Neuropathy? question

Hello,  I am scheduled for RNY on 12/31/07 and am super excited.   I will be thrilled if I get relief from diabetes after the surgery.   I have some pain in my feet that has been diagnosed as neuropathy because of the diabetes.   When I was first diagnosed, my blood sugars were just under 1000 !!!   My 4 year old son had just been diagnosed with cancer and I was oblivious to what was going on in my own body.   So anyways, because of the high blood sugars, my feet have suffered.    My question is this.....Can anyone tell me if the neuropathy gets better after WLS, especially if the diabetes resolves itself.    Thanks for reading. Jodi

Hi Jodi,

So glad you are taking control - you are very lucky to be alive, considering your high blood sugars before diagnosis. I hope your little son is doing well.

Neuropathy can be difficult to reverse, but improvement is possible with consistent control of blood glucose, and your chances of resolution after RNY are good, especially if your docs worked with you to get your diabetes under control pre-op. There is no guarantee that your neuropathy will reverse, but it should at least not progress after you lose weight and get your blood sugars normalized.

Best of luck,

Ros-mari

I had my RNY 4 months ago today.  My neuropathy in my foot is much better.  Before my foot felt numb and every once in a while I had a lot of pain and it would cramp up.  Now I feel my foot and toes completely and no pain.  Still get a cramp once in a great while but doesn't last very long.   Hope this helps. Susan G.

What I have noticed in my 36 years of being diabetic is that the pain/numbness gets less as the blood sugars are normalized.  This means that I feel the burning sensation in my feet when my blood sugars are above, let's say 180.  This is usually a clue to me to check my blood sugars & to do what it takes to get them back down.  For the pain itself, I try not to take meds, although one has been prescribed for me.  Instead, I either rub lotion on my feet and/or if it's really painful, I use either a wet towel or an icepack wrapped in a towel...just until the pain subsides & the blood sugars are brought back into control.  I agree with the above bloggers in that neuropathy probably doesn't go away, but sometimes it can be controlled w/better blood sugar control.