Why so many vitamins??
Please, Donna, listen to what Blank Out said.
Vitamins are not an option. Dr. G is a great surgeon. Abington is a great hospital. After care stinks. The NPs are all clueless, but are starting to catch on that the ones who follow VitaLady's regimine are the ones who have stellar labs and who are healthy and happy.
I'm very grateful that I found the PADS group early, before surgery, so I wasn't counting on Abington to fill in the holes and be my support system. That practice is NOT there for that. Sad, but true. The true support comes from the people who have lived it. Please get connected with us/them so that you're not putting yourself in any more danger or continuing to frustrate yourself.
Vitamins are not an option. Dr. G is a great surgeon. Abington is a great hospital. After care stinks. The NPs are all clueless, but are starting to catch on that the ones who follow VitaLady's regimine are the ones who have stellar labs and who are healthy and happy.
I'm very grateful that I found the PADS group early, before surgery, so I wasn't counting on Abington to fill in the holes and be my support system. That practice is NOT there for that. Sad, but true. The true support comes from the people who have lived it. Please get connected with us/them so that you're not putting yourself in any more danger or continuing to frustrate yourself.
squirrely1974 has deleted this message.
Hello Donna;
I'm sure other vets will chime in, but basically, you need to keep in mind that your surgeon is the expert at the surgery . . . not necessarilyy the nutritional needs post-op. That is a learning experience for everyone - surgeons, NUTS, PCP's and patients - and because we deal with the affects everyday, we kind of have one-up, if you will, on the surgeons in that regard (with the exception of those few *****ally put in the time and effort to really investigate, track and learn it). There is a basic regimen and then you have to tweak it based upon your needs, how your body reacts and what your labs show. The majority of my pills center around calcium. I hate the horse pills, so I use Citrical Petites, which means I have to take two pills for a dose instead of one, then I add the appropriate magnesium based on what I've learned here. My surgeon doesn't recommend it and doesn't quite understand why I take it, but I've learned from experience that it makes a difference. Then, because my D is low, I take a D with two of my calcium doses (last at bedtime and first upon waking). The other pills that I have are dictated by my own body. I have lifelong potassium issues even prior to surgery and (because of the HCT my PCP put me on) ended up in the emergency room with severe Hypokalemia last year (you do NOT want to deal with that). So now, I take the script potassium. I take the two multi's recommended by my doctor, but have learned that my body better absorbs the A & E separately, so I don't do the ADEK's pills.
One other thing to be advised of is that if "normies" ever had a full bloodwork up done, they'd be taking way more supplements than they do. Studies have already shown that the majority of people are sorely lacking in vitamin D, but it's not something tested unless they start to have serious problems due to the deficiency. It's the same with other vitamins and minerals, they are overlooked until serious symptoms start. We have to stay up on that because the serious systems can happen much more quickly for us than they can for normies and it's much more difficult for us to bring up deficiencies due to the malabsorption.
Yes, there are a lot of people who follow vitalady's regimen, but like everything else, it is a starting point . . . it's perhaps a more aggressive starting point than surgeon's may recommend, but it is a starting point and you tweak and customize based upon your own needs.
I'm sure other vets will chime in, but basically, you need to keep in mind that your surgeon is the expert at the surgery . . . not necessarilyy the nutritional needs post-op. That is a learning experience for everyone - surgeons, NUTS, PCP's and patients - and because we deal with the affects everyday, we kind of have one-up, if you will, on the surgeons in that regard (with the exception of those few *****ally put in the time and effort to really investigate, track and learn it). There is a basic regimen and then you have to tweak it based upon your needs, how your body reacts and what your labs show. The majority of my pills center around calcium. I hate the horse pills, so I use Citrical Petites, which means I have to take two pills for a dose instead of one, then I add the appropriate magnesium based on what I've learned here. My surgeon doesn't recommend it and doesn't quite understand why I take it, but I've learned from experience that it makes a difference. Then, because my D is low, I take a D with two of my calcium doses (last at bedtime and first upon waking). The other pills that I have are dictated by my own body. I have lifelong potassium issues even prior to surgery and (because of the HCT my PCP put me on) ended up in the emergency room with severe Hypokalemia last year (you do NOT want to deal with that). So now, I take the script potassium. I take the two multi's recommended by my doctor, but have learned that my body better absorbs the A & E separately, so I don't do the ADEK's pills.
One other thing to be advised of is that if "normies" ever had a full bloodwork up done, they'd be taking way more supplements than they do. Studies have already shown that the majority of people are sorely lacking in vitamin D, but it's not something tested unless they start to have serious problems due to the deficiency. It's the same with other vitamins and minerals, they are overlooked until serious symptoms start. We have to stay up on that because the serious systems can happen much more quickly for us than they can for normies and it's much more difficult for us to bring up deficiencies due to the malabsorption.
Yes, there are a lot of people who follow vitalady's regimen, but like everything else, it is a starting point . . . it's perhaps a more aggressive starting point than surgeon's may recommend, but it is a starting point and you tweak and customize based upon your own needs.
