Well, I am seven weeks post op (at least 42 lbs down) and Im feeling great.

My only issue is that I was only the second person to be sleeved by my hospital and I feel like I cannot relate to anyone in the "support groups" that we have to go to.

Im hoping to gain some advice from this website now! I am currently feeling like this is not working, Im worrying all the time about what I am eating, and if it is wrong! Also, Water has become my enemy! It makes me so sick to my stomach, so I have been drinking Propel Zero, Crystal Light and Powerade Zero, but I worry that I should be drinking just water also.

Im also having some trouble with Vitamins. I currently take 2 daily vitamins from GNC, but I cannot stomach them any longer (they are like cherry flavored cardboard!) I was wondering if people were able to take Flinstone vitamins? The Weight Loss Center that I am a part of says that you can't have Flinstone Vitamins, but I think that is only pertaining to people who have had the bypass or the band, as they don't have alot of experience yet with the sleeve? Any suggestions?

Please help! I'm feeling no connections here!

Help me get some understanding of what support you have been provided by your hospital or surgeon. Did you get a meal plan for follow up? Have they ran labs so you could know which Vitamins to be taking?

If it helps to get your fluids in using the products you mentioned, that is fine. It is very important to be getting in at least 64oz. Dehydration is a bad thing.

Well, I am seven weeks post op (at least 42 lbs down) and Im feeling great.

My only issue is that I was only the second person to be sleeved by my hospital and I feel like I cannot relate to anyone in the "support groups" that we have to go to.

Im hoping to gain some advice from this website now! I am currently feeling like this is not working, Im worrying all the time about what I am eating, and if it is wrong! Also, Water has become my enemy! It makes me so sick to my stomach, so I have been drinking Propel Zero, Crystal Light and Powerade Zero, but I worry that I should be drinking just water also.

Im also having some trouble with Vitamins. I currently take 2 daily vitamins from GNC, but I cannot stomach them any longer (they are like cherry flavored cardboard!) I was wondering if people were able to take Flinstone vitamins? The Weight Loss Center that I am a part of says that you can't have Flinstone Vitamins, but I think that is only pertaining to people who have had the bypass or the band, as they don't have alot of experience yet with the sleeve? Any suggestions?

Please help! I'm feeling no connections here!

Celebrate makes a great Multivitamin tab and a Calcium supplement and they are actually sort of pleasant. one tab a day with a 60 day supply is 20$ or so, and they have a sublingual weekly b complex 90 for 25$ but that is a very long term supply for the b complex. These are the vitamins i will be taking. I am finding GMC to not have very tasty or very WLS friendly products.

I am sorry you are having problems! Do you Skype? I would be glad to talk to you - or anyone here - and of course you can skype with others also!

There is no need for anyone to be alone!

Help me get some understanding of what support you have been provided by your hospital or surgeon. Did you get a meal plan for follow up? Have they ran labs so you could know which Vitamins to be taking?

If it helps to get your fluids in using the products you mentioned, that is fine. It is very important to be getting in at least 64oz. Dehydration is a bad thing.

They did give me a small meal plan idea, but mostly they have just told me to get my Protein in and then green vegetables. And no, no labs have been done to see what vitamins I need. They have told me to take 2 Multivitamins, B12, and Calcium daily.

I have been drinking alot, I have had a few run-ins with dehydration, and after trial and error have figured out that it was dehyration and that I need to be sure I drink alot.

The actual hospital that I went to has had a Surgical Weight Loss Center for a long time, and is a MAGNET hospital. However, they just gained a surgeon thathad done the Sleeve over 1000 times, but I was only the second patient to be sleeved in the hospital.

I am feeling as if the team of Nurse Practitioners, the nutritionists, and the other staff don't always have answers for me, or they forget that i have had the sleeve and not bypass. Its really quite annoying! they do have monthly meetings that you have to go to, but i'm only the second sleeve, its hard to relate to the people that have had the other surgeries because they have such different feelings!

Celebrate makes a great multivitamin tab and a calcium supplement and they are actually sort of pleasant. one tab a day with a 60 day supply is 20$ or so, and they have a sublingual weekly b complex 90 for 25$ but that is a very long term supply for the b complex. These are the Vitamins i will be taking. I am finding GMC to not have very tasty or very WLS friendly products.

I am sorry you are having problems! Do you Skype? I would be glad to talk to you - or anyone here - and of course you can skype with others also!

There is no need for anyone to be alone!

Thanks for the support! I will check into the vitamins you have suggested, and I do have Skype, just not always!! I've been reading your journey!! So excited for you!

Amanda, You're in the right place to get lots of support. Perhaps you could take some of the info here back to your doctors and it will help the next 1,000 patients they sleeve!

GNC will take back any product that you don't like, FYI. Even if you've opened it. I take a Centrum chewable every day (two while I was on liquids and mushies). I buy mine at the Walgreens here because they have B1G1 sales regularly.

