Recent Posts
Topic: RE: Please ...scare me back into compliance!
The supplements are very important. I have always taken mine, but I have friends/aquaintances who did not. One lady I know didn't take her B-12 and she started having symptoms very similar to those of someone with multiple schlerosis. By the time they figured out what was wrong she had lost the ability to walk and her speech was slurred. She ended up being hospitalized and then moved to a rehabilitation facility where she had to have speech therapy and relearn to walk. They got her B-12 levels back up and lucky for her there was no permanent damage done.
Another friend of mine had severe low iron and has been hospitalized 2 or 3 times for that having to get infusions and transfusions. I have been told that once your iron gets low as a WLS patient, it is very difficult to get it back up with supplements alone. You should check into infusions to get your levels back up and then supplement to maintain. This same person also never took any of her other vitamins with the exception of B-12. She did do that one. She and her family were in a wreck. No one was hurt but her. She had a fracture in her neck and back more than likely due to the fact that she didn't supplement her calcium and it affected her bones.
Are you scared yet? You should be. Vitamin supplementation after RNY is very important. From the sounds of it, you have done exceptionally well with your weight loss and maintaining. Now, get your rear in gear and take your vitamins. For a complete list of labs you need drawn and for supplements you may need, WLS Vitagarten is a great site to visit. And, Andrea, owner of the site is great about answering questions. She also has just written a lab tracker book for WLS patients so that you can keep and compare your lab results and adjust your supplements accordingly.
I take:
1 Centrum Ultra Multi every day
1 Sublingual B-12
1 Sublingual D-3 (they discovered we can get deficient in this too)
1 Skin, Hair, and Nails
1 B-Complex daily
1200 mg per day all total for Calcium
3 different probiotics daily
I dont' take all of this at once. I spread it through my day. Congrats on your weight loss success, and I wish you success in remembering to take your vitamins.
I hope I wasn't too hard on you. LOL. Hang in there!
Another friend of mine had severe low iron and has been hospitalized 2 or 3 times for that having to get infusions and transfusions. I have been told that once your iron gets low as a WLS patient, it is very difficult to get it back up with supplements alone. You should check into infusions to get your levels back up and then supplement to maintain. This same person also never took any of her other vitamins with the exception of B-12. She did do that one. She and her family were in a wreck. No one was hurt but her. She had a fracture in her neck and back more than likely due to the fact that she didn't supplement her calcium and it affected her bones.
Are you scared yet? You should be. Vitamin supplementation after RNY is very important. From the sounds of it, you have done exceptionally well with your weight loss and maintaining. Now, get your rear in gear and take your vitamins. For a complete list of labs you need drawn and for supplements you may need, WLS Vitagarten is a great site to visit. And, Andrea, owner of the site is great about answering questions. She also has just written a lab tracker book for WLS patients so that you can keep and compare your lab results and adjust your supplements accordingly.
I take:
1 Centrum Ultra Multi every day
1 Sublingual B-12
1 Sublingual D-3 (they discovered we can get deficient in this too)
1 Skin, Hair, and Nails
1 B-Complex daily
1200 mg per day all total for Calcium
3 different probiotics daily
I dont' take all of this at once. I spread it through my day. Congrats on your weight loss success, and I wish you success in remembering to take your vitamins.
I hope I wasn't too hard on you. LOL. Hang in there!
Topic: Please ...scare me back into compliance!
I have not been to OH in ages but desperatly need some support so I am turning to my surgery anniversary group. Here's my story:
I had my RNY Jan. 20, 2004 with a starting weight of 405. My lowest was 149 and am currently at 170. My 8 year anniversary is coming up and I have my yearly appointment to see my surgeon. I want to honestly tell him even though I haven't been compliant the last couple of years I have now changed my ways.
I had some blood work done about 3 months ago and found out my iron was low but my gp doesn't really understand all our issues and told me to buy something off the shelf at Walmart. I called my surgeon's office and he told me to take 180 mg a day of Bariatric Advantage iron. I told him last year I would take try to do better about vitamins, calcium, B12, et. Well.....
