"Double diabetes" is more commonly known as LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) or Type 1.5 diabetes.  It's not that your Type 1 becomes Type 2 - it's that you have features of BOTH type 1 and type 2.  Most LADAs do not produce enough insulin, so we need to inject insulin when we eat (and likely a basal insulin as well).  We also typically have insulin resistance, which is the Type 2 feature.  And, yes, I am one and have been for 25 years.  Just had RNY in September and am doing very well.

If you are truly a "double diabetic", just know that your Type 1 diabetes doesn't go away and you'll still need insulin to manage it.  But, you'll likely need less after surgery and certaily as your weight decreases, you'll need less.  I have seen that happen since the beginning.  I'm using about 30%  less basal (Lantus) insulin with much better results.  I have also decreased my meal time insulin and only need about 3-4 units per meal, as opposed to 5-10 befor - again with better results. 

I have seen the greatest impact in my oral medications.  I had taken a number of them - actos, glimepiride and metformin - all at close to max dosages.  I am now only using metformin - 500 mg. twice per day, which is HALF of what I used before.  My blood sugars seem much better and the range of them, especially post-meal blood sugars, are much improved too.  I'm also off blood pressure and cholesterol meds. 

I have lost about 40 pounds since the surgery and have about 40-50 left to go.  I did the surgery NOT for the weight loss, but to positively impact my diabetes.  Most LADAs are diagnosed in their early 30's and typically are not overweight, but that's not always true.  I was 29 at diagnosis and am 54 now.  So, after 25 years, I realized that I wanted to do something to lengthen my life and also address the quality of it.  The surgery has been helping me do that. 

I researched the surgery for 9 years before going forward.  I'm glad I did - thrilled in fact.  Good luck and feel free to ask questions!

Good luck with your journey.

 Lacey,

I just had the RNY done almost a month ago and my husband had it done 4 months ago. We both are type 1 diabetics. Your endocrinologist would be the person I would talk to about the diabetes information. Your type 1 will never go away but will be in better control once you have the surgery done. If you are gaining better control, I would assume that your type 2 will go away. The RNY has proven to cure type 2's.. the only thing that has been proven to cure it. 

I am on an insulin pump and my insulin daily totals doses went from about 90-100 units before surgery, down to 40-50 4 weeks after surgery(that includes food). My husband decided to go on a "pump vacation" about a year ago but his daily total went from about the same as mine.
I hope this helps.
Steph
RNY 12/08/11

 I'm new to all this, but I was wondering if rny is safe for a double diabetic (I am a type 1 that became a type 2)?  I am sure the doctors would have to look at my particular case, but has anyone (double diabetic) had success with it?  I have appointments set up with the bariatric center and endocrinologist already, but in case there are some serious issues with it I figured I better mentally prepare myself in case someone tells me this is not an option.  
I've lost all but one member of my family to type 2 diabetes ...all of them at young ages.   I am determined not to have the same fate, but I have not been able to reverse the type 2 on my own. I'm thinking this is my last resort... 

I hope you are doing OK.  I just realized that I never responded to this post.  The decision making process is a difficult one - and I don't really know when to tell you how to be ready for it.  I thought about it for 9 years, and saw 3 surgeons over the course of  a year.  I continued to be scared to death throughout that time, but I also kept coming back to it.  I couldn't seem to let the idea go.

I think a big "push" for me wa****ting 25 years as a diabetic and realizing that I just didn't know how much longer I could avoid complications if I didn't do something. I also knew that it had to be a malabsorptive procedure, because I needed that action in that part of my body to have the desired effect on my diabetes.  (I knew someone who did the band, and she had some initial weight loss but has regained it all and more.)  If you are looking for something to address your diabetes, malabsorptive is the way to go. 

I also realized that, despite all of my best efforts, my metabolism is simply a mess.  My doctors, including my endocrinologist, told me that for several years, but I just thought it was all my fault and that, if I tried hard enough, I could change it all.  But, I couldn't.  Everyone told me that I had "bad biology" - type 1.5 diabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS - and all of it worked against me.  I was able to lose a little weight when I was first diagnosed 25 years ago, but since then I gained 100 pounds.  I was even exercising quite vigorously and gained 40 pounds in about 4-5 weeks at one point.  I finally had to admit that I couldn't change my biology and that I was being offered an opportunity to change it.  But, I had to actually stop trying to do everything myself and realize that trusting someone else might be the answer.  It was actually freeing, once I wrapped my brain around it.

I was very afraid of surgery of any kind.  But, I just started to trust my surgeon and the process.  I will tell you that the surgery and the recovery was so much easier than I expected.  I didn't have much pain afterward at all, and was just so relieved to have it behind me.  I have continued to feel well for the past 15 weeks, and have had no issues with healing or recovery.  I consider that a great and abundant blessing. 

Happy new year to you - keep listening to yourself, read up on the choices, and see a surgeon when you are ready.  Just take things one step at a time and don't get too far ahead of yourself.  I found that particularly helpful.  When I started to think about the whole picture, I easily got overwhelmed.  I told myself that I could stop the process at any point - even up to the point of the day of surgery.  When I just took each appointment, each test, each clearance as its own piece, I stopped feeling as overwhelmed and that helped me get ready.

All the best - please update when you can.
 

There is a great forum called diabetesforums dot com. It has a huge wealth of info on all the types of D and info on meds, food, carbs... Just a ton of stuff. I live there and here these days!