Were you cold BEFORE WLS?

Ok, I hear of everyone being cold after WLS, but every one that I have talked to about it have said they were hot before surgery.  Was anyone else here cold all the time before surgery like me or was everyone hot? This is just killing me. I cannot get warm or stay warm. Living in Michigan sucks because it gets so cold sometimes and it's not even winter yet & I already wear long Jammie pants, long sleeve Jammie shirt, fuzzy socks, footie fleece Jammie's over that & 4 blankets on me. The house is heated to 68 or 69 & I cannot get warm. I have added in a heating pad now too. One year post op down 125. Am I doomed for life? And was no one else cold when they were fluffy like me?

I'm 11 years out and still cold.  Having transplanted from Florida in my 20's to Ohio, I was cold there, but I'm even colder 140 lbs lighter, even now in GA.

I had RNY done 3 years ago. I was always hot pre surgery, like never needed a coat in winter time kind of hot. Dead of winter I work shorts and tshirts in the house. I live in Toronto, Ontario Canada, we have very similar weather to Michigan so I know what you are talking about. Since surgery I have been FROZEN. I can't get warm. Since the beginning of October I have layers and layers on. Like you in the house at home I have thick thermal jogging pants, socks, double sweaters and a hoodie on.  I sleep in so many clothes its like I am in the Arctic.  I have a heating pad on all the time and asked for a electric blanket for Christmas! I can't speak for everyone post surgery but quite a few that I have talked to say they are cold as well, all the time.  Welcome to life post surgery! LOL  I do have to say its better being cold and putting on layers than being hot and not being able to take any thing off, but that's just me!

Stay Warm! 

Electric Blanket is on my Christmas List as well! brrrr

I lost a lot of weight 10 years ago.  Was always hot before that, but after that 200 lb. loss was freezing all the time.  In the 10 years prior WLS I managed to gain almost all the weight back, but my "thermostat" never reset.  Still stayed cold.  Now, approx. 40-50 lbs to goal I'm colder than ever.  DH will have on a t-shirt in the evening and I'll have on sweats, fuzzy socks and covered with a warm blanket.   At work I have an electric heater under my desk that I use year-round.   We're in south central PA and if there was any way we could afford it I would love to move to Florida.  Give me the 80's and 90's and then I'm happy!

i was cold before surgery and even colder after losing 120 pounds so far. also 1 yr out from VSG. and still pretty fluffy I can only imagine when I get the next 100 pounds off. im gonna be a pop sickle next winter here in Kansas

Ugh.. 

I used to be cold before RNY.. It was my thyroid.  I had sub-clinical hypothyroidism.   Not low enough to treat...but not high enough to feel good.  I was "killing my thyroid" with soy... I removed any soy, and any foods that depleted the thyroid- iodine in the body. I added thyroid supporting herbs and supplements, including seaweed... 

Post op RNY - I am almost always hot now. I still use suplements for thyroid.. And since I was diagnosed with soy allergy - I still avoid soy if I can. 

Lots of foods have soy protein added... That affected my thyroid. 

You may be anemic, and have low thyroid. See a doc and ask them to run a full thyroid diagnosis. 

Just did my year blood work plus a thyroid test from my primary Dr and they say all my levels are good.  Only issue I ever had was at my 3 month my Vit D was a little low.  They had me add a D and all has been good since.  I do use 'some' soy protein and do eat soy beans, so I may try reducing that and see if it helps any.  I may look in to some of the thyroid supporting herbs and add some.  I had been 'half' joking about asking Dr if I could add niacin to my bedtime ritual to boost a warm feeling..  haha.  

What are the "good levels are? Do they test everything they needed to test?

If so ..what was your ferritin? B12? Copper? 

As for thyroid what was your T4, T3, rT3? 

I am asking ...because in the past, for over 2 years I felt horrible yet my doc told me my numbers were "fine"... I never checked that I trusted them.  And FOR them , my numbers were "normal". 

Someone asked me for a copy of my lab work and pointed out to me that some of my numbers were just borderline normal...while some were not even tested. Like T3, ferritin. Etc. 

My B12, protein, D were borderline normal - meaning - they were at or 0.1 below or above  "normal" values. 

My TSH for thyroid was - as some docs could consider "showing signal or thyroid deficiency" but they were still "normal" Only when my T4, T3, rT3 were tested my doc realized that the numbers were too low... My T3 was really really low... T3 is the active hormone and it is very often low for people who follows low carb - low calorie diet...

Then even later on  I had other heath issues  ... And my TSH was "great" ...but my T4 and T3 were supper low... (Pituatary problems) But that is a separate story... 

I.e normal level of B12 are often  listed as 250-900 ...yet I don't feel good when my levels drop below 800. Studies show that some people can show B12 deficiencies(nerve damage - often permanently) when the numbers drop below 500.. Ouch... Right?  Nerve damage- like in your Brain...or legs..

Iron - often ferritin is show as normal at 10-250.., while I personally would not want 250... 10 makes me feel so tired, depressed and I get all the symptoms of iron deficiency with my ferritin below 30... 

Sorry - I can't live on "normal" " you are fine" values... I HAVE to make sure my numbers are good for me. 

So... What are your NUMBERS? Do the test everything? 

 

As someone who had surgery a few years back  - I can't sugest enough for people taking charge and checking the levels themself... 

Over the years I now not only check my numbers but I also monitor trends - is my vitamin - mineral levels raising? Dropping? Do I need to decrease my dose or increase? Specially for some that high levels can be toxic for me (like B6, D, A, iron, metals like Zinc selenium...) 

 

 

My primary Dr is a bit of a poop and I did not get a copy of the Thyroid and even had to call to ask how the results were!

As for the others, I get a copy every time!

So, here they are:

Ferritin 42

B12 454

Copper I don't see but I have Zinc 105, B1 54, B6 14, A 49, E 1271, TSH 1.66, D 32 (need to keep getting that in, I have forgotten a few days), C 10, Iron 126, Protein 7.5, & Calcium 9 There are others, but not sure what else would be needed.
 On my paper work they show as a Ref Range for b12 to be 180-914 so I'm about middle.

Going to see if I can get a copy of my Thyroid numbers to know more.