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Show Page 8 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIX Issue VIII August 1, 2011 DIABETICS cont. from page 1 sugar remains in the blood stream. This can be devastating to many of the body’s organs. My twin brother Thom was also a diabetic. Due to the disease, and a lack of attention to proper management of this serious health problem, his kidneys eventually shut down. The only way to stay alive was to have dialysis treatments three times a week for four hours per session. He lost his eye sight—being totally dark in his left eye and only able to make out blurry forms and figures in the other eye. The neuropathy in his feet is so bad he has to take sleeping pills to get through the night; otherwise, sleep is non-existent. He has to wear loose-fitting shoes during the day to avoid too much pressure on his feet. Wounds rarely heal completely due to poor blood circulation. Brothers Chris and Thom Stevenson. If this disease is so bad and so prevalent and there is a “cure” for it, then, where is the news media? Gastric bypass is a procedure that miraculously resolves diabetes! This should be front page news every week for the next decade. Billions of dollars are spent each year to treat diabetes or the eventual long-term effects of the disease—like dialysis. The monetary savings would be monumental, but the improvement in the quality of life of millions is the real news in this story. It is mind-boggling at just how little information has been disseminated to the public on this topic. And, because medical doctors have become so specialized, most of them do not know or understand the benefits of bariatric surgery for a Type II diabetic. Three-and-a-half years ago I had first gone to my diabetes specialist to discuss the merits of such a procedure. He was appalled that I was even considering this type of “major operation.” He told me to lose some weight, watch my diet, and continue to take my insulin injections. (Injections are borderline torture, and the pin-pricking five times a day for glucose testing gets old very quickly.) Surgery - Fortunately, I did not listen to my doctor. I contacted Dr. Sherman Smith of Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians (RMAP) in Salt Lake City. He has been doing weight-loss surgery for over 25 years. I attended their educational class and was completely blown away with the information I received. For me, I was convinced and ready to jump on the nearest gurney. There was only one small problem; I was 20 pounds shy of meeting the recommended Body Mass Index (BMI) by the American Diabetes Association. I was 250 pounds and I needed to be about 270. I immediately started a diet of cream pies, pizza, and pasta. I was determined to meet my goal of gaining 20 pounds in short order, even though I found it very strange to add weight so I could have a surgery that would resolve my diabetes. The last thing I remember going into the surgery room was the anesthesiologist telling me I could say good bye to my diabetes; it would be gone before I left the hospital the next day. Dr. Smith skillfully operated using the latest laparoscopic techniques. I had a good drug-induced nap and woke up in the recovery room diabetes-free. As a matter-of-fact, the nurses tending me tried to administer diabetes medication. I refused it. I was concerned about the medication dropping my blood sugar down too low. The doctors and everyone else were correct. My diabetes was gone, even before I lost any weight. One of the misconceptions regarding this procedure is that the diabetes goes away, or is better controlled, as the patient loses weight. Yes, that can be the case, but, over 90% of RMAP patients experience an almost immediate resolution of their diabetes. Similar statistics can be confirmed by bariatric surgeons and hospitals across the country. I had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass because it has proven to be the gold standard for the resolution of Type II diabetes. The lap band and other procedures have also proven effective toward the resolution of diabetes. Now, I rarely take my blood sugar readings, maybe once a week. Each fasting reading continues to be in the normal range, usually around 100. Normal blood sugar readings are in the 80 to 100 range. So, what have been the benefits? Here’s a short list: l My blood pressure is fantastic l I sleep soundly through the night l There is less bounce per ounce when I walk or exercise l Less risk of fat-related cancers l No high blood sugar levels destroying my organs l Higher energy level l Normal cholesterol l Less Acid reflux disease Best of all, I feel great. I am half the man I used to be (physically), but I am three times as healthy. I walk anywhere—from 3.5 to 7 miles a day. I bike 5 to 14 miles a couple of times a week. I can swim a half a mile. Live Kidney Donor - Typically, the medical profession will not look to a diabetic as a live kidney donor for someone looking for a kidney transplant. The reasons for that are twofold. First, many times diabetics have kidneys that have been weakened over time. Secondly, it is not a good idea to leave a diabetic with just one kidney, since they are more susceptible to problems due to high blood sugar levels. However, here’s the good part. My