Up on the Soapbox!!

Oh no Pam! I'm not running for anything.....I have terminal "Foot in Mouth Disease"!!!!! Mike

Pam, did you go to the meeting last night? If so, how was it - how was Aranow?

You Go, Mike! We have a woman in one of my support groups whose mother is is five years out. She decided several years ago to stop taking her supplements....she is now in the hospital with a partial intestinal blockage but they cannot operate because she is so malnourished she would not survive the surgery. All of her electrolytes are off and she had really low B12 and iron counts. Her mental state has been affected by the electrolytes being so off kilter. We pray they can get her blood counts high enough to sustain surgery. Hard to do when you can't eat.....So, let this serve as a WARNING to ALWAYS take your supplements! And get your labs done when you are suppose to. Just think of how many years we have prayed for a diet pill to take the weight off and be healthy.....and now we only need to take a few pills to keep healthy. What is the moral of the story? It is a no-brainer! Here's to Mike! Karen

Thanks Karen; The example you've given us is one of the reasons I decided to do a little Hollering on the subject. It's just too important and I don't think that we are all giving it the attention it needs. It worries me to hear about the medical problems people are having that they can't control. This is one they can. Thanks for the back-up. Mike

Hi Karen, thanks for this wakeup call. I will think good thoughts for your friend as she battles her way back to health. I have often heard that the further we get out from surgery, the better able our bodies will become at absorbing nutrients; this does not appear to be the case for your friend - it is precisely why we need to hear from as people as possible about post-surgery medical issues so that we can assess what's really going on. Attention must be paid! In the meantime, everyone, take care of yourselves!

Okay Mike - you aren't saying anything that isn't true at all. And please know that I harbor no ill will by you "slapping" those of us in the face who aren't the greatest at remembering our suppliments, but I'm going to throw one right backatcha: "I have not been totally good about my eating habits and I sometimes let my exercise slide, but the one thing I have been religious about is taking my supplements. " ::Ahem:: See, it's hard for you to be totally good about your eating habits and exercise, but for some of us, it's hard to be totally good about the suppliments. Gotta understand one thing here: It's not laziness as much as forgetfulness for many of us. For me, I work shift work and many times one day runs into the next. I don't know how many 32-38 hour "days" I've had in the last few months. So while it seems that we're lazy, what some of us are is discombobulated. I've tried to find ways of reminding myself, and the only thing I've been good at is remembering when I go to work. That's great when I work 6-7 days a week, but not when I'm working my normal 4 days (10 hour shifts). Please don't take this as an excuse, and believe me, I know the severity of not taking suppliments - otherwise I wouldn't have had that nightmare the other day. But easy is not what I would call this. Hard....EXTREMELY hard is what I would call it. But then, this is coming from a girl who had to quit taking birth control pills because she would always forget them on a frequent basis, causing even more hormonal problems than she started with! The person who comes up with a truly easy delivery method for taking vitamins will become a very wealthy person. I have tried everything from liquids to pills to sublingual to drinks....you name it, I have "habit" issues. Dina (go ahead...kick away, but when you break your foot on my boney butt, don't say I didn't warn you!!!)