The last two years I have really struggled with taking my calcium, vitamins, etc. I will do okay for a couple days and then the thought of taking them almost makes me gag and I quit for a week or two! I KNOW I need to take my supplements and that bad things can happen if I don't but am not exactly sure what those bad things are.
My surgeon will do blood work and I know the numbers are not going to be any better. He told me if I didn't get my numbers up we would have to talk about administering iron by way of IV. I need someone to scare me bad enough by sharing any bad experiences they had by not supplementing. Then maybe I can assure him it won't be necessary because I am now taking everything I am supposed to.
So please scare the crap out of me as I can't seem to do this for myself!
Thanks,
Noncompliant Idiot
(Valerie)
I had my RNY Jan. 20, 2004 with a starting weight of 405. My lowest was 149 and am currently at 170. My 8 year anniversary is coming up and I have my yearly appointment to see my surgeon. I want to honestly tell him even though I haven't been compliant the last couple of years I have now changed my ways.
I had some blood work done about 3 months ago and found out my iron was low but my gp doesn't really understand all our issues and told me to buy something off the shelf at Walmart. I called my surgeon's office and he told me to take 180 mg a day of Bariatric Advantage iron. I told him last year I would take try to do better about vitamins, calcium, B12, et. Well.....
The last two years I have really struggled with taking my calcium, vitamins, etc. I will do okay for a couple days and then the thought of taking them almost makes me gag and I quit for a week or two! I KNOW I need to take my supplements and that bad things can happen if I don't but am not exactly sure what those bad things are.
My surgeon will do blood work and I know the numbers are not going to be any better. He told me if I didn't get my numbers up we would have to talk about administering iron by way of IV. I need someone to scare me bad enough by sharing any bad experiences they had by not supplementing. Then maybe I can assure him it won't be necessary because I am now taking everything I am supposed to.
So please scare the crap out of me as I can't seem to do this for myself!
Thanks,
Noncompliant Idiot
(Valerie)
Topic: RE: Hi Surgery month friends!
Congratulation Erika , keep up the hard work you have accomplished so much and you can continue .
Best of Luck
Patricia
Best of Luck
Patricia
Topic: X POST OLDIE ASKING QUESTIONS
I am finally getting myself fixed all up with stuff at the doctor. I have been back on regular supplementation as far as vitamins go for two or so years and my blood work is fine, except anemia, the ferritin level has been as low as 2.2, but runs about 8, which is low, but that is as good as it gets.
90% of the time when I eat, it gets stuck and I have to erp it up. I have tried everything, eating slow, eating different foods, preparing food different ways, you name it. Well, I finally got referred to the gastroenterologist and they did an esophagram. A couple different times the tech said excitedly, "Did you feel that?" Nope both times. It was a reflux action that had barely hit before it jumped right back up my pipe. Well, of course the doc hasn't called back and I am anxious. But my real question/statement is that they told me my stomach was teeny tiny. Now, I had RNY 1-28-2004 and my stomach is still the size of a quarter?????? How could that be? Also, since I am basically not eating anything since it comes back up before it digests, why do I weigh 155 lbs instead of like 90 lbs or something?
Any stories to reassure me or even to scare me. Hell, I just want to be somewhat in the know before I go to the doc again.
Thanks!!!
Also, since I am asking questions, I am in process of getting dentures. Because of my dumb lack of compliance, I lost all my teeth. I guess this is more like a statement than a question, but please take your damn calcium!!
Thanks again!!
Jilliecats 
Topic: Hi Surgery month friends!
Hi everyone!
So, I am a very goal oriented person, and if I have a goal and share it with others, I am more likely to keep it! So, here it goes!
My Gastric Bypass was in January 4, 2004. I have never regretted it and my life is LEAPS and bounds more fulfililng than it was! Over the past 3 years, a stressful job and other items (which were excuses) led me to slowly slip into old habits. I was eating unhealthy foods, stopped exercising and generally, just went back to focusing on others too much, at the expense of myself! Well, NOW I am taking time for myself. For 3 weeks now, I have been back on track and am feeling so great!
