris R

Welcome Melissa

I know Hayward very well, it was my home for 25 years!  My mom still lives there.  I'm across the bay now, but still around here.

You should probably look into getting Medi-Cal if you aren't working.  There are some surgeons that accept it and you can get surgery that way.  Unfortunately, the Bay Area doesn't have a whole lot of good WLS docs.  I had my surgery down south.  If you can't travel far, you are limited to UCSF, some hospitals in San Jose.

PM me if you want and I can put you in touch with someone that has a wealth of info on dealing with insurance companies and getting approved for surgery

Brian
~350

I disagree. IMO, the Bay Area has a TON of good WLS docs. I had so many choices, it kind of blew my mind trying to narrow down my choices.

For starters there are:
-the LapSF guys - Cirangle & Jossart - do all 4 of the WLS and are kind of the 'go to' guys for the sleeve (which is why I went with them) - people from all over the country come to them, in fact
-Dr. Rabkin - a good choice if you want RnY or a DS
-Dr. Husted - another good one for a DS, but does the other surgeries too
-the Thinner Future folks - excellent surgeons with great stats and patient reviews on OH -- there are at least 3 of them working out of that group
-Dr. Morton at Stanford
-Dr. Feng in San Mateo

There are tons more, but I think these guys are the top ones in the area. (Don't shoot me, guys, if I left your Dr. out... as I said, there are tons and I couldn't research them all.)

Between these guys, they have 6-10 hospitals covered all up and down the Peninsula, in San Jose, and in SF.

I live in the East Bay, but I didn't want to go to Alta Bates in Oakland -- the surgeon there only does bariatrics part-time and I want someone with more experience and focus than that. But his patients seem to love him. There is also a surgeon in Pleasanton who works out of Valley Care, but I didn't get too far investigating that program for various reasons.