Hi I am not sure of the exact date, but I am pretty sure my surgery will be in August. This will give my sister time to heal (she is having surgery in June) and will give me more time to lose weight.

I already had my psychological evaluation and they unofficially told me that they would clear me for the surgery. But I still have quite a few tests to go thru.

It was obvious to me how much I learned from these boards when I spoke to the Nutritionist. I told her about all the things I learned from Jiffy and Peach and Debkay and so many others. Her eyes got bigger and bigger and she looked at me and said that I was better informed than any other pre-op patient she has spoken to. I even saw her taking notes about a few of the things that I said.

She said she was especially glad to hear that I realize that I will have to continue to watch what I eat after my WLS and exercise etc. She said so many pre-op patients think that WLS will be the END of dieting and exercise.

I mentioned the 3FC website to her and said I have learned so much here.

oh pookie.. i think i'm gonna cry!!!! and NO i'm not hormonal!!!!! i'm so glad we've been helpful. and what's more i really hope the nutritionist learned something...

i'm so proud of you!!!!

Thanks Jiffy -- now you got me teary-eyed too. You are one of my heros and that is great praise coming from you! --Pookie

The nutritionist I went to told me to get CHEWABLE Calcium for after my WLS.
She recommeded TUMS, but I notice that Tums are Calcium CARBONATE.

I read in a couple a places (including this forum) that Calcium CITRATE is more readily absorbed after WLS. Does anyone know of a brand of
Chewable Calcium CITRATE? Thanks- Pookie

Hey, for my calcium PLEASURE, I recommend VIACTIV. And you can even find store brands at Rite Aid or Walgreens.

It's MEDICINE, LOL!



~VOW

boy was I delighted to find this thread. My name is cathy and i had wls 8/23/01 my hi weight was 395. i am at 279. i went to 265 but am flutating. I have just tried atkins and don't care for that too much fat and calories for me. I am now trying the sb and I like it much better. I was 285 when I stsrted sb. .
i just wanted to pop in and get my intro done . hope I will be welcome here. need support.
se ya

Thanks Vow for the Viactiv suggestion, but I see that it is Calcium Carbonate again. I am looking for chewable calcium that is either Citrate or Lactate.
I think I will look around on Drugstore.com

Hi CATHY Welcome

We are always happy to have new blood around here. CONGRATS on the 100+ weight loss !!. Please keep posting we all learn from one another.

Welcome Aboard -- Pookie

Good luck Pook.

Of course, you could always just DOUBLE UP on the Viactiv....

(medicine, yanno....)



~VOW

Pookie...It always warms my heart when people pass the psyche eval!!!!! You are on your way!!!!! Congrats.

I'm gonna let hormonal Jiff tackle the calcium question.

Welcome Cathy!!!! You have done great with the weight loss!
I had my surgery on 8/11/03 and I have to ask you....has your weight loss slowed down now?

Post often, Cathy so that we can get to know you!
peach

Pookie - your one step closer!
Cathy welcome aboard! Many here to help you with support! There is also a south bend forum as well, Jiff and Debkay help out us new ones! I had surgery in Nov of 2003.
My doctor suggested the tums too, but when I told him what I learned at this web site, he agreed that the calicum citrate was more absorable for everyone! So I changed to the calicum citrate too!

Hi Ditzy, Did you find a chewable calcium citrate or do you just take the tablets? I was just remembering that once I used a mini coffee bean grinder to grind up some tablets maybe I could do that with the calcium and mix it into something.

Even though it is a ways off I want to slowly stock up on things. I had another kind of operation in 1996 and I was laid up for quite a while. I was out of work for 2-3 months so I want to be sure my house is well stocked this time.

hi cathy!!! it's nice to meet you... congrats on the weight loss.. and of course you're welcome here..

now, let me go get the calcium bottle so i can read the label... hold on...

ok. it's twinlabs chewable calcium citrate. tastes kind of like orange sweet-tarts. it's a sad sad thing about the calcium carbonate... and the viactivs. they taste soooo good!! <SIGH>

there's also a crystalline calcium by KAL that dissolves, but it's best dissolved in milk products, not water based things where it tastes really yucky. i didn't taste it in the milk.

i've gotten both the crystalline and the chewable citrates at VITAMIN SHOPPE...

and i've tried grinding the tablets as well. they don't dissolve in anything and taste like chalk. another yucky moment.

keep us posted! It's a major adventure to find this stuff.

Leave it to Jiffy. The Twinlabs Chewable Calcium Citrate sounds like just what I am looking for

If I go to the Vitamin Shoppe I have to remember to tell them NOT to put me on their mailing list. A couple of years ago I was on their list and they were CONSTANTLY sending me LARGE catalogs filled with every kind of vitamin on this planet! I don't know if they have since changed their policy but they were really overdoing the catalogs at that time.

I will go into the store incognito and pay cash and leave without giving them my name or address.

Thanks again for the tip Jif.

pookie.. why are we still up?? i had a two-hour-long, prebedtime nap, and then had to eat something for dinner [a small slice of whole grain bread with some ham and cheese and the whole thing is soooo stuck right now that i'm just WAITING for the run to the bathroom!!!!].

i was stupid.

all this calcium stuff was a hard-learned lesson of trial and error. i had real problems early on swallowing those horse pills., some folks have no problems. but every time i tried, something got stuck. can't stand it. soooo i started looking EVERYWHERE.

by the way, did you know that there are also liquid calciums? they're quite good, but not as convenient as the chewables. but easier to find.

keep looking... let us know what you find.

and oh. i have the vitamin shoppe's blue card, and they've NEVER sent me a catalog.l.. of course, mom might have thrown it out...

Good morning ladies this is Cathy, bigfun is my dh. I have not figured how to change log-ins yet.
I still buy caltrate chewables and they tase good. I missed something evidently. are they not good. I still crush my other pills and prefer to do that. most liquids are expensive. I did buy chewables from gnc and order liquid calcium online. It taste great, but me and dh both have to take same things so I try to cut cost,

Cathy