Knowing that my 8 year surgery mark is coming up in January is giving me the motivation that I want to be back at my goal weight of 150 in time for my anniversary. This may be an ambitious goal, but I am going to do everything that I can do get there. This means that I need to lose 25 pounds in three months. Here are my goals:
-Follow the rules (supplements, etc.)
-Exercise 6 days per week
-Water, water, water!
-Lean protein first, other foods later
I am glad I found this site and am happy to have the support from everyone! Thanks for letting me share!
Erika
So, I am a very goal oriented person, and if I have a goal and share it with others, I am more likely to keep it! So, here it goes!
My Gastric Bypass was in January 4, 2004. I have never regretted it and my life is LEAPS and bounds more fulfililng than it was! Over the past 3 years, a stressful job and other items (which were excuses) led me to slowly slip into old habits. I was eating unhealthy foods, stopped exercising and generally, just went back to focusing on others too much, at the expense of myself! Well, NOW I am taking time for myself. For 3 weeks now, I have been back on track and am feeling so great!
Knowing that my 8 year surgery mark is coming up in January is giving me the motivation that I want to be back at my goal weight of 150 in time for my anniversary. This may be an ambitious goal, but I am going to do everything that I can do get there. This means that I need to lose 25 pounds in three months. Here are my goals:
-Follow the rules (supplements, etc.)
-Exercise 6 days per week
-Water, water, water!
-Lean protein first, other foods later
I am glad I found this site and am happy to have the support from everyone! Thanks for letting me share!
Erika
Starting weight, 379lbs
Current weight, 175lbs, lowest weight 155lbs
Gastric Bypass: January 4, 2004
Lower body lift: January 2005
Arm and Breast Life: October 2005
Current weight, 175lbs, lowest weight 155lbs
Gastric Bypass: January 4, 2004
Lower body lift: January 2005
Arm and Breast Life: October 2005
ciscorita
on 6/8/11 6:18 am
on 6/8/11 6:18 am
Topic: RE: Advice please!
I am having issues also. My original was January 9th 2004. I went from 320 to 186. My lowest weight. I used to go between 186 and 196 all the time. I was at the gym 5 days a week for 2 hours, pumping iron and cross training. I even did 2 triathlons. Then my dad was diagnosed with cancer in July of 2008 and died September 11 2008.I am now 230 as of this morning..uuggghhh!! I know it's no excuse but I felt my whole life fall apart. I know I need to cut back on food and get my butt back to the gym. I just can't seem to motivate myself. I suppose too I should have my blood work done and checked for iron etc. Anyway, Good Luck to all of you!
Topic: RE: 7+years
DOnt let 30#'s turn into 35 40 or more. stop it now. i know you can do this. good luck...
I have lost 115#'s. I had my surgery on January 20, 2004.
Topic: RE: 7 years
Jan. 19 was my 7-year anniversary. I call it my "Freedom Anniversary"....it changed my life. I lost 150 pounds and have maintained my weight at 135 since. (5'-7"). I weigh every day. The difference is that this surgery allowed me to STOP eating when I am full. I eat pretty much everything....but in "normal" quantities. It feels GREAT!!! I never forget to feel grateful that I made this decision.
Topic: 7+years
So I did so well for so long but have backslided a bit....not exercising as I should...but am working on it. Have regained 30 pounds..YIKES...have had many issues trying to regulate medications and diet...even this far out.. My thryroid is all over the board...very high then very low...seems to be even more difficult to regulate now. I know that few of us visit here anymore...fcol its been forever since we had surgery..but if anyone has any advice.,..I am open for it...hope all are doing better than I at this point...and I am exercising more which should help....still down over 100 pounds so...will always be thankful for rny RNY....it saved my life!!!
Topic: RE: 7 years
Hard to believe that it has been 7 years already........... Times sure seems to fly. I Have keep my weight off and am doing well. I had a tough journey in the beginning, but I am doing great now.
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