Diabetic Post-Ops - Don't Blow Off Your A1cS

I am 7 years out at present, and about 2 years ago I brushed off my family doc's suggestions about having an A1c glucose blood test run.  I continued to do so whenever I had my routine check-up exams and tests performed by him afterwards.  I didn't see any need to and frankly didn't want to incur the cost, either (I don't have ins.).  Up until then my A1cs had generally been below 5.0, which was "non-diabetic".  My last one was slightly above (5.2), but again this was non-diabetic.  

 After some rather odd symptoms of late (mostly blurry vision, tiredness and/or 'foggy thinking", that came and went), my family doc finally insisted that I have an A1c run.  When the results came back, I was stunned that it was 5.8, which is "pre-diabetic" or "borderline diabetic".     At this rate, absent substantial re-loss of weight, it looks like I could be full-blown diabetic again in less than a year (i.e. 6.0+).  So much for WLS - even the mighty DS - being a permanent cure for Type II Diabetes.      At least my lipid levels are still well within normal ranges, although my total chol.s are no longer under triple digits.    

   The important message here is to continue to have your A1cs run on a regular basis, no matter how far you are out. 

I'm so sorry to hear that. My diabetes never went away (2 years out, still haven't reached goal, about 40lbs away) and i felt duped, as nice as losing weight is I really did the DS to get rid of my diabetes, it was way out of control and i have had open heart surgery and many bouts of laser surgery on my eyes because of it (and I'm only 47 now).  While it hasn't completely gone it is managed a heck of a lot better, Im off Metformin and just take one insulin shot at night, and my cholesterol is remarkably low considering I eat meat cheese and eggs all day.   so I agree with your post, it pays to always keep a check on it.

The information that meat cheese and eggs causes high cholesterol is very old school thinking. Research  is now showing that carbs like bread pasta rice etc cause high cholesterol. GL

I understand this very well, grandmother, father, aunt, uncle, all with diabetes-awful disease...sounds like your lipids are great, congrats on that.  there are no absolutes in medicine,but having the DS you are a step ahead, the intestinal bypass really is a great way to combat type 2 diabetes but it is not 100%.  diabetes carries many warning signs, some of which you posted, I am sure you had others, including your fasting blood sugars would not be normal, this is part of the CMP, or GBClytes, that we all should have drawn, depending how far out you are 1-2xs a year.   for a normal patient, with no symptoms, the FBS is the screening test, the HgbA1C is not necessary, unless your FBS is abnormal.  It sounds like you are doing great, keep after it, your lipds are wonderful so you are a step ahead...wishing you well. 

I feel for you.  I remember thinking that it would be such a bummer if my diabetes didn't disappear.

Even so, I do a fasting blood test once a month just to check on things.  I have watched it drop and drop every month.  Today it was 95, which made me smile. 

I will watch it for the rest of my life.  I know that losing weight and exercising a little every day isn't going to keep it at bay forever.  It will most probably come back (everyone in my family has it) but if I can get another 10 years without insulin I will be happy.

jashley, when you are as non-complying as the OP then your diabetes will be the winner in this DS game. I would say he is notorious for it. 
Stick with what you know will work with the DS and you will do just fine.

There are compliant people whose diabetes never resolves and there are non-compliant people *****solve completely.  It has more to do with condition of the pancreas, family history and just plain bad luck.  Nobody knows for sure whose diabetes will resolve, and whose will appear after surgery, or resolve and then come back.  But it is not predictable with weight or compliance.

I've seen this also.  I know a couple people who lost all their weight, kept it off and eat cleanly - but the diabetes never did go away.  It's better with the weight loss, but they still have it. 

When I asked my surgeon about this, he said a lot of it depends on how long someone has been a diabetic and on insulin before the surgery.  If they were diabetic for years before, then there is a high risk their diabetes won't resolve with surgery and weight loss.  And if it does resolve, chances are much higher that it will come back later.

It's all through my family.  I accept that it will come back later.  I just want to live life to the fullest now without having to deal with it. 

I am assuming that if you lose your regain, the A1C should go back to normal, since it was when you were at a lower weight?  If this is the case, what are you doing to lose this regain?