It's official...labs from Hades!!!

JazzyOne9254
on 5/25/12 8:44 am
Here's the list of abnormalities per lab report, whch I got in the mail today - not much different from what I was looking at:

Vitamin D (has been a challenge before)

prealbumin (protein tanking)

zinc (as last time)

PTH (bones leaching calcium)

iron (new for me)

vitamin K (explains slow healing and bruising)

Mom's passing likely factored into whether I did or did not take vites and minerals as I should. During that time, I couldn't even remember if I did or I didn't take scheduled doses, so I've got some real work ahead of me.

I've already started.  Back on the 4x daily shakes, doubling up vites, doctor told me forget about 50mg zinc daily - take 200, and get back on track with my calcium strategy, liquid *and* dry.  I've already got high dose ADEKs, so I am also to double the dose on the affected vites, but I'm going one better, and do them ALL.

From what I'm looking at on the labs, I am nowhere near toxicity, and could fall off the cliff very easily.  Would rather catch it now than do a fast pedal trying to get them ALL back up at the same time, or end up in a nursing home on TPN and IV's!

Prayers and coaching much appreciated, Recheck is in 3 months.

HW 405/SW 397/CW 138/GW 160  Do the research!  Check the stats!
The DS is *THE* solution to Severe Morbid Obesity!

    

MajorMom
on 5/25/12 9:01 am - VA
If you have trouble with any of the fat soluble sometimes taking them away from other vitamins help with absorption. Good luck with your plan to bring them up.

--gina
 

5'1" -- HW 195/SW 187/GW 115 July 08/CW 121 Dec 2012
                                 ******GOAL*******

Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish? 
Join us on the
Lightweights Board!
DS on Aug 9, 2007 with Dr. Hazem Elariny

JazzyOne9254
on 5/25/12 9:24 am, edited 5/24/12 9:27 pm
Good point!

I *always* take the fat solubles away from everything else (except a nice little piece of 80/20 fat-laden pan-fried-in-butter ground beef) , and calcium has its own little place in my schedule, since it virtually coats anything you have in there with it!

I can always tell if my calcium is off at potty time ;-)

I know that this stuff is due to the major life events I've had, and while I miss Mom, her passing gifted me with the time to pay more attention to myself.

HW 405/SW 397/CW 138/GW 160  Do the research!  Check the stats!
The DS is *THE* solution to Severe Morbid Obesity!

    

Virgo64
on 5/25/12 1:53 pm
Jazzy,

Just out of curiousity, how quickly did your lab #'s drop off?  Was it 3 months or 6 months or longer.  Just trying to get an idea for future reference.
JazzyOne9254
on 5/26/12 8:54 am
This is a 6 month time period, and the worst labs I've ever had.  For 4 months of this time period, I was also dealing with end-of-life issues with my Mom, and I might have gotten a little sloppy about supplements.  Sometimes, I couldn't even remember whether I'd taken what I was supposed to take, when I was supposed to take it, or I just forgot about it altogether until the next day! I think my new mantra will be "If you can't remember whether you took it, take it anyway".

I was having zinc and calcium issues last labs, as my PTH was high.  I got it down to 70, within normal range, but only by two points, at the recheck.

When your PTH intact is above the normal reference (15- 72 is my lab's reference range) it means your prathyroids are releasing hormones that are the catalysts for leaching calcium from your bones. If you get enough calcium, according to my biology class and nutrition class, the parathyroids just sit there and do nothing. We have four of them, each sits right above each quadrant of the thyroid gland, they look kind of like a skinny spider, with bulbous feet!  I had my first DEXA scan post baseline (pre-op), and I do have osteopenia. 

I have had calcium issues out of the gate, and it's not because I don't take enough, I just don't absorb it well at all.  My CC is only 75 cm. the supplements, plus the amount of dairy and other calcium rich foods I consume should be enough, but for me it isn't

These past two weeks alone, I have eaten 3 pounds of cottage cheese,  138 ounces of yogurt, regular and Greek ( I sprinkle my unflavored protein powder into the regular to boost the protein content), drank two gallons of whole milk with my protein shakes, as well as in my hot decaf hazelnut coffee. Heavy cream counts more toward fat, although is has some calcium.

I have consumed 2- 8 oz bars of Medium Cheddar Cheese, 3- 6 oz packages of sliced aged Swiss cheese.  I do eat spinach, but I realize that  vegetable calcium and iron source is not as bioavailable as the animal sources.

I'm going to ask my doctor if there are supplement infusions for this, as well as my other moderate deficiencies, just to get me up over the hump so I can maintain it. This is truly scary for me!

I'm thinking my calcium labs may also have been skewed by the Reclast infusion I had last month. I certainly hope not, because that's bad news.

Anybody know anything about Reclast?  I know is alters the way your bones use calcium, and that might be the problem.

