I went to my required pre-op support group last night and I was surprised that the dietician who oversees the nutrition program at the bariatric center was so uninformed. They had a Q&A session where she told a participant that Viactiv chews were Calcium citrate and were fine. No, actually, they're calcium carbonate. She also told another participant that if they are using Medifast in their pre-op diet, it's fine to use it for Protein while on full liquids because it's full of whey protein. Wrong again. Medifast uses soy protein. That's a very important detail for anyone on thyroid meds. Another participant asked the team of three professionals what the stomach staples are made of. They all looked at each other blankly and admitted they didn't know for sure. Say it with me... titanium.

I'm not bashing the team who will be taking care of me, but it just goes to show the value of communities like this one. There was not one subject covered that I didn't know a good deal about. And that knowledge came from many of you. It was interesting to learn what my personal surgeon requires post-op, in terms of progressing to different food stages, but I've learned more on this website than I did at that meeting.

That is excellent advice. Everyone needs to responsible for their own health. Keep asking questions and look for answers in multiple places.