Question for southernlady5464

Southernlady has been a huge help in the past with my diabetes questions, but really anyone who has some information to offer can reply. :)

Just an update on my current status:  My DS did not cure my diabetes.  I've been thru all the emotions related to the DS not being my ticket to live a diabetes free life.   I've been thru denial, anger, regret, etc.   AND I realize it is not a 100% cure rate.  So....I am accepting that the DS did give me a healthier life in the fact that I don't have high blood pressure, an excess of 100 lbs to carry around, and high cholesterol.  I am happy!

My doctor has mentioned putting me on an insulin pump.  I think overall I take very little insulin a day (if I eat the correct carb portions).  She said most people who go on the pump love it compared to doing shots all the time.

Southernlady, do you have any insights from a personal perspective on insulin pumps?  Good, bad, or otherwise?

Does anybody else out there have any thoughts regarding this?

 

I was on an insulin pump prior to my DS...and if I still needed insulin now, you would NOT pry my pump out of my cold dead hands! BUT, my diabetes is in remission and insulin is not indicated.

An insulin pump is the single best way to "have a functioning pancreas" if you can't do it yourself. I credit going on insulin AND the pump with saving the pancreatic function that allowed the DS to work it's magic.

Unfortunately, you are in the 2% that the DS doesn't resolve. It's possible that you are a LADA and not a full blown type 2. IF you are a LADA, pills, WLS will only work for so long as it is a late onset type 1 and the ONLY cure for it is a pancreatic transplant.

I don't remember the details of your diabetes. But long term diabetics have a harder time getting resolved after the DS.

BTW, I had an Animas pump...my type 1 stepdaughter uses a Minimed. I had the Animas from 2003 until I took it off 11 days after surgery in 2011. There are new advances in pump therapy that I don't know about because I no longer follow that. But you can get an reasonably unbiased look here: http://www.diabeteswellbeing.com/insulin-pumps.html

My endo worked with both the Medtronics people and the Animas people. I sent off for info from both companies the same day. Less than one week later, I had the Animas info. It wasn't until a MONTH later that I got the Medtronic packet...by then I was ALREADY wearing an Aminas pump.

Good luck and if you need any more info, let me know. Also, many diabetics (Type 1's, LADA's, and Type 2's find that this yahoo list is invaluable: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetesworld/

Liz

Thank you for the informative reply! 

My endo did test me for LADA and said that I did not test positive, so he was treating me as Type 2.  But he also did say that it might be too early to get a true positive from the test, so he may want to run another test further down the road. 

 

What part of MI are you on? I lived below Downriver but went to an excellent endo in Southgate. Just curious cause my endo was very PRO pump!

I am in West Michigan.  I go see my endocrinologist soon so we will see what his opinion of putting me on the pump is.  My family doctor was the one who suggested it.

Good for your PCP...

Mine was of the opinion, "once on insulin, always on insulin" and I had to almost pull the referral from his hands, LOL.

What he didn't understand was that I KNEW insulin was in my future (this was in 2002) and I was tired of stuffing pills in my face with NO hope of really controlling my blood sugars. I also did not like the list of potential side effects of all of them. I KNEW the one side effect of insulin was possible weight gain but had been on that yahoo list (it was a lehigh list at the time) since my diabetes diagnosis in 1997 and had already learned about carb counting.

I surprised my endo when I asked for Multiple Daily Injections (the poor man's pump) instead of a combo pen...said he didn't see many willing to do the work and just wanted EASY.

I also would TOTALLY do the pump. Patients do so much better with it:)

Gail R on the other forum is one of very few who didnt have her diabetes resolved.  Go to the proboards site, select duodenal switch, and you will see a category entitled Diabetes and the DS. I think you can find her there.