Re: "This surgery will cure your diabetes!" Rant, not spam

"David" <David@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:WIGdnRAtsfgonafeRVn-qA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Karen wrote:
>
>> The subject line is a direct quote from a doctor I saw yesterday.
>>
>> I'm furious. I went to a chest specialist yesterday because I've had
>> asthma and breathing problems for several years. This was a first-time
>> visit to this doctor; I'd never seen her before. She walked into the
>> exam room and (before examining me) told me I should have bariatric
>> surgery (gastric banding, gastric bypass, stomach stapling...take your
>> pick). "This surgery would cure your diabetes! You could throw away
>> your medications!" she said. I pointed out to her that there was no cure
>> for diabetes, but that it certainly could be controlled. "Oh, no," she
>> said, "this is a cure - I have literature to prove it!" And what a
>> surprise - she also works with a bariatric surgeon to whom she'd be happy
>> to refer me. (Can you say "kickback"?) After that "cure" statement, I
>> had trouble believing anything that came out of that woman's mouth.
>>
>> If this is a cure, then why do we still have Type 2 diabetes, and why
>> doesn't the world know of this miracle? If this is supposed to be a
>> cure, then it should work on normal-weight T2s, right? Wrong - they only
>> do this surgery on the obese. So if normal-weight T2s want to be cured,
>> they need to gain 100 pounds; then they can have this truly miraculous
>> surgery! Belly up to the buffet, gang... (Excuse me while I pry my
>> tongue out of my cheek here.)
>>
>> It's my understanding that bariatric surgery is a *last* resort, not the
>> first. This quack never even questioned me about previous weight-loss
>> programs that I might have tried, or suggested any other alternative to
>> surgery. No, surgery was the ONLY option for me. I told her I'd read
>> about these procedures; the risks of serious complications were far too
>> high for me to ever consider this. Her response: "Everything in life is
>> a risk." Easy for her to say - it's not *her* body they'd be cutting
>> into!
>>
>> After surgery, the stomach can only hold *one* ounce of food. This
>> requires a radical and permanent lifestyle change, and you must undergo
>> intensive pre- and post-operative psychological counseling. You're also
>> required to take very expensive vitamin supplements. Can you imagine
>> never again being able to enjoy a lunch or dinner out with friends or a
>> loved one? ("Go ahead and have the filet mignon, honey; I'm perfectly
>> happy with my three grapes, which I must chew into complete mush before I
>> swallow.") I think that's a pretty high price to pay, and I'm not just
>> talking money here.
>>
>> Yes, I'm overweight. Because of severe bone and joint problems from neck
>> to feet, it's very difficult and painful for me to exercise. Believe me,
>> I've tried, right down to the Arthritis Foundation's water exercise
>> classes at the local YMCA, which messed up my back big time. I do try to
>> get out of the house at least once a week and do a bit of walking, even
>> if it's just up and down the aisles of our (large) supermarket. It's not
>> much, I know, but it's something. I don't eat large amounts of food;
>> when I do try to cut back, I end up with liver dumps and astronomical BGs
>> (in the 200 range!). I recently tried the South Beach Diet. I didn't go
>> hungry and lost a couple of pounds, but the high BGs from liver dumps
>> weren't worth it. I couldn't see sacrificing my good BG control and
>> risking organ damage just to keep my family doctor happy.
>>
>> But wait, there's more: My husband accompanied me into the exam room.
>> Dr. Quack told us both we had a 90% chance of having sleep apnea, and
>> that we should both have sleep studies. Never mind that neither one of
>> us has any symptoms of sleep apnea! And what a surprise - she also works
>> with two doctors who specialize in sleep apnea and sleep disorders. (Can
>> you say "kickback" again?)
>>
>> She wants me to see a certified diabetic educator (CDE) and dietician. I
>> have no argument with seeing the dietician. Provided he/she isn't a
>> high-carb ADA shill, we might be able to come up with some kind of
>> workable weight-loss program. But the CDE? I've been diabetic for three
>> years and am very well self-educated on Type 2. I have a neighbor who is
>> a registered nurse and CDE; she has commented many times that I know far
>> more than the average diabetic patient she saw in her endo's practice. I
>> guess in Dr. Quack's eyes fat=stupid.
>>
>> Rant over - thanks for listening!
>>
>> Karen
>> Type 2
>> Dx 9/11/02
>> Metformin ER 1000 mg. twice a day
>> Glipizide ER 10 mg. once a day
>> A1c 10.6 at diagnosis; 5.8 as of Aug. '05
>>
>>
> 5.8 is great, but actually what you were told by the doc is correct; you
> COULD throw away your meds and no longer think much about being a DM if
> you lose a lot of weight. Obesity is the leading cause of DM. Why do you
> think that DM was pretty rare before the 70's? Because not too many folks
> were grossly overweight. Now, everywhere you look, people are huge. In
> high school, I can remember TWO overweight kids. Go stroll through a mall
> nowadays. It's so commonplace (obesity) that unless someone is over 450
> lbs, no one even notices them. Wouldn't you rather not take pills the rest
> of your life, and perhaps "graduate" to insulin? If I could go into the
> hospital for 1 or two days and come out on my way to having normal sugars
> day and night, I'd jump at the chance. Not gonna happen for me because
> I'm a T1. I'm a pumper. No matter what your neighbor thinks of your DM
> expertise, you are missing the point that your doc was ATTEMPTING to clue
> you in about--you have options!
>
> Don't count on that good A1c lasting forever.
>
> Dave

