Reactive Hypoglycemia

Hello All! 
I thought I'd write a short note (well as short as I can since it's not my forte to keep things short..LOL).  My thoughts are these.  And I'm looking for 1. Interest and 2. Just wanting to give a heads up to people who may think they are crazy.....LOL 

So 1. Interest.  I live in the Ottawa area, and I do realize there is a support group that was going on in Nepean for Weight Loss surgery.  I have had the thought of starting a second group in the East end of Ottawa for the East Enders and Orleans, etc.  Please let me know if there is any interest.  I believe I have a small space that I can have at no cost to hold some support group meeting.  I have done the facilitation of some in Cornwall, but I'm now in Ottawa, and though three years post-op I continue to e-mentor some people and I feel there is still a definite need for ongoing support throughout the years.  Sooooooooooo Please let me know!! 

Now onto #2.  Reactive Hypoglycemia.  I have been diagnosed........officially now, but it was actually found by YOURS TRULY!!  I have been truly blessed to have found an OUSTANDING doctor in the Ottawa area who wanted to follow someone with Gastric Bypass.  He has been more than efficient and considering my Thyroid has now stopped working, this man has truly been amazing at staying on top of things, but mostly LISTENING.  He appreciates that I know my body best, and I knew what symptoms I was having which were severe.  I nearly went into a coma, not once, but twice because I didn't know what was going on.  So when I did alot of research, and met with him, I produced some "internet research" and said, I think I have THIS!!  Instead of like most Doctors you are looked at with the "ya right, another one who thinks they know more"......LOL  This wonderful man looked at me and said "YOU"VE FOUND IT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE, NOW LETS TREAT IT"...Words to live by!! 

So for anyone out there who may be having some funky symptoms, pass them by me, I'm more htan willing to share my experience and also how to control it, since it's quite contrary to what we follow as Bypass patients.  It's confusing at best, and overwhelming, but there is a solution. 

So there is my post, reply if you have questions, or thoughts, and also, if you are interested in an Ottawa East support group!!  I'm willing to do my best for everyone!!  :)

I would love to hear what works for you.  

I had to discover what works for me.  Still working progress

I deal with severe RH.  I had a real hard time to control that in the past.

Now however I discovered what works for me.  
May not work for anyone else - but I have been living RH symptoms free for the last 3-4 months.

It is a second nature to me now. I can eat or not eat, exercise and my BS remains rather stable. I get hungry and eat - but I no longer have the panic like feeling when it is 2-3 hrs since i ate last time when I knew that unless i eat something I may be a full blown low BS.

What works for me:
- increase fat in my diet. Every meal - snack has to ave fat, and proteins.
- eliminate starches and most sugars - even fruits (they were last to go)[
- Increase nuts in my diet
- limit or eliminate artificial sweeteners and SA -
- no longer trust and use any food that claims "net carb"  slow digesting carbs are still carbs for my system, and I can't eat that. ( i.e. protein bars) 

In short : I don't eat grains, or starchy veggies, even beans (these I can't digest no matter what).
I don't drink milk, and I use Greek yogurt - but no more than 1/2 cup at a time and it has to be with fat - either added (like flax meal, coconut) or Full  fat version, and I almost always add proteins to it.

Never have a meal or snack with just proteins or carbs. (even veggies) - it always have to have fat with it. i.e. protein shake base on coconut milk.

Use nuts and seeds as snacks. Use PB or almond butter as stabilizing food for my BS. 

Normally I will eat every 3 hrs or so, but if I don't - I may get really hungry - but don't get to low BS.  
I can exercise now, go hiking, and the works. 

I use a lot of flax meal, even for my meatloaf.

Glad to hear you have found things that work for you.  I was prescribed Rx Glucobay.  This pills purpose was to extend my insulin level instead of the instand up and then crash!  I was to take 50mg three times a day (before each meal).  I have chosen to not do that, though I do keep them handy just in case I want to have something that may be higher carb than my usual (which is none...LOL) or a sugary treat.  So with that said, I haven't taken any in months.  I'm controlling it myself. 
You may want to visit my blog for some recipes, even my wine that was formulated to be just what my dietary needs were.  I love this place, and I'm going tonight to redo the white and they will make me a red.  80 calories per class, no sugar, no fat, no carbs.  It's a beautiful thing...LOL
My blog can be found at www.sylviesjourney.wordpress.com
I have i HIGH intolerence to both sugar and carbs.  Therefore I'm also considered carbohydrate intolerate...LOL  anything else....LOL 
So I went on a mission to find a recipes and cookbooks that were .......LOW FAT, LOW SUGAR, NO CARB, AND OH BY THE WAY IM GASTRIC BYPASS...........Funny how that didn't exist. 
But I have recently found my new best friend...........which I will blog about shortly. 
But if you get a chance, look at the recipes for the Dukan Diet. 
I also order all of my "pasta" and "wraps" from www.thelowcarbgrocery.com another amazing place for we Canadians.  Not sure if they ship just about anywhere, but the main products that I purchase is the Shirataki Noodles (Miracle noodles) and Mama Lupe's wraps. 
Hopefully alot of this info will get out.  I don't want anyone else having to diagnose themselves as I did, though as mentioned, I had an awesome doctor who listened.  Now I have a friend who I mentored, and she was just diagnosed after seeing my syptoms. 
Getting the WORD out is the BEST thing!!  :)

I don't want to use any soy - so a lot of that products is no-no for me. At one time I used soy daily and almost damage my thyroid. It took me 1 year on soy free diet and lost of supplements to get back to good thyroid numbers.  I just do not trust that soy is really that good for us.

I gave up all wraps - soy - I can't - won't use, and any other things - just because they say is low carb - I got burned so many times on that.  Some products that claimed to be low carbs- it was not for me.
I am also supper carb sensitive.

Every new food I introduce in my diet I test on me - eating that by itself in the morning, and checking my blood sugar response every 5-10 min for up to an hr, then every 15 min. for next 2 hrs. To see how fast and how high my BS can get and then how low.

The low carb products - I gave up on them. I may have a snack once in a while, 
I tried the slow carbs product - like Extend bras and snacks and they do keep my BS stable but they give me very bad gas, cramps, headache and indigestion.  But they are design to digest slowly or not digest - so the carbs ends up in my lower gut causes all sorts of problems. Not worth the trouble.

I will check your blog. Always looking for new recipes and ideas. Thanks.

Additionally I also developed sensitivity - allergy to Sucralose - splenda, and get headaches with NutraSweet.  So a lot of SF items that use one or the other - are our for me - I may have some - once in a while, but I usually get reaction.