Hi..new here. Surgery scheduled, vitamin questions, and lab results

[star0210]

I've posted this on a couple of other forums as well before I found this site.
This is probably gonna be long so thanks in advance for reading and I appreciate any input!

I was sleeved back in March of 2010. Scheduled for Nov 28th in Mexicali with Dr. Ungson to have the switch part added. I have no idea if I need a re-sleeve or not and will let him make that decision. I do still have restriction but not nearly as much. my HW was 292, my SW was 273, my LW was somewhere around 160. My CW is 200. I never did make it to goal. I dealt with a lot of health issues over the last several years...none of which were sleeve related in any way.

I'm not nervous about going to Mexico or having the procedure done but my husband is. He is reluctantly going along with it because as he says...I don't have any logical or rational reasons for opposing it other than I just don't want you to do it. He knows how I am and he knows I've researched it to death and did all of my due diligence. He does have some concerns about the whole re-routing of my plumbing parts and long term implications of that. I sent him to dsfacts and he's been reading up. He is my rock and my biggest supporter even though he's not 100% convinced this is necessary. I haven't told very many people I'm doing this because everybody is negative about it.

I ordered a 60 day supply of the prepackaged DS vitamins from VL. I'm going to start taking those as soon as they arrive. I haven't been taking any vitamins lately at all except my primary has me on a 12 week course of 50,000 u of Vit D (1 pill/week). I need to work on getting my ferritin levels up. I had become severely anemic a few years ago due to female issues and had a hysterectomy and then a 6 hour iron infusion. All the hematologist really cared about were my h&h levels.

Labs is my business..I run a direct access lab test company. Anybody can order their own labs through us at big discounts. I went and had labs run last week. Below are some of my results. We use LabCorp.

Iron, serum 91 Range 35-155
Albumin 4.2 Range 20-40
Potassium 4.4 Range 3.5-5.2
Calcium serum 9.6 Range 8.7-10.2
Protein total serum 6.9 Range 6.0-8.5
B12 421 Range 211-946
Folic acid 6.4 Range >3.0
Vitamin D 23.9 Range 30-100
Vit B1 plasma (I goofed and ordered plasma instead of whole blood - plasma shows only recent intake rather than body stores) less than 6.7 LOW Range 8.1-32.9
Magnesium 1.9 Range 1.6-2.6
Zinc 117 Range 56-134
Ferritin 20 Range 15-150
PTH Intact 39 Range 15-65
Vitamin A 39 Range 18-77

Given that I am going to start on VL's DS Regimen as soon as they arrived, will what's included iron wise be enough to raise my ferritin level or should I get something else to take in addition to try to get it up? Does anyone know if while I'm hooked up to an IV in Mexicali if they can give me an iron infusion there? My hematologist won't give me one given my h&h are normal.

I also wanted to add that it is so comforting to have so many knowledgeable people to turn to who are willing to share what they've learned with new people like me. Thank you all so very much...especially the long time vets...it's much appreciated!

 

[southernlady]

Welcome, @star0210

Okay, looking at your labs...your D is too low...even as a pre-op but had surgery scheduled two months later, I took the Dry D3 50,000 from VL every day.
As a result of your super low D, your PTH is higher than it should be. Need that as close to the bottom of the range as possible.

PTH is part of a three legged stool called calcium/D/PTH. If one is out of whack, look at the other two. While your calcium is fine, your D is throwing your PTH out of whack. http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/parathyroid-check-your-d-calcium-and-pth-first.1065/

B12 is in the toilet. I know it says in range but under 500 and you start having neurological issues. And go too low and for a long time and you can have those neuro issues become permanent. My B12 is over 2000 (yeah, I get told all the time it's too high but the ONLY extra B12 I take is in my multi's). But too high is not an issue...too low or even low normal is an issue..

As to ferritin, I was able to get iron infusions even with normal hemoglobin. You can see what I used to get my infusions here:
http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/low-iron-or-what-to-take-to-a-hematologist.1498/

Good luck on this.

 

[JackieOnLine]

Hello Star!

 

[star0210]

Thank you so much. Your post was EXTREMELY helpful!

 

[star0210]

Will any sublingual B-12 do the trick?

I'm going to add more D in addition to the RX of I'm on...which I have a few more weeks of. It can't hurt to finish that because it won't be any good to me after surgery because it's the gelcap. My level was 18 when she put me on it...so it came up a whopping what 5 points after 3 weekly doses.

As for my B-12 level, I asked my hematologist about that back when I had my iron infusion because I had read that optimally it needed to be higher even though it was in range. He basically rolled his eyes at me. He claims to be familiar with the needs of WLS patients too.

 

[southernlady]

Will any sublingual B-12 do the trick?

I'm going to add more D in addition to the RX of I'm on...which I have a few more weeks of. It can't hurt to finish that because it won't be any good to me after surgery because it's the gelcap. My level was 18 when she put me on it...so it came up a whopping what 5 points after 3 weekly doses.

As for my B-12 level, I asked my hematologist about that back when I had my iron infusion because I had read that optimally it needed to be higher even though it was in range. He basically rolled his eyes at me. He claims to be familiar with the needs of WLS patients too.

Start with the sublingual...you may need shots but try the sublingual first.
Doctors have no clue as to exactly how high your B12 should be, all they see is that it is "in range" but we can bottom out so fast, we need to be at a MINIMUM in the high normal range. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003705.htm

Values of less than 200 pg/mL are a sign of a vitamin B12 deficiency. People with this deficiency are likely to have or develop symptoms. Older adults with vitamin B12 levels between 200 and 500 pg/mL may also have symptoms.

Bolding is mine. But put those with compromised guts in the same group with the "older adults".

On another note...be careful of B6...which if too high can ALSO cause neurological damage.

 

[Larra]

Sublingual B12 should work. Even B12 pills should work. Most of us don't have as much problems with B vitamins as people with gastric bypass do.

Your D is indeed low, but you have lots of company on that one. Many, many people with no bariatric surgery have low D and don't even know it. You know it, so in a way you are ahead of the game on that one. But definitely work on more D now, while it's easy for you to absorb.

And hi and welcome! glad you're here.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

A month away from surgery? I'd be running for iron infusions and one or more B12 shots, and I'd be doing at least 50K IU dry D3 daily on top of whatever the doc prescribed. And I'd be pushing protein hard.

 

[star0210]

I have an apt Wednesday with my primary. I'm going to ask her about B-12 shots and iron infusions. I'm also going to talk to her about having the DS. She was supportive back when I had the VSG so we'll see how this goes.

If I can't get this before I go, does anyone know if thus is something I can get while in the hospital after my surgery? Meaning an iron infusion and B-12 shots?