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 Nov. 2010
I am down 80 pounds so far about 30 to go. I am doing very well and have not had any complications or problems, it has been a great life style change.  

 I had my surgery on Thursday 6-24-10 and I came home yesterday. All went well, I am really working to stay hydrated, sip, sip, sip,.....
My Dr. was wonderful as was the nursing staff as well. I am looking for ward to moving a long on this journey.

   A lot of changes, still have not had surgery yet but I am much closer. I did not loose the wt. required by Kaiser, I struggled and struggled, I really felt hopeless. In Jan. of this year my insurance changed from Kaiser to Anthem Blue Cross. I changed Dr.s .
My Dr. is now Dr. Coates in Modesto. I am so glad I no longer need to travel 2 hrs. to be seen! 
I have done all of the insurance requirements and am now waiting for surgery approval. I am hoping for an early summer surgery date.
  I am trusting God and He has been Faithful !

Well at this point in time I have lost only 10 of the 20 lbs. that I need to loose for surgery. This is much more difficult than I thought. I have been walking a lot and hit and miss going to Curves. My blood sugar has been staying low because of the exercise so I have been able to cut some of my medication in half, so in turn I have lost some weight finally. Since starting Actos over a year ago, I gained about 15 lbs. Until recently I have not been able to drop any of that weight. I have been attending monthly support group meetings that are very informative and Kaiser just started them here locally once a month. It was really nice to go and meet other Kaiser members and get their input and support. I left that first meeting feeling encouraged and more determined to get the weight off! Hopefully the next time I post it is to say I have lost all the required weight and have another scheduled appointment!

I met my surgeon, Dr. Dutta last Friday (my 1st consult), I really liked him and was surprised how comfortable he made me feel. He was nothing like I expected. I felt really at ease with him, he felt surgery was a good option for me, he didn't feel that I required extra medical testing , ( I was relieved!) He gave me a goal of 20lbs. to loose and I felt that was a very reasonable amount, difficult yet attainable. I also met with a R.D. one of several that rotate. She was kind of rushed and to the point. We met with her in a group of three. I met individually with a program coordinator, she was fast and very pleasant. Starting 1-3-08 I must call her every 3 weeks and report my weight and exercise routine. So now it is really up to me! When I am 5 lbs. from goal wt. she will schedule my phsyc. eval. and surgery consult. I must be at goal for surgery. I was at the Kaiser fremont Bariatric center for a total of 5 1/2 hours. A lot of sitting and waiting. It did give me a chance to talk to others waiting, there were several people that already had surgery . one was 5 yrs. out. All of them were glad they had it, one fellow said he wasn't sure if he would do it again, the changes he had to make were much more difficult than he expected. Food for thought.

I have an appointment! Dec. 21st at kaiser, scheduled consultation with surgeon, I have been assigned to Dr. Dutta. Immediately following meeting him I then have an appointment with the nutritionist. I guess things are starting to move along!

I talked to the kaiser bariatric coordinator and she said I should have my first consult apt. with the assigned surgeon and nutritionist sometime in dec. She said the Dr. would decide how much wt. I must loose before surgery. I thought I would also be attending a 6 month nutrition class but she said no. Kaiser Fremont must be different than some of the other kaiser patient blogs I have read. So I am waiting for the next step.

Yesterday I received my orientation date with kaiser bariatric in Fremont, sun. 10-21-07. I am so amazed my referral went thru that fast a week and a half! My PCPs office said to expect 2-8 weeks to hear from Kaiser. My husband and I are attending an orientation/info meeting this evening with Dr. Coates/Corrin's offices. I have the option to change insurance in Jan. so I need to decide which group to go with. Changing my insurance would be a financial strain, yet it makes me nervous to have surgery in Fremont (2 hrs. away) especially if complications occur after arriving home. If I stay with Kaiser I could very likely have surgery in late May or early June as I hoped! I Will keep posting as my journey prayerfully continues.

Well, I am finally committing to actively participating, not just a voyeur as in years past! In the last 4-5 yrs. I have tried to discuss wls with my pcp to no avail. Initially he said absolutely not, and would not refer any of his patients ever. Last time I asked he told me to gain another 100#'s.I really like him, so I waited. Two days ago I had my regular 3mo. apt. to go over my most recent labs and results of my last Rx change. Before the apt. I had been really praying about this surgery, It feels like the right time. I was considering changing pcp's and insurance if needed. I felt my biggest obstacle was my pcp referring me. My husband and mom were praying while I was there and when I asked my Dr. yet again, he agreed with me and wrote the referral and said he would support me through the process! What a shock! What an Awesome God we have! My insurance is Kaiser, so their process is lengthy yet thorough , I am hoping for early summer surgery since I work in education I have been told this may be a little optimistic . I am trusting God since He knows what is best for me. God Bless