MORE QUESTIONS

What brand and where to get my calcium vitamin from? What about the protein drink? Has anyone had one from walmart? If so how is it. I look at the sublingual b-12 that melts under tongue in walmart but it had just a boost of b-12. Not just straight b-12. Does anyone use this one or do I need to find it somewhere else. How much b-12 do I need? What are some that yall use?

I STARTED MY SUPPLEMENTS ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE SURGERY BECAUSE MY HEALTH WAS SO POOR. I "MEGA DOSED" ON THEM FOR THE SAME REASON, BUT MY DOC WAS FINE WITH THE DOSES. GNC - CHEWABLE CALCIUM 600 w/ VITAMIN D & BORON ... 3 A DAY ... I STILL TAKE 3 A DAY BECAUSE THIS IS A COMBINATION OF CALCIUM CITRATE (BEST) & CALCIUM CARBONATE (NOT AS GOOD A SOURCE OF CALCIUM). I JUST HAD MY DEXASCAN (BONE DENSITY TEST) & THE TEST CAME BACK FINE ... NO OSTEOPOROSIS. WALGREEN'S OR WAL*MART - NATURE MADE CHEWABLE VITAMIN C 500mg ... 2 A DAY ... NICK & I HAD AN ONGOING BOUT WITH UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS OVER THE HOLIDAYS. BECAUSE OF MALABSORBTION ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH WLSurgery, ANTIBIOTICS JUST WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH. FINALLY, DOC PUT ME ON 20 STRAIGHT DAYS OF ANTIBIOTICS (POOR POUCH) & ALONG w/ THE EXTRA C, I'M HEALTHY AGAIN. YOU CANNOT OVERDOSE ON VITAMIN C ... YOU WILL EXPEL EXTRA C THROUGH YOUR URINE. WAL*MART - FLINTSTONES COMPLETE CHEWABLES ... STARTED w/ 3 A DAY & NOW, 3 MONTHS POST OP, I'M NOW TAKING 2 A DAY ... CHEWABLE ANYTHING IS SO MUCH EASIER ON THE POUCH & IS DIGESTED & ABSORBED BETTER. WAL*MART - REXALL BRAND - SUBLINGUAL (DON'T USE THE PILLS YOU SWALLOW) HIGH POTENCY B-12 2,500mcg ... 2 A DAY ... MOST "NORMAL" PEOPLE CAN TAKE 500-1,000mcg A DAY & MAINTAIN GOOD ENERGY, CELL BUILDING & NERVOUS SYSTEM CONDITION. NICK IS TAKING 2,500mcg A DAY; HIS WORK IF PHYSICALLY DEMANDING FOR HIS AGE (62) & HE'S DIABETIC. I TAKE DOUBLE THAT AT 5,000mcg A DAY AS I DON'T GET ANY POSITIVE RESULTS UNTIL THAT LEVEL. YOU CANNOT OVERDOSE ON B-12; WHATEVER YOUR BODY DOESN'T USE, YOU WILL RELEASE THROUGH YOUR URINE. START WITH ABOUT 1,000mcg & IF YOU DON'T SEE A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN YOUR ENERGY LEVEL AFTER 2 WEEKS, INCREASE IN 500mcg INCRIMENTS UNTIL YOU NOTICE POSITIVE CHANGES. WAL*MART - REXALL BRAND - EXTREME BIOTIN 1,500mcg 3 TIMES A DAY ... THIS IS FOR YOUR HAIR, NAILS & SKIN. YOUR BODY WILL "SACRIFICE" THESE THINGS TO MAINTAIN YOUR LIFE-NECESSARY ORGANS. WITH THE STRESS OF SURGERY, YOU HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF MAJOR HAIR LOSS & POOR CONDITION OF YOUR SKIN & NAILS. START NOW WITH THE BIOTIN & WHEN YOU NOTICE YOUR NAILS BECOMING VERY STRONG, THEN CUT BACK TO 2 A DAY (AFTER SURGERY). WALGREEN'S OR WAL*MART - NATURE MADE SUPER B-COMPLEX w/ C (IT ALSO HAS OTHER NUTRIENTS LIKE FOLIC ACID & NIACIN + OTHERS) 1 A DAY ... ALONG WITH THE 5,000mcg OF SUBLINGUAL B-12, I ALSO TAKE A SUPER B-COMPLEX TO MAINTAIN GOOD BASIC HEALTH OF MY CELS & NERVOUS SYSTEM. GNC - PAPAYA ENZYME 2-3 A DAY ... THIS IS LIKE A MEAT TENDERIZER TYPE OF NATURAL PRODUCT. MY POUCH DOESN'T LIKE HEAVILY-TEXTURED FOODS LIKE STEAK, CHICKEN, PORK OR A "FULL" FEELING, SO I USE THIS TO HELP WITH MY DIGESTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNOW I'M GOING TO EAT HEAVILY-TEXTERED FOODS. FOR INSTANCE, AT HOME ... I CAN USE MY MAGIC BULLET TO "TENDER" FOODS. BUT, IF WE GO TO LA HACIENDA WHERE I LOVE "TONY'S STEAK & SHRIMP w/ NACHO CHEESE", THEN I CAN'T PUREE THE STEAK & SHRIMP, SO THE PAPAYA ENZYME HELPS A LOT. HOPE THIS HELPS, MS CRYSTAL ... I KNOW I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW THAT I'M ON THIS NUTRIENT REGIME. GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK GET A PILL SPLITTER (ONLY A COUPLE DOLLARS) & SPLIT ANY PILL YOU SWALLOW INTO SIZES NO BIGGER THAN AN M&M. YOU WON'T HAVE THE NASTY TASTE OF CRUSHING THEM ... YUCKKKKKKKKKKK!

