Today I saw my GP for the routine check-in that follows my semiannual bloodwork—part of the ongoing aftercare of my gastric bypass. Like many people post-bypass, I’m in a constant tug-of-war with micronutrient deficiencies. Over time, the prescribed supplements have shifted—one month it’s this vitamin, the next it’s that trace element. Tracking these numbers matters; they shape my overall health and how I feel day to day. I often dig into recent research on post-bypass nutrition and keep experimenting with foods that might help me squeeze more value out of what I eat.
Vitamin D and folate have been my repeat offenders for years, and this winter is no exception. My folate is currently so low it’s undetectable. Vitamin D now comes not only as tablets but also as an oily solution I get injected into my upper arm twice a year. Iron is subpar, too—all classic culprits for fatigue and that foggy, washed-out feeling.
And I am tired. Bone-deep tired, the kind that winter seems to sharpen. At this point, whether it’s deficiencies, seasonal depression, or the Easter Bunny hardly matters. I’ve resolved to take my supplements more faithfully and wait for spring. But I hate the lack of energy. I hate the physical weakness that makes me feel a hundred years older than I am.
“Fatigue is here, in my body, in my legs and eyes. That is what gets you in the end. Faith is only a word, embroidered.” — Margaret Atwood
Despite all that, I would choose gastric bypass again in a heartbeat. But I won’t pretend there aren’t costs. The bypass is a fast, radical route to society’s thin ideal—but it comes with consequences. The deficiencies are one burden. Another, often unspoken, is digestive turbulence: bloating, constipation, and diarrhea that sometimes rotate in quick, relentless cycles—and occasionally arrive all at once.
This is the reality I manage: lab results, injections, pill organizers, and the patience to listen to a body that now has different rules. Some days I do better than others. Most days, I practice kindness toward this re-engineered system and keep going.