twin brother was on dialysis a year ago and had been kept alive by dialysis machines for 18 months. Life was looking very dismal for him. His health was going downhill month by month. When the idea of a kidney transplant was suggested, I volunteered to be a donor. After extensive testing and many visits to Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, I was deemed to have an excellent kidney for donation. The concerns about leaving me with just one kidney were minor since my diabetes had been cured. As a side note, for 59 years we believed we were fraternal twins. That is what the doctor told my mother and that is what our parents told us all of our lives. After some very detailed DNA testing, we discovered that we were actually identical twins. This was great news as now my brother would not need any anti-rejection medication to help insure a successful kidney transplant. In essence, my kidney was exactly like his kidney. There would be no rejection. The transplant surgery was performed by literally the best kidney transplant surgeon in DABC cont. from page 1 to report potential criminal activity to the Utah Attorney General’s Office, and that the Eden case should be criminally investigated. DABC Commissioners say that they have consulted a state attorney who will issue a report on this aspect of the case. DABC officials wrote in the audit that Bill Lyman had gone bankrupt. State auditors also criticized DABC for allowing shipments to continue to be delivered to the struggling liquor-packaging agency over a several-month period in light of the store’s mounting debt, and for increasing compensation retroactively to reduce the store’s debt, even though funds were unaccounted for. The state made monthly payments to the privately ran Eden outlet based on sales volumes; Lyman received $1,000 a month to operate the agency. According to a report to the liquor-control commissioners, in April 2010, an audit determined Lyman owed $112,000 to the liquor department for unpaid inventory, which increased to more than $298,000 by the time the store was closed. Current DABC executive director Dennis Kellen initially came under fire after the Utah Attorney General’s Office began an investigation into what happened to almost $300,000 missing from the Eden private liquor-packaging agency. The Ogden Valley packaging agency, the country, Dr. Stephan Busque of Stanford Medical Center. He is also an identical twin and felt a sense of kinship with us. He stressed it was only right for a twin to operate on a twin. He and his staff were exceptional. Life is Different - To celebrate the one year anniversary of the transplant, my twin brother and I participated in a sprint triathlon in California. I swan next to Thom the whole 400 yards. We biked the 11 miles on a tandem bicycle, and we jogged the 3.2 miles—Thom at my elbow and me being the seeing-eye dog. Though we did not finish in first place, the most important thing was that we completed the race. It was a great way to celebrate a new lease on life. To put it succinctly, gastric bypass surgery drastically improved the quality of my life and extended the length of my life. You can’t ask for better results than that. Very generous people like Robert Sykes Associates (Salt Lake law firm) and the physicians at Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians helped finance the trip and were our official “unofficial” sponsors. It was their quiet way of being part of the celebration. Three-and-a-half years ago, life was different, very different. I share my story for one reason only; people need to know what options are out there. People who have diabetes, or who have friends and loved ones with the disease, need to educate themselves about options. Please contact me with any questions. I will be more than willing to take all the time you need, safeguard your privacy, and hold any conversations strictly confidential. I can be reached at 801-791-9933. My email is Benevations@ gmail.com or you can visit www.RMAP.com for some very good information. operated by Bill Lyman, also of Eden, was open for business from June 24, 2009 until it closed about a year ago—in July of 2010. The Eden Liquor Agency opened after Wolf Creek Resort chose not to renew its contract as a Type-2 agency with the state early in 2009. While Kellen has stated that he plans to retire by the end of the year, Governor Herbert’s spokeswoman Ally Isom reiterated that he would not be replaced until the two new commissioners were appointed. On July 20, Kellen also issued a statement through the DABC stating, “I’m staying in my position until the commission has the opportunity to select a replacement for me.” In a letter to lawmakers, the five-member DABC Commission stated that insurance will reimburse most of the missing $300,000, adding that the actual loss was $110,300 in profits that the Eden business should have turned over to the state. However, according to liquor officials, the DABC received $75,000 from the state’s risk management fund that many agencies and counties pay into like an insurance policy, and is also expected to receive a balance of $85,000 to cover unpaid inventory charges. DABC Deputy Director John Freeman stated that there are no future plans to reopen the Eden outlet because of statemandated budget cuts. |