Insulin Pumpers having VSG?

[Lynnette43 9]

Hi!

I'm new to this sight and highly considering VSG. I am wondering if there are people out there you are insulin dependent diabetics (specifically pump users) who have had or are considering this surgery. If so, how has it affected you diabetes and insulin requirements.

[Malaika 50]

Hi Lynnette and welcome to VST. I can't answer your questions about the diabetes and insulin pumps; however, I did want to welcome you to the forum.

[SweetSugarG 0]

Hi Lynette, I am type 2 diabetic and taking insulin SolarStar 36 units but I'm pre op and due to have my op next month. Dont know if you really wanted to speak to someone who is post-op?

[mswendy 0]

I have insulin resistence and do not use insulin. Typically, I've used 1500 mg of Metformin per day, prior to surgery. After surgery, 5.5 weeks ago, my sugar levels stabilized and my doctor said to only take the Met if needed. However, I have encountered my second weight loss stall - of more than a week - in less than 6 weeks. My doctor checked my sugar levels againg today and said to go back on the Metformin, that the elevated sugar levels could be contributing to my body fighting the weight loss.

It sucks, that's all I know.

[cypip 0]

I am considering VSG and I am a Type I Diabetic (for over 30 years). I too am using an insulin pump. I had alot of post-op questions. This site is awesome! You can also try the followingt website: www.obesityhelp.com? There is a also a forum for diabetics. I went there to ask questions and found many Type ones who are willing to give advice, share experinences, etc. I hope this helps.

Christine

[Lynnette43 9]

I am considering VSG and I am a Type I Diabetic (for over 30 years). I too am using an insulin pump. I had alot of post-op questions. This site is awesome! You can also try the followingt website: www.obesityhelp.com? There is a also a forum for diabetics. I went there to ask questions and found many Type ones who are willing to give advice, share experinences, etc. I hope this helps.

Christine

Christine...

I am soooo happy that I choose VSG. Not only have I been able to lose 85 pounds since May 12th, but I have gotten control of my blood sugars! I too have been an insulin dependent diabetic for over 30 years....happy to say that the only complication I have had, to date, is a small retinal hemorrhage about 20 years ago that was corrected with laser surgery to both eyes. Lucky, I know!

I love my pump, and have been using a Medtronic pump for approximately 15 years....I thought that would help me loose weight since I no longer had to eat...if I wanted to skip a meal, or go light on carbs, I could. Unfortunately, it did the reverse. If I wanted a cookie or piece of cake, all I had to to was bolus...and pack on the pounds. I was taking approximately 130 units of Humolog in a 24 hour period prior to surgery. Today I take an average of 30...just depends on how may carbs I eat during the day.

Thanks for the info on obesityhelp.com...I will check it out. If you have any questions for me...please don't hesitate to email me at gl_ladd@yahoo.com.

[Kermit 8]

Christine...

I am soooo happy that I choose VSG. Not only have I been able to lose 85 pounds since May 12th, but I have gotten control of my blood sugars! I too have been an insulin dependent diabetic for over 30 years....happy to say that the only complication I have had, to date, is a small retinal hemorrhage about 20 years ago that was corrected with laser surgery to both eyes. Lucky, I know!

I love my pump, and have been using a Medtronic pump for approximately 15 years....I thought that would help me loose weight since I no longer had to eat...if I wanted to skip a meal, or go light on carbs, I could. Unfortunately, it did the reverse. If I wanted a cookie or piece of cake, all I had to to was bolus...and pack on the pounds. I was taking approximately 130 units of Humolog in a 24 hour period prior to surgery. Today I take an average of 30...just depends on how may carbs I eat during the day.

Thanks for the info on obesityhelp.com...I will check it out. If you have any questions for me...please don't hesitate to email me at gl_ladd@yahoo.com.

[Kermit 8]

I'm very interested in your story.

I'm 54 years old, type 1 diabetic for over 20 years and a user of a Medtronic Pump for over 5 years.

Similar to you my doses of insulin are between 80u to 140u a day. My weight is creeping up steadily in the last 4 years. Maybe it's my age but I'm very tired of fighting a loosing battle of the bulge. I have a long history of using slimming tablets. Years! Of course as soon as I stop taking pills my weight goes up like a balloon. You know, a yo yo syndrome.

I'm a UK resident and my medical care is provided by NHS (National Health Service). 2 months ago I received a founding for a bariatric surgery.

The BIG question is: what type?

My first choice was to have a band fitted. I had a consultation with a surgeon 2 weeks ago and for the first time we discussed a possibility of VSG( it's been here around for 10 years and is still regarded by some as a new kid on the bloc)

Just a possibility...

Since than my head is spinning. I'm spending hours on Internet trying to find and absorb enough knowledge to make an informed decision. You're the first diabetic type 1 and a pump user with VSG.

Help!!!

How was it post op? Some of the stories are quite off putting!

Did you have a lot of trouble with adjusting your basal rates?

Did you have to change them at all?

- a very stressed Kermit

[Lynnette43 9]

I'm very interested in your story.

I'm 54 years old, type 1 diabetic for over 20 years and a user of a Medtronic Pump for over 5 years.

Similar to you my doses of insulin are between 80u to 140u a day. My weight is creeping up steadily in the last 4 years. Maybe it's my age but I'm very tired of fighting a loosing battle of the bulge. I have a long history of using slimming tablets. Years! Of course as soon as I stop taking pills my weight goes up like a balloon. You know, a yo yo syndrome.

I'm a UK resident and my medical care is provided by NHS (National Health Service). 2 months ago I received a founding for a bariatric surgery.

The BIG question is: what type?

