Hello

[Vikki C.]

Hi Vikki! Looking forward to learning more about you!

Thanks for the warm welcome, Hilary.

 

[DBmom23]

Congratulations on your long term success! If you don't mind me asking, how are your bones doing 15 years out and what kind of supplements, vitamin D levels and PTH levels have you maintained? This is my biggest worry as a newbie.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Hi Vikki

Nice to have you here.

 

[Vikki C.]

I appreciate your congratulations for my long-term weight loss, but I can't say I've done as well with my vitamin D levels. Part of the problem is that I wasn't able to travel to my original surgeon due to becoming disabled, and my labs were followed by my PCP who doesn't have a great deal of knowledge about the DS and proper postop supplementation. Consequently, I ended up taking too little Vit D for a very long time. As of two years ago, my Dexa scan was normal, so my bone health was still good at that time. In fact, I'm seeing an endocrinologist next week to have my bone density and PTH evaluated. I have the same problem with iron levels, and I'm only just now taking matters into my own hands to try to put it right. The best advice I can give as a newbie is to educate yourself about your needs and stick to your supplementation and lab schedule religiously. If you see a downward trend in your labs, ask the doctor to deal with it immediately. Follow up with your original surgeon if at all possible, because there is very little knowledge about the DS out there -- even among other bariatric surgeons.

 

[Vikki C.]

Hi Vikki

Nice to have you here.

Thank you. Glad to have found you all.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Vikki I hate to say it but many of the DS surgeons are horrible with nutritional and supllementation...not all but many.

This site is by far the best source for supplement guiding and lab analysis. My pcp is excellent about my labs because he orders what I ask him to order and I get labs monthly due to my malbsorption issues.

I take 200,000 IU of vitamin d daily, 100,000 A, 300mg of zinc, 1,000 k, two multi vites, 800 me of E and 6-8 calcium citrate pills. I would say that those are fairly common amounts.. Some a little higher and some lower.. For instance I take no iron and am good in that area.

Let your labs drive your supplement regiment and react quickly

 

[Vikki C.]

Thank you for the advice, Scott. I had no idea that the high doses you list are fairly common. In light of that, my follow up has been truly lacking. I suppose I should have taken charge a long time ago. I hope I can turn things around.

 

[Bagaof4]

Welcome, Vikki! Good to hear your DEXA scan was good, especially with low D for so long! At two years out my first scan showed osteoporosis and my D has been consistent at 50-80. I am 63 years old. Guess genetics plays a hand here, too!
Happy you joined us as your experience will benefit others and I know you will get good advice here as well!

 

[Vikki C.]

Welcome, Vikki! Good to hear your DEXA scan was good, especially with low D for so long! At two years out my first scan showed osteoporosis and my D has been consistent at 50-80. I am 63 years old. Guess genetics plays a hand here, too!
Happy you joined us as your experience will benefit others and I know you will get good advice here as well!

Thanks for saying hello. I'm hoping to offer as much support as I can, and looking forward to learning from the community. So you developed osteoporosis in spite of having good Vit D levels -- were you taking sufficient calcium?

 

[Whit]

Welcome to the Group. I was 50 when I had revision surgery (RNY to DS) now 52 it will be great to have you on the board.
Whit

 

[Vikki C.]

Welcome to the Group. I was 50 when I had revision surgery (RNY to DS) now 52 it will be great to have you on the board.
Whit

Thank you, Whit. I look forward to being an active member. Just curious, what did the DS do for you that the RNY didn't?

 

[DSRIGGS]

Thank you for the advice, Scott. I had no idea that the high doses you list are fairly common. In light of that, my follow up has been truly lacking. I suppose I should have taken charge a long time ago. I hope I can turn things around.

Vikki you can turn it around and it is the fault of the medical community for not doing the proper follow up with DS patients to understand our nutritional and supplement needs. The majority are RnY focused and our procedures are as much alike as diabetes is to pancreatic cancer. Sure they both involve the pancreas but the treatment and maintenance are nothing alike. DS and RnY are Bariatric procedures but nothing alike, especially post surgical maintenance.

Don't be yourself up. You found a Great resource in this board. The great ladies who started this board were the backbone if another board (that has since gibe flat out crazy hence we are now here) and without their knowledge on how to eat and vitamins, I would have been in trouble.

My suggestion is to find a good pcp who will order the labs you request and when you want them.. My pcp is great and because of my malnutrition I get monthly labs and all I do is shoot him a quick email telling him it is time and the specific draws I need.

You will get it all straightened and out and we can help.

 

[southernlady]

Part of the problem is that I wasn't able to travel to my original surgeon due to becoming disabled, and my labs were followed by my PCP who doesn't have a great deal of knowledge about the DS and proper postop supplementation.

One of the things many of us have learned on the journey is we really do not NEED a bariatric surgeon for the long haul. Most bariatric surgeons are cutters...and the aftercare is marginal at best in a vast majority of places. And even those who DO have aftercare programs for the most part give RNY advice to the DS'ers.

So best advice is find a willing PCP to run what tests you require. Young fresh out of doc school is best.

What would you do if you moved to an area with no surgeon or your surgeon moved or died...it has happened.

Make sure you take that info about the PTH to your endo...

Also see these files:
http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/generic-ds-lab-order.191/
http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/vitalady-links.11/

I have the same problem with iron levels, and I'm only just now taking matters into my own hands to try to put it right.

http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/low-iron-or-what-to-take-to-a-hematologist.1498/

Btw, even with good calcium/D/ AND PTH levels, avoiding osteo is not a given as there are too many uncontrollable factors stacked against us;
http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/i-have-osteoperosis-now.906/

 

[Charris]

Welcome

 

[Jen-2]

Hello and welcome to the board!