How are y'all doing?

[susansilver 0]

This forum is pretty quiet. So it hought I would just ask if anyone wants to check in and share how they are doing!

I am feeling good, losing weight and continue to lower my insulin. What more can I say?!:smile2:

[marie715 0]

Hi Susan,

I am pre-op with the hopes of submitting all of my insurance forms at the beginning of August. Please tell me more. What was your insulin level pre-op and what has it been reduced to? I'm currently taking 40 units 3 times a day and then 80 units of a long lasting insulin at night. Thanks, Marie

[susansilver 0]

Hi Marie. Congrats on making a great decision on your life and health. Pre-op I was taking 50 units of Levemir (a long lasting insulin as well) and between 20-30 units of novorapid (short acting) with meals - the variation was I adjusted to the amount of carbs I would eat at that meal.

Now I am down to 32 units of levemir and betwwen 2-6 units of novorapid. I will teel you that this did not happen for me right away as many others will tell you. It was about 1 year after my surgery and 40 lbs down that I started to see these results. We must remember that we are all different and our endocrine systems react differently to the band and our food intake etc.

Good luck and keep us up to date.

Susan

[LoisinStA 1]

Nervous that I will not get off meds or even reduce them

I was banded in April partly in hopes of getting off my type 2 diabetes meds before having to go on insulin. I had about 50 pounds to lose. Unfortunately, my blood sugar levels are just a little bit less that before my surgery and I have lost 36 pounds so far. I am still running around 200 or more. I don't want to get on insulin. I joined the Y and am starting to exercise. My doctor told me that when I hit around the 50 pound mark is when I will see a change in my glucose readings...although I have read that many saw that change immediately at the time of surgery.

I am a little nervous that this surgery and loss of weight will not affect my blood sugar and that I will be one of the few who did not get that benefit. Anyone out there that this has happened to?:tongue_smilie::cursing:

[susansilver 0]

Like I said above - it took over a year for it to start happening for me, and just when I had resigned myself to it never happening.

The thing is the health benefits of losing weight, regardless if your diabetes can be controlled without meds or not, are still way better than living obese.

I don't look at being on insulin the same way as many people do - maybe because when I was first diagnoes 25 years ago, I started on insulin, switched to oral meds after I had lost weight and then back on insulin when I was trying to get pregnant. I find that being on insulin helps me control my blood sugars way better than any oral meds. Y ou can make small adjustments to fit your lifestyle and any food or exercise out of the norm.

Good luck - keep a realistic attitude and all will be good.

[ellendeette 1]

I agree. It has been pretty quiet. Maybe everyone is vacationing and having fun?

I was banded on May 20, 2008, and had my first fill a month later on June 27 (2 cc was added to my 10 cc band). I have lost 26 pounds!

I went to my internist last week and we are experimenting with removing my blood pressure medication for three weeks because my blood pressure has dropped so much since I have lost 26 pounds. This was one of my first goal with my lapband surgery - to eliminate blood pressure medication and I'm doing it! I have also gone from a size 22 to a size 18. In fact, I bought a size 14-16 skirt yesterday. I don't recall EVER being this size. I think I skipped it on the way up.

Although, I must admit I am a bit discouraged about not losing any weight since my first fill (its been almost a month). I have stayed at the same weight (261) despite eating the same things and exercising even more. I really thought the fill would help with more restriction but it hasn't. In fact, I have less restriction but I do feel full most of the time and my cravings have been eliminated.

[Mikochan 0]

I just wanted to stop by and say hi!

I got banded about 2 1/2 weeks ago and am really glad I made the decision to do it. I have type 2 diabetes and after seeing it get worse for a while, I went on glucophage and that seems to do the trick. But after seeing my father's type 2 diabetes get worse over the years despite a strict diet and exercise program, and seeing my weight climb up and up, I didn't think I could keep that up for long. Hopefully I caught it early enough and this band will get rid of my diabetes for good. Is that wishful thinking?