complications with the sleeve

hi Sanj
I have had to go ack to injections, and am on actrapid sliding scale....
so do bgl's and have insulin to counteract the result.....
i have levermire in the morning and night to cover the basil.....and yep i can't spell.
not many of us here...... iddm.......
hope this helps.
it might be what you ahve to do for the first few months....
i know going back to syringes and vials is not what you want to do but makes it all easier to handle.

Hi Sanj
Sorry I can't help with the Type 1 diabetes management. I had Type 2, and was blown away by how quickly the sleeve changed things for me. It's way different for you, though.
I hope that someone else on the forum can help you ...
Big hugs
Chris

Hi All

10days post op and feeling very upset..... I am a type one diabetic, now sleeved. Itseems the health professionals i see regarding my diabetes have a clue about sleeve surgery. I am the first patient in the whole hospital to have had it done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am gob smacked. I am feeling very alone in this. I am on an insulin pump and was told to half my basal rate as soon as surgery was done, which i did, since surgery i have had to put it up a little as blood sugars were getting higher. I have sort of come to a conclusion myself that although my body is less resistant to insulin (but not alot) the time my body takes to absorb sugar and carbs has shot up dramatically and that my insulin does not work as fast as my stomach, therefore my blood sugars are going high in the middle of me eating, As it takes time to eat at the moment and i am still unsure of the quantities my tummy can hold it is very difficult to give the insulin before i eat, not really sure what to do,dont know who i can contact, i have tried the last hospital where i was a patient, i need to ring back tomoz. Rightly or wrongly i had the surgery done privately in Belgium without talking it over with my diabetes specialist ( i know very silly of me). Everything else with the op is perfect i feel very well, healing great so on and so on, just feel alone with the diabetes thing, i never for one moment thought i would feel like this, i have always dealt with my diabetes myself and always been in control of what i do whether it be right or wrong. I know feel it is totally toomuch for me to cope with alone but not really sure where to turn. Last GP i saw hardly knew what a sleeve was, OMG i work in GP Surgery for goodness sake but they cant advise me as i am not their patient!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Basically i am looking for another type one diabetic who i can talk to who had had the surgey so i can discuss with them what they have done regarding their insulin and sugar levels. Would be so nice to talk to someone.

Sanj
xxx

Just thought I would put my two cents in 7 days post feeling great back at work, sleeping on my tummy, no issues at all touch wood.

Cheers Bettyboo

Hi Kaysa9, Yes I had that happen to me too, cut off the stiches to the skin but have found that scar was more sore and red and raised than the others, hope yours heals better.

I have had some trouble with infection in one of my wounds, and today I discovered what was causing it:

A stitch from inside the abdomen had loosened and wandered out in the largest wound where it grew into my wound and edges, also leaving two small threads with a knot hanging out of the wound. Gross :-(

The nurse told me to remove it myself (did an attempt, very painful, already grown into the flesh) or I could cut the treads as far into the wound as possible. I will do the latter!

Anyone else had the same experience?

Thanks for all the comments AND lots of information amongst the replies. There are so many of you with so much more information than my GP, and even some of the numerous specialists I have visited recently. Diabetes type 2 is my problem, and I have been fighting its onset for years, which is why I had the band - and why I am now removing it. I will keep working towards the sleeve surgery, but would like to know what the DS bypass is - my bariatric doctor does the Rou en Y method only - I was unaware of other methods. It seems like we really do have to do a lot of our own research to find out what will suit us best.
Anyway, will stay posted and thank you all for your sharing of your knowledge and experience. xxx

gutless wonder youve been SO brave ,i really feel for you,youve been through so much.
shelly

applesauce,
all i was doing was explaining the different types of diabetes, and that if you are type 1, gestational or 1.5 you can not cure diabetes.

and i want to also clarify the role of diabetes Australia... i don't know if this is who you are referring to, they are for information only they can not give you medication, or advice on medication as in tell you to change doses or give scripts for other medications. they can give you information on diet, exercise, monitoring you bgl's and on pumping and other things.
a lot of these organisations, and in fact most dr's try to get us to be pro active in treating our problems, and diet for neuropathy does help.

i am not judging you or trying to hurt or insult you. all i was trying to do was to explain the differences in different diabetics.

i don't have a medical degree, i only know what i know from research and medical advice, and i studied nutrition and food for 2 years.

i have neuropathy in my feet and sometimes in my hands, and i don't take drugs, yet.

i also understand that everyone is different, i re wrote the rules on DKA in northern NSW this year and the hospital districts had to change there action plans.. i was in full DKA and in a coma at 18.9, not heard of before.

i do know that diet and exercise will help with type 2, and any weight loss will lessen the need for any meds, as in your body is smaller so you need less meds. i did not say that there was no link to weight loss and the need for less medications.

i will say though, that even though there may be no need for medication anymore, damage caused by diabetes is hard to reverse..... once the damage is done, sometimes the body can not heal it, like your neuropathy, or for some kidney disease, eye issues, gang green and blood flow. these still need to be cared for, as it would be sad to loose a leg over a scratch.

i am sorry if you thought you were being attacked. i was explaining how i felt when people did not know the disease and made generalised comments....

we all need (and i include myself in this statement) to learn more about diabetes and it's impact on our bodies. even if we don't think it effects us.

