Weight loss and Vitamin questions

Hi ladies,

I've been reading posts and trying to learn more on the board. I noticed some posts stated they had to lose weight before surgery. Is this dependent on the doctor/hospital you go to? How much weight/what percentage do they require you to lose before surgery?

For the vitamin question, I see some people start their vitamins before surgery. What vitamins do you suggest I start with? I haven't even been scheduled for my pathway classes at Madigan, but I did start taking a multi vitamin. I haven't been very good at it since I always forget to take it. What do you guys suggest?

Thanks again!

My insurance required me to do a 6 month diet... which I only lost about 14#... but I did not have to lose a specific amount of weight.

I have never been good about taking vitamins.. so I started taking a multi-vitamin to get into the habit.  I use Bariatric Advantage for my calcuim and Iron, Trader joes for vit B... and the multi that my surgeons office sells.

Congrats on being on the path to better health.

Helen

My surgeon wants us to lose 10% of our body weight before surgery to shrink the liver and generally make a bit more room for him to work.

Check with your doctor re vitamins, but at the very least some multi vitamins beforehand wouldn't hurt.

I seem to have issues with iron, and I wish I had known about this much earlier, might have saved me a few iron infusions if I had been taking more supplements for a longer time.

Thanks for the replies ladies. I am currently anemic and I have not been the best at taking my iron pills either. Just hearing about iron infusions doesn't sound good so I will definitely make sure I take those mulitvitamins. Goodness, I'm about to go into my cupboards right now and take one! Thanks again, you ladies are so helpful!

I had surgery at Madigan.  Have you spoken to Meg yet or gone to initial WLS class?  They generally do want you to lose some weight, and show that you are working on making a lifestyle change.  I think the weight loss amount in variable on you, and what your surgery choice is.

Good job taking that multi vitamin now!!  It will only help you later on.  If you are anemic you need to get to work on that before surgery.  RNY patients have a harder time absorbing iron. ( Not sure what surgery your thinking about just extra info for ya!)

Hi Jilly,

Thanks for the info. I went in for the initial WLS class a couple weeks ago. There, they told us that they apparently revamped their program since they've got so many people who want the surgery. They now issue everybody a number, they don't tell you what number you are. Only they know what number you are. Then when your number comes up, Tri Care is supposed to call and then you go to the Introduction to the Pathway with Meg. They gave us all a handy chart showing what all this entails. They said that once you go to class, it is about a 6 to 9 month wait until Tri Care calls because there are still several hundred people already ahead of us in the class.

Goodness, it seems like it might have been faster even if I would have gone to class even the end of last year. Okay, thanks again for the info.

Hi,

This is my first post. I had the same questions you had when I was waiting for the class with Meg. I just went Feb. 2. I went to the initial WLS class either in Sept. or Oct. (can't remember exactly). Anyway, at the WLS class we were told that there where at least 300 people on the waitlist. I was not given a chart like you where. At the beginning of Jan. I called the General Surgery clinic to make sure I was on the list. They gave me a number of someone to call; I don't know if this was Meg or someone else, as I did not keep that information. The person that I ended up talking to told me that I was 232 on the list. She stated that it would probably take 4 or 5 month before I was called. So, when I was called the last week of Jan. and asked if I would like to attend the first Pathways class on Feb. 2 I was very surprised. I went, but thought maybe there was a mistake, but there where other people in the class who had also attended the initial WLS class about the same time, but I believe some had attended back last spring. -Not sure why such a wide spread of time. Meg seemed a little surprised that there where people that had only waited since early fall. Oh well, where in. Hopefully you will have the same luck.
At the first Pathways Meg said that they want you to lose 10 to 20 pounds. Your are to start your healthy life style immediately (I am having a hard time with that) and start writing down what you eat. A couple of days after attending the class with Meg you can start making the various appointments though the pathways. I have attended one this past Wed. and will attend one on Tue.
At some point call and see if someone will tell you what number you are on the waitlist. Maybe they will tell you. It is only fair that you have some frame of reference.

Micheleshelly,

Oh my word! You just gave me hope. I have been so excited one minute then kind of depressed another wondering if I'll even have the surgery this year. I'm hoping to have something happen before my hubby gets orders to the sandbox agan. I'm alone going thru this process as my family is not supportive at all. (Parents and siblings do not have weight issues so they cannot understand where I am coming from. Hubby is so understanding and supports me in every way thank goodness.) I would LOVE to attend the support group, but haven't been able to due to daycare issue. I am working on that issue so I will hopefully be there soon!

I went to the WLS class on Feb 5th with Dr. Beekly. He said it was his first time teaching it and gave everybody this paper that says once called by Tri Care, we can do the Introduction to Bariatric Educational Pathway with Meg. Then after that, it is the Nutrition class series, OT, Social work. Then it is an individual appt with Nursing Assessment. From there, off to Psych, Consults and PCM apt. Then from there another Nurse appt for reassesment. Everything is so foreign and I don't understand it all, but I am ready to go!

My biggest "oops" is not getting a number for who to call/what department to call to find out what number I am. I think I'll try General Surgery and see if they can help me. The only number they had on the paper was the regular 1-800-404# for scheduling appts.

Gosh, thank you so much for the insight. At first seeing the 10 to 20 pounds requested to lose, that kind of freaked me out because then I start stressing because I don't want to delay this surgery. Okay, thanks again for the reply. I just love this board. I have learned so much and everybody is so friendly and willing to answer my questions. (No matter if ithas been asked in the past and I just couldn't find it in my search. I'm sure I am not the first one with all these questions. )

Turtle13

I found the phone numbers that I called. First I called General surgery at 253-968-1145 and they gave me the following number saying it was for Pathways advocacy: 253-968-1145. So you might start with the second number. I hope you can get more questions answered with this. When I called at the first of Jan. they told me I was #232. Had I called back in the fall I surely would have be told a much higher # and felt like it would be a year or two before my turn would come up.

I am a teacher, so even when they told me in Jan. that it would be several months before I would start the Pathways I was discouraged, because if I could not have surgery by early July, this summer, I would have to wait until the following summer. I am so glad now that I have started the pathways, as I feel that it is possible to have surgery this summer and be on my way.

Good Luck to You,
Michele

Turtle,
An added note: I am not sure how strict they are on the 10 to 20 lb weight loss. So, I would not worry to much about that delaying surgery.
Michele