Question:
Surgery is less than 2 months away, and just found out I'm diabetic...

Last fall, my doc told me that I was borderline diabetic and that if I did not get my sugar down, that I'd have to start taking medications for it. Initially he thought that changes in my diet would help. I recently went back to the doc for a med check, and the lab work came back and indicated that my sugar was much higher, do it looks like I may have to start taking insulin....should I start this since I'm only 1.5 months away from my surgery date?    — richarro (posted on March 30, 2003)

March 30, 2003
Yes, Yes, 1 thousand times Yes! OK, now that I have your attention. The best reason to do this is to get your blood sugar back into normal ranges before you have surgery. Diabetes in and of itself does not cause slow or impaired healing. High blood sugars do. There's a post from yesterday (I think) from someone whose surgeon postponed his surgery until he got his A1C down some. If you'd like more information about this, please contact me by email. I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. I have had Type 1 diabetes (which is not what you have) for 37 years, so I know tons about it.
   — garw

March 30, 2003
Absolutely start the insulin now. You need to have your blood sugars under control before you have surgery so that you heal well. Chances are that as you lose weight after surgery, your need for insulin will probably decline. (I have a friend whose husband had surgery and so far has lost 60 lbs. He was on 100 units of insulin every day - now he is completely off the insulin and on a very low dose of an oral medication.) In my case, I wasn't diabetic, but had high insulin levels that I took Glucophage XL 2000mg per day for. (My pancreas was in overdrive trying to keep my blood sugar normal.) Stopped it right before surgery and haven't needed it since! The residents (docs) were not well versed in using Glucophage for elevated insulin levels and I don't think they were convinced I wasn't actually diabetic! They had the nurses checking my blood sugars every 6 hours. Only once did it soar to 130, so I got 2 units of insuin (for the first and only time in my life!) I think it had something to do with the Dextrose 5%/Lactated Ringer's solutions they were pumping into areound the clock! LOL! Seriously, start now. Out of control blood sugars can cause damage to your organs that can't be reversed, and by the time you get to the stage of needing insulin, some damage has already occured.
   — koogy

March 30, 2003
By having your blood sugar out of control, you would be taking the chance that your surgeon will postpone your surgery until it IS in control. Plus everyday your blood sugar is out of control, you are doing damage to the nerves in your feet, your kidneys, and your eyes. Get yourself in the best physical shape possible and get that blood sugar in control whatever way your doc says, insulin or oral meds.<p> I was a diabetic for 2 years prior to my surgery and it was never in control. They put me on 3 different oral meds to get my blood sugar down enough to have surgery but for almost 2 years my blood sugar stayed above 300. Now I have numbness in my feet and my eyesight has gone downhill bigtime! Don't let this happen to you. Surgery changed everything though. I haven't had any diabetic medication since the day of my surgery and my readings remain under 100 consistantly. YAY!!<br> LAP-RNY 1/13/03 -83lbs & Counting!
   — thumpiez

March 31, 2003
Did your doctor suggest insulin? Usually they don't go straight to insulin. There are many oral meds that they can try. I would go with what your doctor suggests, watch what you eat and excersize. Chances are this will be a short term problem for you and you will be off the meds in the hospital or shortly afterwards. I've been diabetic for 10 years, was on insulin and orals and took 7 months and 90 pounds to get off all meds. Most people it's almost instantanously. Good luck, Peace.
   — Sunny S.

March 31, 2003
I WAS TAKING 170 UNITS OF INSULIN PER DAY WHEN I HAD MY OPEN SURGERY. I NOW TAKE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. MY DIABETES IS GONE. I HAVE LOST 105 PDS AND AM AT GOAL WEIGHT.
   — Shirley F.