Please get your labs drawn yearly and track your trends. PSA

I have to get my lab work done a few days before my 3 months post op appointment in November. My iron was low before surgery so I have to really be careful with that.

Since I just got my sleeve I too would like to know what labs.  Would those labs be the same no matter what type of bariatric surgery RNY, DS etc

I believe yes, the labs would be the same, but you know, I am not a doctor, just translate their mumbles into documents.  :}

I agree 100% and visit Andrea's web blog for some valuable information:
This is just one blog entry of hers I have bookmarked:

http://wlsvitagarten.com/2010/12/06/b12-and-folate-deficiencies-in-vsg/


Also, if you attend a local support group, and they ask for suggestions on meeting topics, ask if you can have a "lab trending" meeting. This will help everyone in the group, and it really helps when others are there to offer their numbers, and most are surprised what their labs really look like.

I had my labs pulled at 3,6,9,12, 18, 24 months out. Everything trended nicely except my B12 shot up at my 18 month labs, we changed my dosage and it was back down in normal ranges within 2-2.5 months. I'll have my labs pulled one more time in December at my 30 month follow up, and then will proceed yearly at the 3 year post-op (June of 2012).

 I just got mine done for my yearly check up at my Primary Dr. The nurse called me in for a b12 shot today smh  

You can get copies of your past lab reports from your doctor.  And I got a copy of my pre-surgery blood work from the hospital.  It's not as comprehensive as the post-op testing, but it gave me a baseline for the major items.

Brandi - we had the head of bariatric medicine at our support group last month and I had a chance to ask him about the maldigesting/low protein issue after surgery.  He looked at me like I'd grown a second head.  I told him how my protein numbers were trending and his response was, "but that's still within normal."  The fact that I had dropped from a pre-op 7.2 to a post-op 6.1 (which is the absolute borderline for "normal") didn't faze him.  He told me that was my new normal.  I'm sure he could tell from the look on my face that I was not satisfied with his explanation, and we parted company.

Marie and I were musing the other day about  how folks who arent affected by things are so very "oh, dont worry" about stuff  that, damn straight we should worry about!!

Brandilynn you Wonderful Hunka Whoaman----this may be a dumb question but you are talking blood specimens, correct?  Not urine?  The reason I ask because you mention in  "so I remember what gets covered with foil (I bring my own)".
 
That made me wonder if you were talking about urine for some of these since most of us can't draw our own blood and wrap it in foil.  Also, I've seen lots of labs drawn and waiting for process/shipment out and never seen any wrapped in foil.  Or am I TOTALLY misunderstanding?

These are all blood tests. I think she brings foil to give to them to cover the tubes after they draw the sample. (Vit A and B6 can't be exposed to light, so they can cover them with foil).

HTH! 

You are right honeypie - blood.  I bring my own FOIL!  :}

And here, this is how I learned about the A - my B1 and 6 are in the picture above, but they dont give specifics like this, just that they werent viable samples. When I asked my PA, she said it was because they should have been covered (and I think she even said frozen?, maybe I dreamt that part).

I think most places have stickers that they wrap around the light sensitive ones?  I just wasnt going to have to come back for another draw if I didnt have to, after I learned about what ones needed covering!