PROFILE & PICTURES UPDATED

YOU ONLY ABSORB 20 - 40% OF EVERYTHING YOU INGEST? Isn't that in itself risky to your health? I know as we age we have less absorption of vitamins & minerals so cutting that percentage seems so drastic. Do you know of anyone who has had a problem from lack of vitamin intake no matter how much they ingest? I knew absorption of calories from foods was to be expected but I never considered the idea of the vitamins & minerals. I feel so silly that it never occured to me. Can they give vitamins in shot form? If so, wouldn't that be advisable to all who have wls? Suuz

WELL, MS SUUZ ... YOU "GOT IT" FASTER THAN MOST ... SOME ON OTHER BOARDS HAVE "N-E-V-E-R" "GOTTEN IT". IF YOU GET A "SHORT ARM", THEN YOU ABSORB AROUND 20% OF EVERYTHING YOU INGEST. THAT IS USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE MOST EXTREMELY OBESE/UNHEALTHY OF US. BUT, IN GENERAL, YES ... WE ABSORB ABOUT 40% OF WHAT WE INGEST. THAT'S HOW WE LOSE WEIGHT ... OUR POUCH IS MADE EXTREMELY SMALL SO WE CAN ONLY EAT THE SMALLEST OF AMOUNTS AT ANY ONE TIME. &, OUR DIGESTION NO LONGER BEGINS IN THE STOMACH ... MOST OF IT IS DONE IN OUR INTESTINES, SO THE DIGESTION PROCESS IS SHORTER ... THUS, WE ABSORB LESS ... LESS FATS, BUT ALSO LESS NUTRIENTS. THE BEST FORMS OF ANYTHING ARE INJECTION, LIQUID, SUBLINGUAL, CHEWABLE, THEN IN PILL FORM THAT HAS TO BE BROKEN DOWN DIGESTION-WISE BEFORE ABSORBED. AS FOR BEING RISKY ... SWEETIE ... THIS ENTIRE PROCESS IS RISKY - VERY RISKY (ESPECIALLY IF YOU AREN'T WILLING TO "FOLLOW THE RULES") BUT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT EARLY DEATH & DECREASING HEALTH ON THE OTHER SIDE, WLSurgery IS A WALK IN THE PARK COMPARED TO STAYING OBESE. NO, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANYONE NOT BEING ABLE TO GET ENOUGH NUTRIENTS NO MATTER HOW MANY SUPPLEMENTS THEY TAKE. IF A WLSurgery PATIENT USES COMMON SENSE & "LISTENS" TO THEIR BODIES, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN PROPER LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS EVEN ON THE LIMITED FOOD INTAKE BECAUSE OF THE SUPPLEMENTS & PROTEIN PRODUCTS. BUT, I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES & LOSING THEIR TEETH, HAVING OSTEOPOROSIS (BRITTLE BONES) & ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL WITH DEHYDRATION. THE POINT THAT MANY WLSurgery PATIENTS DON'T WANT TO HEAR IS THAT "WE" DON'T HAVE A CHOICE ANY MORE. EITHER WE TAKE CARE OF OUR HEALTH, OR WE DIE. PERIOD. IT DOESN'T TAKE A MAJOR EFFORT TO STAY HEALTHY AFTER WLSurgery ... JUST A GOOD ATTITUDE, TAKING YOUR SUPPLEMENTS, "LISTENING" THE OUR BODY'S SIGNALS & FOLLOWING THE EATING/DRINKING RULES. YOUR BODY WILL REGAIN IT'S HEALTH ALMOST MIRACULOUSLY. YOU DON'T GET TO GET AWAY WITH "CHEATING" BECAUSE THERE IS SO LITTLE YOU CAN GIVE YOUR BODY TO KEEP IT HEALTHY THAT IF YOU CHEAT, YOU HAVE JUST LESSENED THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS YOUR BODY MUST HAVE TO LIVE A HEALTHY EXISTENCE. SO, WHY CHEAT? NOW, ON THE OTHER SIDE ... AFTER 27 YEARS OF DECREASING HEALTH ... WITHIN 3 WEEKS, ALLLLLLLLL MY CO-MORBS (OBESITY RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS) DISAPPEARED. I WAS OFF 3 OR 4 PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS BY THAT TIME WHICH WAS 12 DOSES OF MEDS A DAY I DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE. BY 4-5 WEEKS, MY BODY, BACK & JOINT PAIN HAD DEMINISHED 98% & I WAS OFF ALL MY PRESCRIBED PAIN MEDS (10 DOSES A DAY = 22 DOSES TOTAL A DAY GONE IN JUST 4-5 WEEKS THAT I NO LONGER HAD TO TAKE). ALSO, WITHIN A COUPLE MORE WEEKS, MY LABS WERE NORMAL OR BETTER THAN NORMAL (&, EVEN BETTER THAN MY DOCTOR'S OWN LABS); THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES THAT MY LABS CAME BACK "NORMAL". THE ONLY PRESCRIBED MEDS I'M ON IS ACIPHEX & MY HEART MEDS, WHICH WITH MY HEART CONDITION ... WLSurgery CAN'T HELP OR HURT MY CONDITION. NOW, AS FAR AS ABSORBTION ... AS YOU HAVE SEEN FROM THE CURRENT POSTS, YOU MAY NEED TO TAKE MORE SUPPLEMENTS THAN NON-WLSurgery PEOPLE. SO WHAT? IF YOU'RE HEALTHIER THAN BEFORE SURGERY, WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT TAKING SUPPLEMENTS 2 OR 3 TIMES A DAY? THANK GOD FOR WAL*MART, VITAMIN SHOPPE, & GNC! I'M SURE YOU CAN GET INJECTIBLE VITAMINS ... I KNOW B-12 IS INJECTED IF YOU HAVE SEVERE ENERGY DEPLETION THAT CAN'T BE RESOLVED BY SUBLINGUAL B-12, BUT INJECTIBLE VITAMINS ARE NOT NECESSARY. YOU JUST GOT SPOOKED BY THE % FIGURES, MS SUUZ. MOST TAKE 2 DOSES OF THEIR SUPPLEMENTS A DAY ... I HAVE TO TAKE 3. YOU'LL FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR BODY. DON'T WORRY THE FIRST MONTH, MONTH & A HALF ... JUST TAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS. AFTER THAT, YOUR BODY WILL CALM DOWN FROM THE SURGERY & YOU'LL GET A BETTER IDEA WHAT IT NEEDS. NOW, JUST THINK ... IF WLSurgery PATIENTS WERE NOT ABLE TO GET ENOUGH NUTRIENTS, WE'D HAVE DEAD BODIES LITTERING THE STREETS AS THERE ARE A LOT OF US NOW WHO HAVE HAD WLSurgery IN THIS COUNTRY. SO, IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WE CAN CONTROL & CONTROL WELL. BUT, IT TAKES DAILY DEDICATION & WISE, HEALTHY CHOICES ... &, IT TAKES A WONDERFUL ATTITUDE. LISTEN TO THE LADIES ON THIS BOARD - THEY HAVE THE GREATEST ATTITUDES & THEY CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING ... SO WILL YOU! YOU'LL DO FINE, MS SUUZ. &, YOU'LL BE ALL THE MORE HEALTHIER AS WELL! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Ms Dawn ...once again you have eloquently explained in detail the why & wherefores of the absorption issue. This board is so lucky to have you. Thank you for all the information. Hugs, Suuz

