Diabetes and Weightloss Surgery

Dottychic said:

Thanks, there have been quite a lot of studies done on reversing diabetes with WLS and I know personally several people who have had surgery and take no meds anymore. It seems the people who are on large doses of insulin take longer but a lot are free from meds straight after surgery.

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Hi does NHS pay for this WLS?

Dottychic said:

Just thought I would post this for anyone considering having WLS. I had a Gastric Bypass operation 10 days ago. Before the op I was on 1 gramme of Metformin a day to keep my sugars under some control. I had pretty good numbers. Well, since the op I havnt taken 1 tablet and my sugars are on average between 3-5.....How good is that? :lol: I am having an appointment with my diabetic nurse next week and Im fully expecting her to say Im cured! X

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When can one have this WLS???

Matblack said:

Wow, congratulations

I think cure is a very big claim but I'm sure they have some studies to back it up.

From my research there isn't a direct connection between the pancreas and the portion of stomach removed during gastric bypass so I'm confused as to how this works apart from reducing food intake and hence moderating the absorbtion of sugers and carbs but I'd be keen to know.

For my part I'd be dubious about undergoing such radical surgery for something I may be able to control with diet, I have a problem with my weight but I believe I can control it with diet and exercise.

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It's the bypassing of approximately 1 metre of bowel that has the effect of "curing" the diabetes. I am four weeks away from surgery at St Georges Tooting. I'm having a Roux-En-Y Bypass and hopefully this will cure my diabetes immediately, but although this is a nice by product of the surgery, it is in fact to help me to control my weight. No-one enter into having this operation lightly as it is major surgery, but just being told to eat less will not work once someone is as "addicted" to food as I am. There was reference to a trial recently that showed that once a certain weight had been achieved by a patient, there was a 98 percent chance of that person relapsing and becoming heavier, however much dieting, CBT or other therapy was given (obviously not including surgery)

I am all for weight loss surgery as a last resort provided the psychological aspects are discussed fully before and, equally important, after. It isn't a quick fix and there seems to be a lot of adjustment required afterwards.

This story highlights how a participant still has major problems, (not a diabetic) and I do feel for her. Sorry it's in the Daily Fail :lol:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... tmare.html

Heart breaking. Poor girl.

WLS should be offered more readily - but I firmly believe that there should be an extremely rigourous screening process to psychologocally test potential patients.

I would never expect an ex-obese person to develop anorexia.

BUT...

Is it such a stretch of the imagination to think that an obese person, who kept eating even though they knew it was damaging, once becoming a non-obese (normal???) person they would continue NOT to eat, even though they know that is damaging also?

The brain is a funny thing...

Patch said:

Heart breaking. Poor girl.

WLS should be offered more readily - but I firmly believe that there should be an extremely rigourous screening process to psychologocally test potential patients.

I would never expect an ex-obese person to develop anorexia.

BUT...

Is it such a stretch of the imagination to think that an obese person, who kept eating even though they knew it was damaging, once becoming a non-obese (normal???) person they would continue NOT to eat, even though they know that is damaging also?

The brain is a funny thing...

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They do actually screen you to see whether you need to see a psychologist as part of the process. However I do agree it's a bit slapdash. I was given a sheet questionnaire with questions like are you depressed, and do you think your over eating is related to your emotions! not exactly very scientific, and I can see why some people fall through the net. There are actually patients who have had a bypass who pass their ideal weight, and become underweight, nd need intervention to stop the weight falling further, but that's a different story.

I am seriously considering a gastric bypass. The thing that perplexes me is how do you cope after surgery. What I mean is, where do you get your energy from to propel a large body around if you are only on a liquid diet. I had a gastric band op in 08' unsuccessfully I must add. I am on 6 injections of insulin and byetta a day at the moment. Byetta just makes me feel ill. I have not lost any weight and fell really down. This is a big decision for me to go ahead with this type of surgery. I have read so many horror stories and good stories. I just do not know what to do.I need this op really to save my life and live for my 4 year old. We have had a family tragedy already, my 14 year old son died of cancer and I feel I don't want to put my family through another tragedy whereby I die by having surgery or with complications . I just do not know what to do. I have tried every diet including hypnotherapy and acupuncture. It would be lovely to speak to someone that has perhaps had thos op who is a diabetic. Thank you

bolakey said:

Dottychic said:

Just thought I would post this for anyone considering having WLS. I had a Gastric Bypass operation 10 days ago. Before the op I was on 1 gramme of Metformin a day to keep my sugars under some control. I had pretty good numbers. Well, since the op I havnt taken 1 tablet and my sugars are on average between 3-5.....How good is that? :lol: I am having an appointment with my diabetic nurse next week and Im fully expecting her to say Im cured! X

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When can one have this WLS???

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Brilliant Dotty. After a long struggle against not only diabetes but the heath establishments outmoded ideas on treatment, I have finally decided to get the money together for a Roux en Y at the Claremont Sheffield. I have a consultation on the 13Th Oct.

I have been dithering wondering if I was clutching at straws, or trying to buy my way out of DB, but I think Im ready to go with this one. I'm on 2x 1g of metformin, and Januvia. My last A1C came in at 6.5 but this has been a hell of a struggle. Despite this my morning bloods are often 12 or over, and I really have to work to lower them, and my feet are beginning to show signs of neuropathy, I have been nervoous and hesitant but now I cant wait for the starting gun which I hope will be asap.