7.5 Yrs Post Op

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I've been back to this forum that used to be the OH "Facebook" before FB was FB!!  A LOT has happened since I had my gastric bypass in March of 2006.  I firmly believe I would not be here today had I not chosen to have surgery ... but I do come to you today with a warning I hope you'll take to heart.

I used to wonder if a day would ever go by that I DIDN'T think of my surgery.  It is still a very prevalent memory I think of often, but not every day anymore ... or at least until recently.  As the years have passed and I've learned how to live as a "thin" person I fell victim to the trap we've all heard about ... not being pro-active about managing my nutrition and health.  The last two years have been a personal roller coaster ride due to job lay offs in my industry, extended periods of unemployment and the bouts of depression that go with it ... and the loss of medical insurance.  It's been probably 2 years since I've had a true physical.  The few doc appointments I've had have been related to run of the mill maladies.  The chaos of the past two years has taken it's toll mentally and physically.  On the rare occasion I've been able to get in to see a doctor most of my symptoms were dismissed as a side effect of stress and depression.  Fortunately I started a fantastic new job last May and I now have insurance AND a fantastic new PCP.  On my first visit to her I made sure I had all my aches and pains and "woe is me's" written down and I was prepared to do battle and demand more than the usual stress and depression diagnosis.  Luckily I didn't even have to put up a fight.  I told my new doc that I was 43 years old and in the best place in life I've been in years ... and I pretty much feel like **** 24/7.  My laundry list of symptoms included; neuropathy in my extremiities, weight gain, insomnia, unrelenting fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, anxiety/panic attacks, diarrhea, muscle tremors, HORRIBLE night sweats, acne like blisters on my face and trunk, rapid fluctuations in my vision, intense heartburn and reflux, trouble swallowing and chronic pain ... to name one or two.  My new doc ordered a follow up with the gastroenterologist, a referral to neurology and a ton of blood work.  My endoscopy came back showing the Barretts Esophagitis I had been diagnosed with (from the endoscopy performed as part of my bypass pre-op testing) had not progressed, but had not improved and an RX for an acid blocker has made a huge improvement.  The neuro consult is on hold for the moment because the blood work came back with a whole mess of issues.  Vitamin D deficient.  Vitamin B12 deficient, white blood cell count off the charts, low blood volume and critically low red blood cells and anemia .... so much so they wanted to hospitalize me.  No wonder I felt like crap huh????  My PCP referred me to a hematologist immediately.  I learned the anemia has progressed to the point my bone marrow is no longer producing red blood cells ... which are kind of important for getting oxygen to your muscles (could be why I get out of breath walking the 30 yards from the parking lot to my office, hmm?).  I also now have dental problems due to the Vitamin D deficiency (yea!!!  lets go to the dentist too!! NOT my favorite place by a long shot).  My blood was so jacked up it could pretty much be the source of all my symptoms.  So for now the neuro consult is on hold.  Three weeks ago I had a double iron infusion ... 7 hours hooked up to an IV that looked like it had rusty water in it.  I read one of the symptoms of the infusion might be "bone pain", which I kinda dismissed ... I mean, how can your BONES hurt???  People ... your bones CAN hurt ... and they can hurt like a mo' fo'.  No lie..  

That brings us to today.  I take a mega dose of Vitamin D every two weeks (mega as in 50,000 units as opposed to a "normal" dose of 3,500 units).  I've learned to give myself B12 shots every 2 weeks, and I'm all loaded up with enough iron to make ME rust if I sit in the bathtub too long.  I go back to the hematologist next week to see if the iron infusion "takes" and if my red blood cell count improved.  Best case scenario it did take, my RBC count improves and I have to monitor it for the rest of my LIFE every six months.  Worst case scenario it didn't take and then we're looking at anything from leukemia to eleventy billion kinds of chronic anemia.  If my white blood cell count hasn't come down we're talking lupus, fibromyalgia or some other autoimmune disease.

I know you've heard stories like mine before ... but I'm telling you any way.  As a matter of fact ... go back and read this again ... and while you're doing it, think about one of the most popular quotes gone viral "ain't nobody got time for that"!!

I'm back on board.  I am a gastric bypass patient, I always will be, and I will ALWAYS have to go the extra mile  to make sure I do the things I've known all along I should be doing.  Back on the protein wagon ... OMG I wish they had made Quest protein bars in 2006!!!!  20g of whey protein isolate, pretty average in the calorie range (180-200ish), low carbs, no sugar and they taste so good I CRAVE them (apple pie is the BOMB).  Oral iron supplements have also been impossible for me to take, so I'm now taking three doses of PurAbsorb every day ... 5mg of easily absorbable iron suspended in less than a tablespoon of water ... it doesn't taste like Pinot Noir, but it's not bad at all.  I've also started juicing with an emphasis on iron and B vitamins ... I wish I could tell you I love juicing, but I can't ... kale, parsley, carrots and an apple still tastes like what I'm pretty sure toenails taste like.  So I take my juice in shot glasses and tell myself to get over it.  Depending upon what my labs say next week ... I may or may not go for the neuro consult.  I still have the neuro symptoms, so either the infusion didn't take ... or it did and I need to get my head checked out to see if my lack of discipline over the years has affected my brain.
 

