DS and Jail

This is a big subject.

Let me tell you all about it.

First of all I want to say I have not posted on this site for about 4 years due to my jail and prison time.

I was accused of a crime I did not commit ( a theft charge) and am suing the state for malicious prosecution but this isn't about me. I figured I would be judged pretty heavily by everyone but I think that maybe this all needs to be said or heard.\

Rule number one: The minute you get to jail file a notice to see the nurse and have all the paperwork from your doctor and recommended vitamins. I wasn't so lucky....

I was in 5 total jails mostly all charges were dropped but I did spend 3 years fighting them, eventually taking a plea to save my children. 

I will tell you about 3 major jails and one prison

jail 1- took 5 months to get any vitamins or protein. Also, they fed me mostly macaroni, cereal, milk, potatoes and cake. I bloated terrible, eventually getting a bacterial overgrowth in my intestines that required 90 days Diflucan. I never did get the correct vit D. almost all my hair fell out, somedays I couldn't get out of bed. The toilets were out in the open in a room with 14 girls and I could easily destroy the air almost 3 times a day.  I had to get a very big attitude. Most people like me so that helped and I eventually became a mom to everyone. But it was a running joke that made me feel very ashamed. 

Jail 2- We start over in every jail like the first time. It took 4 months to get my vitamins. I became a master manipulator to get what I needed. I talked the jail administrator into letting me cook and order food. For the next 8 months I ate eggs for protein and garlic to kill bacteria. and kill some of the smell. by the time I got to this jail it was bad and had to eat nothing but tv dinners for 4 months Again it was a running joke. I was lucky to have made some very good friends and they helped me to joke about it but I was still ashamed. by this time my husband who was with me in every jail, (male side and no we couldn't talk) read and memorized all the law books in 3 states and filed grievances and medical appeals to get me the little I got.  

Prison- This I did alone for 4 months, never got any vitamins and was threatened by them if I requested the doctor one more time I would be sent to the hole. By the grace of god there was a girl that had been in jail 2 with me that bought me a multi-vitamin because she knew and had seen me decline. 

Jail 3- start all over- it took 3 months to get any vitamins and never got the right vitamin D only got 2 multi centrum a day and 1 b50 

fast forward.

I got out first- my health was so bad at this point my husband took the plea to let me out. I went to live with my 30 year old son, no money, no clothes. He refused to help me get vitamins. I got a job and fast forward my husband got out dec 2015. When he got here he broke my rib hugging me. I have been trying to get my health back ever since. I can't afford the required amount of vitamins or protein yet. and regular vitamins (centrum) are now hurting my joints. I have terrible gas, diarhea, bloating, I tried flagyl, garlic, etc.  I know you guys are probably going to be hard on my for all this, but I did try my best to get what I needed. I even wrote the judge once a month for help, you really are helpless in this situation. Let me tell you and the guards aren't nice when you crop dust the whole jail. I got along pretty well but I did feel a lot of shame and still do. 

I did find Jesus though and am now starting to do jail ministry. Which I did the whole time on the inside. I do love Jesus and have gotten over a thousand girls off drugs and prevented several suicides, So I think god wanted me there to help others. 

This lesson has taught me a lot!

Take it from someone who knows, this surgery is no joke.

I won't be hard on you. I know how horribly prisoners are treated. I also work in the legal system and I've seen many innocent people get completely screwed for something they didn't do. I've also seen people literally die in jail because they were refused life saving medications. I wish I could offer some assistance or tell you what to do. But I doubt I live in the same state as you and I assure your story is not uncommon.

I'm so sorry for everything you've been through. 

Thank you 

It was really hard. I have trouble sleeping now and have really bad panic attacks not sure if it is due to vitamins or not.

Here is the jail system

charge or indict (if no evidence exists)

let them sit in jail for 6 months while a state paid dumb ass does nothing

the day before trial have public pretender offer continuance due to they are not ready or a plea and we can just get this over with

98% cases go this way guilty or not, it is sad. My husband and I are doing all the legal work ourselves. 

It took so long just to get this far. Thank you for your kind words. K

I'm very sorry you went through all this!

As fate would have it, I met someone IRL who had a different bariatric surgery and spent a couple years in jail. She encountered much the same problems you did. I think with any bariatric surgery, maybe other than lap band, the jail diet and lack of vitamins and such is going to ruin someone's health. Even lap band wouldn't do well on that crappy diet, and might have problems food getting stuck unless the band was unfilled. But really anyone with any kind of digestive issue is going to have a bad time of it.

On the other hand...it isn't good to be in jail with diabetes or any other major medical problem, either. There was a news story locally recently where a man is suing the prison system ( or the state, I forget exactly who is being sued) because he had a diabetic foot ulcer and needed certain shoes he could not have in jail. They only allowed paper slippers, probably the worst possible thing for his feet. Like you, he tried many times to get appropriate medical care and it wasn't provided. Long story short he ended up with an amputation.

So, while it's not good to be in jail with special dietary needs, it's not good to be in jail with obesity and comorbidities, either. Sometimes it's just hard to win. I'm glad you're free now and I'm sure you'll do your best to get your health back.

Larra

In my experience having the DS is the worst

only because they try to treat it like the RNY, which is totally different. I had to file a complaint with the judge just to get blood work. The lack of vitamin D destroyed my teeth and hair. I worry about what else it destroyed internally. I also am having a huge problem with memory, sleep, anxiety, eye sight, etc. I wonder which of these are related to vitamins. Thank you K

why would you think we would bash you? Even if you were guilty,you still deserved what you needed to survive and be healthy. I think you did as well as could be expected under the cir****tances. 

The job now,is to get as much back to. Health as possible. I don't think it is impossible and hopefully no permanent damage has been done. 

There are others who will probably be better able to help you get back on track,than me. I will tell you that my wellness practitioner has me taking calcium lactate,as she says calcium citrate has to go through about 8 conversions in the body to be absorbed and that is hard on the body. Calcium lactate converts more easily to a form we can absorb.

i wish you only the best and please stay plugged in here ,if only to read. I believe you can still come out on top of this.

You must be a strong person to have survived this experience.  I hope you are able to put your life back together.

I would encourage you to apply for medicaid(and everything else you qualify for) and keep on going to the do****il you get your issues taken care of.

Best of luck to you!

Thank you

I am on Medicaid but boy has it changed in 3 years

They won't pay for any vitamins, protein, etc

I wish they did

I would like to start a food pantry of sorts that would help surgery patients with protein and vitamins if they run into trouble 

and can't afford to buy them. Maybe people could donate stuff that they tried and don't like instead of throwing it away. when I first had my surgery I had 32 bottles of isopure that I hated. LOL 

I really need to see a DS doc, they are hard to find in this area. 

I will post my labs and maybe that will help I should have them somewhere

I was thinking perhaps an endocrinologist instead of a DS doc to really get your vitamin levels in check.  Perhaps some IV therapy with nutrients could be covered by medicaid.  It sounds like you need a lot more than a general regimen to get yourself back to normal.  I pray that this nightmare is soon over for you, and am grateful you found a source of good in the whole experience.  That in itself is a gift.

On the subject of Medicaid.  The trick is to ask for prescription supplements.  And injectables/infusions.  Stuff that Medicaid pays for!

Protein on the cheap isn't that hard to do.  You do not have to have shakes.  Eggs, chicken, pork, tuna, and salmon are all available at the dollar stores here.  Check the Mexican/Hispanic stores for great deals too.