Recent Posts

thank you so much.  This is great.  I didn't know about some of these sources.  

how is studying going today?

You're doing a great job, Karrie! You are using terms I am very familiar with - operating rhythm, meeting norms, charter, etc. I'm taking a Project Management class next quarter at Seattle U, I'm hoping that will help me on the job.

I have disliked the majority of the protein powders I have tried. Finally, I bought some Unjury unflavored, and it is tolerable. It definitely has a taste, just no specific flavor. If I mix one scoop of it with a 16oz. of Diet Snapple sugar free peach iced tea, it really isn't that bad, I don't mind it at all. It is really the only protein powder that doesn't gag me! LOL! I try and use one scoop a day to supplement my protein intake, and am quite happy with it. I rarely use protein bars, but when I do, I have eaten a Clif bar before a workout, mostly for the energy more than the protein. It is a great snack to eat in the car on my way to the gym. I also like the Twisted protein bars (15 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrate) you can buy at Costco (they almost feel like you are eating a candy bar), but last time I ate one I dumped (which was soon after surgery). Now that I'm almost 9 months out, I'll have to try one again just to see if I still dump from it. Last time I went to Costco, I bought a box of Nugo bars, again more for a pre-workout snack than for the protein. They have 11 grams of protein and 26 grams of carbohydrate. I have not tried them yet, but my personal trainer likes them.

For Supplements, I take the following:

Multi-Vitamin - 2 a day - I use Bariatric Advantage in the mixed berry flavor. I also have a bottle of Centrum Silver chewable, which is not as tasty, but ok. I am not of an age to need Centrum Silver, but the only difference between it and the regular Centrum is that the silver does not have iron. Since I take an iron supplement, I use the Centrum Silver.

Iron Supplement - Bariatric Advantage lemon lime flavored chewable 60mg. The form of iron in Bariatric advantage is carbonyl (brand name Ferronyl), which is better tolerated by us. I have found it does not cause the constipation that other OTC iron caused. When my BA chewable is gone, I plan on purchasing iron supplements from Vitalady, as she sells capsules that use the carbonyl. Also, I get my labs done in the next week, if I find that my iron levels are low, I will continue with the 60mg. Otherwise, I will switch to a supplement with lower levels of iron. The RDA of iron is 18mg.

Calcium Citrate - I take 3 a day of Bariatric Advantage cherry lozenges. The cherry lozenges are very tasty, nice and tart! The second flavor I like is the cinnamon, although cherry is my favorite. When I run out, however, I plan on buying my calcium from Vitalady, as she sells a capsule form of calcium citrate that has magnesium citrate (helps with leg cramping)  and magnesium oxide (helps with constipation).

B12 sublingual from Bariatric Advantage - 1 a day. My B12 was in the normal but low range. By reading the forums,I'm learning that I need to bring it up. If it is still low at my next appt, I'm going to ask about shots. I'm also going to buy my sublingual B12 from Vitalady when I run out of Bariatric Advantage.

The above is what my surgeon recommends. To this regimen, I have added:

Magnesium citrate (Vitalady)  and magnesium oxide (Nature Made brand purchased at Bartell's), I take qty 3 a day of the 140 mg. of calcium citrate which is 105% of the RDA, and I take 2 a day of the magnesium oxide (250mg * 2 tablets) which provides 126% of the daily RDA. My primary care doctor has told me that taking extra magnesium is ok, especially given that I have suffered from leg cramps in the past. Since surgery, I have not had any! I will not have to buy these when I start using the Vitalady Calcium Citrate, since her calcium has mag citrate and mag oxide in them.

B Complex - from Bariatric Advantage - 1 a day. I've added this just because I don't think it can hurt.

Vitamin C - I take an OTC vitamin C with my iron supplement, although my iron supplement also has C in it.

I also take 2 stool softeners a day, (in addition to the magnesium oxide) to help with contstipation. So far it has helped some, but yesterday I ended up breaking out the Milk of Magnesium., which is frustrating. It helps, but then I'm stuck with diarrhea afterwards. The chronic constipation has been a big problem for me post-op, and I plan on asking the surgeon about it at my next appointment. I've heard there is a prescription medication that one can take for this problem.

I've learned a ton about vitamin supplementation and what your blood levels should be for the labs by reading the OH boards and advice from the veterans. I'm anxious to get my lab results to see how I'm doing, as I got real sloppy about vitamin supplementation during the holidays. I finally had to buy this to ensure that I got everything in. It really helps:

www.amazon.com/Apex-70069B-7-DAY-MEDICAL-PLANNER/dp/B000LR9Z NK/ref=sr_1_43
 
I'm probably healthier now than I was pre-op, since I never took vitamins pre-op.

We discovered in our first face to face meeting that most of us are on facebook too.  

Please post your profile link here so we can add each other as friends.

I also created a clone of our group there.   The groups page on facebook allows for increased security.  We can use that group to post addresses, phone numbers etc a lot more securly than here.

I made the group private where you have to ask permission to join.   I will only add people to that group who are members here and have attended our face to face, that iwll keep our information safe.

That group can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=299643268505

My profile is here: http://www.facebook.com/KarrieMassotti   --- > add me!!!

I am using Dr. Oh at St Francis.  What about everyone else?  where are you/ did you have your surgery and who is your doctor?