Question:
I am 1 1/2 yrs. post op. I had my blood checked last week

for my iron & B12, they were normal. I am completely exhausted at nite. I can't stay awake for anything. Any ideas??    — jojo63 (posted on March 19, 2004)

March 18, 2004
I am about 10 1/2 months out now, I too am completely exhausted at times. I have noticed that when I up my protein and cut out all potatoes I have a bit more energy. Also, when I do my exercise faithfully I tend to have more "stay awake" ability. Hope this helps. :)
   — Sylvia E.

March 19, 2004
Colleen, My open rny was Dec 02, so I'm just a few months behind you. Know what you mean. I head upstairs to bed anywhere from 7 - 8 in the evenings. Went for the bloodwork on Monday, so I'm hoping to hear what's going on. Here's my suspicion though...I wonder if due to malabsorbtion if our bloodwork changes are so minute that a small change impacts us drastically; in other words, an unremarkable or very tiny change would go unnoticed by the "numbers" for each test, but the imbalance it causes our "rewired" system causes us severe fatigue. I'm planning to ask my surgeon and his staff when I go back later this month. I have yet to find a solution to this. Please keep us informed if you find out anything that could help us tired souls....Good luck and happy Friday!
   — Mary Ann B.

March 19, 2004
Do you mean "normal" for you (based on the specific, comparable numbers seen on your prior lab tests), or just in the "normal" range for the general population? I would recommend checking your prior lab results and looking for "trends." "Normal" can be a pretty big operating range, but some people feel better within specific, smaller ranges that are "normal" for them (but too high or too low for others). For instance, the "normal" range for B-12 levels is pretty broad (I don't recall what it is at the moment), according to the lab that does my labwork, but when I was tired, I looked at my actual B-12 numbers over the last few lab tets, and noted that I was actually falling, more and more, each time, while still technically within the "normal" range. Ruh roh! I didn't want to wait to fall completely out of the normal range before adjusting my supplements, and even now, I don't work with the lab's number of what's "normal," I aim for the level that I've discovered works best for me. For instance, if "normal" B-12 level are between 200-1200 (of whatever the measurement is), and I feel good at 600, amd lousy at 250, it doesn't help me to have the doc say oh, you're within the normal range of 200-1200, so, no problem (uh uh ... there's a problem)><P>When I get a call from somebody a doc's office saying brightly, "Congrats, your labs are all normal!" I say, "Great! Mail me a copy, will you please?" Because "normal" tells me nothing (or I should say, it doesn't tell me enough). What I want to know is, how do the levels compare to my last few tests?
   — Suzy C.

March 19, 2004
What's your Ferritin level? It's a different test than just "iron." That's often the first thing to fall, and it would explain the exhaustion.
   — Leslie F.

March 20, 2004
Colleen, I am EXHAUSTED ALL THE TIME. I am 17 mos out. I get up everyday at 5:30 and by the time 9:00 comes around, I am DEAD TIRED! Some nights, I even come home and collapse around 7pm. I haven't had blood work done since I was 1 yr out, so, I proably should have it done again. It was also be that I have been fighting a sinus infection for 3 mos. I am also not good about taking my vitamins, I'd be curious to know what you find out. my email is [email protected] GOOD LUCK!!! Heather Open RNY 8-15-02 305/183/175
   — heathercross