Vitamins, vitamins...where for art thou Vitamins?

Today's entry is personal.  First, sorry it's composed so late in the day.  I was delayed at my surgical clinic having 15 vials of blood drawn.  Which brings me to our topic:  could you be doing everything right and still need more?

I showed up at the clinic and they handed me a few forms:  one to verify current medications, one to give an example of my daily food intake, and one asking symptoms that brought me to the clinic in the first place. 

1.  Since surgery and subsequent weight loss, I'm off all meds except the lowest dose possible of Xanax.  Am hoping to be off that very soon, but not quite there yet.  According to the shrink at the clinic, they recommend no patient change pysch meds for a year after surgery.  I didn't think I'd need an entire year to wean off this last jagged little pill, but alas.  I choose to be happy with all I've accomplished instead of what I have not.  I chew 2 Centrum each day.  They did say to add chewable calcium, so will do tomorrow. 

2.  Breakfast, container of greek yogurt.  AM snack, piece of oatmeal bread toasted with peanut butter.  Lunch, tuna salad with chopped hard boiled egg and a slice of tomato.  Afternoon snack, protein shake.  Dinner, 2 ounces of baked chicken and 1/4 cup of steamed green beans.  PM snack, 2 ounces of cheddar cheese and 2 Triscuit crackers.  Doc said "your diet is stellar!"  So A+ for me tee hee. 

3.  Symptoms:  extreme fatigue, dizziness, mental confusion, cold hands and feet, no appetite.  I had what I could best qualify as the flu (doc asked if I went to the clinic and verified it was indeed the flu I said no) about 2 weeks ago.  So last week when these symptoms popped, I chalked it up to coming off having the flu.  The fatigue was nearly debilitating yesterday afternoon.  By this morning, I forgot how to drive home from dropping my daughter off at school; a drive I do twice a day, 5 days a week.  I called the resident on call and he said get to the clinic...so I did.  Gave more blood than a vampire could drink, but it should give us a nice WIDE target to aim for!  They gave me a B12 shot; I had been doing B12 shots regularly before GB but since surgery, haven't had any symptoms.  I do think that's the underlying issue now and I have to face facts that my body cannot absorb B12 naturally, which sucks.  Then she asked how much water I drink each day.  I told her 100 fluid ounces, give or take, not including fluid from my protein shakes or cup of coffee.  She says "that's too much.  I want you to cut back to 64 ounces...you might have sodium deficiency."  Huh?  Too much water?  Not enough sodium?  Huh?

We're conditioned in this program to get in as much water as humanly possible to stave off dehyration.  Another key topic is salt because it's not good for you in general, but it dehydrates.  So I'm told I am drinking TOO much and have TOO little sodium.  Huh?  I guess we'll wait to see what the tests reveal. 

I'm not posting this to scare or confuse.  What I'm trying to say is, I'm told I'm the poster child for gastric bypass surgery and weight loss.  I've done everything I was told to do, I've had huge success with my weight loss and skin retention, and no hair loss.  I've had no metabolic issues whatsoever and have started a very good exercise regime.  And I woke up this morning feeling like I was losing my mind.  This is normal.  If you have symptoms that make you feel "just not right," call you doctor.  So you sacrifice a few pints of blood and spend a few hours in waiting and exam rooms...but that's what they are for.  This is a life long journey and they are your tour guides, so use them!  You aren't bothering them and no question is a stupid question.  If you are in a Center of Excellence, there is no question or symptom they haven't heard of or answered.  I'll let you know tomorrow what they've discovered and how I will adjust my "stellar" daily menu accordingly.  Just remember, you can only do what you can do...and no more.