I am doing somewhat better since being on the acrobose medication. I can usually tell when I am dropping as I get the shakes really bad. At that point I am typically below 50.

I have started weight lifting again and have noticed it drops during training. I have started taking a whey protein shot either right before or during my training. It has helped tremendously. 

This seems to be more common then I would have thought. Please let me know how everyone else handles the issues.

Thanks!

I'm a little nervous about this one...
I have a history of gestational x2, and pre-diabetic for 5 years, and then two years ago officially diagnosed with a 7.1 A1C. I was put on Victoza, and watch what I eat.. and I have my A1C down 6.2

Here is where it gets tricky...
I was diagnosed, and prescribed the Victoza, but I work in an Endocrine office, so the rep just throws an extra pen in for me every time she's there. And, the A1C has been so great (which I can just run at work), that I have not been back to MY Endo. I did get my yearly labs done though with the PCP.

What I have to take in to the visit with the surgeon is:
The notes/labs on my original 7.1 diagnosis with the PCP
The notes from the Endo where I was put on Victoza, and diagnosed "Newly diagnosed type 2 in suboptimal control"
My most recent A1C from PCP which is 6.2, with office notes that state "Type 2 diabetic 250.0 confirmed"
My downloaded meter with 120-130 fastings, and spiking over 200 1-2x per day
And.. as another perk of the job.. I have 2-three day reports of wearing a continuous glucose monitor showing the spikes to match the meter.

I'm worried that since my diabetes is not out of control that insurance won't consider me. My insurance states that I must have a co-morbidity. Trying to be prepared here..
I'm trying to prove with the CGM and meter that regardless of my A1C, I'm still having spikes that are destroying beta cells.

Any thoughts or experience on this?

Thank you funkyphillygirl,  you know I bet you're right, there must be more of us out there.  I'm very new here so I don't know about starting a group, but I do know what the battle has been like for me the past 30 years and your message resonated in accord with me.  I'm sure between us we have a litany of stories about arguments with nutritionists/dieticians, endo's, internal med doc's and more.  We definetly have had to be our own cheerleaders to get us thru thus far.

I am contemplating relocating in the next year to a very small town in Iowa called New Albin, pop. 500 and finding a way to connect online now before I leave familar territory (if not totally supportive) looks great.

You keep the faith and follow the plan . . . they are going to find out why this happens to some of us the way it has.

Lily   

Lily - First of all - CONGRATULATIONS!  I am so proud of you and your commitment to what works for YOU. 

You speak my language.  I tell everyone that for me weight loss is a SECONDARY benefit of the surgery and not the reason I did it.  My blood sugar #s are the most important to me.  I like seeing the changes on the scale, but the other numbers matter more.

I haven't connected with the support group because I didn't really see anything there for me.  I was never a compulsive or an emotional eater and was extremely careful with my diet for years and years before my surgery.  I counted carbs, ate mostly protein, etc. and exercised - and my weight climbed almost 90 pounds over 20 or so years.  I took more and more medication and got limited results.  I feel a get more by visiting diabetic boards that wls ones. 

We could always start our own little group here on line?  I think there's more of us than we realize....

Best of luck - keep up the great work and commitment. 

Every person has a unique health history. I can only tell you about my experience.

I had insulin-dependent gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my second child (my son). I was 32. I was in serious denial. My mother is type 2 diabetic (& has never been overweight; she is exceedingly petite); my paternal grandmother was the same. My ob/gyn told me I should be prepared that, around when I turned 40, I would be diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. I was like, yippee. 

Sure enough, I was diagnosed at age 41 (2002) with type 2 diabetes. The doctor put me on 2 meds: Avandia & Metformin. I started checking my blood glucose (bg) every day. It never changed; it varied between about 126 & 160. It never ever got lower. My fasting bg was 126 when I was diagnosed.

The doc increased my dosage of both drugs. No change in bg.

Then they came out with a drug called Avandamet (a combination of Avandia & Metformin). No change in bg.

Dosage increased again; no change.

Then the FDA pulled Avandia AND Avandamet off the market. Who knows why? The pharm companies don't tell you why. There are rumors: the drugs are dangerous to the liver; the drugs don't work; who knows? The doctors certainly don't tell you. The internet has a thousand different theories about it.

My doc then put me on Metformin only (2006). I started with 500mg a day. No change in fasting bg. Dosage increased to 1000mg (500 am, 500 pm). Fasting bg was now approaching 180.

At this point, I asked my primary care physician about just cutting to the chase & going on insulin. She about had a heart attack. I was like, "Why? Why does that upset you so much? The oral meds have never worked." She just said, "That is just such a huge step. You do NOT want to do that. Once you get on insulin, there's no turning back."



I didn't get it! Why was that option off the table? The only thing I can think of is that the pharm companies want to keep these oral meds on the market to make money. Maybe they make more money off of the oral meds than they do insulin.

I started injecting insulin (Lantus) on 4/10/2010. It's the only thing that brought down my bg. I started with 20 units. I'm up to 85 now. 

The upshot: I would be surprised if the Metformin works for you. I haven't met anyone who's been successful lowering their fasting bg on this drug. It's like the pharm companies are just rolling the dice & hoping the oral meds work. So far, they haven't. Not one that I know of has worked.

Perhaps you could have your primary care physician look into the success rate of oral diabetes meds & write a letter to your insurance company saying it's his experience that the oral meds don't work, & that he feels the only alternative is to either start you on insulin OR go to the permanent solution, weight loss surgery.

Worth a try! Feel free to write me if you want to talk. I wish you only the best! 

GG