Good luck on your journey!!

I recommend a bariatric Vitamin also as Flinstones don't have enough of the right things for us. The reason we need Vitamins is the small stomach means much less acid, and much less time.surface in the stomach for food so vitamins are not liberated from our food in adequate quantities.

I myself use Bariatric Advantage. I get my multi and Iron from them in chewable form. I get my calcium (you need 1000-1500 mg a day taken separately from your iron) from costco and my B12 from Trader Joes. B12 MUST be sublingual as we cannot process B12 in our stomachs anymore- so a chewable or swallowed form will NOT work.

I am part of some awesome Facebook pages for sleevers- let me know if you would like to join one or all of them. They provide daily, immediate support.

Hi, I worked with a nutritionist after my sleeve. I always had trouble with vitamins before the surgery and found that Flinstones were the only vitamins I could take without it upsetting my stomach. After my surgery (July 2011) I still couldn't tolerate the Celebrate or Bariatric Advantage vitamins. I have huge unopened bottles of them. What a waste of money! My nutritionist OK'ed the use of Flinstones. I take one in the morning and one at night. My advice would be to talk to your surgeon or nutritionist. If you are having trouble with them or not taking them at all, they might advise taking Flinestones as an alternative.

To me the most important part of your post is that you are only 7 weeks post op. 1) I agree, follow your doctor's rules first. 2) My personal experience, don't sweat the details if you are feeing great. My program prefers the higher end Vitamins, but if something like Flintstones works for you now, use them. Just check every 7 to 10 days to see if you can take the "better" ones. As your sleeve matures you will be able to handle more mature foods and supplements also. 3) As long as the liquid is caffeine free, don't worry about not being able to take plain Water. You will stay hydrated. I was lucky, I could tolerate water from the start but not everyone can. It's another thing you'll need to test occasionally because there will come a time when you can handle plain water again.

Everyone has a point where their sleeve matures. I think I was a little late on that but since 5/6 months, I have been fine with everything except sugar. I have wicked dumping. Otherwise, the only concern I have in with certain meds. For instance, I am dealing with depression and started on an antidepressant. It is taking longer to kick in than for a "normal" and I'm pretty sure that's due to the stomach issue. Yet, if I take it with a bit of food and sip of water so it stays in my stomach longer, it comes right back up. So that's the only long term challenge I've had.

Good luck. Glad you are feeling great.

7 weeks out and down 42 pounds.. Your doing great

I am 7 weeks post-op too. I can't handle the Celebrate vitamins; made me feel nauseous. I mentioned this to my physician's assistant and she said that when they first came out she had a sample that she took and she felt the same way. She recommended 2 Flintstones daily and a healthy meal plan. I too have trouble drinking all the water. I just sip all day long trying to get it down; I miss not being able guzzle a cup down.

my doc said flintstones were fine...go to celebrate bariatric vitamins..ask for them to mail you a sample..I got a good amount..the berry was so yummy better than the crap I have..centrum orange chew...

If you are on facebook, there are some great Sleeve groups - VSG For ME and Smart, Strong, and Sexy Sleevers! (4S) are two of my favorites. Another group I am in is WLS - there are members that have had all sorts of wls surgery but a fair amount of sleevers too - it is the largest group I am in. They are all closed groups so only members see your posts - still very private. My hospital doesn't have alot of sleeves either - when I began my journey it was around 12 I believe. Our support group doesn't usually have but 2-3 who have been sleeved and a few more that are in process. I find so much of my support online.

I have heard BAD things about taking flintstones - in the WLS facebook group there is a very knowledgeable lady writing a book about Vitamins and WLS and it is great to get info from her. She had RNY and developed rickets taking flintstones which has made her really dive in to research. She recommends centrium (or the store brand equal to), 1 a day. I switched to them myself as the bariatric chewables began to make me sick. I haven't gotten results on my 3 month labs yet so not sure how it worked.

I have since began dealing with a leak now and so unable to take anything by mouth so just getting my nutrients and vitamins from the osmolite.

I use a pill crusher to crush up the icky tasting vitamins and wash it down with water. It really helps out! I use the Bariatric Advantage multi vitamin. Feel free to PM or aim me if you need someone to chat with.

For the first month I used chewables, but did not chew them. I just let them sit in my month until they dissolved, as the bariatric nurse suggested. It takes a long time that way, but they tasted good and I avoided the chalkiness. (Now I take pills from the same company). They have free samples.

http://www.bbvitamins.com/

I have kind of the same problem as you with the whole support group issue. I was sleeved in Dallas - about 4 hours from my small town. I know no-one who has had this surgery done and it is very frustrating. A few of my friends have had the lap-band so they somewhat understand. But it is still hard to be basically on your own. I am 9 weeks post-op and only down 32 lbs! However, this site is very helpful, the most helpful one I have found. If you need anything, support, help.... just let me know. I can do my best!