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A New Beginning.

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R

Ricky-dj

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
😎 Hi to everyone, I do hope you are all well,
As some of you know i am now 56 yrs of age and had type 1 for 54 of those years. Started on two injections per day then a few years later on to the pens and now pumping.
Just recently i have been going to Newcastle for tests as i was referred by my diabetes doctor at the hospital. the tests included a twenty four hour urine collection for protein, loads of blood tests, a cpex test, a cardio stress test and many more.
This week i got my results and i am pleased to say that they are all ok, I have now been offered a pancreas transplant. All my details have now been registered in Bristol and when a doner comes along with a pancreas to suit my requirements then i will get the call.
There are many complications to this but i feel at my age i have to go for it, what do you think?
It will of course mean that i will have to take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of my live but that will be a breeze, The operation is a major op but if all goes well it will mean a new beginning for my family and i,
 
Wow Ricky, I do hope that everything goes well for you. I know that a transplant is very good for people who may have lost their hypo awareness, in particular. It will be so strange for you not needing to inject/pump after doing it all your life!

Let us know how things progress, and good luck. 🙂
 
Hope your transplant comes through OK Ricky, and that your new pancreas survives a good long while giving you a decent proportion of your insulin needs. Have they told you what sort of coverage you can expect? Do you think you will be able to give up injections? (I might be thinking of islet cell transplants that only provide partial cover)
 
Hi i was offered islet cells and pancreas and the pancreas means you are no longer a diabetic. As Northerner said i have lost all my hypo awareness so it should be good for me.
With islet cells you do not get full insulin cover but the risks are far less and the transplant is done through a drip into the liver. thanks for your support .
 
Very good luck to you Ricky.

I started down the pancreas /islet cell transplant route a few years ago as I have no hypo awareness and my life had become pretty scary diabetes wise. I had a couple of meetings about it but was then offered the chance to use cgm sensors full time. At that stage in my life I took the cgm option as the operation and immuno suppressant drugs seemed overwhelming to me. However, I haven't written it off as a possibility and it would be good to hear how things progress for you. I wish you every possible success for the future.
 
Flower said:
Very good luck to you Ricky.

I started down the pancreas /islet cell transplant route a few years ago as I have no hypo awareness and my life had become pretty scary diabetes wise. I had a couple of meetings about it but was then offered the chance to use cgm sensors full time. At that stage in my life I took the cgm option as the operation and immuno suppressant drugs seemed overwhelming to me. However, I haven't written it off as a possibility and it would be good to hear how things progress for you. I wish you every possible success for the future.
Click to expand...

Hi Flower, thanks for that. i will keep you all up to date with how things go. take care.
 
Ooh what an exciting post to read, I wish you all the very best and yes, please do keep us up to date with how it all goes.
 
Ricky that is great news. I'm really pleased that you are getting this opportunity. It will be so strange to no longer be diabetic.
 
Hi Amanda
yes diane and i have sat and talked about all the changes that will take and you are right things will feel very strange,
 
But strange in a great way. Although it will be different not needing to know the effect of carbs or worry about Hypos and wondering if your sugars are behaving themselves, Like you I don't know life without diabetes but I hope that you find the change exhilarating and really good xx.
 
Oooh - it is exciting!

I know two Type 1 people who have had kidney and pancreas transplants, one is 100% fine but the other seems to have been bugged with problems from Day 1 unfortunately. May have been something to do with the kidneys though, as she was complaining about how much liquid she had to drink every day and the swelling that accompanied that, so perhaps the transplanted kidney wasn't working so well? I know the other one (a petite size 10 normally) did swell up to a size 14 after about 12 months, but she's shrunk again now, cos we saw her the other day and she just looked her normal size and very well with it. Both of them were in their mid 30's and both of them actually had severe kidney probs rather than diabetic ones.

Do you get the opportunity to talk with some transplantees?

There's a lady on another forum who goes by the name of 'Cora' who is a pancreas transplantee. Doesn't post all that much, but you could PM her, or ask an open question on the forum and see if she replies to you?

http://79.170.42.2/diabetes-support.org.uk/diabetesforum/
 
I have a friend who had both a kidney and pancreatic transplant. Unfortunately the pancreas was rejected, but I am sure you are well aware of the possibility of rejection.

I wish you lots of luck and hope you get one soon, I've been told the waiting is nearly as bad as the op!

Regards
AJ
 
My best mate has had a Heart tranplant more than 7 yrs ago. He to is all sorts of drugs to stop rejection but is still going strong at 76. Realy good luck with what ever you choose to do. (If it where me i would get it done)
 
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