I know what I've got to do for the prealbumin...more shakes!

HW 405/SW 397/CW 138/GW 160  Do the research!  Check the stats!
The DS is *THE* solution to Severe Morbid Obesity!

    

My_Time
on 5/26/12 2:40 pm - Bangor, ME
Sorry to hear of your lab report.  I have been fighting the same thing but before I realized it I had bad malnutrition and I would wish that on anyone so please take care to get your vits.
Also very sorry to hear you lost your mother.  It doesn't matter what age a person is, when your mother was a best friend and you loose her it is always going to be a lose.  I lost my mother about 4 years ago and I still have nano seconds when it pops into my head to go see her or tell her something I heard that day, etc. 
By the way, I did end up on TPN for 3 months and was feeling wonderful finally.  After was taken off TPN labs started going down again so I have an appointment with Dr Roslin @ Lenox Hill Hosp to talk about changing my 75 cm common channel to a longer length. 
Carolyn

    
JazzyOne9254
on 5/27/12 1:29 am
Carolyn-

Thanks for your kind words.  I put myself into grief therapy last week.  Just beginning, so it's going to take a while. 

I'm trying to avoid revision at all costs!  I also have a 75cm CC.

I am willing to do what it takes nutritionally to keep that from happening, because I know with a longer CC, I would be playing the dieting game again.  I'm not going to bring it up until my surgeon does.  The hosptial I'm with requires  5 years of follow up for all bariatric surgery patients.

HW 405/SW 397/CW 138/GW 160  Do the research!  Check the stats!
The DS is *THE* solution to Severe Morbid Obesity!

    

My_Time
on 5/27/12 6:52 am - Bangor, ME
It surprises me the numbe of people who have the 75cm channel.  Did you know that's what you were going to have before the surgery? 
I took Protein-X per my Dr recommendation, boy, that stuff is not fit for consumption and should only be given intravenously!!  It didn't seem to do the trick and I got to where I refused to take anymore. 
My question to you and anyone...can this odor and malnutrion actually be controlled by nutrition?  I would much rather not have another operation of course and certainly don't want to have weight gain.
Thanks
Carolyn

    
JazzyOne9254
on 5/28/12 3:45 pm, edited 5/28/12 4:10 pm
Carolyn -

No, it just so happened that's how I measured out! I have my surgical report, and I read it, and did the math myself!

I went in asking my surgeon (Dr. Margaret Inman) for shorter than that - 50cm - but she said she didn't do short CC's anymore.  Too many revisions.

I would have been in for a world of hurt with that!

75cm CC  for *me* means:

**Continuing to drink at least two protein shakes a day, to make sure you get all your protein in.  Personally, I still do 3-4 12 oz shakes daily.  You are only going to absorb 50-60 percent of that, anyway, and even at 3+ years, I still have a lot of restriction, so I'm eating *constantly* to stabilize my weight.

**You may need a digestive enzyme. 
This is a *pharmaceutical partial reversal*.  I take Creon 24000, prescribed by my surgeon.  one with all my food, shakes and vites. When I got them six months post op, I was taking two per meal snack and shake .  Now it's down to one with each meal,, shake, snack and vites.  I added in withthe vites myself, and it does help with absorption.  Going back before having my labs drawn, during the time I was under such stress with my Mom passing, I missed some, didn't take the Creon when I was supposed to, and I paid for it with the worst labs I've ever had!

**Try Muscle Milk.  It's got 32g protein per shake.  Or you can get unflavored whey protein isolate powder from your local health food store. or you can order it online,  and use that with sweetener and your own flavoring.  I like NOW Foods, but there are several companies that make it. The unflavored WPI has 25 g per scoop, with 2 scoops per shake.  Add in the protein from the milk and that's at least 55g of protein (don't feel like going to look at the milk jug right now...it's probably closer to 60g)

75cm is only short if that's short for *you*.  It's all about how you measure out, unless of course, you and your surgeon agree to go short on purpose.

Even as a kid, I had some vitamin deficiencies going on, and was skinny and sick - up until my tonsils and adenoids were removed.  I was never skinny again!  I guess I started out sick and malnourished, and that led to obesity, once the illnesses were addressed.

HW 405/SW 397/CW 138/GW 160  Do the research!  Check the stats!
The DS is *THE* solution to Severe Morbid Obesity!

    

My_Time
on 5/29/12 9:43 am - Bangor, ME
Thatnks for taking the time to talk to me.  I just don't understand why I have an odor that freguently sends me home from work because my co-workers find it hard to tolerate.  It seems to follow me around like the dust cloud that follows Pigpen in the Snoopy series.  I can't smell it which is a big problem cause I go to work thinking it will be a good day and then I see the office windows get opened and I either have to put my tail between my legs and go home without pay or stay and know my co-workers are suffering.
I hope the reversal will be the answer.  

    
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