pre-op & diabetic. i have a question.

i have a question about after surgery. i am hoping my diabetes will go into remission with the surgery but i know it will or may not happen overnight. question- what happens when your suger drops low and you have to quickly take in some sort of suger. do you dump as well? i was thinking about that the other day. how crappy you would feel if your suger drops and then to bring it up again and then have dumping syndrome. thanks

Hi Jackiesmom,

I don't have the dumping issue because I had a VSG, not an RNY, but I was still *very* worried about hypoglycemic episodes, since I cannot quickly drink any large quantities of juice, etc. Your doctors should give you guidance on this. For me, they cut my long-acting insulin dose in half as soon as I had the surgery, and then I checked myself very carefully for the next three days because I had to be on IV fluids (with glucose) and took small doses of insulin. Since I've been home (I am three weeks out), I have cut my long-acting insulin by another 6 units and am taking NO insulin with meals, since my meals are pretty much a half-cup of whatever at a time, and contain no sugar or simple carbs. My fasting blood sugars have been normal every morning for the last 9 or 10 days. One morning it was pretty low (about 52) and I sipped some juice and that dealt with it - but like I said, I don't have dumping syndrome). I lowered my insulin dose that night and haven't had a hypoglycemic episode since. I've had diabetes for 23 years and have been insulin-treated for the past 13 years.

There is generally an immediate effect on diabetes after RNY that is independent of weight loss (a benefit that we VSG'ers probably do not get, although they don't know for sure yet).

 Whether or not your diabetes goes into remission (and your chances are good), depends on a number of factors - how long you have had diabetes, how well or poorly it was controlled, etc. If you have not had a test to find out whether your pancreas is still making beta cells, ask your doctors to do one for you pre-op.

Best of luck,

Ros-mari

thank you. i never thought to ask to have my pancreas tested. my dad,brother ,and grandmother have diabetes. i was gestational diabetice 9 yrs ago when i became pregnant with my daughter. it went away right after she was born. theb 2 yrs later i gained weight and my sugers were up again. we tried to control it first with diet,(failed), them oral meds for 5-6 yrs, that worked good when i dieted but not always. i was put on insulin about 6 months ago. i hate it. not because i dont like needles but the inconvienience to it and i am all bruised.(i am on blood thinners) i am hoping that my diabetes will fade faw away but i just want to feel good. thanks for the helpo. good luck!

Ask your docs about using shorter needles, if possible, which should help the bruising. My diabetes nurse switched me to very short (about 3/16 of an inch) needles a while ago. You don't have to "pinch up" the skin, and my bruising problems went away, even when I was on blood thinners post-op. You eventually get used to the shots, but I am pulling for you and hoping you never *have* to get used to them because your diabetes resolves after surgery! Diabetes is a ***** of a disease. Best of luck to you!

Ros-mari 

Stock up on test strips.  You need to talk to your doctor about this. What mine told me was to cut the dosage in half and only to take that if I was above 150 when I tested.  He feels that it is better not to get low than to be a bit high.  That is to avoid having to take sugar to bring you back up.