I thought I had figured out "how to go" everyday, but now I'm not!
Like so many of us, I've had constipation issues since after surgery, almost 9 months now. I thought we had the problem figured out in January, when my NUT suggested I go off of calcium and go back to taking the multivitamins I was taking before surgery. I was drinking enough and getting in enough protein, and I was using fiber powder in the morning and either MoM or miralax sporadically to "get things going". He also suggested I started eating FiberOne bars. So I eat them or the FiberOne Protein bars to get the best of the both words.
Back in late April, I started having issues again and I tried experimenting with more fiber, Miralax at night, eating a FiberOne bar consistently every day, stool softeners. Here's my schedule:
AM: 1-stool softener, fiber powder in hot tea
Midmorning: Fiberone bar or FiberOne protein bar
PM: 1-stool softener, Miralax in hot tea
Of course, my meals are also spaced out - 6 meals a day - and all have my protein with some fruit with the snacks and/or veggies with dinner or lunch sometimes. I also drink a protein drink in the morning and 40oz water during the day.
Can anyone give me suggestions to help "get things going" better again?! Thanks!
Annie HW 289 SW 257 GW 150 
Unfortunately, your serum calcium level tells you nothing about the overall calcium level in your body because if you are not getting enough calcium from food and supplements, your body will pull calcium from your bones in order to have enough to keep your organs (like your heart) functioning!
Anyone whose nutritionist tells RNY patients to discontinue the calcium citrate needs to get a NEW nutritionist. Anyone who tells you that you don't have to worry about taking calcium because your serum calcium level is high also needs to be either challenged on that and educated, or replaced. Did your normal labs check your parathyroid (PTH) or did your doctor check it after the calcium level came back high? VERY often hypercalcemia is a result of a problem with the parathyroid gland.
You MUST take the calcium supplements because the fact is that your body cannot manufacture calcium on its own, you cannot get enough calcium from your food now, and you are jeopardizing our health (your bones!) if you don't take them.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
I agree with Lora. Your nutritionist is very wrong. We cannot stop taking our calcium ever. I don't know what your calcium levels are but no matter what foods you eat its pretty much impossible for you to get what you need from foods and be off the charts, what chart is she looking at?
Starting weight: 334 lbs.Starting opti weight: 323 lbs, Surgery weight 303 lbs.Surgery-May 21st, 2013 with Dr Hagen at HRRH Goal weight 165 lbs reached at 13 months. Current weight 156 lbs
Your nutritionist is giving you dangerous advice. This is just one reason I really recommend people see a registered dietician. Nutritionists do not have to have a college degree in nutrition. Some do, but they don't have to. They don't even have to have completed high school. They are not regulated in any way. A registered dietician, on the other hand, must have a college degree in nutrition, must complete a supervised internship in the field, must pass a national exam, and must get a certain number of continuing education hours ever year.
As Lora explains, the calcium level in your blood will remain good until you have leached all the calcium out of your bones. It doesn't tell you if you are getting enough calcium.
I am really appalled that he would tell you to stop taking calcium. And if this nutritionist works with your surgeon or was recommended to you by your surgeon, I would definitely let your surgeon know that this is the type of advice he's giving patients.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Plus if a health care professional is going to tell a RNY patient not to take any calcium citrate at all, are they even going to recommend a bone density scan when they should? A lot of docs are still saying they don't think we need bone scans, even though the ASMBS now says we should get a baseline pre op and then another a year or two post op.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
