Unfortunately, I'm really bad in this area. I've got to really get strict with myself. The B12 especially scares me because the damage of a deficiency is irreversible and includes things such as dementia! For me, it's so hard because I dibby out 3 doses of calcium a day because apparently if you take too much at a time, your body won't absorb it all. Then, calcium can't be taken at the same time as iron, other vitamins are better taken with food, etc. I know many people are doing it, but for an organizational disaster like myself it's hard to keep up with it!! It's easier if I'm home alot, but when I'm on the go it gets even harder--even if I carry my pillbox with me. Thanks for the tip on the biotin. I'll have to try that. I'll pm you soon. I'd like to hear more about your experience.
I had RNY in October of last year. I keep a notebook on the kitchen counter and check off my vitamins and pills as I take them each day. My doctor keeps us on a stomach med. for the first year to prevent ulcers. I also have to take thyroid meds., B12, multi vitamin, and vitamin D. For the first few months he kept me on a medicine to prevent gall stones. I tried biotin but stopped taking it after a few months. I struggle to get everything in some days because, like was mentioned earlier, you can't take them all together or they won't work right. I hope I will get to the point that I don't have to write it down every single day, but when I didn't I would end up forgetting if I took one or not. I would do the surgery again today if I had to. I find my support group meetings help keep me motivated. We meet once a month and my surgeon and his staff come and talk to us. In fact we meet tonight! Beth
Please be careful ... You really need those vitamins – especially b vitamins in the very least. Brain and nerve damage are permanent results of not taking them ... you said you know about the dementia but do you know paralysis is also a result of b deficiencies. You had surgery to better your health, you are sabotaging your body by not taking your vitamins. Are you having labwork done at least twice a year? Off my lecture box – please be careful. My body has a defective gene and I do not process the b vits correctly (even pre RNY). Here are a few options for B12 ~ 1) I take a sublingual liquid. I just hold it under my tongue when I take my morning dose of vitamins It is made by Spring Valley (think I got it at WalMart) It has the big B's in it Daily Values are Riboflavin – b-12 ~ 100% Niacin ~ 100% B-6 ~ 100% B-12 ~ 20,000% Pantothenic Acid ~ 300% I suggest you try that. I pop my morning vits and then just squeeze a dropper full under my tongue for 30 seconds. 2) A sublingual tablet - used to take these but the liquid is better for me 3) I also give my self a monthly B-12 shot on the 15th. You cannot OD on B vits – they are excreted in your urine. I am not perfect on vitamin intake but this is how I try to do mine. BEFORE BREAKFAST Thyroid Asprin Prenatal Vitamin – with high level of Iron Liquid B complex 2400 mg Omega 3 LUNCH 500 mg Calcium Citrate – this has mag, vit d, vit k, b6, zinc, copper and manganese in it also – you know we do not absorb other forms of calcium – if you are not taking calcium citrate you might as well just flush those pill. Stool softener 4000 mg vitamin D 2400 mg Omega 3 Folic acid MID AFTERNOON 500 mg Calcium Citrate 2000 mg vitamin D Stool Softener EVENING 500 mg Calcium Citrate 2000 mg vitamin D Stool Softener Here is my story in a nutshell. ~Surgery 1/06 ~Weight Loss ~ 126 pounds by ~ 10/06 ~Conceived post WLS baby # 1 ~ end of 10/06 ~Delivered 7/07 ~Conceived post WLS baby #2 ~ 4/08 – due at the end of December - ~I have gained weight with each pregnancy. I am not eating a RNY diet. I eat a ton of carbs. You cannot be in ketosis while pregnant. My vitamin and mineral stores are pretty depleted, nothing is in the dangerous level but they are on the low end of norms or just outside the low end. I am having blood draws every 2 months and have my next one in 2 weeks. I wanted to add a panni removal to my c-section in December but the plastic surgeon suggested I wait until some of the baby fat is lost. I have a lot of skin, between losing the weight and the first pregnancy. I con only imagine what it will be like after this delivery, yucko for sure!
