After googling I guess this may be a difficult questions since it’s so specific to the patient but Does anyone remember what labs they ordered for preop? Was it just the normal CBC? Or was it all the vitamins and extra stuff. I have to go back to my PCP again tomorrow morning because they couldn’t find a vein when they tried on Tuesday and as I sit here I’m thinking that probably in another couple weeks I am going to have to go through all this again. If I had thought of it earlier I would’ve called but I have to be there at 8 am and if possible I will ask them to add whatever the surgeon will likely require.

Edited April 25, 20242 yr by ShoppGirl

it's been over nine years for me, but I think they did test for certain vitamins because I remember I was deficient in vitamin (as are MANY people), so they had me on prescription vitamin D for a couple of weeks to bring my levels back up to normal.

I just logged into my patient portal and looked at my labs. They ordered the same tests for both my sleeve and my revision to bypass. Here's what they ordered:

vitamin d

A1c

comprehensive metabolic panel

tsh

vitamin b1

prealbumin

iron

ferratin

folate

vitamin b12

cbc with differential

lipid panel

vitamin a

Mine was just last year so I remember and have access to it on MyChart.

They did CBC, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Vit D, A1C, Thyroid (TSH), Folate, and Ferritin. They pull all of those numbers as they need to be able to have comparative information to monitor after surgery and of course to address any issues prior to surgery.

I just had my one year post op labs done this week and happy to know everything is on point.

It can vary widely. At my first program, they ran CBC, metabolic, thyroid, vitamin D, A1c, and a few others. But I switched to a different program, one within the same hospital system in fact, and the doctor ordered so many tests that even after combining a few that could run together, they had to take 16 vials of blood! The lab had a policy of no more than 12 vials per day, so I had to go back for the rest.

it never occurred to me that all my lab results are stored somewhere accessible that i could peruse through at leisure!

i've always just accepted what they told me (since i've never actually had any issues that were unexplained to me).

i should ask my doc how i could access this info....

Thank you all for your replies. It sounds like I’m going to have to go back since it’s so different for everyone. I was hoping it was just a couple extra tests I could ask the NP to add on easily. It’s always such a big deal cause I had a lymph node biopsy under one arm which rules that out and my veins in the other apparently Aren’t great anymore.

sorta wondered if it was just the girl at my primary dr at first because the issue started when I started doing it there but I can’t see any veins in that arm anymore either. She had someone else helping her today and between the two of them they found one (the third try) and told me to remember the location of it cause it was a good one they said.

My friend told me that if I go to hospital they have actual phlebotomist that know stuff that the nurses do not though so if he does order more I will just ask him to send the order to the hospital this time. I am curious to know if this hard to find veins issue coorelates with weight. I am hoping maybe it will get better after surgery. Wishful thinking probably.

23 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

it never occurred to me that all my lab results are stored somewhere accessible that i could peruse through at leisure!

i've always just accepted what they told me (since i've never actually had any issues that were unexplained to me).

i should ask my doc how i could access this info....

It’s usually the doctors who belong to larger like hospital groups from my experience that have online portals.

A good phlebotomist once said it's not about what you see, but what you feel.

I don't have any medical issues that relate to vein issues, but many many times it was a hunt for a vein to have my blood drawn. I've been poked up to 3 times and have had to have blood taken from the top of my hands on several occasions and once from my wrist (do not recommend that one hurt like a /@%$*).

On the day of surgery, the anesthesiologist also poked me 3 times before finally placing the IV and that was with the use of a sonogram thingy(?). I won't lie, that hurt like heck - one because i'm already not a fan of needles and two that one is larger than a standard blood draw needle. Thankfully that was honestly the worst part of my entire in hospital experience start to finish.

I was also told that drinking plenty of water helps a lot to plump the veins and I have found that has worked. Obviously that won't always be fail proof when you are restricted from both eating and drinking several hours beforehand.

Oh and nothing really changed for me from before or after major weight loss as far as visually finding veins. I've just been lucky the last few blood draws to have someone who knows how to feel around for a good one and only poke me one time.

2 minutes ago, Shanna NYC said:

A good phlebotomist once said it's not about what you see, but what you feel.

