I'm Robin, I've had the lap band, and I also am a Diabetes Specialist RN and have been working with diabetes for 15 years. On a personal note, my daughter was diagnosed at age 10 with Type 1 (on a pump 2 years after dx) and my Father and Brother both have Type 2 diabetes....as well as a slew of other family members.
I really want you to know that losing wt DOES NOT make diabetes go away. The lap band is restrictive and helps you to lose wt. Once you lose wt your cells are "smaller" and need less glucose to operate, therefore you require less insulin to get that job done (insulins job is to put glucose, sugar, fuel, into all of our body's cells.) The pills people take for diabetes manipulate this process in a an effective way. Some help your cels to open up easier to let the insulin bring the sugar in, some decrease your natural glucose release from your liver's stored "energy", and some stimulate the cells that make insulin to make more insulin. Then of course, their is insulin replacement. Insulin is a hormone in our bodies that we can not live without.
So, when you lose wt, no matter how you do that, including the lap band, you reduce the workload and require less assistance (meds) to achieve better glucose levels. This is great! It makes it easier for you to achieve near normal glucose levels and protects you from long term diabetes complications.....but the diabetes is still there and continues to progress. The rate of your body's ability to make it's own insulin diminishes over time and that rate is different for everyone but most folks need insulin 5-10 out from diagnoses...some sooner, some later.
The lap band would be a good choice for wt loss and health improvement across the board, including for your diabetes. However, the other wls, where they re-route your intestines has been recognized to "cure" diabetes in some of the research. Talk to your surgeon about both surgeries and together you can decide which would be best for you and your particular situation.
BMI of 27.5 / with Type II...Does lap band work to control diabetes
in Blog 75964
A blog by sandyguy
Posted
Hi Everyone,
I'm Robin, I've had the lap band, and I also am a Diabetes Specialist RN and have been working with diabetes for 15 years. On a personal note, my daughter was diagnosed at age 10 with Type 1 (on a pump 2 years after dx) and my Father and Brother both have Type 2 diabetes....as well as a slew of other family members.
I really want you to know that losing wt DOES NOT make diabetes go away. The lap band is restrictive and helps you to lose wt. Once you lose wt your cells are "smaller" and need less glucose to operate, therefore you require less insulin to get that job done (insulins job is to put glucose, sugar, fuel, into all of our body's cells.) The pills people take for diabetes manipulate this process in a an effective way. Some help your cels to open up easier to let the insulin bring the sugar in, some decrease your natural glucose release from your liver's stored "energy", and some stimulate the cells that make insulin to make more insulin. Then of course, their is insulin replacement. Insulin is a hormone in our bodies that we can not live without.
So, when you lose wt, no matter how you do that, including the lap band, you reduce the workload and require less assistance (meds) to achieve better glucose levels. This is great! It makes it easier for you to achieve near normal glucose levels and protects you from long term diabetes complications.....but the diabetes is still there and continues to progress. The rate of your body's ability to make it's own insulin diminishes over time and that rate is different for everyone but most folks need insulin 5-10 out from diagnoses...some sooner, some later.
The lap band would be a good choice for wt loss and health improvement across the board, including for your diabetes. However, the other wls, where they re-route your intestines has been recognized to "cure" diabetes in some of the research. Talk to your surgeon about both surgeries and together you can decide which would be best for you and your particular situation.
Robin