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Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by J P. on 6/12/07 2:17 pm
    Kirsten- By now you are hanging out on the "losing" side! I hope everything went well and I wish you best for your amazing journey ahead. ~Jessica
  • Comment by Tammy I Am on 6/11/07 11:11 pm
    Congratulations on getting there!! It feels like the finish line but it’s also just the starting blocks!! How exciting a time, knowing there are some rough waters ahead but seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! You are in our thoughts and prayers, God speed through your surgery and a quick and complete recovery! Good luck!! Tammy
  • Comment by First Name Last Name on 6/11/07 1:42 pm
    Kirsten, I hope you have a speedy and uneventful recovery! I'm so glad you made it to the "switch" side and I hope to join you there soon! We will miss you at the IDS meeting this month but we hope to see you in July. Take care of yourself! Lyndia
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kiridoc's Blog
kiridoc's Blog


VitaLady's Blood Work Recommendations:
on March 19, 2008 5:19 am
Not to be construed as medical advice, this list includes labs we have had performed as gastric bypass patients (Note this list is not specifically geared toward DS)

copper
vit E
vit K
AND vit K2, (osteocalcin)





* 10231 - comprehensive metabolic profile (sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose,BUN, creatinine, calcium, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase)

* 84134 - pre-albumin

* 7600 - lipid profile (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, chol/HDL ratio)

* 10256 - (hep panel, includes ALT (SPGT) & GGT)

* 593 - LDH

* 718 - phosphorous – inorganic

* 83735 - magnesium

* 905 - uric acid

*7444 - thyroid panel (T3U, T4, FTI, TSH)

* 1759 - hemogram with platelets

* 7573 - iron, TIBC, % sat

* 457 - ferritin

* 945 - zinc

* 921 - vitamin A

* 680 – D (25-hydroxy)

* 4052 - vitamin B-1 (thiamin)

* 84207 – vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine)

* 7065 - B-12 & folate

* 83970 - serum intact PTH

*31789 - homocysteine, cardio

* 83921 - MMA

* 367 – cortisol

* 84255 - selenium



For diabetics: *496 - HEMOGLOBIN A1C





DIAGNOSIS CODES:
269.2 hypovitaminosis

244.9 hypothryoidism

268 vitamin D deficiency

250.0 diabetes

401.9 hypertension

276.9 electrolyte and fluid disorders

579.8 calcium malabsorption

579.8 intestinal malabsorption

272.0 hypercholesterolemia

275.40 calcium deficiency

266.2 cyanocobalamin deficiency

280.9 iron-deficiency anemia

269.3 zinc deficiency

281.0 pernicious anemia

281.2 folate deficiency anemia

281.1 other B12 deficiency anemia

285.9 anemia, unspecified





*579.3 surgical malabsorption*
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CENTURY CLUB!!
on March 7, 2008 9:40 am
kirstencard.jpg picture by leaannjohnson
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Dr. Ungson
on March 4, 2008 5:49 am
IN MY OPINOIN:
As a medical professional that has worked in more than 50 healthcare facilities and hospitals around the country, let me just say that (1) CIMA hospital is clean and professional and (2) Dr. Ungson is a caring, skilled, not infallible and responsible professional.  This is my experience with him and the hospital.  I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone who has done their research and can handle the increased responsibility of self-medical management without your surgeon close by.
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Proteins and Supplements right after surgery
on February 22, 2008 11:01 am

Okay so here is the link to the yummy Crystal Light-like stuff I loved so much right after surgery. 15g protein (it’s really good, but I’ve graduated to stuff with more protein in it).

 http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/index.php?target=manufacturers&manufacturer_id=1 If you scoll down a little you’ll see the grape, and pineapple (my two faves) … all the different flavors.  The same site sells Protidiet brands that have Pink Lemonade as well.

I’m also a big fan of Banana Scream.  I got mine at www.vitalady.com .  I also got the Cocoa Mochachino there- YUMMO!

I’ve never used the little vials of protein (protein bullets they’re called).  I’ve never heard them described as anything but yucky. (You can get them at GNC if you want to try some out though!)

My main sources of protein right after surgery were string cheese (still a staple in my diet), cottage cheese, ham cubes, protein drinks and umm… I really don’t remember what else!  Lori has a great list of what she was eating 1 and 2 weeks out of surgery if you want to check her profile (she’s so much more organized than I am!).  Had I tried it then, I think I would’ve liked ricotta fluff too (Valgroce’s profile has it).

Supplements: I know it seems like a lot- but it’s not too bad once you get used to it.  We all have our own systems. 
Here is my current regime: 
AM:      2 1000mg Calcium Citrate*  Best absorbed on an “empty” stomach 
        3 5000mg Dry D3 from Vitalady (and yes it HAS to be DRY D- regular vitamin D tablets are formed in oil so we don’t absorb it)

Breakfast:         MVI (Bariatric Advantage ADEK chewable for DS) available at Vitalady 
                        2 Flaxseed oil capsules (Nature Made brand- BOGO at Walgreens)

 Lunch:              Same as Breakfast 
                         A few Folic Acids (needed b/c of an unrelated health issue)

Somewhere in the middle:  Calciums as above

Supper:             MVI et al

Evening: Calciums as above

Before bed:        Prescription meds 
                        Tender Magnesium (from Vitalady)
                        2 1000 mcg Vitamin C

At bed:              Slow Fe Iron pill (every other night)

Once in awhile I’ll take a sublingual B12 too- just for good measure.

