V for Vitamins

In this post, I mentioned Nutrition Direct, the vitamin program I'm using. It's pretty nice because for a $25 copay, all the vitamins come directly to my front door and they even include a handy little blue bag in which I can store all my supplements.

Since I started my vitamin regimen, I've been reading a great deal about the importance of vitamins and how dangerous (even potentially deadly!) it can be if you end up with deficiencies.  I came across this article that outlines the types of lab tests bariatric patients should have completed at least once a year.  These include:

• CBC – Complete Blood Count 
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (evaluates organ function – liver, kidneys, electrolytes, protein, calcium, glucose) 
• Lipid Profile (Cholesterol/Triglyceride Levels) 
• Ferritin, Iron Profile 
• Vitamin A 
• Vitamin B1; Thiamine 
• Vitamin B12; Folate 
• Vitamin D, 25 OH 
• iPTH – Parathyroid Hormone 
• Copper 
• Zinc
• Bone Density (DEXA) at 2 years post op 
• Thyroid Panel (TSH,T4) – for those with thyroid disease

As the article also mentions, it's so very important to be your own health care advocate!  That's one lesson I learned time and again while I was so sick.  Most doctors and medical staff mean well and want to help you but the truth is, you are just one patient out of many they see.  For the first year or so after surgery, regular blood work is part of the program and you are still on a pretty consistent follow-up plan with your surgical team.  After that though, patients are often released to their regular primary care physicians for annual follow-ups.  While PCPs can be wonderful, they may or may not have a solid understanding of the unique needs of bariatric post ops.  The more you know the more you can be an informed patient who is armed with the right information and can be her own health care guru.