For all who asked about dx code for labs

579.9  unspecified intestinal malabsorption

That is what I use.  I apolgize for taking so long to figure this out and respond.

~Becky

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this stuff. I am preop, but trying to get my act together so I don't have problems down the road. I am going to my PCP this week for my surgical clearance and I will be discussing the lab testing with him (posted by you on the thread below) to get a feel for whether he is on board!

Karen

Get your pre-op labs ASAP so when you find out you are deficient in D (haha...the whole world is) you can start right away to get it up and anything else you need to work on.  The better your labs before surgery the better off you will be.  I think VitaLady has a pre-op schedule to get you on track before surgery.

You'll want to get your protein up before surgery too.  I didn't and I still wonder if that effected my recovery.  

~Becky

 I start Dr. Kemmeter's high protein two week pre-op diet next week. I already take several vitamins per day, including 5000 iu of vitamin d that the Dr recommended to me a year and a half ago. I'm also going to start doing yoga and stretching again tonight, hopeful that it will make me a little more limber so that I can move around better right after surgery. 

Thank you for posting the lab code. I've been saving all the posts about labs so I'll know what to do when the time comes. Speaking of which...how long after surgery should I wait before getting them done the first time? Second time? Third?

I shot for every 3 months for the first two years and will go to every 6 months for my third year.

Here's what VitaLady recommends: docs.google.com/Doc

Thanks, I will look up the preop plan. I only have two plus weeks, yikes! (It's starting to sink in). I have been working on my D3 and B12 for several weeks now because I have already been diagnosed as deficient in both, late last year. I just had my labs drawn today and those were drawn. Should I check ALL of the vitamin levels preop, or just those two? Karen

I would get all the labs you can pre-op.  My pcp ran some labs when I met with her to discuss getting WLS.  Then my surgeon ran a lot of labs before surgery (but too late to try to get them up).

But I am NOT a lab expert by  ANY stretch.  You might want to ask this question in a new thread so the lab experts can reply.

I just make sure I get my labs and then I ask the lab experts here what I should do.  I get great advice and my labs are pretty good at 19 months.

~Becky

Hey, Elixir, your surgery is one days after mine! Is Dr K's high protein plan available online? I'd like to check it out! I am also going to look at Vitalady's preop plan. I want to do everything I can to be a good healer!

Karen

I have to follow the 800 calorie diet prescribed by Dr K's office, GHP, which consists of high protein, low carb pre-packaged meals, bars, shakes, etc.  I had to do their diet for a while last year and I can say that some days I was OK with the diet and other days I was a hungry, angry lunatic. I hope two weeks goes by quickly.

My PCP uses 579.3 (postsurgical malabsorption) and all of my labs have always been covered.  I have Aetna.