New to the idea of surgery, need help!

Hello everyone here. My pcp has just recently told me he is suggesting I consider weight loss surgery, it's time. I know a bit about surgery types from reading on this site, but I'm worried since I already have diabetes and high blood pressure. Would my recovery time be longer, and is my risk higher? For those who have had wls, was your diabetes reduced? Sorry for the questions, but I need to hear from real people who have had real experiences.

I am too KimmyJJ! I am going to quietly stalk your responses because I am in the same boat as you! I've been diagnosed with Pre-diabetes, Sleep Apnea, High Blood Pressure and Fibromyalgia so I am trying to weigh out my options!

Your best change of going into remission for diabetes is if you have not been on insulin and you have had diabetes for seven years or less. Every year you have diabetes the pancreas becomes more worn out. When you start taking insulin your body gets lets efficient at producing its own.

If you have RNY you chances of remission is 85%. With VSG it is 50%,

I had diabetes for twenty years before I had surgery and insulin for 10 years and my diabetes did not go into remission but became much easier to manage after surgery.

Your doctor would probably have the best details about your personal risk situation. I had RNY because it had the highest odds of putting my Type 2 into remission. It doesn't happen for everyone, I had been diagnosed for 2 years and was on multiple meds but not insulin. I was off within the first week post op and definitely am healthier now than before. Knees I didn't even know bothered me are better; all other comorbidities resolved as well, although my cholesterol is a little higher than I would like - no meds though.

I can only give you my PERSONAL experience, of course...

I was 44, when I had RNY. I was insulin injections 4x/day, and steadily increasing the amount (Adult onset Type 2 Diabetes)...Post op, it took me about 6 months to be completely off any type Diabetic medication, to be reliant on diet/lifestyle, to maintain my blood sugars/A1C levels...

That being said, I am of the mindset Diabetes is never CURED...Like alcoholism, cancer, etc, it goes into remission, or can be MANAGED...You go thinking you are CURED, and your brain/body will show you otherwise (wise words, from a cranky old nurse...lol - seen it too many times)

Any weight loss, is GOOD weight loss, for both Diabetes and Hypertension. Normal weight people also get BOTH those conditions, of course, but...well...you know...

There you have it...I REAL person...with over 17 years, of REAL experiences

GOOD, for you, for doing your research !!!!

Weight loss will help with lower your high blood pressure and your A1C levels significant weight loss will resolve them entirely. I had both before surgery and within 6 weeks I was off my blood pressure meds and I believe that at my 3 months follow-up up I was off the diabetic meds. Being diabetic did have some potential complications, healing seemed to take me longer as I did have an incision that had to be looked at closely due to the slow healing and incision leak that I experienced. It was a small complication and I was forewarned of that possibility. The best decision I ever made was to have surgery.

Did you find your A1C was wonky, when you had your regain? Mine went all over the map, for awhile...

When I got myself back under control, and stayed around "goal", my more important "numbers" do so much better This is why I remain of the belief I am never CURED, only MANAGED

Absolutely as soon as I gained over 40 lbs my levels started to rise again. I have not been back to my pcp since before Thanksgiving so I am unsure where I am right now but this is one of my driving forces to get the regain off as well as get back on track with EVERYTHING. I completely agree we are never cured only managed and I hate it when people say they have lost XXXlbs forever. It isn't forever, forever is never promised and that includes weight loss. People have to understand this or they are destined to fail, eventually.

I found my A1C rising, after only 20lbs, even...scared the beejees, out of me, for sure!!

For TOO MANY years, I was the queen of regain/relose/regain/relose...so hard on the BODY...much less the MIND..

CONGRATS, to you, for taking hold, of your health !!!

notdamomma, this is helpful to know that the surgery can help this much. I can only hope for the best of outcomes. I will be attending a seminar next month to get started, so getting a bit nervous but excited.