New to the idea of surgery, need help!

I was on long acting & short acting insulin along with the pills. What got me off the insulin was changing what I ate & some weight loss before surgery. I was still on the pills when I had surgery. A few months after surgery I was off the pills. I forgot how long I had diabetes before surgery but it probably was only a couple of years. Once I needed those shots I did what I had to do to get off of them.

I take high blood pressure medication but it's a low dose & I also have a heart condition that necessitated the pill, singular. It's the only medication I take. As Gina mentioned my diabetes isn't cured but it's in remission & I have to watch it.

Kimmy JJ,

I have read all of the comments.. they are all good and address many concerns.

Much depends on YOUR mindset..The ball is in your court. There are specific risks. There are also excessive risk with Morbid Obesity!

If your blood sugar is out of control either too high OR too low, it will interfere with your healing. High protein diet and very low carbs...will stabilize blood sugars. I was diagnosed as having relative hypoglycemia 40 years ago.I was 20. The Physician scared the fluey out of me.Her comment was , "control this now or you will be insulin dependent within 5 years". My 2 hr post paradial(sp?) blood sugar was 19. My skin was warm and dry and i was not hungry until 15 min later. My blood sugar rarely was recorded above 110.

I began a diet tracking how much of what caused my blood sugar to drop. my tipping point was 12 grams of carbs. My meals became protein and no more than 10 grams of carbs. I cut ALL juices, all fruit...all liquids except pure water and un-sweetened tea.No artificial sweetners- make me hungry and some give me gastric upset. it is now 2020 and this is still my basic diet.I am not on any prescribed medication, and take bitter melon for 15 days every 2 months.15 years later i had WLS.

Look at all the anti inflammatory diet., it can be helpful for some people.Many health concerns have their beginning in inflammation,from my personal research.

Having the surgery will reduce your absorption of all you DO take in... esp important for sodium/potassium/ magnesium /calcium and Iron. You will have to be aware of the symptoms of deficiency of each. and seek medical advise..The surgery will change your tolerance and need for many things.. including vitamins and minerals..This is critical. without potassium/ sodium and magnesium/calcium/zinc/D3 and K2 in BALANCE, your heart does not beat properly, your muscles become weak.

Keep a copy of the actual picture of the surgery YOU have. make a copy with post op short and long term instructions.. including..Protein requirements and carb limitations.and put it in file safe somewhere... You will need it until you go to the next life.

For high blood pressure...Think of it as a symptom not a disease process. Do stress reduction, and look up/at natural means to reduce blood pressure. This will be the beginning of many lifestyle changes to get you on the road to better health. K2 and Magnesium intake are key.Blood levels do not necessarily reflect usable to tissue... one of most frequent signs of magnesium deficiency is muscle cramps. if i do more than normal my levels drop, and have muscle cramping... had to take milk of mag and mag slow release BOTH in extra amounts last night., with heating pad, to stop. DO your own research...

Generally, Surgery makes blood sugar issues MORE manageable... and Blood pressure and heart issues are easier to control..Remember to choose your surgeon carefully and look at the side effects and after are of each.

The one i had ,one fo the early invasive and multi -approach ones... I call a RNY onSteroids., means i can not tolerate any anti-inflammatory drugs..w/o some interventions.. With the development of 2 kinds of arthritis, muscle and ligament issue-this can be an issue...IF you have any such issues be sure to address these with the surgeon. Some will prescribe a non oral version..either topical or suppository. there are work arounds for low dose usage IF infrequent ... I take prevacid with any I MUST take.due to injury and take on lowest dose..one time daily..( no time released ones). Tylenol is allowed , but does not work for me.

Good hunting for all information. Each bit will help YOU in the long-run.

sweetpotato1959 This is a lot of good information, thank you for posting this. I will have to start a journal for sure to keep track. I somehow missed the replies until today but I'm new to all of this online posting, sorry to everyone!

In reading many things, I'm seeing tha****er intake after surgery is very important. I've never liked water very much, so how do people get their water in daily? Do you measure it?

KimmyJJ,

I do not have any problem with water .I do have a deep well and our water stream is below 100 ft of white sand... so have some really pure water.My daughter had that problem when she moved to the city.

Try getting a good quality water filter. it may be the chemicals in city or bottled water you are reacting to...flouride IS in all bottled water that crosses state lines./federal law...If not, the chemicals the residual from chlorine breaking down.

That said : try filtered water and add a slice of orange or lemon to it. will give vitamin C and also a little positive flavor. Tea and coffee can both interfere with the absorption of vitamins, minerals and iron post op...

after surgery my first goals was 50 oz water+90 grams of protein+limit of 30 grams carbs. fats very low... I needed to have liquid protein to get liquids in.. important to prevent blood clots after surgery. water is liquid that is preferred by body, for all uses...easier to assimilate. my gastric pouch was 45 cc for about 6 weeks because of edema., was very hard to get in, was a days work to get it in. ..started early in morning, and ended late in evening....rule was no water 30 min before or after eating... so worth the effort.( keeps from stretching gastric tissues.)

sweetpotato1959,

This is good information for me to have, thanks much! I do like lemons in water if I eat out, so that will have to be added to my grocery list for home! I've always been told tha****er is the best for health, so will work to make my taste buds realize it is good for me. I like iced tea, so guess i have to cut down on that. Everyone is so helpful on this website.