Vitamins

Now I am NOT a doctor. Nor am I a person with all the answers. However, I am officially a curmdgeonly type male dude, with limited experience in certain things and an innate ability to make women go... huh?? (its in my genes, I have five sisters.... I still am amazed that my lovely and beautifiul wife married me... I think see was dropped on her head as a child or something.... ahem. Jack.. Paging Jack Martin.. Jack... Jack please pick up a white courtesy phone.... paging Jack Martin. Jack...please meet your party at the yellow taxi parking... Jack, I think you must defend me as when (shhhhhhhhh be werry werry qwiet.. maybe she wont) my wife reads my posts I is gonna get thumped !) Save me, Jack. VITAMINS. As an RNY patient, post operatively, part of your intestine was bypassed and surgically you have been given (or will be for you pre op folks) a small limited space pouch. For the rest of your life it will be necessary to take vitamin supplements. This is because -you have less absorbtion ability because less of your intestine visits your food.. less visitation opportunity means less is absorbed.. particularly the B vitamins, calcium, iron and others. SO.. what to do. It depends. One lady in our support group cuts a Centrium Silver multi vitamin in half and takes that. I think she also takes calcium supplements too. Others rely on Vita mist spray vitamins, which sprays into your throat. I have also heard about spray vitamins you take up your nose.. nasally.. (seriously). Still others take vitamins you disolve (water soluable powder) in water. Others take adult chewable multi vitamins (my wife for example) ME? Moi? I take 12 childrens vitamins, chewable fred flintstone type, six in the morning,,,, and six at night. They taste good.. and it works for me. There are SEVERAL roads to vitamin nirvana and health. Basically.... find what works for you making sure you are getitng the necessary vitamins, and that whatever you use and settle for. TALK to your doctor. Talk to other bariatric post op people.... and then find what you are comfortable with and what you prefer. You SHOULD have blood work before surgery, and at one month, six months and a year. At least that is what I had.... definitely at six months and a year. If your surgeon for some reason does NOT order work to check your protein, vitamin and blood levels like iron, then YOU ask your primary care doctor or surgeon. ITS VERY IMPORTANT to keep track and make sure you dont get deficient in vitamins. I joke and laugh and tell corny stories but in all seriousness.... you have to stay on top of them. YOU ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND... in this post surgery journey, so make sure you keep track of your vitamin and blood levels and that you are tested at least every six months for the first couple years, and at least yearly after that. Its LIFELONG. When they bypass part of our intestine (how much varies per person and per surgeon) then it is necessary to take vitamins to make sure we dont become vitamin deficient.. For me... childrens vitamins keep all my vitamin levels pegged. Plus they taste good and I like em.. Im just a big (redneck) kid. : PPP I also eat a LOT of dairy... cheese, milk, yogurt... so I DONT take added calcium.. but a lot of people do and should that dont eat so much dairy. You should eat or chew I mean (chewable is best due to our absorbtion issues) calcium CITRATE... thats the kind that is correct and absorbable. Well... its 646 am and I have been posting for 3 hours.. need to take a rest and then work on my last class for Spring term (procrastination is my middle name ) Be well.. have a super day Godspeed to all Timoteo Rayus

timmy --my husband had his surgery on 5/22/06 -- he started out with 'childrens bugs bunny' but he didn't like the purple ones (i told him they were grape, but he insisted they are purple--ok) well yesterday he had to buy some more -- i waited in the car -- he was so EXCITED!!!!! he came out of the store and declared 'They Had SPIDERMAN!!!' he also takes b-1, b-12, calcium citrate and folic acid -- but now he can be a big boy cuz he found Superman Vitamins!!!!!! what ever makes him happy roberta