Wow! 126 in 9 months! That's great! I was wondering how your pregnancies post WLS was/are. It is something I'm thinking about down the road. . .but I still have to convince my DH!! I know it wouldn't be for a few years because there's so much that we need to get settled in our lives right now. At least it sounds like my ability to tolerate carbs might serve me well should I decide to get pregnant again! I was having regular blood tests done, but then I got lax in my doctor visits. The last time, my bloodwork showed I was low in potassium. Beth, is there a reason you stopped with the biotin? Can it "disagree" with a person in some way? When I was in college, I went on Jenny Craig. I remember them giving me supplements for my hair. I wonder if it was biotin?
I was very heavy ~~ 315 and dropped to 189. I am in the 232-234 range right now I expect to be about 250 at delivery. I suspect I will lose 30-35 pounds right away. I did with my last pregnancy. I never got back to 189 but was not trying. I was breastfeeding and was not restricting any calories. I was going to go back to protein when the baby turned 1. Well, I got preggo when she was nine months old ... and obviously I am not restricting with pregnancy. Health wise, the pregnancies are great. No high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia. I do have a bit of reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) but if I eat protein combined with my carbs I am ok. Just when I do the carbs alone I get RHG. My BIG complaint is extreme fatigue. BUT I have a 13 month old, 3 year old, 4 year old and 4 3/4 year old. So it is not like I don't do alot too. Fertility wise, the pregnancies are easy. It took 13 years pre WLS for our first to be born. We did a bunch of infertility treatments in 1996 and miscarried. The first cycle not using protection after WLS BAM. Same with second pregnancy. First cycle after pregnancy and while breastfeeding and BAM. We could not be happier or more blessed. A lot of women get hyper fertile after WLS. BCP are not fully absorbed ... I belong to a POST WLS Pregnancy forum and lots of BCP takers come on board with OOPS kiddos. If you had a hard time getting pregnant pre WLS, generally it is easier after. This is not always the case though some do have major fert issues still. One of my big reasons for WLS was to improve my fertility - uummmm, it worked!
Well, I was not too far behind you with a starting weight of 294. (My all-time highest was 323 at the end of my pregnancy with my twin boys). But I know my weight loss was slowed down because I didn't follow all the rules. Were you really strict afterwards? Did you exercise alot? I am really looking forward to getting settled in our Michigan house where I'll have a basement to set up my treadmill in and hop around on a good solid concrete floor and do aerobics or something! As for fertility, oddly my weight never affected it. So--your mention of "hyper fertility" has piqued my interest! I always said if I get pregnant again, I'd like multiples again and maybe it'll happen! Even though I never wanted to go on any type of birth control, I decided to have an IUD put in after WLS. But it will lose its effectiveness when I am 42 years old. So, if I'm in my 40s and pregnant, so be it!! Actually, I think it would be so funny if my husband threw me a surprise 50th birthday party and I could turn around and say, "Umm, honey, here's an even bigger surprise. . . " O.K., I know that's a stretch, but I still think it'd be funny! I am glad to hear that the WLS worked so well in helping you with your infertility! As for fatigue, I too feel tired so often. I usually feel an overwhelming desire to nap in the afternoon. But, I think that has more to do with being a mom and having all of those motherhood things to do than it does with nutrition or WLS.
My daughter who is 15 was on biotin too. She was taking it because of extreme hair loss due to thyroid problems that turned out to be cancer. She is fine now. Anyway while she and I were taking it she started getting facial hair around her mouth. I got real close and looked one day and realized she had a light peach fuzz starting on her face. I never mentioned it to her, but we both stopped taking biotin right then. I just told her we didn't need it right now. I didn't have extreme hair loss, and nobody ever noticed it getting thin. I don't have thick hair normally so I felt lucky with the amount I lost. I have heard some people say they lose more hair later on. I hope not! Beth
Enough said, Beth! As it is, I could get a side job as the bearded lady at a circus. I can thank genetics for my need of having a dozen pair of tweezers lying around the house and having to shave my forearms. (Several years ago, I looked a photo of an arm reaching out to my then-infant daughter. I asked my DH "Who's that guy touching Hava?" He replied, "Umm, it's you, Kath." I shaved my arms that night and ever since!!) I guess I'll pass on the biotin and just try to make other nutritional efforts and hopefully with time my hair will be more like it used to be!
