Recent Posts
Topic: RE: forty more day till surgery and counting
all the dramas gone,now ,on rr2, leaAnn is the head moderator.
Topic: Pouch Party Holiday Preview 11/13
Since the OH event in Houston is out of reach for most of us, Nikki (Cleopatra_Nik from the RNY board) and I decided to host a Pouch Party™ Holiday Preview Party on Saturday, November 13 from 2 to 4 pm in Baltimore. It'll be like our own little Tri-State area OH party!
There are several NJ peeps attending, and I am organizing a carpool so we can travel as a group. For those who'd like to make a weekend of it before the holiday madness starts, there are several nice and reasonably priced hotels in the area. (Not to mention the fabulous Arundel Mills Outlets to get in some early shopping!)
Here's the link for all the details on location, tickets, and what is included. If you want to join us for the car pool, email me with the subject line "NJ Group" and let me know how many people are travelling with you. Once I have the final head count and a central location for us to meet, I will email everyone and post it here also. I miss you guys and hope to see you there, it's been way too long!
There are several NJ peeps attending, and I am organizing a carpool so we can travel as a group. For those who'd like to make a weekend of it before the holiday madness starts, there are several nice and reasonably priced hotels in the area. (Not to mention the fabulous Arundel Mills Outlets to get in some early shopping!)
Here's the link for all the details on location, tickets, and what is included. If you want to join us for the car pool, email me with the subject line "NJ Group" and let me know how many people are travelling with you. Once I have the final head count and a central location for us to meet, I will email everyone and post it here also. I miss you guys and hope to see you there, it's been way too long!
HW 495/Consult 426/SW 363/Current 182
"If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster."-- Clint Eastwood
"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."-- Janis Joplin
"If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster."-- Clint Eastwood
"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."-- Janis Joplin
Topic: RE: Iron Infusions experience...
Asking your surgeon may just get you more confused. Surgeons are trained to cut not in supplements and nutrition. My surgeon wouldnt' dream of recommending what supplements I should take. That is what nutritionists are for. Then there is the problem with many nutritionists - some are great and really know what they are doing - others don't. Some are just regulare nutritionist/dieticians with very little training in bariatrics and dont' know much about the best supplements for us and then there are the good ones that really know there stuff. There are tons of NUTs out there still recommending flintstones chewables, calcium carbonate/TUMS, gummy vitamins, no B12, no iron or the wrong iron, no vitamin D and then wonder why there patients have deficiencies or actually tell them there labs are fine when they really stink.
Many of us at OH have the experience from living through our surgeries and deficiencies, know what works and what doesn't. We do the necessary research and discuss it with other post ops and learn what we need to learn. So, if you really want to know what is best, ask the experts here. Ferrous irons will do nothing for you - you need carbonyl iron with vitamin C or heme iron. Heme is very expensive, so most take the carbonyl and it works great. Another option that some NUTs give out is some prescription irons have Poly iron which works on some but be careful because the poly irons, dont' have enough vitamin C in them to help you absorb the iron.
Many of us at OH have the experience from living through our surgeries and deficiencies, know what works and what doesn't. We do the necessary research and discuss it with other post ops and learn what we need to learn. So, if you really want to know what is best, ask the experts here. Ferrous irons will do nothing for you - you need carbonyl iron with vitamin C or heme iron. Heme is very expensive, so most take the carbonyl and it works great. Another option that some NUTs give out is some prescription irons have Poly iron which works on some but be careful because the poly irons, dont' have enough vitamin C in them to help you absorb the iron.
Topic: RE: Tuesday October 26: Next Inconvenient/Convenient get together dinner!!
Sorry that I can't make it. Please let me know when you are in central NJ. thanks and have a great time!
Topic: RE: Iron Infusions experience...
Sorry if I wasn't clear, but I was reading my bloodwork for the last post.
My hemoglobin is currently 11.
My IRON, SERUM is currently 73.
My FERRITIN, SERUM is currently 85.
My iron saturation is currently 21.
If there are any other numbers you want - let me know. I have the bloodwork right here.
I am just wondering why we are all on different irons? These doctors know we all had WLS-and they are giving us different irons? I am going to call Dr. Trivedi, my surgeon, on Monday. There has to be a protocol with this? I am just discouraged right now, forgive my negativity.
Happy Weekend to us all :)
My hemoglobin is currently 11.
My IRON, SERUM is currently 73.
My FERRITIN, SERUM is currently 85.
My iron saturation is currently 21.
If there are any other numbers you want - let me know. I have the bloodwork right here.
I am just wondering why we are all on different irons? These doctors know we all had WLS-and they are giving us different irons? I am going to call Dr. Trivedi, my surgeon, on Monday. There has to be a protocol with this? I am just discouraged right now, forgive my negativity.