NICK HAS USED THE PROTEIN POWDERS FROM WAL*MART & LOVES THEM. BOTH THE VANILLA & BANANA FLAVORS. THEY ARE ABOUT HALF THE COST OF PROTEIN POWDERS FROM GNC, VITAMIN SHOPPE OR ONLINE. ALSO, BE SURE TO ALWAYS CHECK THE CARBS ... DON'T USE ANYTHING THAT HAS LIKE 25 CARBS EVEN IF THE SUGAR CARBS ARE UNDER 4 CARBS A SERVING ... ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER SURGERY. I JUST CHECKED A PROTEIN POWDER NICK GOT FROM GNC & THE TOTAL CARBS ARE 4 WHILE THE SUGAR CARBS ARE ONLY 2. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ... CARB NUMBERS LIKE THAT. HOOD CARB COUNTDOWN MILK BEVERAGE IS FAR BETTER THAN ANY "REAL" MILK PRODUCT ... WHITE, CHOCOLATE & FAT FREE (LIKE SKIM) & TASTES GREAT. YOU CAN GET IT AT WAL*MART & PUBLIX GROCERY STORE & AT JUST ABOUT ANY GROCERY STORE NOW. USE IT WITH YOUR PROTEIN POWDERS FOR EXTRA NUTRIENTS & FLAVOR. CARBS ARE MADE UP OF FIBER CARBS, SUGAR CARBS & SUGAR ALCOHOL. SUGAR ALCOHOL IS THE PRODUCT THAT ALLOWS US TO EAT 0 CARB ITEMS BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF SUGAR ALCOHOLS ... OTHERS DON'T. FIBER CARBS ARE THE GOOD CARBS YOU GET IN THINGS LIKE VEGETABLES. SUGAR CARBS ARE AN ABSOLUTE NO-NO & YOU NEVER WANT TO EAT/DRINK ANYTHING W/ ANY MORE THAN ABOUT 4 SUGAR CARBS PER SERVING. THIS IS ALL A BALANCING GAME. CARBS ARE THE MAIN CULPRIT YOU WANT TO AVOID - THAT'S WHY YOU STAY AWAY FROM WHITE CARB ITEMS (AFTER THE 1st MONTH) LIKE POTATOS, RICE, GRITS & PASTA - THEY TURN TO SUGAR IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM GIVING YOU A "DIABETIC-TYPE" HIGH/LOW REACTION. FATS, ESPECIALLY SATURATED FATS FOUND IN THINGS LIKE HARD ITEMS LIKE STICK BUTTER (BTW, TRY BROMMEL & BROWN BUTTER SPEAD MADE WITH YOGURT!) ARE THE NEXT WORST THING. AS YOU GET FURTHER OUT POST OP, YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU CAN EAT MORE & MORE FOODS NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF. THE POINT IS TO HAVE A MINDSET THAT THIS IS A COMPLETE LIFESTYLE CHANGE & STICK WITH IT. IF YOU THINK, "OH I CAN GET THROUGH THE BEGINNING & THEN GO BACK TO SUGAR & FAT & FAST FOODS FOODS LATER", YOU'RE DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF REGAINING YOUR HEALTH & IN THE LONG RUN, YOU'LL RUIN YOUR CHANCE OF STAYING AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT FOREVER. THE POUCH IS A TOOL THAT IS ONLY GOOD FOR ABOUT THE 1st 100 # LOSS. AFTER THAT, WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT AS THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE HAVE TO MAKE WISE, HEALTHY FOOD, LIFESTYLE & EXERCISE CHOICES. SO, START NOW & STICK WITH IT. YOU'LL BE HAPPY YOU DID. GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

