why? why? why?

I guess I am lucky, I was given all the correct info at my surgeons office and my PCP is very into WLS and is informed.

This may seem like an odd question, but how do you know you were given all the correct info?  Did you compare your docs vitamin recommendations to those of the ASMBS?  Did you consider what the Vitamin D Council and the Linus Pauling Institute say about vitamin D3?  Did you ask your surgeon and/or PCP for studies or articles in peer reviewed medical journals to back up the things they say?

Please understand, I am NOT saying I know all the correct answers and I am not saying your doctors do not know the correct info.  I know I don't know everything and I don't know your docs so I don't know what they do or do not know.  I'm just curious about how you determined that you were given all the correct info.  And there are a few things that I do know that docs almost never tell patients so I will be super impressed with your docs if they told you how high your B12 and vitamin D levels should be and how much D3 you'll need to take post op.

Its all info straight from there in my handbook. I have where Im supposed to be with b12 (it was low to begin with so I got put on injections to get it up even before surgery) My d levels are wonky, so Ive been getting those done every other week since I had my realize band. Which is fun when they have to get the blood from my wrist. So right now they are trying to figure out how much I need to take since my D levels like to drop even with supplements. But like I said, my PCP sent me there and reminded them that my levels are wonky due to an autoimmune issue I have.  My numbers are at home and I am at work (yay graveyard). But yes I am one of the ones under the thumb by both of them. I guess its a good thing, but it gets old. Merry Christmas.

HI Kelly,

I see this from both sides of the coin.  IN our program, we have designed the dietary progression and vitamin supplementation to coincide with ASMBS guidelines.  However, the amount of patients *****ad info on the internet or on these boards, the questions us as to why they have to take "all of those vitamins" and stay on the liquid diet" astounds me.  There is a VERY low complication rate in our program, and I attribute that to the surgeon's expertise, as well as the dietary/vitamins supplementation guidelines we have set up.

While I realize that other programs do it differently, we actually adhere to ASMBS guidelines FOR A REASON!  I am also amazed by how many people just go into the surgery nor realizing how many vitamins they will NEED to take, FOR A LIFETIME.  Just astounds me!

I think those are good questions.  Yeah, I think there is a good reason why patients have to take all those vitamins, but if they don't know the reason, it's a great question.  Many people don't realize that we absorb most vitamins in the duodenum, which is bypassed in RNY patients.  They think we absorb vitamins in our stomachs or something.  So the reason for so many vitamins is not obvious to them.

When you explain the reason, are most patients then compliant?  Does it bother you if patients ask why?