Question about lab levels

Janet I want to applaud you for being on top of your lab levels, so many post ops don't and they get into trouble, so kudos to you!

Great job on the A1C, keep up the good work.

As for your Ferritin & PTH, just going to share with you my experience and what I have learned from the Vets here.

A Ferritin of 20 in my opinion is unacceptable. And the fact that it is steadily dropping on you is very concerning. Things work different here in Canada for Iron Infusions but for me I would be running to my Doctor and demanding an Iron Infusion. I refuse to let my Ferritin drop below 100 and in fact I keep it in the 200-250 range. I use the Iron patch from PatchMD because I do not absorb oral iron. And I get frequent iron infusions. My infusions are a piece of cake. No side effects at all other than it turns my pee a brown-ish tinge for the first few hours after the infusion. I still menstrate each month, quite heavy in fact so that is also why I won't let my Ferritin drop below 100. I can't function if it drops below that. I have told you before in year 3 I had a ferritin of 4 and I was very sick, I was not functioning and felt like a zombie/death. If you google low ferritin side effects or low ferritin/anemia side effects I bet you have many of the symptoms.

Take the numbers to your doctor about how your ferritin is steadily dropping. And if you have to print off the symptoms of low ferritin and highlight the symptoms you have and show that to your doctor to prove how important a ferritin level above 50 for a gastric bypass patient is. I hope you don't have to fight to get an iron infusion but at a ferritin of 20 its going to be hard for you to raise it much with just oral supplements. And if you are going to just use oral supplements I recommend getting the brand name "Proferrin," its one of the best if not the best on the market. Its pricey but worth it. I suggest taking it a night right before bed with an extra Vit C tablet for better absorption. Taking it before bed means you can sleep off any side effects (if you have any but usually Proferrin doesn't have side effects) and you want to make sure you are not drinking a coffee or tea with the iron as that greatly affects absorption as well.

As for your PTH, I really don't have a lot of info on that other than I remember one of the Vets on here saying this: "You want your Ferritin a high number and your PTH a low number." So if your PTH number is climbing then whatever calcium you are using it not working very well. I also use the Calcium & Vit D patch for this and my PTH is good and like you I also weight lift. Remember that what is "in range" is for non WLS people. We are different and if one of your levels is "in range" it may be fine on paper but not fine for us. PM me your email and we can chat further on this off line.

Thanks Daisy for your input. I posted my numbers here exactly because both my surgeon and my PCP (although she has GREAT intentions & will write for anything I need) are not very knowledgeable or diligent with supplements and labs. For any other WLS folks out there, it is SOOOO important to advocate for yourself and not assume that your doctors will do what is best for your long term health!! They are big on the number on the scale but not whether you are healthy for the rest of your life...argh!!

Regarding my ferratin, I've had a ferratin as low as 4 even before surgery and been on & off anemic all my life. I went into surgery knowing that I would have to be particularly diligent and probably have to have infusions. I've never absorbed oral iron very well in my life but the patches didn't seem to be working very well either. May try a combo and see if that does the trick.

Thanks Daisy!