My monthly labs (2 months this time) are trickling in...

[DSRIGGS]

...and my Total Protein and Albumin are dropping again. Albumin is just barely in range at 3.7 (3.9 in October) and Total Protein is falling further out of range at 5.7 (5.9 in October. These aren't precipitous drops but it is trending the wrong way and I don't like it.

I called my PCP's office today and one of the nurses told me they had scanned some of the results that had come back in and sent them to Dr Schupbach (PCP) to review. He is part of another health system than the place where I get my labs so they don't show up on my portal until after he reviews them and or 3 days passes (Stupid and pisses me off but is the way the OSF portal is set up). Anyway I say this to tell you I just go those couple results from the nurse so I don't know what my H & H are but I can tell they aren't good because I feel anemic (cold and weak).. Hopefully I can see the full results tomorrow.

I don't want to have to go back on CREON because I hate the way that shit makes me feel, and I really don't want to have to be revised again, but..........................................................

 

[Dngbt Deb]

I sure hope that you can get them going the other way! Don't think i'd want a revision again either. I'm totally new to all this so i'm standing back reading and trying to retain what I read for my own future adventure starting tomorrow.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Good luck with your adventure and I am sure you will do well.

My issues are a result of my initial surgeon not following the Hess method and making my CC 100 CM and my AL 150 CM when in reality they should have been 100 and 300 CM respectively. Dr K extended my CC by 25 CM and AL to 275 CM, but as he said it is hard to tell on a revision of a DS just how much absorption you will pick up due to atrophy of the BPL that anastomosed to the AL & CC. Hopefully some of this comes back over time as that old BPL section of intestine now has food going through it so now it knows it needs to absorb.

I am sure that is all confusing but just think of it this way. I only had 62.5% of absorbing square inches of small intestine that I should have had originally so my absorption of nutrients was significantly hampered.....so if you hear me "preaching" about the importance of the Hess method (percentage total SBL based, CC & AL sections) that is why. It is the proper way to personalize a DS for optimal success (could absorb too much and not lose as much weight as needed and in my case the opposite where I don't absorb enough).

 

[Dngbt Deb]

Makes me think it would of just about been better the opposite way around where you would lose less but have more absorption than what you started with. I am juggling this around in my mind and come up with the issue of the nerves in my neck being pinched too long and so half my body is numb on the surface levels like being given novacane (sp). Surgeon said you might get all, some or none of the feeling back. I did get some, my right hand, starting with the pinky first. Not 100% but better than none, Right side from shoulder to foot is the same. Hoping your BPL wakes up and smells the nutrients passing through as my pinky did figuratively!

 

[duh_Mom]

Damn, Scott - those are low numbers. did you ever hear back from Dr. K?

 

[DSRIGGS]

Damn, Scott - those are low numbers. did you ever hear back from Dr. K?

We have talked a bit. He thinks, and as he says without the luxury of examining me (he does have last three imaging studies - disc and report so he has seen them), that I may be getting into a cycle where I have a surgery, get an adhesion, have a surgery to repair the adhesion, etc...and wanted to see my lab values and maybe trying something else before going that route.

I just started getting the full results on my online portal and the H & H are 10 & 32% respectively so I am anemic. Not severe but enough to make me feel like trash. My RBC is also down and the kicker, my freaking HgbA1C is now <4.0. 4.5 is bottom of the range and my average glucose is 67, so I don't know what the heck I do about that? I have never had that issue. Any of you former or current diabetics have any information in this regard? I read that I am at increased risk of "death of all causes" when A1C is low, but that is just a general study and I am just barely below 4......like 3.99 so obviously that is much less of an issue than if I had a 2.5 reading.

I just saved the labs to PDF files and sent off to the good Dr so I shall see what he thinks.

 

[southernlady]

I read that I am at increased risk of "death of all causes" when A1C is low, but that is just a general study and I am just barely below 4......like 3.99 so obviously that is much less of an issue than if I had a 2.5 reading.

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inf...c-test-diabetes/Documents/A1C_Test_DM_508.pdf

How accurate is the A1C test?
The A1C test result can be up to 0.5 percent higher or lower than the actual percentage. This means an A1C measured as 7.0 percent could indicate a true A1C anywhere in the range from ~6.5 to 7.5 percent. Health care providers can visit www.ngsp.org to find information about the accuracy of the A1C test used by their laboratory.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/35/10/2055.full.pdf

http://www.mendosa.com/blog/?p=3692
This article was written by a diabetic for diabetics. David Mendosa ia a well known health article writer (at least well know among diabetics who do all this kinda research).

And your anemia may be the culprit in yours: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3933917/

 

[DSRIGGS]

I will read the links later but thanks. I did see something about anemia potentially causing false low readings so hope that is what it is.

 

[duh_Mom]

Links are great! @southernlady, you and the other vets have all these cool links. Do you guys just save the links somewhere?

 

[southernlady]

Links are great! @southernlady, you and the other vets have all these cool links. Do you guys just save the links somewhere?

Google...and knowing to look for studies, not the crap articles. IF you put the info in google and add the word studies, it helps your filter but you can still get opinion pieces which aren't worth the time to read.

 

[DSRIGGS]

and rest of results came in ...Vitamin A, E and K dropping as well. I increased my vitamin A from 100,000 IU daily back in October to 150,000 IU and my values dropped 20%?? Have any of you ever gotten an injection/transfusion of Vitamin A? If possible I think I need one.



I am at a loss of why everything is going the wrong way (K is barely in range and Vitamin is very bottom of range taking 800 MG a day). Dr K wants me to go on a strict Protein and Water diet for a week to see if that helps my bloating and distension.. I will try that after the holiday but I don't see how diet, when I consume around 200 mg of protein daily could be causing my nutritional and other lab values to be falling???? Like I said, I am at a loss and frankly very frustrated and honestly a little bit scared.

 

[southernlady]

very frustrated and honestly a little bit scared.

I would be frustrated to but more than a little bit scared. Hope you find out what is going on.

 

[Jo777]

Scott- I've got nothing to add, just that I've been reading your posts and keep hoping things get sorted out and heading the other direction for you quickly.

 

[Bagaof4]

^^^Same here, Scott. I've been watching and hoping to see things head the other direction. It's just baffling and I have nothing helpful to add except my best wishes to find answers and resolution soon.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Thanks Liz, Jo and Pam. I just don't understand what is going on and can't see how this could be diet related. My absorption obviously picked up for a while as I haven't been taking any creon, but something is causing vitamins and nutrients to not be absorbed. I don't even know who to see for something like this. Maybe a GI who specializes is in nutritional issues?