Hi Dave,

Losing weight is not so easy as all that, or we'd all be slim. Here is
why;

Most type 2's have quite a lot of genuine real hunger. Why? That's easy.
When your glucose delivery system that brings energy to the cells is on the
blink, you experience hunger from a cellular level. This triggers real
gnawing hunger pains. What do we do then? We eat, but the food does not
satisfy. More hunger comes, again too soon, and we have plenty of glucose
floating around in our blood as well as plenty of insulin but no way for
them to recognize one another and we are STILL HUNGRY!

This is the misery of insulin resistance.

Add to that the fact that the overweight often have joint or other skeletal
issues, and more to haul around with less muscle tone to do it with, and you
have a vicious cycle that we type 2's live with every day.

Low carb eating helps a little. Exercise helps a little. Meds help a
little. But it still isn't easy.

Add to this the contempt so many feel for fat people, and the psychological
overlay makes it all worse.

Is it any wonder why some will opt for a dangerous surgical solution?

--


Best Regards,
Evelyn

(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox')


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "This surgery will cure your diabetes!" Rant, not spam
    ... >> The subject line is a direct quote from a doctor I saw yesterday. ... >> told me I should have bariatric surgery (gastric ... >> I pointed out to her that there was no cure for diabetes, ... >> Quack told us both we had a 90% chance of having sleep apnea, ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Re: "This surgery will cure your diabetes!" Rant, not spam
    ... || This was a first-time visit to this doctor; ... "This surgery would cure your diabetes! ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Re: "This surgery will cure your diabetes!" Rant, not spam
    ... She walked into the exam room and told me I should have bariatric surgery. ... I pointed out to her that there was no cure for diabetes, but that it certainly could be controlled. ... Dr. Quack told us both we had a 90% chance of having sleep apnea, and that we should both have sleep studies. ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Re: "This surgery will cure your diabetes!" Rant, not spam
    ... She walked into the exam room and told me I should have bariatric surgery. ... I pointed out to her that there was no cure for diabetes, but that it certainly could be controlled. ... Dr. Quack told us both we had a 90% chance of having sleep apnea, and that we should both have sleep studies. ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Re: "This surgery will cure your diabetes!" Rant, not spam
    ... Karen, I have two diabetic friends who had the surgery and yes, they no ... you STILL need to diet and exercise even after the ... > "This surgery would cure your diabetes! ... > any symptoms of sleep apnea! ...
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