HERE'S THE BEST GUIDE MY NUTRITIONIST GAVE ME ... ONCE ON "REAL FOODS", ONE SHOULD EAT... FLUIDS (no less than 64 ounces a day up to 120 ounces a day!!!) PROTEIN (no less than 60 - 80 grams a day), DAIRY, GREEN VEGES (YELLOW & RED IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS), FRUITS, WHOLE GRAINS (in that order of importance) ... & THEN, ONLY THE SMALLEST AMOUNTS OF "WHITE CARBS" IF YOU CAN TOLERATE THEM &, ONLY IF YOU HAVE NOT GONE OVER YOUR DAY'S CALORIES. YOU'LL START AT ABOUT 300 CALORIES & GO UP TO AROUND 5OO, THEN 700 ... LOOKING TO STABILIZE AT 800-1,200 CALORIES PER DAY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6 - 12 MONTHS POST OP.

Thanks dawn for all of the ideas you have given me. I wrote down the things I need to get and ive almost have everything I need except vit c, super b complex with c and pill splitter. I bought a pill crusher. I didnt know which one was better. I plan to come to the meeting Monday night and I am bringing a friend that has had the surgery done in conway. She had it in June and has lost 100 lb.

GOOD FOR YOU, MS CRYSTAL ... WITH ALL YOUR EFFORT NOW, YOUR RECOVERY WILL BE JUST THAT MUCH EASIER! I TRIED CRUSHING MY PILLS ... OH MY GOSH, TALK ABOUT NASTY TASTING. I TRIED "HIDING" THEM IN EVERYTHING & NOTHING MASKED THE AWFUL TASTE. SO, I CALLED DR BYRNE'S NURSE. AS LONG AS YOUR PILLS ARE NO BIGGER THAN AN M&M, YOU CAN SWALLOW THEM. I HAD TO CUT SOME INTO 3 PIECES, BUT I GOT MY HOOD CARB COUNTDOWN MILK BEVERAGE & SWALLOWED EACH PIECE ONE AT A TIME. AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS, YOU CAN SWALLOW SEVERAL AT AT TIME BUT DON'T TRY THAT RIGHT AWAY. PLEASE DO BRING YOUR FRIEND, MS CRYSTAL! LET ME KNOW HER NAME & WHERE SHE LIVES & I'LL ADD HER TO OUR SC WEIGHT LOSS LIST. LOOK AT YOU; YOU CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM US NOW ... SEE, WE LCBBers GROW ON YOU, DON'T WE!?! GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

No, I love talking to yall, everyone is so nice. Her name is marlene stanfield and she lives in walterboro. She was going to a meeting once a month in walterboro that a couple of ladies go to that have had the surgery but she wanted to come to ours because I told her how much fun it was and we have a big group. It is good to have people like yall to give us support and someone to talk to about the surgery and what to expect and different ideas to use once you are post op.

Oh! By the way. After surgery do you stay in the hospital gown until time to get ready to go home? The reason im asking is I need to know what to pack to take. I have a robe but I usually sleep in a tee shirt and shorts. Always have. So do I need to buy pajamas or dont worry about it?

