First Meeting With the Endo

I saw the new endo today about my osteoporosis.  What amazed me was this is the first time in my life that I have gone to see a doctor that he was waiting for me when I was put into the room.  I literally walked in, checked in, got weighed and was put in the room with him waiting. He talked to me about my DexaScan results and my options.  He went over my labs and my prescriptions and supplements.  He was very pleased.  He did feel the osteoporosis was due to my WLS.  He said he is seeing a lot of WLS patients with osteoporosis.  He was impressed with my vitamin D level.   He recommended Reclast since it is only once a year and he doesn't feel I would be able to absorb an oral medicine and he says it would cause me a lot of stomach distress.  He ordered some labs and told me he would set me up for an infusion.  He was also concerned when I told him that my mother had a history of bone fractures in her later years.  She broke her femur bone several times so he feels I am at risk.
Does anyone have any experience with Reclast or any information I should know? My labs came back very good.  I was very happy with my protein and albumin levels.  My protein level was 6.9 and my albumin level was 4.2.  That is the best it's ever been.  I guess the 150 - 200 grams of protein I get in a day is paying off. I was in and out of the office in about 1/2 an hour and that included my lab visit. A little later my phone rang and it was the doctor calling me personally because he was concerned about my liver enzymes.  Apparently they are up high again.  I told him that I have seen a liver specialist and had an ultrasound and a biopsy and they were jus****ching things for now. So, it was a good visit.  I was pleased to see my weight is staying stable.  Looking at my records my have been the same weight with a 5 lb up and down range, since August.  That is 8 months.  I am getting encouraged that I may be able to do this maintenance thing. I have also noticed that people aren't asking me if I am sick any more or wanting to know what is wrong with me.  I went to a memorial service on Sunday and saw some people I hadn't seen for a while and the only comment came from one person who said how small I had gotten.  And today I went to my grand daughters birthday party and no one said anything there, either, so I think I am looking much better.  I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing, which is avoiding sugar and gluten and eating every few hours. Oh, another thing I noticed on my labs is that my blood glucose level was 66.  That is the lowest it's ever been on my labs.  I have had several episodes of reactive hypoglycemia but fortunately as soon as I figure out what is going on I am able to get in something and it stops.  Not thrilled about it but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.  I just  start feeling strange and shaky and now that I recognize the symptoms I keep something handy with me all the time to take care of it.

Your post especially interests me as I did a Dexa test on Passover and my results showed Osteopenia in neck and Osteoporosis in other pates of my body.
My D is always low even while Vitalady 50K D3every day! I am very fair-skinned and don't enjoy being out in the sun. My protein levels are good but I drink a protein powder drink most every morning.
I plan on seeing Endo but am waiting to see what will be with my upcoming Plastics....it is on Appeal from my HMO. I hope I can get the once a year IV too.
Mikimi in Israel

He sounds like a keeper, Tazz. Promising appointment.

--gina

What a great appointment you had with a very thorough doctor.  I'm interested in hearing what you learn about the Reclast.  Have your calcium/D3 levels been good all along?  Do you think this is due to hereditary factors?

My D levels were terrible before my revision.  At one point they were barely detectable.  I think it is partly due to hereditary factors, partially due to menopause and partially due to malabsorption.
The only think that concerned me about the doctor was even after I explained that I took dry D3 he offered to take over writting my vitamin D prescription.  I told him that those were D2 and oil based and didn't help me and that I took dry D and he didn't seem to know that oil based D wouldn't be absorbed was well with malabsorption.  Oh well, maybe I educated him a bit.

All that sounds really good.  Well, not that you have osteopena but that you have a Dr that seems in the know and willing to work with you.  Hurray.

Sounds like an endo to keep around!

Liz

Tazz
Thanks for posting this.  I also have osteopenia, and my mother died after she had an especially severe spinal compression fracture (her spine was a complete mess...)  In another few months, I will have a follow-up, and discuss alternatives with my doc.

My osteopenia is due to menopause, and not WLS, as my Dexascan was performed only about a month after my WLS, and a Vit D deficiency was identified during the initial consult work-up by my surgeon.

Good for you Taz .. You're due some good news!

Meg

I'm glad this doctor listened to you and was interested in your overall health. 

Keep us updated on the Reclast - I don't know anything about it.  I'm due for my Dexascan in August or September.  Mine have been fine since WLS. 

My liver enzymes were up and my PCP did all kinds of test and could never find anything.  I am taking the Milk Thistle Gina recommended and came off all of my cholesterol meds and it finally went down some.  We'll see this summer if it stays down.

Good luck.

Linda