professionals that don't know how to treat gastric bypass patients but refuse to say so

I've developed iron deficiency anemia and was feeling so crappy that I went to the urgent care center. My arms and legs felt like jelly and I was afraid of falling....also I got that weird restless leg syndrome feeling that can't describe and hadn't slept for 3 days because of it.
They didnt have a dr to see me, only a nurse practitioner but I was desperate for help. She said the only thing she could do to help me was recommend I cook beans, carrots, spinach and watercress. Then put it thru the blender and drink it twice a day. I was floored that I sat for 4hours only to be told to go home and make soup.
I'm convinced that she didn't have a clue about gastric bypass patients but she didn't want to tell me that.

How do you know you have iron deficiency anemia? Did your regular doctor diagnose you? 

While I don't know anything about the soup thingie this NP recommended, I do know that I was referred to a hematologist for iron deficiency anemia. I imagine this isn't anything urgent care would get into. 

Yes, I was diagnosed by my reg dr who I see again on 11/15. I just didn't think I would make it till then. He said if my levels are still low at my next visit he's gonna start iron infusions so hopefully relief is right around the corner.

Well, I hope your next visit with your doc gets you some relief. Urgent Care is great for a lot of things. Management of a chronic condition isn't one of them. 

Can you get some Tender Iron (??) not sure if that's the right name for it, but it might be someone
one else on this site could verify it.  Maybe Vitalady or Poet Kelly?

The iron-intense veggies are a good thing, but it sounds as if you might want a more immediate
resolution to your problem.  Maybe call your doctor tomorrow?  Doesn't sound like a good thing
to put off for two weeks.

Best wishes,

Yeah, Tender iron.  It's from vitalady.com.  It's carbonyl iron with enough vitamin C to improve absorption.

Veggies with lots of iron won't help much after RNY because of the malabsorption.  A good iron supplement is definitely called for.

That is not what urgent care is for.  It's for problems that don't need follow up.

Coughs, sore throats, minor injuries, minor stomach upsets.  That's urgent care. 

What exactly were you expecting?  She can't just give you an iron infusion right then and there...they aren't equipped for that.  And Rx iron aint anything special...you can buy the same thing OTC.

That's a really crappy thing for them to do. I would have been outraged. Best of luck with getting better!

I am with Kayla on this one - not sure what you expected an urgent care to be able to do for your anemia. Besides, reading the title of your post, would you REALLY have been much less upset if you'd sat for 4 hours and just had her honestly admit she didn't know how to treat you? Either way, you've wasted the 4+ hours and ended up with no real help.

I do agree that it's frustrating when medical professionals act like they know what they're doing for us and refuse to admit they don't. I am pregnant, and my first OB told me to stop taking ALL My supplements and only take a prenatal. I said that was a bad idea. I asked her how often they would have labs run for me during my pregnancy to check my nutrient levels, and she said they don't do that at all. She then assured me that all of her other gastric bypass patients have been "just fine" following these recommendations. Umm, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY LABS RUN? Sorry, but your patients and their babies not dropping dead from malnutrition is NOT "just fine," in my book.

 Until U get the tender iron from Vitalady ....  U CAN go to  the Vitamin Shoppe or even  GNC and buy  iron  in form s OTHER than elemental iron which is what our rerouted digestive systems cant absorb.  

I take something called ferro-sequels high potency iron supplement  which  has the iron  as ferrous fumarate in it ....   and there are many other forms as well .  

Ull feel better  really quickly !  AND Ull grow a lot of thick hair ....  Iron  and zinc deficiency are the number one cause of   hair thinning  six months o r more post op ..  

good luck Solise  feel better Hun !   Big hug