Mrs GWT, I can completely understand your frustration and concern with general comments about diabetes being related to lifestyle/weight issues. As I mentioned, my Mum is a Type 1 diabetic and has often been offended by these same generalised comments. For many people, there is a lack of knowledge or understanding about the different types of diabetes. I think the media is partly to blame for this with sensationalised headlines like 'Obesity epedemic leads to surge in diabetes' etc. On a side note: My mum has had an insulin pump for the past 3 years and has found it to be incredibly successful in managing her condition much more effectively (just thought you may be interested to know).

In applesauce's defence, I understand that she was were referring to the reversal of symptoms in Type 2 diabetes as a result of weight loss and lifestyle change. It is wonderful that this can and does happen regularly.

then explain how just about ALL and that is close to ALL those type 2 who have sleeves and lose weight, in other words succesful surgery end up being classed as no longer diabetic and the few who do not end up on greatley reduced amounts of meds.

why do I have a low opinion on how upto date the diabetese foundation is person experence with them in trying to attain information on the treatment of neropothy. waste of my time besides the waste of space trying to talk me into eating sao crackers and cheese. I did my own reseach on the internet found the correct drug combo went to my GP had him confirm it and place me on it. trust me it was no amazing last minute break though treatment. yet they rabbit non stop on eating a diabetic diet rather than help you with the information you actually want.

I can only pass on what I have experenced myself and seen from others, and I DID correct myself and make it very clear I was talking about those who are type 2.and whom are obese. I did state there is a difference for those who are type 2 and NOT obese and that a diabetic diet is far more important.

I can also add that as a type 2 diabetic whose blood sugars are perfect now and have come from in the 20's that I am one of the rare ones where my neropothy has NOT reversed itself in the slightest and is infact worse. Something close to unheard of with perfect blood sugars. So yes I know there are exceptions to every rule but to say that losing weight doesnt impact obese type 2 dibeticsw is just ignoring the 1000's that surgery has shown to curer place in remission or at the least reduce the amount of drugs needed doesnt make sense. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying.

applesauce

Hi applesauce,
It bugs me and hurts me when people try and tell me that loosing weight will cure diabetes.
it is like an attack, and it shows how lttle people actually know about diabetes.


i am a diabetic, and no amount of dieting, sleeve surgery, weightloss or exercise will change this.

the only thing that will is a panreatic transplant.....

there is at least 4 types of diabetes, and only 1 sort can be reversed. that is type 2.

type 1. we do not make any insulin, our bodies stopped doing this in childhood. we test positive to an antibody. there is no cure and the only treatment is insulin, by injection or pump..(which is a tiny needle into your tummy, bottom or thigh that you change every three days.

type 2 is genetic and also life style based. it is reversable to a point. if your body ahs used all the insulin and can't make any more you are then a type 2 on injections, not a type 1.

gestational diabetes. s caused by hormones (insulin is a hormone) if your over weight it can cause this to be worse and it need very careful monitoring.

and now there is type 1.5..... these are type 1's who do to life style are now insulin resistant and need meds to help the body to use insulin.

I have to check my BGL 10 times a day, inject at least 4 times a day and eat a low GI diet.
i dont' eat chips, soft drink, lollies, cakes, baked goods, chocolate or deserts that are not based on low gi fruit or dairy.

it is not caused by life style.
it is not caused by anything i did or can do there isnothing i can do to change it.

Diabetes australia and diabetes councilling online can and do give a lot of information and it is up to date, infact, diabetes australia is the leading reaserch (JDRF) org in the world at the moment.

Lynette, so great to hear your wonderful success story. It's amazing what 'side issues' come with being overweight. Great to hear these are no longer concerns for you.
Carah

BTW pre sleeve also had a prolapse bladder which caused all sorts of bladder control issues. This is also now NORMAL, no longer have to worry about wearing panty shields all the time (sorry TMI I know - but sometimes an obesity issue that gets forgotten).

Just to add my two cents worth. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic - type 2 (although surgeon said I was basically a diabetic already), no medication necessary. Since I hve lost the weight my blood sugars are NORMAL yeah, so no longer a diabetic or pre-diabetic. I also had high cholesterol pre sleeve and high blood pressure, both of these are also now NORMAL. Most type 2 diabetics are so, due to excess weight, once the weight goes so does the diabetes.