Doesn't it feel great!? I wish I had been as faithful and started a journal and kept up with it as I was losing weight. I do have pictures along the way that I've taken and maybe someday I'll get around to posting them. Heck, maybe I'll just get around to posting a current one!! I was wondering how anyone will know who I am at the SC day on March 4th!! I remember what it was like when I saw my first 'before' pictures. I got them developed over a year later. What a shocker. When people look at them now, they don't even remember me like that..... as in, they don't even think it's the same person. I'm just like, ummm, yep, that's me. You really don't remember me that way?

Hi there I just had to say you are a great role model you are a great God sent& a great inspiration ! I am so glad I found the LCBBUDDIES WHAT A GREAT BUNCH OF INSPIRATION for any one that has not has the surgery yet ,I just can not wait to be on the loosing side soon GOD BLESS BECKY

I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE ... THE LADIES & GENTS IN THE LCBBuddies ARE THE BEST! JUST THINK ... IN SUCH A SHORT TIME, MS BECKY, YOU WILL BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE OTHERS WHO HAVEN'T HAD SURGERY YET ... WOWOWOWOW MARCH 31st!!! NOW, YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION BECAUSE YOU STUCK WITH THIS THROUGH ALL THE CHALLENGES TO GET TO THE POINT OF HAVING SURGERY TO BETTER YOUR HEALTH & LIFE! WAY TO GO, MS BECKY! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

YES MA'AM, IT FEELS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I DON'T USUALLY JOURNAL, BUT I DID DURING THIS WLS JOURNEY FOR SOME REASON ... IT SEEMED LIKE SUCH A HOPEFUL, EXCITING EXPERIENCE! YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO GET A CURRENT PIC POSTED BEFORE WE ALL MEET ON THE 4th OF MARCH! OTHERWISE, WE'LL NEVER BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE A PART OF OUR WLS COMMUNITY, MS SKINNY ... IF FRIENDS DON'T THINK YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON, THEN HOW CAN WE FIGURE IT OUT? WELL, I GUESS YOU COULD PASTE A "BEFORE" PIC ON YOUR FOREHEAD, BUT THAT WOULD BE EMBARRASSING! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Lookin' good, Dawn!! I love your profile page! Lot's of interesting reading! Thank you!

Thank you much, ms janet! Glad you found it interesting!

You are looking GREAT! Keep it up.