21 days pre operative Bariatric Surgery

In numerous publications and media outlets, there are reports that Bariatric Surgery, specifically gastric bypass, can cure Diabetes.  What a wonderful idea, cure Diabetes!  Reality, in conversation with my endocrinologist, she has never seen a cure and certainly not from the instant off the surgical table.  She has taken a few patients off the pump or off medication 18 months later, but never cured.  This same doctor is also one of several who has said this surgery would be helpful to improving my health.

So in 21 days, i will be undergoing gastric bypass surgery.  i chose a doctor and facility that has completed over 4000 procedures.  This medical practice also puts in place the other tools needed to make this surgery a success....exercise, nutrition, psychology, and after care of the actual surgery.   i have built a group of people:  family, friends, gym membership, and prayer partners. 

i plan to try and chronicle the work and effort of this task that began in 2009 with conversations with doctors.  The online attendance of introduction to Bariatric Surgery in January of 2011 and today 21 days from surgery.

i will be in the hospital for 2 days (day of and day after surgery).  The first week they list four things that i can eat/drink:  water, broth, jello, and herbal tea's.  Well, i have been quoted "it is water and jello"!  So it will be a week of water and jello.  i do not much like broth, a hot liquid and while raised by an lifelong tea drinker, i just see tea as water with dirt in it. So it will be a week of water and jello.

While there is hope that some of my health issues like diabetes, sleep apena, edema, and asthma will be be improved with weight loss.  i have biological history of diabetes in the maternal and paternal side;  diabetes could go away, but certainly will be less medicine then i use now.  i have been on the insulin pump with U500 insulin since 2005.  U500 is 5 times the potency, then the 'regular' insulin.  In other words, when i inject 5 units i have really injected 25 units of regular insulin.  Any decrease would be welcomed as it would lower the cost of the medication.  A possibility of being off insulin or any medication for diabetes would be great.  i will not be bothered if the surgery has no impact on the diabetes because i will still be healthier with less weight.

More later.