feeling like a screw up and a failure. sorry but it's true...

Looking at your ticker, it says you are below goal, so there is no way you are screwing up.  Guess what?? You are a normal person.  People that don't have this surgery get constipated too.  Yeah you may have to try a few more different things to get things cleared out but just look how far you have come.  You are a success!!    Dry the tears and try to shrug off what they said to you.  Every surgeon is different, but mine says you don't have to take the Bariatric Advantage vits to be healthy.  I take the walmart brand multi twice a day and it works for me.  You may need to try a different kind that what you are taking, but I would't buy in to what the nurse was saying.  Without even knowing what you are taking she was telling  you it was wrong, so that should show you who is wrong.  Smile, do what you can do and everything will work out fine!!

Oh you poor thing, i am so sorry for all that you are going through. I dont have any answers, just wanted to say I am sorry, & please dont cry, even though I am sure its hard not to, (because i am sure I would be too). Some times Drs can be so insensitive, its just wrong, they dont want to be bothered to actually HAVE to listen. So, I do know your frustrations. Maybe you should call them back & tell them to slow down & LISTEN to what you are trying to say? I dont know. I just needed you to know that I am here for you, as you always  are for me. Sincerely, Angelic

Sending a great big sisterly hug via the waves, lots of positive energy and tons of love!  Sista - find a doctor who will hear you - the exploratory lap will most definitely help in giving the doctor a better picture of what is going on - start with your surgeon and go down the line - go get yourself a second opinion if you must.  Wishing you lots of love and success.  I will keep you uplifted in prayers.

Could it be a hernia? 

If possible, get a 2nd opinion.  Sometimes when I here what SOME medical "professionals" say....ARGH!!  I often wonder if they aren't more concerned with keeping their surgery records clear of complications and that's why issues get brushed off.  I've not personally had that experience but I still can't help but to wonder if that's not true for a select few... 22 Dulcolax.  Be careful.  You could be causing more harm than good.  Just worried for you.  Sounds like an awful lot for the innards to deal with. 

I've been watching your progress and you are NOT a failure!  Please don't continue saying, repeating, writing or thinking those UNproductive thoughts!!!   You deserve better. 

Be well. 

I hope you're feeling a little better by now...  if not {{{{{ hug }}}}}  did that help?  lol A couple of things: 1.  Get ye to Walmart and pick up some Vitamin D3 and start taking that.  When mine came up on the low side of normal, my PCP recommended that I get in 1600 iu a day. 2.  While you're there, also pick up a B-12 sublingual and start using those daily. The above is on the assumption that you aren't already taking these supplements.  If you are, then up the dosage and see how  you do. 3.  Have you spoken with your wls about the abdominal issue?  I know I've seen you write on this before, and it seems you're always talking abuot your PCP.  For something like this, I would definitely talk with your wl surgeon, as he would have a better idea of what could be going on as a result of your surgery.  Even the most sympathetic PCP isn't going to be fully in the know on the potential complications of wls.

4.  As for your PCP... is s/he part of a group?  Can you see someone else that might be more helpful?  I know there's one dr  in my group that I wouldn't go to if she were the last dr on earth... I think all she was taught in medical school was to say "just wait it out." That being said, you should look into finding another PCP if your current one isn't listening to you! There is no way that taking the number of laxatives that you're taking is healthy. I hope you get some resolution to this soon! Wendy

yeah, i'm feeling a little better now, lols, ty i've been taking a sublingual b12 all along and everything was "perfect" at my one year check-up back in november. my pcp has me getting b12 shots every week for the next four weeks and then once a month after that since i'm not absorbing the dots. as for the d, she just said to up my calcium supplements to 4/day instead of 2/day since it has d in it. (but i'm thinking i'm going to try vitalady's d instead since i'm not absorbing what i'm getting from my calcium.) when i talked to my wl surgeon about my abdominal issues he said that it's "dietary" and for me to make an appointment to see the nutritionist even though i had seen the nutritionist AND him not two weeks previously. when he saw me at that appointment he said that because of the perf'd ulcer and the scar tissue from that my pouch is WAY smaller than the average rny'ers and that's why i can't eat very much. and then when i called to tell him about my abdomen he said that i'm eating too much. OMGS!!! what???? my pcp isn't part of a group unfortunately. and she had wls about 2 years before i did so she thinks she knows it all, lols. she's been very helpful for the most part but then things like this happen and i don't even know where to turn. that's how my obgyn got thrown into the mix, lols. i figured that since my wl surgeon and my pcp didn't think anything was wrong then maybe it was a "female" problem. and yes, i DO have female problems but i'm 99.99% positive that whatever is causing this weight gain and hardness is NOT related to that. but i guess i'll just have to wait until valentine's day and see...

Sorry you are going through this, demand your doctors attention, you hired her! As for the vitamin D.....I strongly recommend vitalday's vitamin D....my D was low and it didn't take much time at all to bring it up, within 4 days I noticed a difference. Michelle can recommend to you what strength and how many to initially take.

For your B12 issue, why don't you get some sublingual B12 now and start taking them now.  You don't need to wait for anyone to get that started so your B12 levels can go up.  The recommended type is methylcobalamin (vs. cyanocobalamin) I hope everything's OK with your abdomen issue.  I agree, these doctors seem a bit too nonchalant and you might want to get a second opinion to find the true cause. GOOD LUCK!!! Angie

There are plenty of vitamins out there besides bariatric advantage brand (sounds like your surgeon's office gets a percentage of each client's purchase).  I use a liquid vitamin that tastes good, is affordable, and provides everything your post bariatric surgery needs, except enough calcium citrate. It's at www.bariatricliquidvitamins.com . I liked it so well, I set up this site to tell other bariatric patients about it.  My D was in the toilet on blood tests. I failed 3 tests on vitamin D levels. I even had 3 courses of 50,000 IU  of Vitamin D for 12 weeks (one gelcap per week + daily calcium/D tablets). I changed to these vitamins, and I finally passed from failure into the low norm range on Vitamin D. From what I've read, liquid vitamins seem to do better than pills, as they avoid the digestion process. Good luck on your doctor visit to figure out the "bulge". DAVE