5 yr post DS procedure, they want to do a revision due to low vitamin levels

So after 5 years of doing very well, my vitamin levels still remain low.  The Dr's office called today and asked me to meet with the surgeon to discuss a revision.  I'm not sure what this will entail, but if it's anything like the initial surgery count me out!  I've already lost all my weight, and I don't want to regain any of it!  Plus, I'm healthier now than I have ever been my whole life!  I work full time, I can't afford to take another 6 weeks off work to do a revision.  I also don't want to risk infection, or complications of any sort.  I don't even know if my insurance will pay for it because they didn't pay for the initial surgery.  I do know they don't cover weight loss surgery, but I don't know if they'd rather pay for a revision than the infusions I've been getting.  I'm stressing out and the soonest he can see me is 2 weeks away!  I'm so frustrated!  Does anyone know anything about this or have any advice?

I can only speak for myself, and for me, revision would be the absolute last resort. Before even remotely considering revision, I would go over my labs and my supplementation in detail and make very sure I was doing everything possible to maintain good levels, go over my diet to make sure I was consuming enough protein. I would get as much accurate advice in these areas as possible, keeping in mind that most docs know nothing about the DS, and even the surgeons who do the DS often provide recommendations that are either inadequate or just plain wrong, for example, giving the same advice for the DS as for gastric bypass even though the post-op needs are really quite different.

I will send you a pm with more info, but if you are feeling healthy, able to work and able to lead a normal life, it would seem like whatever deficiencies you have could be dealt with short of surgery.

Larra

 

 

I wouldn't revise. I have had very good luck with patchmd.com patch vitamins. 

Insurance likely won't cover a revision if they don't cover wls at all.

I will look into these, thank you

Ok, so how many patches ands what kinds do you use?  what is your regimen? I like this, I would like to try this

On December 2, 2016 at 5:29 AM Pacific Time, Dreamgenie84003 wrote:

Ok, so how many patches ands what kinds do you use?  what is your regimen? I like this, I would like to try this

I use one every 24 hours of:

iron

b12

multi vit plus

vit d and calcium

and just started omega 3

 

Edited to add I supplement these patches with extra b12 cause my labs show me low there. Also more vit d. 

 I take 50,000 ou of oral d a day.  I use vitalady tender d3.

How have you been supplementing? What is your vitamin regime, when do you take them, etc etc. What vits are you low in?

I know that if it wasn't for this site, and Vitalady, I would have been in your boat. But my labs have been good for 10 years. I take FAR more suppliments then my doctors office nutritionist recommended. She was actually shocked at how much I was taking (that was 10 years ago). But so far so good.

I take bariatrics advantage, double what the bottle recommends, and I'm looking into vitalady right now.   it seems expensive, but not compares tovthe cost and risk of surgery seems to be. 

The Bariatric Advantage vitamins are crap. TOO much money for not enough vitamins.

I take 150K of vitamin D per day (dry D-I use the vitalady, but have also ordered directly from Biotech)

I take 100K of Vitamin A

I only take 400 IUs of E (sometimes 800)

And 1000 IU of K--1 and 100 IU of K-2

I take extra Zinc

A Super B complex

A separate B-12 sublingual tablet

And Iron (i just switched to heme iron, from the tender Iron...although I think I may switch back).

I also take a good quality multi (not centrum) from the Vitamin Shoppe. I take 4 a day (normal dosage is 2).

But if you are low, I'd start off on the recommended plan. It may be a bit more expensive than the BA vits, but really what is your health worth?

I haven't tested low for D or A since I've had the DS. I have seen Zinc drop recently so I added more (but it was low average).

The only thing I ever tested low on was Vitamin C. But I can't take an oral suppliment. It gives me terrible heart burn to the point that it takes weeks of prilosec to get it under control.

Scott

If you are taking the ADEKs they only have 5000 IUs of A per 2-3 tablets. and 667 IUs of D.

If you take double the dosage that is only 10,000 of A and 1200 IUs of D.

I take 10 times that amount. 100,000 IU of A and 150,000 IUs of D.

I'd be deficient too if I took those low amounts of suppliments.