This is why we MUST take our vitamins & supplements!

This is a post that was on the Main Board today. What a lesson!

Post Date: 10/23/08 11:32 am
First - let me start by saying my spelling and grammer suck so if you feel the need to correct me and point out every word I spell wrong, please just ignore my post now before you read any more.... Also - don't flame me for my post - I am not writting this to hear how stupid I am - Trust me - I have been telling myself this enough. I am writting this to open everyones eyes to how dangerous things can get if YOU DON"T LISTEN TO YOUR DOCTOR!!!!

I just had my 5 year anniversary. I have successfuly kept off 140lbs. I had a 15 lb bounce back at about 2 1/2 years out but have maintined since then. For the first 2 years I saw my doctor exactly as required. I followed the rules.

Over the past year, I have been very sick. I have seen 3 Neurologist and have been tested for everything from Lupus to MS. MRI's, various scans, tests, you name it - I've been through it. I have quite a few cognative problems. My short-term memory is a mess, when I speak- sometimes the wrong words come out (I know what Im trying to say - it just doesn't want to make it from my head to my mouth), I have a lot of confussion now, I get very dizzy, I can't manuver my feet well enough to even walk down a flight of steps, I have numbness in my hands & feet... The list goes on..  I have racing heartbeats, I am always freezing cold - even if its 80 degrees out. I have absolutely no energy or strength at all and I use to go to the gym twice a day. Its been one of those "I know my body - I know something is wrong - please help me" feelings but we could never find out the cause. About 6 months ago my Neurologist said that MS comes with so many different signals that he was pretty sure that was what what happening to me.

This week I had my 5 year check up with my Bypass Doc & as soon as I walked int he door, I could tell he didn't look happy. I couldn't figure why... Well --- my bloodwork was a mess!!!!
My Iron should be in the 170-28 range and it is 12!
My B-12 should be near 180 and its 42!!!!!!
My Hemoglobin should be 15.5-11.5 and its 8
My folate should be 5.2 and its 8.6

I stopped taking my vits about 2 years out. I knew how the doctors stressed that it was a lifetime change but thought I was the exception. I figured that since I had reached goal and maintined that I could follow my own rules and now I have done perminant damage to myself. Its going to take months to try to get my levels up to where they should be & to see what neurological problems correct themselves. My doctor said that he has never seen a B12 as low as mine (yipee - I win the prize) and that he is afraid that with as long as I have been without my suppliments, the damage may all be perminant.

PLEEZE PLEEZE PLEEZE -  Be smarter then me!!! Listen to your doctor. Don't feel that you are the exception to the rule. Spend the extra few dollars each month for the correct suppliments and take care of yourself.

46 lbs lost pre-op www.phmiracleliving.com Eat Healthy to Stay Healthy

Thank you so much for sharing that!  That will stick with me forever and will prevent me from doing the same thing. I always think I am the exception to everything!!  Thank you!!!

Just saw your reply to my posting the message from the Main Board, about the gal with extreme vitamin deficiencies. I wonder how she's doing? Anyway, I, like you, will remember her experience, when I'm tempted to not take supplements. In fact, I've been taking bariatric vitamins and supplements pre-surgery, just to build up my body for the surgery, hopefully.
Blessings
Mary

I am so sorry you are going through all this. Thank you for sharing and trying to keep others from making the same mistakes. I hope you recover fully. Good luck and again, thank you.

Oops, I replied to you thinking it was you who wrote this. I now see you were reposting. Thanks for the information and glad you aren't the one suffering so much.

That's okay. It was very sweet that you were concerned about me. :)  How nice to meet a fellow Kansas girl.
Blessings,
Mary

Thank you for posting this I will never forget it. It sounds a lot like someone I know

Just saw your reply. I wonder if there are many RNYers (and others) who are lax in taking their vitamins and supplements? It's scary.
How are you doing, since your surgery? Any regrets?
Blessings,
Mary