Previous regime: 
Before surgery I took prenatal vitamins. 
It was nearly 6 months before I could take pills well- remember our tummies stay swollen for quite sometime- so until I could take “big kid” supplements I took: 
     2 Flintstone chewables 3 times a day.  1 with iron and 1 with “bone support” (I hadn’t tried the Bariatric Advantage chewables yet- but I highly recommend them to new post-ops). 
     1 Viactive calcium chew after every meal (this is calcium carbonate- not absorbed as well but better than nothing.  Just remember, unabsorbed calcium is what kidney stones are made of!) 
I would take “extras” whenever possible.  A B-complex here, vitamin D there…

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Top 10 Surgery Toys
on June 19, 2007 6:47 pm
Okay, so, everyone, including myself, always wants to know "What will I need in the hospital?"... well here's my list of the top 10 things to bring with you for this surgery.

10.  Good quality Chapstick/lip moisturizer
9.  A buddy.  Nurses simply cannot be at your whim constantly, and when you gotta go, you gotta go.  I really recommend having friends with you during the day for the 2 and 3rd days after surgery.
8. Your favorite pillow
7. Even better than #8 because your positioning is going to be so "off"- a good quality neck pillow.  Like the ones for travelling- you can sleep in just about any position with these babies!
6. Underwear a size larger than you now wear- you get really swollen!
5. A closely cropped (not shaved) va jay-jay.  Lets be honest ladies- your gonna wanna look good AND who needs all that hair getting in the way while you're trying to do your own peri-care.  This may not be standard practice for all- but I highly recommend it pre-op!
4. A pad of paper to write down your questions for your doctors as you think of them- otherwise when they come to see you you'll forget them all!
3.  Also, try to write down or keep track of (and this is where a good buddy comes in too)- when you get your pain medications.  No matter how good your nurse is, mistakes and miscommunications happen- and it's not good when your pain meds get missed!
2. Flushable baby wipes... ahhh!
and my #1- wouldn't-be-without-it.... SALAD TONGS!  yep, salad tongs.  For wiping myself.  I got the 2 for $2.99 metal ones at Meijer.  They've got the little ring that slides down to lock them closed.  It took almost a week before I could reach the front to wipe- but these babies gave me some degree of independence in that "area" and have worked great the whole time.  You just wrap the TP or Wipe around them and "dig in"!

Good luck you!
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My Story

So... here's my story as I see it...


I'm 35 years old, single, and usually pretty happy.  I've been in love a few times- but whenever the "L" word starts flying and men start talking about forever... the relationship usually ends not long after that.  I used to blame them- now I'm not so sure... (not sure why I started there... but okay...

I too have been overweight all of my life (anyone else remember the "Pretty Plus" department?).  Just to make things more interesting, God went ahead and made me the only fat one in the family- literally my WHOLE family- except for one Aunt after whom I take- who is kind of the crazy one in the family and lives 4 hours away.
My parents pretty much didn't know what to do with me but did their best.  I remember picking out my first day of Kindergarten clothes weeks in advance- and wanting to be sure I didn't look fat in them.  First diet at age 11 was Nutri-system- lost like 50#'s!  But we all know how that story ends.
By the end of H.S. I'd gained and lost like another 70+#'s at least 2 more times.  When I graduated I was wearing like a size 14... but felt gargantuan!  Fortunately, I was always well liked in school and really had only one overt teasing incident... but still, the emotional scars run pretty deep.  
College... lost weight my freshman year... but again... well you know the rest.  
So, here I am.  At age 30 I got down to 180#.  But then my disease, which started 4 years earlier was full blown and diagnosed and was now being treated with meds.  So a year later I weighed 280# and it's been slow gaining since then. Now I'm up to 298 at 5'7".  Ick.

BESIDES my weight though:
I despise exercise- always have.  Ever since my first try at volleyball when my pretty red nailpolish left a red streak on the ball I decided- "No Way".  Fortunately, I do enjoy yoga- gotta do something to keep moving and keep the weight off!
I LOVE to laugh- and I'm pretty good at it.
I love my job- I'm a speech pathologist and work for a contract company so I work everywhere from schools to the ICU and everywhere in between.
I am so blessed to be able to make peoples lives better every day- even if it's only to make someone smile who is in pain or lonely.
I love public speaking and education.
God is in charge- and that's a good thing b/c I make a pretty good mess of things just being in the co-pilot's seat!
I think I want to fall in love someday- but that's an awfully scary thought.
My mother is living with me right now because my Dad (who had been my hero) went off the deep end 2 years ago and they divorced and she's getting back on her feet.
With Mom came 2 big dogs (plus my 2 little dogs) and now a procession of foster Great Pyrenees.
I can't wait to live life to the fullest- to have adventures and feel the sun on my body again instead of hiding... always hiding.
I have ADD (yes, officially, full testing battery, psychometrics and all), depression with some anxiety (though the anxiety is WAY worse than the depression) and psoriatic arthritis.  Each of these has made me a better person and a better therapist, I'm grateful for them even when they BITE!

Oh yes, and, I can talk a BLUE STREAK (in case you hadn't noticed)

Thanks for listening,