Importance of a hospital familiar with WLS

Am in Ottawa and needed a CT Scan with contrast drinks (and iodine IV) . I requested it be done at the Civic campus.

Not mentioned on my requisition form is that I have had RnY gastric bypass so I informed Radiology reception when I checked in as not sure if it made any difference. It sure did! The moment I mentioned it at Registration the receptionist immediately informed the person dispensing the drinks prior to the scan: she gets only ONE drink not the usual two as she's had gastric bypass. At any other Radiology dept. they would have shrugged and given me TWO drinks to down!

It was wonderful to be treated at the Civic, Gastric Bypass Central in Ottawa. Most of their staff is in the know about gastric bypass patients. If your doctor forgets to include it on a requisition form as background info, be sure to mention it. It saved me from a second awful drink if nothing else.

Agreed! I had a CT scan a few days after my surgery and I went back to the hospital that did my surgery. They handed me this huge drink and told me to drink it. I informed them that I had just had gastric bypass surgery and there was NO WAY I was going to be able to drink that. I also asked if it had sugar in it. Aha! I got by with 5 sips and we did the CT Scan.

So the staff in Radiology even though same hospital where you had your surgery just days before did not know your special requirements! You had to speak up and question them, they should have been automatically aware even if nothing stated on your requisition form reminding them!

My RnY was ten years ago, but the Civic hospital Radiology staff was on the ball and in the know (even if my requisition form was deficient in that it made no reference to my RnY limitations)

We have to be continuously alert and speak up for ourselves!

I also wear an old fashioned stainless steel MedicAlert bracelet to catch ER staff's eyes in an emergency situation where I can't speak for myself...No fancy pretty filigree bracelet with MedicAlert charm easily overlooked as jewellery by harried Trauma Hospital staff...the stainless steel clunky ugly bracelet is instantly recognizable but no guarantee it will actually be checked)

Yup - I had to tell them. I was surprised myself but it was a huge eye opening moment for me.

I got a medic alert bracelet as well.

On another note, I am currently on some fancy antibiotics and when the pharmacist gave me directions for taking them, I was told I needed to drink a full glass of water IMMEDIATELY with this drug. I told her that was impossible as I had just had Gastric Bypass Surgery. So now what...if I can't chug a glass of water with the pill is it a joke that I'm even taking it? She had no idea. So I take my pill and sip like crazy to get a full glass water into me.

So much stuff you need to be aware of and constantly on guard about.

Somebody wrote not long ago about an IV. The IV had sugar in it. She had to tell them, that she couldn't have that. They had no idea.

It gets easier to drink larger volumes of water as you go more years out but I remember could not physically get more than a sip in at a time for several weeks after my RnY. Had to count the minutes between sips. I feel for you and having to drink so much water so soon, must hurt!

Small amounts of sugar also get easier to absorb but a Boost or Ensure will send me into a hypoglycaemic dive even now. Have you seen the amount of sugar in them? You get one as mid afternoon snack in hospital so I make sure have a yogurt ( with sugar of course) on standby if I start to feel sweaty, shaky, hot, klutzy, which I have learned to recognize. Am ok with regular yogurt or individual portion of regular pudding as the other choice is artificial sweetener in everything and as a cancer survivor I stay away from fake stuff. The fruits juices are also full sugar so I cut with or add ice water to cut the sweetened stuff 50/50. Ten years out my system can handle more sugar than fresh from WLS.

As to the rest of our lives yes we have to be on guard to protect ourselves and speak up.

Good Luck with your journey, you will love it and what Life has in store for you . Congratulations!