Newbie pre-op labs

I had some labs drawn a few weeks ago, and I was not fasting. The nurse and lab tech misunderstood what I wanted drawn. did not draw:
LDH
MMA
Celenium
Sopper
Homocysteine, Cardio
Cortisol
Vitamin E

I will go back soon to have those drawn.


Would you experts plesae let me know what I need to address as a pre-op? I appreciate you!

Kristen
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtfEQPLIjWandHF WdEFKS05FQjVmeTFoREk0MXFiUGc&hl=en_US

From now on--labs will be fasting, OK?  Many labs can be affected by what you just ate.  Lipid panel, specifically.  It kinda makes them mean nothing. 

D could use some work pre-op.

An iron boost wouldn't hurt, though you are not currently deficient or anemic.

Thanks for the info. I wasn't planning on going to the doctor when I did, so I had just had lunch ;(
I just started taking (this week)  a calcium citrate w/ D (500/630 mg) 3 times daily, as well as 5,000 of D3 daily. Should I be taking more?

Thanks!

I think this supplementation seems reasonable, but I really don't have any experience with pre-op supplementation.  It might also depend how far away from surgery you are.  If you are only a couple weeks away, you could probably stand to take more vit D.

Your doctor really should have a way of having you come back at a later date for labs...  Especially for a lipid panel...!

My insurance wont even begin to cover WLS until January 2012, so I have some time to get my vites up. I need to add iron, but am afraid of the constipation issue, as I have had that reaction before. I guess I will just have to bite the bullett and take some Colace with it.

Don't take Fe Sulfate.  Constipating and not that great.

I personally found that continuing to take the iron allowed my body to adjust.  There is definitely an adjustment period though.

And you can try a heme based iron.  They tend to have fewer side effects, but are expensive.  Brand name is proferrin.  I'd still recommend snapping it in half, it's a pretty slow dissolving iron.

Also, how do I get my high Vitamin K count down? I am eliminating fried foods from my diet. I read that french fries contain high amounts of K. Will high K adversly affect me? My PCP didnt' mention it.

Low vitamin K can interfere with good clotting time in blood. I don't know if high K is correlated with increased risk of clotting or not. This is something to discuss, especially if you have any other risk factors for clotting in addition to morbid obesity. You might need a Greenfield filter placed before you have surgery.

A Greenfield or IVC filter is a device that is placed in the inferior vena cava through a vein in your neck or groin under local anesthesia plus a bit of happy juice (LOVE Versed *g*). The IVC is the great big vein in your abdomen where all the blood comes together out of your legs. If you get a clot in your leg that breaks off and heads north, the IVC can catch it and save you from a stroke. It's still a major medical emergency, but lots more survivable than if clots reach heart, lungs or brain.

Many people who get these filters get temporary ones that get removed a couple weeks postop. I left mine in, as I consider it life insurance. Many docs want people on blood thinners if they have IVC filters. My cardiologist and pulmonologist are cool with me not taking them because I always get the clotting related tests done when I get blood work done for any reason. I also agreed to not take any supplemental vitamin K without a demonstrable deficiency.