Kaiser Fontana, Calif.

Hello Carlen, Do you go to the post op support groups in Fontana too? I will definately be going to those post op. I hope everything works out and goes well for you and your hubby, and hopefully you go to your wonderful cruise as planned and not have to cancel. Gabbz

We do our support groups in Hesperia where we live, it is much easier that way. Good luck to you!

Hi Carlen,
Interesting, we had the same surgeon and I think we go to the same support group. My wife will be joining the group this month.

I've had friends that went through Kaiser but they all used my dr. I heard that recently they don't use my dr. anymore. I don't know why.

Yeah, They changed it, when I was in my Options classes, we were actually the last class to be given the option to pick our own surgery centers and now they are just using Kaiser doctors which are Dr. Chin and Dr. Fedorka and all the surgeries are being done at St. Bernadines Medical Center until the new Kaiser building is ready, I believe sometime next year.

I'm another Kaiser Fontana future sleever. My DH had his surgery in December and was able to go to Pacific Bariatrics, hospital was Scripps. That is when there were three facilities with 7 surgeons, now, 1 facility and 2 surgeons. There are also more people being approved for the program so I know that is why things are moving so slow. I really think they should have waited to go "in house" until they had the hospital built and enough surgeons to deal with the number of folks seeking WLS. To further tick me off, I found out through others that different Kaiser regions have different ways of doing the options program. I guess we should feel fortunate that we only have to do 12 weeks of classes, others still have to do 24 weeks. Athough others see the NUT & Psych while they are doing the classes. So have they given you any indication of a timeline yet? Keep us posted. 

Wow, 24 Weeks! I am grateful we only had to do 12 Weeks. When did you graduate from your Options class? I finished on October 6th 2011. All my file finally got submitted to the surgeon this week, they said I should get a call to schedule my appointment next week, I was told by the bariatrician that they are backed up so the timeline he have me was bout two more months. Boo Well after all this time, I am almost there, so I can't complain. How about you, did you get a timeline?

I finish my classes on May 24th. Then the waiting game begins. Please let us know how it goes at St B's, I am nervous about that palce. Of course DH got a COE hospital with staff specially trained in post-op care for WLS patients. I feel like he got the BMW and I'm getting a Kia. But, as a "lightweight" I guess I should be glad I even got approved.

Linda,
My daughter works at St Bernardines and was telling me that Kaiser is just using the
operating rooms.  The staff that will take care of you are Kaiser Nurses and
doctors.  The floor the bariactric patients are on is strictly Kaiser.  My girlfriend
had her surgery there in January and said great things about the hospital.
She also told me that Dr Chin's nurse was wonderful.  I am not apprenhensive
about going there.  Also, Dr Chin is very patient and has a wonderful bedside
manner. My friend did tell me that while Dr Fredorka is very pleasant, his nurse is
not very patient and seemed a bit irritated with the patients interrupting so
frequently to go to the bathroom.  All in all she said her stay was a good one.
Barbara

That is good to know, thanks. I have a coworker who just get her RNY last week, but I haven't talked to her yet. St. B's website says overnight visitors are not allowed, but the video shown in class says you can have 1 person stay. She said she would ask for me. Her DH couln't stay because they have kids. But one of the things we really liked about Scripps was that I got to stay with him. We walked the halls together, and I was the one that would help him get up. I am hoping I get the same. I also don't want him to be an hour away, so I am hoping the video is the correct information. Would your daughter know the correct answer? She would be my hero if she could find out so we can start figuring out how to work out details when the time comes. If he needs to stay in a hotel nearby, I need to start saving for that expense too.