My first choice was to have a band fitted. I had a consultation with a surgeon 2 weeks ago and for the first time we discussed a possibility of VSG( it's been here around for 10 years and is still regarded by some as a new kid on the bloc)

Just a possibility...

Since than my head is spinning. I'm spending hours on Internet trying to find and absorb enough knowledge to make an informed decision. You're the first diabetic type 1 and a pump user with VSG.

Help!!!

How was it post op? Some of the stories are quite off putting!

Did you have a lot of trouble with adjusting your basal rates?

Did you have to change them at all?

- a very stressed Kermit

YAY!!! A pumper who's considering VSG!!! There aren't too many of us out there! Sorry it's taken me so long to get back with you....I don't visit this site very often, since they changed the format it loads really slow for me.

Don't be stressed....you are doing the right thing by researching all you can, talking to people and belonging to this forum! My first choice was also the lap band, and then my surgeon talked to me about VSG. I was pretty much sold from word one. I had a co-worker that had the lab band done, and her weight loss was very slow, and she was able to eat just about anything. Four months post op and she was eating a Burger King Whopper and fries for lunch....what was that going to accomplish?? Plus the thought of a foreign object in my body and going back for all those fills didn't excite me too much. Of course, with VSG, there is the fact that once they remove approximately 85 percent of your stomach, it is not reversible.

Being a diabetic on a pump and having VSG is a little difficult....at first. When I went in for my surgery, they had me remove my pump, but I was able to re-insert a new infusion set in post-op. I was taking a basal rate of 2.8 every hour. After surgery I was taking a basal rate of .2 every hour (quite the change). My basal stayed relatively low during post-op and the first two weeks post-op, due to the limited calories and carbs I was consuming. As my diet increased, my basal went up. I am currently on a 1.0 basal rate every hour, which I am trying to get lower...just gotta get off my lazy butt and exercise some more.

I was really scared about how to treat a low blood sugar. I mean, seriously you can no longer consume an entire candy bar or a big bowl of ice cream...I soon learned that a glucose tab or two would bring my blood sugar back up if needed, which I had always been told, but cake, Cookies, ice cream, etc all sounded sooooo much better!!

Now that I am 6 months post op...and down 90 pounds!! There truly isn't anything I haven't been able to eat (okay, breads and pastas just don't work for me, but I don't crave them either).....just not very much of it. I was truly dreading the holiday's because of the food. We just celebrated Thanksgiving here, which is a day set aside to see just how much food you can stuff yourself with, and I handled it just fine. I still had Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, squash, pumpkin pie....just very very very small amounts (i.e. a tablespoon of this....a tablespoon of that)...my 3 year old nephew had more on his plate than I did...LOL!!

Being diabetic, we know what it's like not being able to eat like other people...then we got a pump, and we were able to eat more like normal people...kinda a rule breaker, at least it was for me. There are no rule breakers with VSG. You will suffer the consequences if you break the rules. Eat too fast or too much....you will vomit, trust me. Drink while you are eating.....you will vomit. While these things are annoying, they are perfectly controllable.

Would I do it (VSG) again.....in a heartbeat! The fact that I am satisfied with small quantities of food and feeling 100 percent better than I have felt in years is sooooo worth it.

Feel free to ask me ANY questions you might have, and I'll do my best to share my experience's with you. You might want to send to my email (I check that all the time) gl_ladd@yahoo.com.

Good luck in your decision!

Lynnette

[bilka 6]

I am so happy to hear that people with the insulin pump did it as well. I am trying to find the right place to do it. As I wrote on my introduction diabetics1 with a lower BMI than 40 are not considered for the sleeve. Only type 2.

Me too, I have been eating so much with the pump and my body is so full of insulin it's started reacting less to it.

I am great to hear that after having surgery the daily amount of insulin goes down so much, that's exactly what I need and want.

Here not even my diabetologist nor my gp think that surgery is a good idea. Thay all tell you you should make an effort and be strong. Well, they do not have diabetes or have ever been obese so... I guess it's finally time for me to decide. I am 30 and I have been diabetic for the last 20 years... I guess I now know my body better than any doctor could...

Has anyone else with an insulin pump had VSG?

[Jennings 0]

I am type 2 diabetic for 18 years and have gone as far as drugs can take me I dont want to go no insulin am considering vsg idont have any other health problems

Jennings

[monakatt 0]

I am so happy to hear that people with the insulin pump did it as well. I am trying to find the right place to do it. As I wrote on my introduction diabetics1 with a lower BMI than 40 are not considered for the sleeve. Only type 2.

Me too, I have been eating so much with the pump and my body is so full of insulin it's started reacting less to it.

I am great to hear that after having surgery the daily amount of insulin goes down so much, that's exactly what I need and want.

Here not even my diabetologist nor my gp think that surgery is a good idea. Thay all tell you you should make an effort and be strong. Well, they do not have diabetes or have ever been obese so... I guess it's finally time for me to decide. I am 30 and I have been diabetic for the last 20 years... I guess I now know my body better than any doctor could...

Has anyone else with an insulin pump had VSG?

[monakatt 0]

Hi.

On insulin pump for 30 years (really--I was number 16 out of Tulane in New Orleans.) Scheduled for sleeve on Jan 27 in Louisiana. Am looking forward.........

[bilka 6]

In italy the pump didn't even exist 30 years ago... wonders of technology!

Let us know how it goes, i am scheduled on February the 8th

[Ali W 2]

Just wanted to say Hi. I am new here. I had VSG 1.11.11. I am a severe insulian resistant diabetic on a pump for 10 years. Right now post op for 5 days, my blood sugars are still in the low 200's, but I am only taking 30 units of Humalog right now...scared of low blood sugars. I few other threads give me so much hope and confidence that my blood sugars will eventually get down or close to normal.

Ali