On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:00:44 -0500, "Douglas Sur" >
Huffed and Puffed the following into the madness of usenet:

>"Ma¢k " > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 03:33:46 GMT, Douglas Sur > Huffed
>> and Puffed the following into the madness of usenet:
>>
>>>
>>>Tonight the transplant coordinator called and asked if I wanted to be
>>>the 2nd backup for a new pancreas. I said no. I am not sure I did the
>>>right thing.
>>>
>>>After reading all the posts today, it seems like it is very complicated
>>>to get Bg into the right range. It's like the diabetes is stealing a
>>>lot of brain cycles from my day. I am more focused on this than work or
>>>anything else. With my pancreas transplant, I took my meds in the
>>>morning then I was off on my merry way. I didn't have to worry about
>>>what I was eating or what my Bg was.
>>>
>>>Unfortunately, the decision is not that easy. There are lots of
>>>downsides to the 2nd pancreas transplant. I wish decisions were easier.
>>
>>
>> what kind of downsides are there over and above those you had with the
>> first transplant?
>>
>> Mck©®
>> Type 1 since 1975
>> http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org
>> http://www.diabetic-talk.org
>> http://www.insulin-pumpers.org
>
>I have been reading some JAMA articles and talking to various doctors. The
>success rate for the 2nd pancreas in the first few years is not great. It
>depends a lot on your surgeon and the post-op care. Another thing is the
>2nd pancreas tends not to last as long as the 1st pancreas transplant.
>
>It is a lot of trouble to get a transplant. If it only last a few years, is
>it worth it? Albeit, the years that you have it life is good. Another
>issue is there is talk about what caused my original pancreas to stop
>producing insulin. The theory is the autoimune disease that eventually
>killed my original pancreas, killed my transplanted pancreas and will kill
>eventually any future pancreas transplants I get.
>
>So the question is should I gamble and get the pancreas transplant and hope
>for the best or should I resign myself to the safe route and become a well
>controlled type 1 diabetic.
>

If the "talk" is from your doctors in regards to the autoimmune
response that killed off your first pancreas' "ability" to produce
insulin, not the pancreas itself, then you can be tested for the
antibodies that caused the beta cell death.

There is research that shows once the beta cells have been completely
killed off that at least in some type 1s the autoimmune system stops
the attack and may indeed correct itself which is what allows a type 1
after many years to have the transplant and not have to worry about
being type 1 anymore. It's also what allows the transplant of the
insulin producing cells as in the edmonton protocol.

But if you can live with the injections or with an insulin pump, do
what you feel is best for you. I started injections when I was 8, I
really don't know any other way.

Mck©®
Type 1 since 1975
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org
http://www.diabetic-talk.org
http://www.insulin-pumpers.org



"To announce that there must be no criticism of the
President, or that we are to stand by the President
right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile,
but is morally treasonable to the American public."
....Theodore Roosevelt

(o o)
--ooO-(_)-Ooo--------------------

"I don't know half of you
half as well as I should like;
and I like less than half of you
half as well as you deserve."