[KlassyKid]

I went to India for my WLS in March of this year. Consequently I have no support team behind me, nutritionist, dietician etc. My question is does anyone know of a book that has weekly meal plans in it? I find that planning meals is the hardest thing for me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jiffypop]

did you have a gastric bypass? lab band? vertical gastrectomy? duodenal switch? the food requirements are a little different for each of them. and other than this, how are you feeling?

[Coffee Luver]

Can you get support from your regular doctor? They should be able to provide you with some guidance.

[jiffypop]

aaaah. coffee luver - there's one of the big problems. most PCPs don't know enough about the surgery. for most of us, we're lucky if they know what labs to do - and we have to keep a close eye on them. we have to be sure that they look for TRENDS, and not necessarily the number -

a quick example - it's common to become anemic due to iron deficiency or B12 deficiency [RNY]. the signs are that your hemoglobin drops below a certain level [is it 11 mg/dL or lower? i don't remember]. BUT if your hemoglobin decreases by at least 2 mg/dL, you're becoming anemic, even if it's still in the normal range.

as for what we should eat - no. they rarely know the details. they DO know that we shouldn't have milkshakes, though!

[Coffee Luver]

That is terrible!!! They need to be able to accommodate to your needs. If they didn't support the surgery (referrals, etc), they should at least be able to take care of patient needs AFTER the surgery has occurred! There job is to help you achieve and maintain wellness. How incredibly frustrating!!

Klassy - can you change PCP or get a referral to a nutritionist?

[jiffypop]

yep! and that's why it's really important that we help each other and provide real information rather than opinions. in fact, i found a huge consensus statement [the ASMBS, AACE, and a couple of other organizations] the other day that has some of the information that Klassy is looking for, but it's divided into directions for the specific type of surgery - so i'm hoping she comes back soon!

[KlassyKid]

I had Gastric Bypass Surgery. I also just went to see my primary care provider who did a full blood work up. His assistant called me back to say that everything looked normal except that my triglyserides were still a little high. She advised me to stay away from fried foods. I told that I didn't eat fried anything..........next time I will insist on only my doctor calling me back. Thanks for any help

[KlassyKid]

Originally Posted by Coffee Luver

Can you get support from your regular doctor? They should be able to provide you with some guidance.

I did talk with my PCP and he did not know of any nutritionists in my area. I live in quite a rural area. I also do not have insurance.. I tried buying Insurance three years ago when my husbands company stopped covering spouses and was told I was too overweight