Diabetes After Auto Islet Transplant
Posted by juliebernal | Filed under Diabetes/Blood Sugar, Total Pancreatectomy & Auto-Islet Cell Transplant (TP/AIT)
Aug. 15, 2011
At almost three months post my auto islet transplant, I received a call from my doctor saying that my blood sugar levels are looking really good and within the next few weeks they want me to try to come off all long acting insulin. Yay! Such great news.
I have been very lucky so far with my outcome of the transplant. My liver is working as my new pancreas. My islet cells (which control blood sugar) are working great. I’m also part of a study, so I’m not sure if the study drug is part of the reseason I’m doing so well, but I sure do feel blessed right now. Currently I take one shot in the morning and I check my blood sugar 4-7 times a day. After I eat, my blood sugars drop back down on there own. At first I was really watching my carb intake, but lately I am able to eat a good amount without it effecting my levels much. I haven’t needed to take my fast acting insulin in over a month.
Let’s see how the next few weeks go…soon I may be off daily insulin. This is big since not everyone has such success. I’ll keep you posted.
August 23rd, 2011 at 8:50 am
Forgive me Julie;
I have a problem. (It is called nosiness). hehehe
Yes! You have been very lucky! And I am happy (and lucky) to be able to read about it all.
Honestly, since joining our PAI Group, I am finding that I love to see how people are doing post TP/AIT; and trying to help out those few that I can.
Casey’s islet cells sound as responsive as yours- to have survived such a move relatively unscathed. Thank God too that our livers are regenerative organs!
Dr. Sutherland kept her on the lowest dose of long acting insulin for the last 2 months that she was on it. This, not because she ‘needed’ it, but just to ensure that her islet cells were given as long of a break as possible.
She does still check her blood sugars from time to time, just to see what is happening- out of curiosity more than anything else. These pokes give her much peace of mind.
Robin (PAI Group) has mentioned something about a 5 year cycle- I will email her and ask what this was about; since I do not recall Dr. Sutherland saying anything about it. Robin is an attorney, and a wonderful friend too. I will go to her sometimes first, before posting on PAI.
I hope you too will be able to find someone to connect with- Almost like a buddy system. hehehe
I feel badly for those who do not think they need, or want to find friends throughout it all.
Thank you much for your continuing effort here; and best of luck for your continuing good health too!
You have an amazing site, and if you don’t mind, I will be checking in from time to time to see how you are faring?
XOXO,
Anne
August 27th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
thanks anne. I would love it if you keep checking in from time to time. I’m just so happy that Casey did so well with the transplant. It’s amazing to think that we live in a day where it is possible to live without a pancreas and not need to take insulin. AMAZING!
For me, I had a group of friends that helped me through every step of the way. Before surgery I talked on the phone with 2 people that already had the surgery. I felt like they were my sponsors. Their words gave me hope. Day before my surgery I got the chance to meet a friend that had the surgery. That was the first time my husband talked to anyone else going through it too. He needed to hear it. He kept saying, “She had all the same stuff as you.” I think he always felt like I was the only one. He thought that the surgery was maybe going to kill me. He just thought the surgery was too big. That I was too sick. That talk helped my husband. He saw that yes, you can live through a big surgery like that even when you are that sick. Support is key for getting by day to day. After a month, I went and met another friend that just had the surgery. I had been like her sponsor. Then my last week in MN, I got to talk with two families. One over heard that I had the TP/AIT. Her son was going to have the surgery the next day. I talked with her. She was so worried about him. He did well. We still talk on the phone and anytime she has questions she calls. The other family, their son was there for testing. They were worried about him getting diabetes and he was very sick but wasn’t sure if he wanted the surgery or not. I answered some of his questions…he was just approved to have the surgery and I think it will be in a month or two. For me having my “sponsors” before the surgery was everything to me. I think about how much it meant to me and now I’m trying to do the same for others. It’s almost like you become family…it’s the CP and TP/AIT family.