PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF....

First is my disclamer... My spelling is terrible so please ignore all the errors. If it offends you that I can't spell please dont read. And with that being said... Here I am almost 2 years out. Im at goal and maintaining my weight, no problem. About 8 months ago I started getting terrible headaches, my balance was off, my short term memory was getting pretty bad, I use the wrong words when I speak and I itched all over for no reason. I didn't think much of it. Blamed it on stress, lack of sleep, just anything I could. I figured I take my multi-vit. so It can't be surgery related. I had an appt. with my family doctor for something else and while I was there mentioned my headaches. She set me for an MRI. They found lesions and sent me to a Neurologist. First he thought I had MS then he didn't then he did. Needless to say I got another Neurologist. I actually went to a MS specialist. She said I had some of the symptoms but didn't like giving a firm diagnosis since MS has so many variables. She sent me for some more test as well as some blood work. This was the first blood work since I mentioned the headaches. Well, last week, 8 months after this has started. A million tears after this has started by blood work comes back and my B-12 is dangerously low!!! I go to see the doctor and she said that she believes the headaches, the cognative problems and the itching are all because my B-12 are low. She thinks that my headaches have gotten so bad from the damage I've done that they have caused the lisions on my brain. ALL BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I DIDN"T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES!!! Please don't do what I did. No mater how easy your time has been since your surgery. No mater how long you've been at goal. Take care of your self. Follow directions and make sure even your family doctor understands what they should be looking for when dealing with a surgery patient. Mine never thought of bloodwork. She's never asked for blood results from my GB doctor. Now this is something that I have to deal with. We don't know how much damage is permenant. Time will tell.

Hey Jilly, Thanks for posting this. I'm so sorry for your problem, and hope it can be corrected with no permanent affects. Like you said, time will tell. Great advice, every post op should remember to have their bloodwork done. My PCP is awesome, and does my bloodwork every 3-4 months. Its critical that we are proactive in our own lives, and take the initiative to make sure what we need. Best of luck. Wendy

I'm so sorry to hear your going through this and am sending you my best thoughts. It's something I think we all need a reminder of occasionally, thanks for sharing your story and smacking me upside the head with the reminder. I'll be hitting the doc's again when I get back to Phoenix next month. Hugs... hang in there. Fanny

WOw girl.. first Im so glad it wasn't MS. Thank God! thank you for the heads up. I do my vitamins but do need extra b 12 and calcium which I tend to be slack on. Thank you for this much needed heads up and I hope its corrected soon with good results.. *hugs* deb

You have raised an important issue, one associated with long-term malabsorbsion. Those of us who have undergone a malabsorbative procedure have a private little war going on within us. One little voice tells us that the goal is to look normal and act normal, to just be a regular guy or gal. But the price of our newfound bodies (our normalcy if you will) is that we can never treat ourselves as normal. We are very much at risk of maladies as described above. Let others treat you as normal; do not make the same mistake with yourself! Still living in my Nowhere Land... Nowhere Man

Wow Jilly, It's a WAKE UP CALL to everyone not to slack off. I am very guilty. Thanks for sharing. Have you noticed any improvements yet? I hope everything because of the B-12 levels works out ok. Please give us updates! Michelle 294/150

I am guilty and I am paying the price...though my infraction period was shorter than yours and my hope is by getting back on the healthy horse and riding it every day I will undo the damage I have caused....... But, you are one brave lady.....I will remember you every day when I am performing my committed regime for the day. I am even back to measuring my water and counting my proteins...argggg...how could I have thought I was immune????? Will I ever be "well"? No. I think not. Peace be with you, and thank you more than you know for sharing this. Jeannie