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Cancer op cancelled

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Deborino

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Type 2
I was diagnosed with cancer of uterus about 5 weeks ago and was due to have surgery next Tuesday. I went for my pre up last Wednesday and have been self isolating since then. The diabetes nurse rang me this morning to tell me they were postponing the op as my hb1c was 85. I have to reduce my bg urgently as I need the op ASAP. I am so upset and I'm in a total panic. How do I reduce my bg quickly?
 
I don't understand why a high blood glucose reading would cause a delay in cancer surgery.
Did they explain that to you?
And did they tell you what level you need to be at?

If you do need a fast drop I suspect something ultra-low carb might be necessary but I'm afraid I'm not the best person to advise on that.
Someone else will be able to help there.
 
I agree. We can't give medical advice. Check with your consultant. Ultra low carb may help but might also bring other side effects. Wishing you all the best. What an upsetting time for you.
 
Deborino said:
I was diagnosed with cancer of uterus about 5 weeks ago and was due to have surgery next Tuesday. I went for my pre up last Wednesday and have been self isolating since then. The diabetes nurse rang me this morning to tell me they were postponing the op as my hb1c was 85. I have to reduce my bg urgently as I need the op ASAP. I am so upset and I'm in a total panic. How do I reduce my bg quickly?
Click to expand...
The concern is that you might not heal as well if your blood glucose is high.
Maybe try Atkins as that starts off with a couple of weeks of really low carb, though if your blood glucose is really high, then it might be advisable to work down to the lowest level over a couple of weeks. Some people get problems with a sudden alteration in their way of eating, though I didn't, so I think you just can't tell.
I went from Hba1c of 91 to 47 in 80 days and I wasn't really trying all that hard.
 
pm133 said:
I don't understand why a high blood glucose reading would cause a delay in cancer surgery.
Did they explain that to you?
And did they tell you what level you need to be at?

If you do need a fast drop I suspect something ultra-low carb might be necessary but I'm afraid I'm not the best person to advise on that.
Someone else will be able to help there.
Click to expand...
Apparently high bg's are associated with infection! The maximum BG they will operate at in 69 and mine is 80. I've got to test 4 times a day and send the results to the diabetes nurse next Tuesday. If they show a good enough drop they will list me as soon as possible. I'm going to do ultra low carb.
 
Deborino said:
Apparently high bg's are associated with infection! The maximum BG they will operate at in 69 and mine is 80. I've got to test 4 times a day and send the results to the diabetes nurse next Tuesday. If they show a good enough drop they will list me as soon as possible. I'm going to do ultra low carb.
Click to expand...

Please seek some medical advice before going ultra-low carb.
Other than that, good luck with this. It's a horrific situation to be in.
 
In early 2018 I did low carb and intermittent fasting and lost about 3 stone quite quickly. When I went for my yearly diabetes check it was discovered that I was extremely anaemic and had to have iron infusions. They then discovered that I had non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. I asked to see a dietitian as fasting was good for my diabetes but a definite no no for the liver. I was in hospital 8 times between September and December with internal bleeding which was horrible. I feel like I really don't deserve all this.
 
Deborino said:
In early 2018 I did low carb and intermittent fasting and lost about 3 stone quite quickly. When I went for my yearly diabetes check it was discovered that I was extremely anaemic and had to have iron infusions. They then discovered that I had non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. I asked to see a dietitian as fasting was good for my diabetes but a definite no no for the liver. I was in hospital 8 times between September and December with internal bleeding which was horrible. I feel like I really don't deserve all this.
Click to expand...

Hi Deborina - I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis and elevated HbA1c, on top of the times you've had in recent months. It must all be knocking you for six.

I would tend to agree that going strictly low carb is a good way to bring your blood glucose down, but please be careful. If you are taking any strong medications for your diabetes, you may need to be a bit careful, if you then became susceptible to hypos. By strong meds, I mean, insulin or a few others. Metformin doesn't really count in this regard. If you take diabetes meds, or meds for other things, please ensure you taken them into account if you are changing the way you eat and drink much.

A few years ago, I had a bit of a scare with the Big C (which thankfully ended up being fine), but all the reading I did at the time led me to understand that some cancers thrive in a sugary environment, so my approach would have been to go very low carb (I already eat low carb), until I felt safe enough to relax a bit again.

I send you every best wish, and hope you won't be waiting for too long.
 
Can you call the diabetes nurse back and ask an appointment for some support in reducing your blood sugar? Do you test your levels? It sounds like going very low carb isn’t for you, but reducing to moderate carb, adding some exercise if you can, and perhaps some medication to support with it, could combine to give an improvement in 2-3 months.

I would also ask what level of A1c is needed for the surgery and how it will be rearranged. Can they arrange it now for in a couple of months time, or will you have to go back on a waiting list once it is down? It sounds a confusing and scary time so you need to try and get some follow up appointments for clarification.
 
I am sorry
I would have thought that current blood glucose rather than HbA1c , which is a historic look at glucose control over the past 3 months, would be more relevent with surgery, as with pregnancy. If there are no realistic dietary tweaks to be made then medication may be the answer
 
So sorry that you op was cancelled, it must be very difficult for you.

Any surgery can be a tricky time for the body, and injury or illness can raise BG levels, which as you say, can impact on the chance of infection, and the possible speed of recovery.

Hope your menu changes give you a gentle and sustainable reduction in your BG, and help your body ready itself for the surgery.

Let us know how things go 🙂
 
I hope you are in a position to have your operation soon 🙂
 
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