Diva Jojo: SW: 440lbs -- CW: 274lbs -- GW: 240lbs
Gosh THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for all your wonderful insight from years of experience. I am saddened by the fact that I was so mislead from the beginning with my surgeon's office. I am thanking god now that I was referred to this website and have had the opportunity to ask questions and get straight honest answer from you all!! I just had more bloobwork drawn this morning and feel as though it will be a necessary thing I will need to do more often then I orginally was told. But honestly I am ok with that. I just am dealing with so many different doctors now and it gets overwhleming all their opinions. I do think I have started feeling better, not so sick to my stomach because I am listening to myself and what the "vets" are saying. My D has always been low so I am still taking extra D, but I believe everyone's D is low, as I know so many normies that take next D also, icluding my own mother who has been a petite little thing all her life. I never liked the "normal ranges" they quote on the bloodwork sheets as everyone is different and what is "normal" for one might not be normal for another. I truely believe we are all different and need individual assesments, BUT trick is who is going to listen to us when we demand these answers and scripts, etc. I guess my bottom line of nervousness is who to trust and when can I trust myself to feel good enough to go back to work and not feel like I have to run to the bathroom to get sick, to be able to eat when I need too, all those things that work can impede on. I need to work so I can pay for all these vitamins I had NO idea would be costing me so much. I need to find a way to make this all work and it isn't coming to me easily enough. Even with all the praying lately. If my job was not so important maybe it would be easier but I can't be sick, just no room for it. HHHmmmm lots of figuring out and seeing where I will be by the end of the summer. Thanks again everyone!
I don't think you should think of your surgeon's office as 'misleading' you---I think they truly have your best interests at heart, they're just woefully ignorant about nutrition, vitamin levels, etc.
I strongly urge you to set up a spread sheet and track your values over time. Did you get any pre-op baseline levels done? And yes, you do have a good little bit of most things stored---but the idea hre is to KEEP those stores by constantly taking in enough of everything you need.
The extra D you're taking---it needs to be a 'dry' formulation of D3, not D2. If you got it by prescription, it's the wrong kind. (Just a little FYI.)
I strongly urge you to set up a spread sheet and track your values over time. Did you get any pre-op baseline levels done? And yes, you do have a good little bit of most things stored---but the idea hre is to KEEP those stores by constantly taking in enough of everything you need.
The extra D you're taking---it needs to be a 'dry' formulation of D3, not D2. If you got it by prescription, it's the wrong kind. (Just a little FYI.)
Hey Donna,
Like you I was pretty put off by the initial cost of all these vitamins and supplements that you need to take after surgery. My surgeon's office suggested that I take a mulitvit 3x daily, additional dry ADEK and Iron. That was it. But they didn't tell me how much of ADEK to take! I went with VitaLady for my dry ADEK, the price was really good and I got a 3 month supply of my vites for about $80 (with shipping) and they were shipped really fast! I got my mulitvit from Amazon and went with Celebrate, but I would like to go to a more "normal" brand to save some money.
Now being 3 months out from surgery they have added Calcium Citrate to my regiment. And with my hair falling out in clumps, I've added 10,000mcg Biotin (my own research). So far my levels at 3 months are FANTASTIC. We will have to wait another 3 months to make sure that I am taking enough of these vitamins and supplements to keep my labs that way. Personally, I struggle to get in the Calcium because they sit like a rock in my stomach, but I am working up to the 6 per day.
Keep your eyes open for the BOGO or 50% off sales at your local stores or pharmacies (Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, etc.). I picked up 2 bottles of Biotin for $9.98 (over 6 months worth) and 2 bottles of the calcium (240 total count) for $9.49!
Hang in there.
Like you I was pretty put off by the initial cost of all these vitamins and supplements that you need to take after surgery. My surgeon's office suggested that I take a mulitvit 3x daily, additional dry ADEK and Iron. That was it. But they didn't tell me how much of ADEK to take! I went with VitaLady for my dry ADEK, the price was really good and I got a 3 month supply of my vites for about $80 (with shipping) and they were shipped really fast! I got my mulitvit from Amazon and went with Celebrate, but I would like to go to a more "normal" brand to save some money.
Now being 3 months out from surgery they have added Calcium Citrate to my regiment. And with my hair falling out in clumps, I've added 10,000mcg Biotin (my own research). So far my levels at 3 months are FANTASTIC. We will have to wait another 3 months to make sure that I am taking enough of these vitamins and supplements to keep my labs that way. Personally, I struggle to get in the Calcium because they sit like a rock in my stomach, but I am working up to the 6 per day.
Keep your eyes open for the BOGO or 50% off sales at your local stores or pharmacies (Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, etc.). I picked up 2 bottles of Biotin for $9.98 (over 6 months worth) and 2 bottles of the calcium (240 total count) for $9.49!
Hang in there.
HW: 404/ SW: 380/ GW: 155
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