Pre-op class #13, weekly weigh-in & lab results

This week's pre-op class about understanding the basics of gastric bypass surgery as well as some great questions to ask the surgeon when it comes time.  Right now, I am choosing to move forward with the vertical sleeve.  However, if my surgeon will only support the bypass, then I will yield to his expertise.  For diabetics, a lot of medical professionals do recommend the bypass because of how many patients come out of the surgery with their symptoms of diabetes in remission.  However, it is not guaranteed and it does happen with the sleeve as well.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not discounting the bypass at all.  I just have a preference for the sleeve due to the lack of malabsportion issues and my insides will not be rerouted.  Besides, anything with less potential complications is something I'd like to do.  The way the program through Kaiser works is that you complete the six months of pre-op classes and then begin meeting with doctors and a psychiatrist before then having the surgery.  Next month I will be going to an information session with one of the surgeons to learn more about the specific process and to receive more paperwork to complete.  It seems like things are actually happening rather than just waiting around for the next step that seems months away.

My weigh-in was good ... I lost three pounds.  I am thrilled to continue losing weight.  I have really kicked up my exercise since I got the Fitbit.  In fact, I just received an e-mail today telling me that I have passed the 50-mile mark.  So I've walked over 50 miles in the 11 days I have had it.  I know I keep going on and on about this lovely little gadget and I'm sorry if you're rolling your eyes at me (I know someone out there is!), but it has really motivated me to get moving.  When I returned to work today, I thought to myself, "I can't sit down - I have places to walk."  Being gone from the office for a week meant I had no choice but to sit and catch up on phone calls and emails but I was able to go for a walk during lunch.  Then, later in the evening, I walked in place in my living room while watching a show.

I did receive some results of blood work I had completed recently.  One of the things was that the bariatric surgery care manager wanted to have my vitamin D level looked at again.  Back in December, my level was out of the normal range so I had to take 50,000 units of vitamin D for a while and then take 2,000 units of vitamin D3 daily after that.  Now my number has moved from a 24 to a 31, with the normal range being 30-100.  While they are glad I'm now normal, the case manager states that it is much more effective if it's in the 50-60 range so now I need to take 3,000 units of vitamin D3 daily.  Of course I will do what they want.  I'm not going to sit in regret about what I "could" or "should" have done.  I'm just going to keep moving forward because that's all I can do with that, or most anything else for that matter.

Water Challenge Day 81:  Drank 187 of 187 ounces

Surprising result

From the lab work that was done on Monday, I thought I was done with all the tests they were going to do with my blood.  Wrong!  I happened to log onto Kaiser's patient website to look at when my next appointments were and found this message that was sent to me before a received an e-mail notification:

"All of your lab results look good, except for your vitamin D.  Your vitamin D level is low (24):  Normal range is 30-100.  A prescription is entered into the computer for you to pick up at any Kaiser pharmacy for vitamin D 50,000 units by mouth to take three times a week (or every other day) for 6 doses.

"You should also be taking over-the-counter vitamin D3, 2000 units daily as a routine supplement.  Continue taking the over-the-counter dose after completing prescription.  You will need to check lab again (vitamin D, PTH, calcium) after treatment.  Orders have been entered for non-fasting lab to be done the week of March 10th.

"You may also find the following website contains helpful information and you may purchase supplements designed for bariatric patients: www.bariatricadvantage.com."

So after reading all of that, the thing that struck me first was the part where she mentioned purchasing supplements for bariatric patients.  I wondered to myself, "Am I a bariatric patient now? Have I been okayed to move forward?"  These are legitimate questions, but probably most people would focus on the deficiency part first and worry about the bariatric label later.  Not me ... impatience rearing it's ugly head.

Back to the vitamin deficiency, I wondered how I could possibly be lacking in vitamin D.  Usually that's for people who don't get enough sunlight.  I do try not to bake in the sun since having melanoma, but I also don't hibernate indoors either.  I know it's winter time, but I live in southern California - there's generally always sunshine of some sort.  I went online to Web MD to see if I could find out what was going on.  What I saw made sense: of the various symptoms, I qualify in two areas - have darker skin and lactose intolerant.

I went to the pharmacy and picked up the prescription.  Pills with 50,000 units of vitamin D seems like a lot, but I'm sure that's just to get my levels back to where they should be.  I always think to myself that I have too many pills to take, but that is incredibly laughable because, after I have the gastric bypass, I will be taking vitamins for the rest of my life.  I am sure I will get rid of most, if not all, of my other pills as my health improves in the future.  I need to do what I need to do to get my level back to normal, so no big deal in the big scheme of things.