VSG diabetes question.

Thanks for some science.

She is newly widowed and starting to set up a kitchen for herself. I'm really proud of her. She's searching for health.

Like Cynthia said, it's more about the WL driving remission than the actual endocrine 'cure' that RNY gives. My surgeon said with RNY people who will go into remission often do so immediately after surgery and never have to go back on meds.

I have MODY which is a genetic form of diabetes, so I'll never be without it, but I went from being on an Insulin pump and taking 40-100 units per day (depending on the day and my weight at the time) to taking only Metformin. I'm in maintenance and eat carbs (moderately so) and maintain a mid-5's A1c without much issue.

So all that to say, even for a person who had no chance of a 'remission', I saw drastic improvement. My absolutely favorite part was being off insulin while working out. No more low blood sugars that I had to correct with calories!

I disagree. Eating better and losing weight will help any diabetic. But the endocrine effects from RNY are enormous. I literally woke up from surgery with diabetes in remission. My fasting blood sugars went from 160 to 75, in one day. I obviously hadn't lost any weight yet.

Hopefully they'll one day figure out how to flip that metabolic and endocrine switch without surgery. Maybe there will be a medication or gene therapy that will do the same thing. But for now, surgery is the only thing that accomplishes those ends.

Yes, that's what I meant. VSG obviously will help a diabetic and potentially in a major way, but RNY has the 'magic cure' that VSG will never have.

I was only saying that I personally wouldn't ever be in remission regardless of surgery type because of the type of diabetes I have.

That's an amazing success story you have.

Her wife was cured on the table with an RnY.

Right now she's backing away from surgery.

Eating better and has taken up jogging. I wonder if Peach is running that 1/2 marathon in the snow.

Actually, it is more than just weight loss driven remission. Back in the days before the stand alone VSG was common, 10-20 years ago, the prevailing thought was that diabetes remission was strictly a function of the intestinal work done with the DS and RNY, as the lapband only showed results consistent with weight loss, However, when the standalone VSG became more common, it was apparent that there was more to it than that as many diabetic patients, like HappyTeacher, were leaving the hospital free of their meds and insulin, and indeed they did find substantial hormonal changes resulting from the stomach resection that leads to similar remission characteristics to the bypass, though similarly still short of that of the DS.

I was a long time type 2 diabetic prescribed insulin, metformin and Glimeperide. I was out of control with my eating, lack of energy and exercise and my A1c prior to surgery was 11.2, yes not a typo. I am 4 years post op today and my A1C at my yearly in April was 4.7. I will remain diligent as I do Not want to revert back to old habits and diabetes medication. It may come back, but will not be due to poor food/diet choices.

You saved yourself!

Thanks for sharing your story.

Like Grimm said, Sleeve will help your friend lose weight, and losing weight lessens diabetes.

RNY changes metabolism and puts diabetes in remission, but it often returns in a few years (usually as they are regaining).

DS has the biggest metabolic change, and yields a 98% cure rate (not remission) because it usually never returns (I say usually because there are a couple of diabetic unicorns out there, but 98% never worry about it again).