Happy Weekend to us all :)
Michelle Brennan
NJ
Gastric Bypass-Dr. Trivedi
Aug. 31 2006
NJ
Gastric Bypass-Dr. Trivedi
Aug. 31 2006
Topic: RE: Iron Infusions experience...
What type of iron are you taking and how much of it? If you are taking anything with ferrous in the name, dont' waste your money. In order to absorb these types of irons, we need a highly acidic stomach which we dont' have post op. We need to take carbonyl iron with vitamin C or heme iron. Heme iron works the best but is very expensive, so most of us use carbonyl iron with vitamin and it works great. Go to vitalady.com and get tender irons - they are 60mg capsules and have the vitamin C already in them. With your levels, I would recommend taking 3 per day to start and then you can adjust from there based on future labs. Some take up to 5 per day if needed. You can take it all in dosage. They are very cheap. 400 of them is only 26.99 - they are very easy on the stomach, non-constipating and highly absorbably. Just make sure you don't take them within 2 hours of your calcium or thyroid medicaiton
Topic: RE: Iron Infusions experience...
Above you said your iron was 11 and now you are saying your hemoglobin is 11, there is a big difference. Some how if you have a ferritin of 85, I doubt your serum iron is only 11.
Topic: RE: Iron Infusions experience...
I will keep you posted. I made an appointment at Labcorp because the earliest I can get there is 9, and I hate to wait if I have been up since 7 and not eaten or drank anything - I would pass out!
I am going Thursday morning.
I am wiped out some days. I am going to send you a PM :)
I am going Thursday morning.
I am wiped out some days. I am going to send you a PM :)
Topic: RE: Iron Infusions experience...
Jennifer-
Please keep me posted with your newer bloodwork. Your numbers don't look that bad, they are still in the normal range....I would encourage you to try and eat more iron rich foods....before they get worse.....are you taking iron now? What kind did your doctor tell you to take? I have heard different things. My doctor has me on ferrous fumerate, but I don't know if it's working, since I just finished the infusions. I have a script for blood work in another 6 weeks...
My hematologist told me that he thinks the gastric bypass surgery itself is starving your body.....so it's going to be a life long journey to not starve myself now. It does feel like that lately. My energy level is so bad. Some days are better than others, but most of the time I am so tired. I always need to be mindful of what I am eating, and eat things that I don't like, just to stay awake...and alive.
How is your energy level?
Please keep me posted with your newer bloodwork. Your numbers don't look that bad, they are still in the normal range....I would encourage you to try and eat more iron rich foods....before they get worse.....are you taking iron now? What kind did your doctor tell you to take? I have heard different things. My doctor has me on ferrous fumerate, but I don't know if it's working, since I just finished the infusions. I have a script for blood work in another 6 weeks...
My hematologist told me that he thinks the gastric bypass surgery itself is starving your body.....so it's going to be a life long journey to not starve myself now. It does feel like that lately. My energy level is so bad. Some days are better than others, but most of the time I am so tired. I always need to be mindful of what I am eating, and eat things that I don't like, just to stay awake...and alive.
How is your energy level?
Michelle Brennan
NJ
Gastric Bypass-Dr. Trivedi
Aug. 31 2006
NJ
Gastric Bypass-Dr. Trivedi
Aug. 31 2006
Topic: RE: A little nervous about my surgeons office....?
Hi Hmmm -
Any updates on things with your doc? I admit that I had a couple visits to my doc's office that left me a bit unsettled -- seemed like things weren't completely organized, too much rushing around my staff, etc. -- but then these were also "after 5 p.m." appointments (which I should be more grateful for when ANY doctor provides these, or has office hours on a Saturday!).
More recently I took an "extended lunch" break and saw my doc in the middle of the day and the office was almost unrecognizable compared to what I had encountered in the evenings. Perhaps evenings are almost inevitably going to be more hectic as it seems more people come in with family members, office staff is often trying to dash out the door as soon as possible, and perhaps more people are just having "quick" follow-up appointments.
Anyway, just my experience. Hope things are looking better for you (or you have found a doc that you are happier with).
Any updates on things with your doc? I admit that I had a couple visits to my doc's office that left me a bit unsettled -- seemed like things weren't completely organized, too much rushing around my staff, etc. -- but then these were also "after 5 p.m." appointments (which I should be more grateful for when ANY doctor provides these, or has office hours on a Saturday!).
More recently I took an "extended lunch" break and saw my doc in the middle of the day and the office was almost unrecognizable compared to what I had encountered in the evenings. Perhaps evenings are almost inevitably going to be more hectic as it seems more people come in with family members, office staff is often trying to dash out the door as soon as possible, and perhaps more people are just having "quick" follow-up appointments.
Anyway, just my experience. Hope things are looking better for you (or you have found a doc that you are happier with).
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