diabetes (11 days preop)

Greetings,

The biggest thing to persuade me to have the DS is my diabetes.  I know everyone is different. Just wanted to hear some experiences from some other DS'ers.

how long did you remain on insulin? do you still check your sugars? etc...

I currently take 175 units of lantus and use novalog on a sliding scale.

Southernlady is your go-to person regarding diabetes and the DS. She came off slowly too but is off insulin totally now.

--gina

Hi Michelle...

I had the DS mainly for my diabetes as well. I wanted off insulin...however it did not happen automatically the minute I came out of surgery like the surgeon's nurse was positive it would be...she told me to leave my insulin pump at home, I would not need it. SHE WAS WRONG!

Since I was only on Novolog, my experience is a wee bit different.

I cut the amount of novolog in my pump to half of what it had been for after surgery...you aren't eating much so it doesn't make your sugars go up. Anyway, my surgery was the 24th of Jan. I watched my blood sugars very carefully and on the two nights before the 1st of Feb, I was chasing the runaway train called lows. I knew it was time to get off the pump. But I was testing about 10-12 times a day at that point and any time I felt "off". On the 11th of Feb, I took my last insulin.

I still check my blood sugars periodically...usually if I am feeling a bit low or shaky. Usually about 3-4 times a week...and considering at one time I averaged 10 times a DAY, that is a big improvement!

I still consider myself diabetic...but now it's diet and exercise controlled. My PCP handles that care and said my last set of graphs from my blood glucose meter were the most boringly normal he's seen in ages.

Now, I will say...get with your endo as to how to handle the surgery and then liquids for a few weeks...listen to him. Your surgeon, while good is NOT an endo. I know surgeons have lots of experience but they do NOT always know what is best for you...make sure you have an endo aware of what you are doing and how to handle it.

Liz

Thank you ladies. I feel a bit lost. My PCP retired on the 15th of December. Surgery is January 16th. and I see my new PCP on the 15th of January. yikes. no endo on board. I do plan on taking my meter, insulin, etc.. with me to the hospital. I do not have a pump, good old syringes for me. 

Praying it all works out. I hate chasing lows too.

See if you can get an on staff endo to check on you while in the hospital. Just be very careful and try to stay between 100-140 while in the hospital...yes, that is a bit high but better than going too low and not being able to deal with it.

Also make sure you have something from your new PCP telling the hospital staff to let YOU (unless incapacitated) to handle your meter readings, insulin, etc. Cause they will want to take it from you and handle it themselves.

Liz