PRH patients??

I had Dr. gens as my surgeon and am due for my 6 month check up next week along with being sent fo rmy 1st set of labs.


Alot of RNyers on the board think that waiting until 6 months out for labs is not very good, B12 is usually depleted at 3 months and if it goes too low can cause irreversabel damage.


How often does your surgeon do labs? I think PRH has Gens, Looser and Pacculi.

Now I am kinda worried ............so many already take B12 and I don`t ........


JEN

Jen:

I have Dr. Looser and I am going for my 6 month next week. I too do not take B12.

I am waiting until I get the lab results back before I start to worry. I don't want to start taking something that will alter the results. I think if we need B12, the doctors will let us know and will prescribe for us.

Good luck.

Dawn

Hi Jen-
My Surgeon/Nurse Practitioner at The Center for Wt Management (Lowell General Program) had me have labs drawn every 3 months for the first year.

Now that I am one year out, now I will have my labs drawn every 6 months.
I will meet with the Nurse Practitioner and Dietician every 6 months rather than every 3 now that I am 1 year out.

Initially, my B12 was great- I was taking a supplement sublingually once a week.

At my 9 month labs- I had to get a B12 shot due to a gradual decline in my numbers.

At my 12 month check- all was good. I started taking the sublingual once a day.

I am surprised that you have not had any labs drawn prior to 6 months out..... maybe something for them to update!

Carolyn

Hi Jen,
   I am very happy with the PRH doctors and the program.  I feel they have been very responsive to me during my rocky post-op life.  And yet I could not get them to do any labs despite the fact that I am definitely feeling poorly.  Gens did recommend me getting in touch with my sleep apnea doctor when I told him how poorly I was sleeping.  But I felt I needed to be checked for deficiencies and so I went to my PCP for help.  And sure enough I am severely anemic.

I have been taking B12 all along.  I also take dry Vit E, B complex 55, and Vit C.  My labs last week showed my B12 was great and folate was good, too.  I take liquid multi vits and I take 2xs the normal dose.

Gens and Nancy were very surprised at my low ferretin level.  I guess it is not common for post-ops to get into trouble in just 6 months.  I had internal bleeding so I was likely anemic when I left the hospital and now I can't make up the loss without large doses.  Treading

Hi Jen,
My surgeon, Dr. David Lautz, head of the bariatric program at the Brigham & Womens Hospital does labs every three months the first year.  I had them done in August and then this month when I saw him.
I take a B12 tablet every day since I came home from the hospital along with my vitamins, calcium, prilosec, actigall, and my prescription RX's.  When I saw the nutritionist at this month's appointment she said my labs drawn in August were perfect.  I have not heard from anything since I had them drawn on November 13th so I can assume they were good again.
I think they need to be drawn more often the first year while we are losing the weight really fast to make sure we are not deficient.  Everything I have read the past few years has said a deficiency is very hard to correct.  I feel this is true as we have the malabsorption component to deal with.
I am kind of surprised you don't have to take a B12 tablet.  Everyone I know that has had the gastric bypass takes one and they don't all have my surgeon. 
Good luck with your appointment!
Valerie