Mommyonamission

Hi! I'm in NC too - Wake Forest. Had DS with Dr. Ng at Rex Surgical about 3 weeks ago. I've heard good things about Dr. Sudan too but I've had an excellent experience with Rex Surgical Specialists. Let me know if I can answer any questions! Best of luck to you! By the way, I switched docs/practices mid-stream and they accepted all of the testing I had already done.

Mommyonamission- Hey!!! Thanks so much for replying!! So nice to have someone else who will be going through similar issues like me. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a week after my 6th birthday- so most of my life!! Sorry to hear about the cardiac issues- hopefully it will turn out to be nothing ! ( fingers crossed! ) I will be starting my appointments on Monday- Nutrition class and then I am going to attend a support group meeting Tuesday night. Then the next week will be US, PCP, and Psych. I am relatively new to this area so I have only seen my Endo a few times- and he's not a very 'warm and fuzzy' type person so this should be interesting! Hopefully I can work with his Diabetic Educator for most of the adjustments. I have met with the surgeon a couple times and he is really nice!!! The strange thing was that I never even thought about WLS because I have read that they rarely do it on type 1 diabetics! I called to make an appointment and they asked me if I want medical or surgical- I told them I am type 1 and she said they do type 1's all the time!! So mid-Jan, I met with the surgeon and here I am!!
I would love to be 'buddies' since we will be going thru this around the same time- and both have toddlers!!! We can 'vent' to each other lol

Hello, I am a 41 year old and have started what I hope and pray to be the last weight loss journey. My weight rollercoaster story is that I was an average sized child but turned into a chubby pre-teen/young teen that lost weight during mid to late teen years but slowly put back on weight in my mid-twenties and have battled it ever since. I was diagnosed with diabetes at eleven years old (on insulin pump now for over twelve years and before that gave 3-4 shots per day) and diagnosed with hypothyroidism in early twenties. I have Hashimotos and now have vitiligo, another auto-immune related skin disorder.
My life story is complex. I had a pretty chaotic and traumatic upbringing which I honestly feel played a role in triggering the onset of my diabetes and other auto-immune issues. Somehow I was able to realize my value and worth in life and went on to make a new way for myself after high school (went on to college, etc.). I have had some set backs including an unexpected and sudden divorce after ten plus years of marriage at age thirty, but even that wound up being a blessing in disguise as at age 36, I met and later married what is now the love of my life and after many, many years of infertility, finally conceived and our dear son was born when I was 39.
I have to say that having my precious son has helped me realize why this surgery is needed. I am 265 lbs. at 5 ft. 7 inches and my weight is holding me back from being an active parent. I want to be healthy and be around for him. I also want to be healthy for ME. I want to be able to bend down and tie my shoe laces with no problem. I want to be able to run after my very active two year old without giving out of breath. I want to fit in seats and booths without being uncomfortable. I want to ride rollercoasters with my boy when he gets older. I could go on and on...
I am in the first stages of pre-surgery appointments. I have completed the endoscopy and the ultrasound. Next week I have the cardiology work up, the nutritionist visit and the pulmonary apt. After that I have to have a psych. eval. and then I can schedule the apt. with the doctor to meet with me and go from there. I am concerned and would like to hear from anyone with type ONE diabetes that has had success and yes, I know that this surgery will not take away my diabetes, but will certainly assist. I also would like to hear from those with hypothyroidism that have had success in losing the weight. I am concerned about whether the thyroid issues will keep me from losing the weight and keeping it off, but I have been told it doesn't cause any problems. I just want a realistic view of what to expect. I am a little nervous about this as it is a HUGE lifestyle adjustment too. I love to eat, despite having to monitor carbs, etc. but know that after this surgery, my love for food is going to be something I'll mourn. I have to be honest!
Thanks for hearing me out! I look forward to this journey and hope to meet some new friends that have similar struggles!