HELLO from Knoxville, TN 3 yrs Post-OP.. NOW learning everything!

[Courtney Beard]

Hey everyone,
It is awesome to be apart of such a huge group. I had BPD surgery April 2nd, 2012. I was 293 lbs and I am not 164. I was totally misinformed with everything from the surgery. I have no idea about the surgery I had honestly. As I joined a group on facebook, I started to learn more. However, I am still in the dark especially when it comes to labs, malabsorption etc... I have been taking the Multivitamins from my weight loss surgeon. They are prescribed from his office, I take 3 scoops a day. I am starting to learn that our levels need to be higher and some low. It is all crazy and very stressful to me. I go to my PCP now for check ups and blood work because it is cheaper on my insurance, however I do not believe he knows anything either. I have a check up appointment in May with labs so I am hoping to have experience where I can get all the labs that I need to get checked and also for me and my pcp to gain knowledge so he can understand about malabsortion in BPD patients, and what they need that is different from regular patients.

 

[Barbara]

@Courtney Beard welcome! I am pre op. I don't have any advice for you except to listen to the information and guide you will get from the vets on this site. They are wonderful and will help any way they can. Glad you found us!!

 

[Courtney Beard]

Thanks @Barbara

 

[Barb1]

Welcome @Courtney Beard! You are definitely in the right place. Your first place to look should be the Vitamin and Lab Forum so you can print out the information you need to take to your PCP. I hate to say it but we all seem to have to educate them. Who was your surgeon? Most of the surgeons don't have any idea what we need to stay healthy. I am just sorry that you didn't know more before hand. Hopefully your labs will come out good and you won't have to fight to get your levels where they need to be.

 

[DianaCox]

Are you SURE you have BPD? That surgery is outdated and almost NOBODY does it anymore. Who was your surgeon? Do you have a copy of your surgery report? You should have it, no matter what - get copies of ALL of your records. I think (or I should say, I HOPE) you are calling your DS by the wrong name.

 

[brooklyngirl]

I'm sure it feels intimidating, but read everything you can, especially, like @Barb1 said, the vitamin & labs section. You've already made a big step in right direction just by being here!

 

[newanatomy]

Hello and welcome. Start with printing a copy of the labs you want to have your PCP run. Then you can take your time and learn what vitamins you will need according to your lab results. There are great people on here that will help direct you to the answers you need. It is much less overwhelming it you start at the most important.

 

[aaa]

Welcome. I was going to ask the same thing Diana did; did you have the BPD or BPD/DS? And definitely check out the Vitamin & Labs forum. That will give you a good place to start. We'll be here to fill in the blanks.

 

[southernlady]

@DianaCox and @aaa THAT is unfortunately what people with Dr. Boyce's office call it. She got the DS. Dr. Boyce calls it the BPD/DS.

Welcome @Courtney Beard
Glad you joined. I know you will find out all you need here.

 

[Larra]

@Courtney Beard I am struggling to write all this as the first part of my post just disappeared, but welcome to you Courtney and you will find lots of good vitamin info here.

And to both you and @southernlady I have been trying valiantly to educate a new person on that OtHer site who is pre-op for the DS and got the same crappy vitamin info from what I am 99% certain is Dr. Boyce, and he's still selling the same crap and still telling DS patients to just take 3 scoops of powder instead of the 2 recommended for gastric bypass. But between this coming from her trusted doctor, and the product having a name that sounds perfect, I don't think I'm getting through to her. So if either of you can also reach out to her, maybe that would mean more than anything I can say. I have answered on her thread and sent 2 pm's. I have referred her here. I don't think there is much more that I can do.
Thanks for any help you can provide. she's on the first page of the DS forum there, with a post named "surgery date set - nervous and excited".

 

[southernlady]

And to both you and @southernlady I have been trying valiantly to educate a new person on that OtHer site who is pre-op for the DS and got the same crappy vitamin info from what I am 99% certain is Dr. Boyce, and he's still selling the same crap and still telling DS patients to just take 3 scoops of powder instead of the 2 recommended for gastric bypass. But between this coming from her trusted doctor, and the product having a name that sounds perfect, I don't think I'm getting through to her. So if either of you can also reach out to her, maybe that would mean more than anything I can say. I have answered on her thread and sent 2 pm's. I have referred her here. I don't think there is much more that I can do.
Thanks for any help you can provide. she's on the first page of the DS forum there, with a post named "surgery date set - nervous and excited".

@Larra I chimed in...hope it works.

 

[Larra]

@southernlady thank you! Sometimes I feel like the only voice in the wilderness there.

 

[southernlady]

@southernlady thank you! Sometimes I feel like the only voice in the wilderness there.

You aren't...I just don't wander over there very often. And when I do it's not the DS forum typically.

 

[Courtney Beard]

Welcome @Courtney Beard! You are definitely in the right place. Your first place to look should be the Vitamin and Lab Forum so you can print out the information you need to take to your PCP. I hate to say it but we all seem to have to educate them. Who was your surgeon? Most of the surgeons don't have any idea what we need to stay healthy. I am just sorry that you didn't know more before hand. Hopefully your labs will come out good and you won't have to fight to get your levels where they need to be.

@Barb1751 yes I'm trying. Where is the vitamin and lab forum found? I'm just trying to get all my information together so I can talk to my doctor. I wish there was someone who could go with me lol

 

[Courtney Beard]

@Courtney Beard I am struggling to write all this as the first part of my post just disappeared, but welcome to you Courtney and you will find lots of good vitamin info here.

And to both you and @southernlady I have been trying valiantly to educate a new person on that OtHer site who is pre-op for the DS and got the same crappy vitamin info from what I am 99% certain is Dr. Boyce, and he's still selling the same crap and still telling DS patients to just take 3 scoops of powder instead of the 2 recommended for gastric bypass. But between this coming from her trusted doctor, and the product having a name that sounds perfect, I don't think I'm getting through to her. So if either of you can also reach out to her, maybe that would mean more than anything I can say. I have answered on her thread and sent 2 pm's. I have referred her here. I don't think there is much more that I can do.
Thanks for any help you can provide. she's on the first page of the DS forum there, with a post named "surgery date set - nervous and excited".

Are you saying the 3 scoops is wrong that's what I've been doing until just founding the truth now I'm trying to switch over