I thought I did say that, sorry if I did not make it clearer. I was typing with one finger and an annoying cat hehehe

applesauce

Applesauce, I think it's important to clarify that you are most likely referring to Type 2 Diabetes here - which is attributed to poor diet and lifestyle choices, and is often effectively treated/cured by changes in a patients diet and lifestyle.
Type 1 Diabetes in an incurable disease, relating to a permanent destruction of insulin producing cells which requires insulin injections. This type of diabetes is not going to be cured by any type of WLS.
Just thought I would save any confusion.
Carah

The sleeve is a curer for just about all diabetics. to be honjest I doubt the diabetic association would be able to tellyou they are usally so bloody behind with their info it seems like the dark ages, ask if you want. I am yet to see a single one stay on injections and I dont think any who started on tablets stay on them besides for added weight loss benfits. The ONLY 100% guarantee tho is a DS bypass and that is because of how the bypass is done it makes it impossible to be diabetic after BUT ONLY the DS bypass not the other types of bypass surgeries. The sleeve is the first part of the DS so you can safetly have the the sleeve and if the diabetese doesnt go away which I pretty much doubt then you can go onto a bypass.

BTW that no my diabetese after a sleeve is eating normal not following a diabetic diet or anything like that. The VAST majority of diabetics who are morbidly obese have bad blood sugars from the volumes of food they eat rather than what they eat as such compaired to diabetics type 2 ones any way who are close to normal weight, WHAT they eat as in following a diabetic diet plays a far far more important role. For somebody who diabetic a loss of just 10% of their weight can result in pretty amazing drops in their blood sugar levels hence you see results pretty damn fast. Tho the vast majority see results so fast after surgey because of the drastic reduction of food in the first few weeks .

applesauce

Ozzieloz - how frustrating it is when the medical advice we PAY FOR doesn't give us the answers we need!
Have you considered contacting Diabetes Australia to see if they have any data/information for you? Their website is: http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/. My mum is a Type 1 diabetic, and when her GP diagnosed her with a wheat/gluten/dairy intollerance the local branch of DA were helpful. Good luck on your journey.
Carah x

Well, a chat to my GP was absolutely fruitless. He has no idea about the gastric sleeve or the bypass - and could not give any indications whether, as a diabetic, it would be beneficial or not to have the surgery.
And thanks Gutless Wonder, thank you for your candid report of your history. It sounds so daunting to spend so long in hospital when you thought you were going to be better. I certainly hope you are ok now. It really helps to hear the real-life situations of people who have surgery, because doctors certainly only tell you of their expertise and all the benefits expected from the surgery - it's very different to actually living through it.
And I am not going to rush in to any decision until after I have fully recovered from the removal of my lapband.
Thanks one and all for support and information. I will just keep on working towards staying healthy and keep posted to the forums.

thanks for sharing the complications faced so far.
If you know of anyone else who've faced complications ,remind them of this thread- if theyd like to post thier experience on here .
that would be great.

Ozzieloz wrote:

Thanks for the honesty on the issues I am considering. I am to have my band removed soon - and am facing stiff opposition in regards to having the sleeve. Reading about complications helps makes a more realistic and informed decision. I am afraid that my mind won't accept the decision, and also the reduction in food intake. I am type 2 diabetic, diet controlled, so want to ensure that I will be able to eat enough to keep the diabetes under control too. Vomiting and pain have riddled my life with the band, so want to avoid that. Is it really possible to live the rest of our lives with this amount of stomach - and what other complications might arise? Hope all of you experienced people can give me honest and descriptive answers - the more I face now the better equipped I will be. Thanks.

I have cared for a type one diabetic who needed to eat low GI carbs every meal in order to keep her levels stable, so I can understand your concerns. It would be well worth a chat to a dietician or your GP.

having to eat huge amounts of food is no diabetic diet I have ever heard of. my blood sugars where never better than when on optifast, okay i felt like crap for a couple of weeks. but it is I was not stupid I KNEW it was my body lying to me trying to get itself a feed. We are the size we are for a lots of reasons and lots of excuses to keep eating far more than is ever needed. It really is a surpise how much you realy need.

I am yet to meet somebody who is obese whose diabetese was NOT controled 100% by dramatic weight loss. Now it is different when we are talking diabetics who are not obese and developed diabetese when again not obese. diet plays a far far more important role in controling the desease.

Post sleeve as long as you dont sit there eating nothing but marshmellows for breakfast lunch and dinner you can pretty much eat what you want and your blood sugars come under control. Obese diabetics blood sugars scream because of the shear volume of crap they can consume. not the actual crap they consume.

As for hypos only tose on insuline have to worry about that, and you MUST be very vigilant with the new diet adjusting that until it is usally not used at all .

applesauce