Post surgery question - Blood work!

Ok all your post-RNYers....I was wondering how soon after surgery does the doc check your blood levels for things like calcium/iron etc, and how often they check

I know my RD told me they won't have me taking anything but the multivitamin for awhile, and I assume my thyroid and antidepressant meds, I was just wondering how far out one is when they star****ching your levels and telling you where to tweak stuff.

What's " a while" mean? I did not start calcium citrate until two weeks post op, prior to that they wanted me taking TUMS (calcium carbonate). I started the multi right way.

My doc took blood pre-op, then at the 3 month point, 6 month, and now will annually. 

"A while" means I couldn't remember exactly what she said since it was a couple months ago 

I think your timeline sounds right though, I'm pretty sure it was about 2 weeks for the calcium, and then the MV right away.

I had bloodwork done when I started this journey last April

My surgeon took blood work pre op,at 6 months,1 year and then yearly after that unless there are issues.

Some check at a 2 week checkup, then 3 months, 6 months, and a year.

But those early labs are more for checking liver and kidney functions, and less for vitamins and minerals. You could take zero supplements and still have good labs ar 3 and 6 months, assuming your levels were good before surgery.

Your body stores a lot of those things, and deficiencies take a while. Some things drop quicker than others, such as B12 and D3. But they can be brought up pretty quickly too. Other things go down very slowly, such as iron. But those things can take really large doses, for a really long time, to go back up.

Don't rely on doctors. Start a spreadsheet, and put all your lab results in it, even old ones. Trends are really important, maybe more important than your numbers at any point in time.

For instance, if you have a D3 of 30, doctors will tell you it's great. But if at every 6 month checkup, it has gone from 90 to 75, to 55, to 40, to 30, is it still great? Pretty soon you'll be deficient. Better to spot that trend and adjust your dose now.

I agree with Grim that it's the trend and not the overall number that's important.  My Dr. takes labs every 6 months.  I have my own spreadsheet that I take to every appointment and I make it a point to sit with him and go over my labs as well as to look at a trending graph.  My labs are very consistent and my graph looks basically like a flat line (which he's pleased with) but I know to question any numbers/trends that I don't like so it can be corrected immediately.

I definitely keep a record of my blood values so I can watch for trends, learned to do that when my thyroid decided it was going to be a no good filthy freeloader a few years ago.   My doc's portal actually has a handy feature that will graph the results for me too, so I can watch for patterns that way!

My doctor has a portal that does that too. The problem is, different doctors/hospitals/practices have different portals that don't talk to each other. And if you move, or your doctor retires, or the software changes entirely, it could all be gone. Someday, I hope, it will all be available universally (and private), and permanent. But not yet.

Yeah, that's why I insist on a paper copy as well...I have a folder for myself labeled lab work in my filing cabinet.  For now, all my doctors are within the duke network, I did that on purpose so I could create a 'Kelsey is tired of being unhealthy' team so-to-speak.....they can all communicate with each other and are aware of records and notes etc.

They checked a few things at my 3-month follow-up.  At six months, a year, and annually after that, they did (are doing) pretty comprehensive ones.