6-Months Over, So Many Questions...

My 6-month pre-approval/surgery date was yesterday, 6/9. I think I am getting down to the wire. I have an EKG scheduled for tomorrow and my psych eval in the next week. My pre-surgery appointment with my doctor is on 6/26 and I am hoping to get my surgery date then.

I have several questions:

1. What is a good chewable multivitamin? I take 2 generic gummies now, will that still be OK?
2. What brand of Calcium Citrate w/Vitamin D is best? I currently take 5000iu vitamin D
3. I work at a school and I have a lot of equipment to install over the summer break (PCs and monitors); how long after surgery before I can lift things?
4. What can I expect my time off work to be?

Thanks for any answers you can provide. My nutritionist has been excellent with information, she's given me a binder and I had to attend 2 nutrition classes. But it is nice to hear from people who have actually "lived it".

Hi Dawn,

Generic gummies will be fine. I also bought Celebrate ENS (it's a protein shake with the added multivitamin). #2 im not sure... #3 -ill be 1 week post op tomorrow and my surgeon recommended not lifting over 5 lbs for 6 weeks. #4- Most of the time I have seen recommended time off be 2-3 weeks, however I had surgery on Wednesday and went back to work Today and had no issues (I work a mon-fri office job so I only missed 4 days of work!). Good luck with your surgery! 

Hi Amber, thanks for the information. I am hoping to get a student to lift and move heavier stuff, then when I get back from surgery, take a week off, then roll around in an office chair to configure the computers (fingers crossed).

You mentioned the Celebrate ENS and I will definitely try and get some samples of that.

Glad your surgery went well and that you are back on your feet and doing well!

Take care.

Not Flintstones - it's missing 9+ of our daily recommended vitamins and minerals, depending on whether it's chewable or gummy.  Whether your gummies now will be okay depends on what's in them.  They should have 100% of most vitamins and minerals and there are 28 of those.  

I used Bariatric Advantage in orange for the first almost 3 months.  Then I switched to a regular swallowable pill.  I love the Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate as well.  I get the 500mg in Peanut Butter Chocolate and take three a day.  Yum.  

Lifting - Probably 6 weeks, but sk your surgeon.  

Working - Probably 2 weeks, but ask your surgeon.  

GwenMo, I don't think my vitamin is going to cut it then. It has 200% of some vitamins and 50% of others http://www.vitacost.com/vitafusion-multivites-complete-multivitamin-berry-peach-and-orange#nutritionFacts

My weight loss clinic sells the Bariatric Advantage brand vitamins and calcium citrate, but they seem very expensive. I saw some others on the Nashua site, maybe I will look around there.

Thanks for all the information.

That vitamin is extremely incomplete.  It's definitely not something I would take myself!  

One thing to keep in mind, when looking at the prices of high-quality vitamins, is that you'll be saving a lot of money on food :D

LOL, that is a good point about the cost/food. I will take that into consideration when supplement shopping :)

You want at least a multivitamin where the percentages are at least 1000 of daily intake. I took Opurity (got them from the nutritionsit). They are a chewable for the first 2 months (i sucked on them like a candy b/c when i chewed them it was gross). I am now on Alive Ultra Potency and in addition i take 10,000mcg biotin, Vitamin Shoppe Brand Calcium Citrate with vitaman D, & 2000mcg additional Vitatmin D daily.

My bloodwork has come back stellar, but I also (knock on wood) had zero complications.

Thanks Lemily, I will check those out too,

for a multi vitamin, I take a double dose (one with breakfast, one with dinner) of the Trader Joe's High Potency Chewable multi -- when doubled up it meets the ASBMS guidelines and is still cheaper than the specially formulated bariatric vitamins. I have my labs drawn regularly and they are always great.

For calcium, I take the Wellesse liquid calcium. I have trouble swallowing the giant horse pill sized calcium, and the chewables I have seen are all far more expensive than Wellesse in addition to being higher calorie and higher carb.

Your lifting restrictions will be set by your surgeon. My restriction was no more than 8 lbs for four weeks, but those rules vary greatly. In terms of time off work, it depends on your recuperation and the job you are going back to. If you do a lot of lifting and physical activity at your job, probably 3-4 weeks or maybe 2 weeks if you go back on limited duty? It really could vary though.