Post op plan

[wanttolose]

Need help folks! Since I am doing this more or less in my own with my PCP who has never followed up on a bariatric patient before, I need help and advice on the post op food plan and supplements plan.

I have received my surgeon's preferred plan and I must say I find it not as conservative as I would like to be. His plan has me on clear liquids for 2 days then purees and by day 4 soft foods like mashed potatoes ( no thanks! ) and basically moving into solids by week 4-6. I am planning to do liquids like broth, Isopure, etc for at least a week. Then I read abt full liquids - aside from milk, what is another full liquid? So plan to do that for a week too and then move to purees for a couple of weeks and mushies and then solids. How did your diets progress?

Also curious abt vitamins and supplements. None of my pre op levels are low. Should I take iron? Vitamin B12? D?

I have calcium citrate in every form imaginable. I have multi v in chewable form. I have tums and all sorts of other supplements and vitamins. Just need your experiences in what you take and when.

Thanks a million!

[nandmsmom]

I can tell you what my surgeon recommended.

A multivitamin chewable like Centrum, not gummy, 1000-1500 mg of calcium citrate chewble and a sublingual B complex with B12 included.

At least 60g protein and 64 oz fluid. It may take a few days to get there, but protein drinks count toward your fluids. Sip, sip, sip.

Post op day 1: Clear liquids, starting with sips at 1 ounce per hour, then sipping.

POD 2: Full liquids. This included protein shakes, yogurt without bits, cream soups with bits strained out, broth and broth with an egg stirred into it for egg drop soup. This was for 2 weeks.

At 2 weeks: Soft meats. Things like eggs, fish, shrimp, soft chicken with gravy if necessary. They did not want any veggies at all during this time. No starches either. This was for another 4 weeks, until you are 6 weeks out.

At 6 weeks: Progressively add anything else that you tolerate. Keeping to the minimum of 60g of protein and 64 oz of water minimum.

Hope that helps and congrats!

[Deleted]

I too was mostly on my own, and used a combo of my surgeon's post-op plan & LapSF's Sleeve Guide, but unfortunately the link to that is now dead and I never saved it to the compy.. it basically was (is, as I am still in loss-mode) 600-800cals, under 40g carbs (I do sub 20) and 70+ protein.. 10 days clears, 10 full liquids (anything you can suck through a straw, milky protein, protein pudding, strained soups w/ added protein, stuff like that), 10 days mushies/pureed.. then onto solids.. No meats till 30 days out, and take it very slow when you try anything new. No raw veg till a couple more weeks out, though I still don't bother much with raw veggies (save for pickles.) The first month was really limited for variety, but it passes fast enough.

As for vites- let your labs call it- but know that most folks have D levels in the low-end range, which is too low.. even if it doesn't show as out of range. My D was 31 after supplementing for months, now it's finally up near 90.. after 7000-10000iu a day, for months.

As for iron, see the Iron PSA post by Brandilynn.. weightlosssurgery.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=labs&thread=1298&page=1#21987
I learned my lesson. I didn't need an iron supplement, and didn't have the right labs pulled the first time at 3mo PO, so I had/have a buildup of it.. Iron is one you really need to let the labs call it for you.

I take cal citrate, magnesium (citrate & oxide), a good complete multi 1x day, D3, C, B complex and B12.. to that I also take some good oils, omega 3's and other supplements, but cal/mg, D3, B12 & a complete adult multi (like Centrum) are generally the usual minimums. I didn't bother with chewables once I was 2-3 weeks out.

[wanttolose]

I have the LapSF Sleeve guide, the Cornell one which my doc uses and several others. I figure I will do what feels right and listen very carefully to my body.
I read the iron post you linked but can't say I fully understood... Maybe I will ask mom... She is a hematologist, retired but still knows her stuff. But after.. I haven't told my folks yet about the surgery.
Is there a link to the full list of post op labs and metabolic follow up guide somewhere that I could share with my PCP?

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2012 14:03:34 GMT -5 wanttolose said:

I have the LapSF Sleeve guide, the Cornell one which my doc uses and several others. I figure I will do what feels right and listen very carefully to my body.
I read the iron post you linked but can't say I fully understood... Maybe I will ask mom... She is a hematologist, retired but still knows her stuff. But after.. I haven't told my folks yet about the surgery.
Is there a link to the full list of post op labs and metabolic follow up guide somewhere that I could share with my PCP?

Basically I OD'd myself with iron.. ferritin is the stored form of iron, and mine was 2x the high level. There may be a post in the LABS section pertaining to VSGers, if not- this is the list I go by, there are others you may want to get pulled, thyroid, lipids etc:

This was 14 vials, and I had to go back twice for a re-draw on two as my PCP's lab tech kept messing up the Bvites ones, and the lab (thankfully) would refuse them.. needed special light-protected vials etc.

CBC
Comprehensive Met panel
Pro time, PT/INR
Iron
TIBC
ferritin
transferrin
Copper
Zinc
Total protein
albumin
pre-albumin
Folate
Vitamin A (DO NOT EXPOSE TO LIGHT)
vitamin B 1 (Don't expose to light)
vitamin B6 (also do not expose to light)
vitamin B12
vitamin D (Dhydroxy 25, 0,25 – NOT 1,25)
PTH (for use with calcium and vitamin D levels, where is calcium coming from)

[redbabe08]

my plan was as follow:

day 1-2, clear liquids
day 2-7, full liquids including protein
day 8 soft foods, start vitamins / prilosec
day 15, start actigall
day 28, start general food - introduce foods slowly

at my 3 month labs i had:
CBC
CMP
Iron
TIBC
B-12
25-OH Vitamin D
PTH intact and with out Ca+
Transferrin

i have been taking the standard
1 multi / 1 b12 sublingual / 2 cal citrate X2 day / 1 iron / 1 zinc (was told to take month 3 check up) / 1 probiotic.

i go in a few wks for my 6 month check up & not sure what else in addition to the above will be drawn.
it's taken me a while to get into food again & turned that curve a few wks ago.

my hair & skin have done a 180 being outdoors more i think. was looking pale & hair was thinning. energy also returned.

all the best.

[Deleted]

A full liquid is something smooth that is or was pourable. Yogurt, pudding, egg drop soup and a bit of ricotta cheese are all things I had in my full liquid phase.