I don't regret my decision to have a bypass at all.  The 160lbs I lost would have killed me by now.  What I do regret is that when I was in YOUR shoes I didn't listen to the old schoolers like me who came back and preached at us to stay on top of my vitamins and eat my protein.

I chose to have a bypass, I chose not to maintain the aftercare regimen that should have gone with it.  So if you're considering surgery, or you're newly post op ... if you chose to have surgery, there is no option to opt out of the aftercare regimen.  Chose one, you choose both ... if you don't, all the weight loss in the world isn't going to make you feel or look any better.  Skinny ain't sexy if you're so pale  you look like a well maintained zombie.  Skinny ain't very much fun when you don't have the energy to vacuum the living room (and I am not exaggerating when I say this).

So I'm pleading with you guys ... stay on top of it!!!  Don't start slacking when the "new" wears off.  If you do your body will surely remind you in ways you may not be able to recover from.

~bliss

I am 7.5 years out too. Hope you get your levels to normal soon. I'm glad I've been faithful with the fits and supplements and twice a year bloodworm. Thanks for posting this for all of us to be reminded!

Karla

Thank you for the potent reminder that this is a marathon and not a sprint.  Know the no insurance road too well.  When I got it back and could have a full blood work up done from my surgeon's office I was happy to let them get a gallon of blood out of me! 

Bliss....next month i will be 8 yrs post op RNY.   TRUST me.....I do and always have listened to the ones who had surgery before me.   I do try to get in ALL my protein and sometimes more.    I always have taken my vitamins too.    Bless your heart.   I'm going to put you on my prayer list.    So glad it didn't kill you because it seriously can.   I see your from Keller.   I lead a supprt group there once a month and I'd love for you to join us sometimes if you could and felt like it.   I hope your levels come up so that you feel better soon.    THANK YOU for sharing your story with us all.     We ALL need a reminder of what can and does happen to others.

 

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Thanks for sharing your story. I am 5 years out. Reading stories like yours over the years has made me even more diligent about taking my vitamins and supplements. I also make sure I have my labs run to stay on top of things. Thankfully, my levels have remained good.

I hope your neuropathy is not permanent, but it might be. I wish you all the best in your healing.

Laura

Labs are KEY!!  And you must make sure your doc knows the additional labs bariatric patients need to have monitored (there used to be a great list of them here on OH somewhere).

For bypass patients eating well and taking your vitamins isn't enough.  My diet isn't the greatest, but it's not the worst.  My diligence in taking my vitamins are the same way ... I take them more often than not, but still not consistently as I should.  After all, it took me 7 1/2 years to spiral down to into this condition, and it progresses so slowly you don't notice it.

Your digestive system is like a water filter.  There are several "layers" the water must pass through to remove all the impurities and each level strains out different impurities.  Part of our digestive system has been removed and therefore the nutrients that were absorbed by that section cannot be digested and abosorbed.  There's a very strong possibility I could take iron supplements all day long every day and still be anemic.  And it creeps up so slowly we don't notice how critical it's become until we're truly critical.

Thanks for the reminder to all.  I'm 8 1/2 years out and my labs are fine but I have had to adjust a few at different times, had two rounds of iron infusions (seems to be working OK with oral right now) and I DO get copies of every lab drawn and track them for trends.

HUGS.. I give myself shots of B!2 every week. And take 50,000 IU D3 - dry  1-2 times a week.  And that with now - high normal blood test result.  

Not sure what D you take - but if prescription - then you probably take D2 (green pills) and they are not as potent as Dry D3 (OTC - by bioLabs - really good - any not expensive OTC - 100 caps for $20..(amazon) 

I would also suggest they check your copper, vit K and vit A. 

I was taking good dosage - but my A was borderline low..so now I take an additional dry A.  (skin, vision, etc) 

HUGS... 

bliss,

I wish you all the health in the world.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  Please let "us" know how you are progressing now that you know what's going on and are having it addressed.  Thank you for sharing this information with us.  I know it's easy to become complacent and to act like we are normal but it's just not the case.  Each one of us chose to have our insides rearranged and that makes us very different.  We need to own all that goes with it. 

Blessings.

Gaby

Thank you so much for sharing your story! I wish you all the best with your health.