Dina, me lovely.... I'm not going to "kick away" as you say.... but I do wish to clarify: This post was not meant as a "slap in the face" to anyone....just a shake of the shoulders from one friend to another. Believe me, I'm the last person on this board to call anyone else "Lazy". You can't be too lazy when you've put up with all the B.S. we have just to get to this point of out WLS journeys. As I've said in my post, I'm not trying to be "Holier than Thou" because I've got a handle on this supplement issue. I've got my share of warts too (case in point....my comments about eating habits and letting exercise slide). I can certainly understand your "discombobulation" issues, as I work the vampire shift during the week and try to live on my family's schedule on the weekends in additon to being on call 24/7. It doesn't make this Post-Op life any easier as Post-op life seems to require a more regimented lifestyle. I'm glad that you replied because it brought up an angle on things that I hadn't considered. I have been able to train myself to take the supplements at the same times every day no matter what. That wasn't easy, so I see your point. What I HAD NOT considered is that people do have problems taking pills. To me it's easy: open mouth, insert pill, swallow, sip some water, end of story. I hadn't considered that some folks don't find this so easy. That's why we have this board....to exchange information. I intended to stir up some trouble and I'm delighted to see that I have. While I will admit to not considering that some of us have trouble taking our supplements, it doesn't change the fact that it is absolutely necessary for our survival. If it means taking them in liquid form or grinding up pills into our food or whatever.....This is something that will kill us if we don't do it!! I think the single thing that has been bothering me and what inspired me to write this post is that it seems like for the last few months, all the talk has been about tummy tucks and other PS issues. While this is important both from the physical angle.....it's hard to live with all of that excess skin getting in the way and causing rashes and other problems; and the psycological angle.....it's hard to see yourself as slim when your tripping over hanging skin, It occured to me that what the hell good is that tight little tummy when you're slowly killing yourself by malnutrition??!! Anyway Dina, the bottom line in all of this babble is that I intended to try to get people to think about this very important issue and I obviously succeeded. If I insulted you or anyone else in the process, please accept my appologies......I certainly intended no put-down. I'm here to help, not hurt. Thanks for the reply....you've opened my eyes to another issue I hadn't considered. Be well. Mike

Thank you, Mike Rhen

Hi Rhen; It's good to hear from you. How are you making out with your anemia problem? Mike

Ohhhh Mike! I am not miffed, pissed, angry or feeling put upon. I hope you realize where my comments were coming from. Essentially there is nothing you said that wasn't right and wasn't NEEDING to be said. I just guess I kick myself every day I forget my vitamins because it's so stupid. Here is what it is like for me: In the shower: "Okay Dina. Remember as soon as you get out of the shower - take your vitamins." Out of the shower: "What was I gonna do?" On the way to work: "Dammit Dina! You forgot to take your vitamins!" Pulling into the gate at work: "Remember to take your backup vitamins at work" At work: Yadda yadda - radio here, phone there...take a break, check email, back to radio and phone...get slammed with 2 car crashes, a stolen vehicle and a call of poachers 15 minutes before I get off shift.... In car on the way home: "Okay Dina. You forgot your backup vitamins. Take them when you get in the house!" Seriously....this is the crap I go through each and every day. I have vitamins stashed in my big locker at work, my little locker at work, in my purse, in my work bag, in my car, in my fridge, in my cupboards......sigh. The only place I do not have them is the one place that would likely help and that is my bathroom. The reason being is that I have a 5 year old son that I don't want mega vitamins sitting out for. When I was 5 I took a bottle and a half of baby aspirin and ended up with a lovely stomach pumping experience and a lifelong problem with bloody noses. So I'm paranoid about leaving even vitamins out where he could get to them. He's already drained out my ear drops once....on God knows what. So this is my battle. I haven't been able to solve it yet. My husband sometimes reminds me....by catching me while I'm on the computer and bringing the wretched liquid stuff over for me to take. If it weren't for him doing that, I'd forget most of the time. I seriously need a keeper. But I hate that he has to do this for me. I think it's silly that I have to rely on someone else to do something so basic. Yes, I have also tried setting alarms for myself, and that doesn't work. Either I'm out of the room where I can't hear it, or if it's on my computer, I'm half the time falling asleep or too cold and bundled up and I don't want to get up. So I put it on snooze....then I forget. I gave that up quite some time ago. OH! And let us not forget those Vitamin B12 patches! I did good with those for about 3 weeks....and promptly forgot about them. My husband likes to put things away, so when they are put away, I don't think about them. I have come to the decision that at least for my B12, I'm going to have to just schedule shots once a month. When I remember to make the appointment, I will do it for a year or more in advance....same time every month. That is the only way I will remember. I make my appointments....those I have etched into stone....or my calendar if you will. As for the rest of the vitamins, I haven't found a strategy that works for me yet. Every time I think I've come up with the perfect resolution, I find it's not so perfect after all. Reenie - as for me taking it the same time every day or when I wake up - it's hard to do with my schedule. I never know when I will be sleeping or waking up. At least 1x a week I'm up at least 24 hours. Sometimes, like a couple weeks ago, that turns into 38 hours. Literally. If it weren't for my mouth tasting like a sewer, I wouldn't remember to brush my teeth either. Dina