Pre-op lab question

My surgery won't be for another 3-4 months but I wanted to be as healthy as possible before I go under the knife. I plan to eat right, drink lots of water, start walking more and implimenting protien shakes. I wanted to have my PCP order labs for me to see where I am sitting and what I can improve on (supliment). 
What labs should I get drawn?
Is this a priority or is this just me being anal?
How did you prepare pre-op wise to get healthy as possible?

Let me know what you all think because I don't know if I am jumping the gun or not.

I think it would be great if you could get a good base line set of labs. Here are a couple of links that might help. Labs and targets: www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/VitaLadysLabsandTargets_ 11-2009.doc

Vitalady's Pre-op ideas: www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/VitaladysPre-op_ideas_11-2009.doc

I think labs and supplements is great, but I wouldn't go crazy on dieting. You will have to deal with those demons soon enough.

I do recommend walking or any kind of exercise, I think it helped me immensely.

Thank you for the replies so far! Ok so I will for sure ask for labs to be drawn early so I can get an idea of what needs to be upped. As of now I am taking 5000 IU of D3, Women's One a Day Active Mind & Body, 500mg Calcium, 5,000mcg Biotin, 1000 mg Fish Oil. I have never tested my vitamin levels besides vitamin D that I am aware of. I guess I will see how my labs sit, I am kinda curious where they are sitting.

I'd increase the protein to get ready. Protein will help you heal.

--g

I was looking at Vitalady pre-op plan for protein. Is that plan for a few weeks out? Should I be aiming for 120 g of protein a day for that many months? Is there such a thing as getting to much protein in? I eat a lot of protein already (lots of venison) and was just curious.

Probably not 6 months but for a couple of months. Keep eating your venison. Sounds great.

As we just studied in my nutrition class, there is such a thing as getting too much protein. Here's a couple of links for you:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50 900

http://natural-health-and-fitness.com/dangers-of-too-much-pr otein/

Keep in mind that you're a pre-op, and you still absorb 100% of everything, unless you have a digestive disorder that is preventing that.  Excess ketones, the result of protein digestion, can wreak havoc with your kidneys. Protein will help you heal, specifically the chemical derived from it,Arginine, but again, you don't want to set the stage for kidney problems going into surgery. The chemical is available as a supplement, L-Arginine.  Read labels on multis that you're taking now, to see if it is included in the list.  If it's already in your supplement, you don't need to go overboard on the meat/protein supplements.

Post-op, however, the dynamic changes, since it is estimated that DSers absorb only 50-60 percent of the protein and complex carbs eaten.  Simple sugars and simple carbs continue to be absorbed 100%.

I'm just a beginning dietetics student, not a proyet, so I would consult a dietitian or nutritionist. Dietitians don't like to be called nutritionists. anybody can be a nutritionist without education or certification.  A RD must follow a specifcally  approved course of college study, and obtain certification on the national level, and also in some states.

Danni-

Many surgeons do the same labs you will have drawn as a post-op so there will be a baseline.

If yours doesn't, insist that he/she order them, and tell him/her why you want them drawn.

I would think any doctor worht their salt would agree with you, even if it's not their SOP.