I don't have any medical issues that relate to vein issues, but many many times it was a hunt for a vein to have my blood drawn. I've been poked up to 3 times and have had to have blood taken from the top of my hands on several occasions and once from my wrist (do not recommend that one hurt like a /@%$*).

On the day of surgery, the anesthesiologist also poked me 3 times before finally placing the IV and that was with the use of a sonogram thingy(?). I won't lie, that hurt like heck - one because i'm already not a fan of needles and two that one is larger than a standard blood draw needle. Thankfully that was honestly the worst part of my entire in hospital experience start to finish.

I was also told that drinking plenty of Water helps a lot to plump the veins and I have found that has worked. Obviously that won't always be fail proof when you are restricted from both eating and drinking several hours beforehand.

Oh and nothing really changed for me from before or after major weight loss as far as visually finding veins. I've just been lucky the last few blood draws to have someone who knows how to feel around for a good one and only poke me one time.

Yea they just had to do the wrist on me this morning. Wasn’t pleasant to say the least. I am sorta dreading surgery day when, like you said, I will actually be a little dehydrated because they had a hard time even after me forcing down three extra bottles of water this time. I don’t recall it being an issue for my sleeve. I guess I had someone good. I am starting to think that’s what it all boils down to. Most anyone can get it with good veins but anything a little harder takes someone with more experience. I am starting to develop an anxiety to needles that I never had since this vein issue. I used to be fine as long as I didn’t look at it but now they always ask me if I’m okay. Idk if it’s just because I look in distress or if they just know they are torturing me. ?

I have awful veins, they are tiny, like to hide and roll and refuse to comply. There is no difference in the hunting game based on weight, I was told it is hereditary and that makes sense, far as I know all the women in my family have tiny veins. Hydrating helps but if it is hereditary nothing will change it, it is how your body formed in the womb. I usually look bruised and battered after they get done with me. I had surgery last week and both my hands are black and blue because they insisted on trying my hands first and my hands NEVER work. I'm going to start forbidding them to do it, it takes a month for them to heal and it hurts like hell. We forget that as patients it is okay to tell someone they can't do something to you.

Anesthesiologists are the best at finding a good vein, but most good hospitals have IV teams that can come and do it with their sonograms too. I don't let anyone try on me more than twice. Two tries and they have to go find someone else to have a go because by then they've lost confidence and their odds of finding something are nil. My record is 8, thankfully the IV team finally arrived to end my torture. ?

9 minutes ago, ChunkCat said:

I have awful veins, they are tiny, like to hide and roll and refuse to comply. There is no difference in the hunting game based on weight, I was told it is hereditary and that makes sense, far as I know all the women in my family have tiny veins. Hydrating helps but if it is hereditary nothing will change it, it is how your body formed in the womb. I usually look bruised and battered after they get done with me. I had surgery last week and both my hands are black and blue because they insisted on trying my hands first and my hands NEVER work. I'm going to start forbidding them to do it, it takes a month for them to heal and it hurts like hell. We forget that as patients it is okay to tell someone they can't do something to you.

Anesthesiologists are the best at finding a good vein, but most good hospitals have IV teams that can come and do it with their sonograms too. I don't let anyone try on me more than twice. Two tries and they have to go find someone else to have a go because by then they've lost confidence and their odds of finding something are nil. My record is 8, thankfully the IV team finally arrived to end my torture. ?

I think you’re right after they try and miss it’s like they are nervous and they are less likely to get it after that. I don’t think I’d let them try 8 times unless it was life or death. A lady today that used to work at hospital said they have topical stuff and a shot they can use to numb the area but you have to ask for it. That doesn’t help with the bruising or the pain after it wears off though

Edited April 25, 20242 yr by ShoppGirl

4 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I think you’re right after they try and miss it’s like they are nervous and they are less likely to get it after that. I don’t think I’d let them try 8 times unless it was life or death. A lady today that used to work at hospital said they have topical stuff and a shot they can use to numb the area but you have to ask for it. That doesn’t help with the bruising or the pain after it wears off though

Yeah, if it was labwork I'd never let them try that many times. But it was for iron infusions I desperately needed so I could avoid blood transfusions, so it was more life-and-death than a lab draw. LOL The IV team often has the anesthetics that they can use, I like the numbing spray! It wears off fast but it does help a little.