NO PJs, MS CRYSTAL ... MUSC WON'T ALLOW YOU TO WEAR ANYTHING BUT THEIR GOWN ... EASIER ACCESS IN CASE THEY NEED TO CHECK OR CARE FOR YOUR INCISIONS. I DID TAKE A ROBE & GLAD I DID CUZ I GOT COLD. TAKE A PILLOW FOR HUBBY ... MUSC WILL SUPPLY A BLANKET FOR HIM & THE THERMASTAT REALLY WORKS WELL IF Y'ALL GET HOT/COLD ... I TOOK A SMALL "PEA" PILLOW THAT I COULD SMUSH UP EITHER UNDER MY HEAD OR LAY BY MY SIDE AS I COULD SLEEP ON MY RIGHT SIDE THE NIGHT AFTER SURGERY ... SLIPPERS ... MUSC SUPPLIES A PAIR OF THOSE RUBBER-BOTTOMED SOCKS ... DON'T BOTHER TO TAKE YOUR OWN MEDS ... THEY HAVE LIQUID & INJECTABLE (INTO YOUR IV) MEDS WHICH MAKES IT EASIER ... TAKE A COPY OF ALL YOUR MEDS, STRENGTHS & DOSES ... SUPPLEMENTS ... OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDS ... & HERBAL ITEMS. THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I TOOK MY LITTLE CD PLAYER W/ HEADPHONES & SOME RELAXING CDs - WHILE NICK VEGGED OUT ON FOOTBALL, I RELAXED WITH SOOTHING MUSIC ... I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE READING ... HAD A MILD HEADACHE, PROBABLY FROM THE ANESTETIC ... WE TOOK OUR CAMERA & GOT SOME ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE PICTURES! I LOOK LIKE A TRUCK RAN OVER ME ... GEEZZZZZ, I FELT FINE! MUSC SUPPLIES TRAVEL-SIZED CONTAINERS OF BODY WASH, BODY POWDER, TOOTHPASTE, MOUTHWASH, LIP BALM & A TOOTHBRU****HINK THEY HAD A DEODERANT, BUT I REALLY CAN'T REMEMBER FOR SURE ... BRING YOUR HAIR BRUSH ... BRING PADS ... NOT ONLY IF YOU START YOUR PERIOD, BUT MY BLADDER GOT A LITTLE WEAK & SOMETIMES I LEAKED ... BRING FEMANINE WASH TOWELS ... LIKE BABY WIPES BUT FOR ADULT FEMALES ... MUCH BETTER THAN TOILET PAPER ... I BROUGHT A HEAVY HOUSECOAT & I'M GLAD I DID AS MY INTERNAL THERMOMETER WASN'T WORKING WELL ... SO I'D BE COLD, THEN HOT ... & WHEN SLEEPING, I WAS REALLY COLD SO I LAID IT OVER ME & SNUGGLED DOWN! BRING YOUR INSURANCE CARD, MILITARY ID &/OR DRIVER'S LICENSE (PICTURE ID) ... DON'T BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES ... GO HOME IN WHAT YOU CAME IN BUT BE SURE THE CLOTHES ARE REAL LOOSE - YOU MAY RETAIN A LOT OF FLUIDS LIKE I DID ... BRING EXTRA PANTIES ... YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO WEAR A BRA BECAUSE OF THE INCISIONS ... JUST IN CASE, BRING YOUR LOOSEST, MOST COMFORTABLE BRA ... IF YOU USE A CPAP ... DEFINITELY BRING IT ... BRING ANY OTHER MEDICAL APPLIANCES THAT YOU NEED ... CANE, WHATEVER ... LEAVE YOUR JEWELRY, INCLUDING YOUR WEDDING RINGS AT HOME ... BRING YOUR GLASSES, HEARING AIDE, ETC ... GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

I JUST E-MAILED YOU ABOUT THIS POST, MS CRYSTAL ... YES, OF COURSE BRING YOUR FRIEND. I ADDED HER TO OUR SC WEIGHT LOSS LIST ... WOW, 100 #s ... I CAN'T WAIT!