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My band and doctor were great, for me I have underlying autoimmune issues so my body rejected the band. The way it rejected was many unexplained syndromes with no true cause. Also the syndromes/disorders would come and go. Ex. Anemic one week, low thyroid, sjrogens extreme fatigue (narcolepsy) so on and the next month's check up gone. Then back again. So now we will wait since removal and see how my body adjust. I week out and no more griti eyes. I had no issues prior to placement.

I total agree with all of you! I read the positive stories and I feel so excited about what's to come for me. Then, as I sit here, 5 days post op and read a post about the band triggering autoimmune diseases and I'm like wtf?? Everybody has a different experience with the band and I hope and pray that I am one of those people with a success story. Best of luck to you all, and props to all the positive bandsters out there handing out encouragement! Us new bandsters are in desperate need of it!

I havnt read the thread just ur first...I am having issues with the chronic fatigue still...have for yrs..I'm 4 wks out but I have several autoimmune diseases I have to pace myself. I take the vitamins an I give myself a b12 shot wkly...I still do protein drinks...hope u get better soon..

Oh my gosh.....Costco has the best bone broth ever! It's got some "volume" to it. Almost like sipping a thin gravy. So yummy and full of protein and very satisfying. I bring it to work and my boss, who weighs 140 soaking wet, can't keep her hands off of it. I had to postpone my surgery in December 2017 because I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease a month before my surgery and needed to get that under control first. I'm back on schedule for surgery in October and working pre and post op meal into my daily routine. Bone broth has been a lifesaver. Try a few different brands to find the one that works best for you. Good luck

Hello everyone. I've been overweight my whole life and recently have started seriously considering starting the process to see if I can be banded. I've definitely got both the BMI and co-morbidities to make me a good candidate for the surgery. However, when I was first diagnosed with PCOS & insulin resistance about 7 years ago, I was also diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which is a fancy way of saying my body is currently allergic to my platelets and destroys them for no known reason. It's an autoimmune disorder and there is no "cure". It can supposedly come and go at a whim, but in my case I've persistently had low to very low platelet counts since my diagnosis. Has anyone been able to undergo the surgery despite having a low platelet count or specifically ITP? It is the only thing I can foresee keeping me from being able to get banded. Before I go in even for a consult, I was curious to know if anyone else had a similar issue and whether or not it could be dealt with and how. When I had to have oral surgery to get my wisdom teeth out (all 4 impacted, yay...) my dentist literally would not touch me, he only took x-rays and referred me to an oral surgeon. We all consulted together along with my hematologist to figure out if and how I could get my wisdom teeth out. My hematologist was prepared to put me on steroids to try to boost my platelet count in case the oral surgeon was uncomfortable with the risk of performing the extractions when my platelets were so low, but fortunately it did not come to that. Obviously I survived the ordeal without bleeding out (it was horrendously painful for other reasons, but at least my platelets weren't the issue!) My ITP hasn't caused any life-threatening problems so far and my hematologist has never seen any reason to try to treat it. Other than having a persistently low platelet count, bruising easily and bleeding a bit longer from wounds than is normal, I've not had any major health problems or life-threatening occurrences because of it yet. I'm sure I could get my hematologist's cooperation to try to raise my platelet count with steroids or whatever else might work so I could undergo surgery, but my concern is that a surgeon might not even want to consider me as a candidate in the first place or that insurance might deny approval for the surgery citing the ITP as a contraindication for treatment. If anyone has had any experience either way, I'd be grateful to hear about it. I just want to be prepared, whether to advocate strongly for myself in case I run into some resistance or prepare for disappointment if my ITP is too big of a red flag. Thanks.

*Disclaimer-1. My Doctor is the best in his field,very personable and caring, my band removal had nothing to do with his "work". 2. My intention for this post is to somewhat educate(if possible) and not discourage anyone from taking the leap to doing whats best for yourself* Today, is my first day without my band, I am extremely happy that its gone,I had it removed yesterday at approximately 10AM. My decision to remove my band, had everything to do with an autoimmune disease that showed its face 2 years after my band placement, and nothing to do with my Dr or the band itself. My band was placed in June 07, and I cannot tell you how excited I was, I never " charted" my weight loss progress like I shouldve BUT I was very aware of my shrinking body. Now almost 5 years later I tipped the scales at 156.6. BUT Anyways, enough about me...My sole purpose was to inform those that are looking to get their band removed and there is not enough information on the web to educate. This is my account of having my band removed. I will try to update everyday if possible but please dont hold my feet to the fire! Im still in recovery-mode. Today is my first official day being bandfree...I woke up this morning craving anything that could go in my belly. The last time I ate any food was Tuesday at 1pm and this was THURSDAY 9AM and needless to say, I WAS STARVING. After I was discharged I was given my scripts and headed home to battle it out.The removal itself only took and hour max and I was in recovery for another hour, I dont remember much going in, all I do remember is cracking jokes and a sense of gratefulness that I was able to remove it. Anyways, so you may have problems speaking because of the general anesthesia but that will go away. I was given all liquid meds. no pills I am horrible with liquids, my reflex will just kick it right back up&I am trying to keep all of it down so that I can get rid of some of this pain. So I have been going at this without any pain meds*I have a high pain threshold* Today I was finally aboe to take down a small bowl of Soup and crackers I was so excited just to have something in my belly.I am still laying down on my back with the ice pack securely placed under my ribcage, it really helps. Laying down on my back has been my security...I have to get of out the bed in segments..lol. I have a step stool on the side so that I wont over-extend any of my limbs and cause more pain/damage to the healing tissue inside.I will not have any more weight loss surgeries because I have been very diligent in working out and keeping my weight off. The last time I had a fill was about a year and a half ago. I work out every other day, whether its cardio/weights. Im just that committed to staying alive. I was on all kinds of meds before the band but now they are all a thing of the past, the band really helped me get the weight off but I had to come to the conclusion that it was the catalyst for me getting off of that plateau and moving forward. I will answer any questions that anyone has, I will even share some of my exercise tips, Im not selfish,I know this is a tough journey but with the help of others it can be so easy. Ill try to update,on my progress tomorrow. RIGHT NOW..its bed time! LOL. be encouraged-never give up!

Hi everyone. I appreciate learning from your shared experiences. I'm a 62-year-young grandma with a zest for life. I joined here 2+ years ago, but initially ruled out WLS. Over the past two years my health has declined surprisingly, becoming complex with several new diagnoses, including: 1. A rare and progressive neurological disorder (misdiagnosed for years). - I'm told my nerve fibers will not replenish, thus my muscles (legs, especially) will continue to weaken. I'm also told I should be realistic about my physical limitations as my level of exercise isn't expected to improve post surgery. I am realistic, but I'm always hopeful. My exercise level currently consists of short distance walking (1-3 blocks) every other day as tolerated and on opposite days 10 minutes on a recumbent cross-trainer (NuStep). 2. Autoimmune issues have been resistant to stronger meds intended to cut inflammation, which also progresses my neurological disorder. 3. It was the diagnosis of liver disease (fibrosis stage 3) in January that led me to move forward with WLS. I am scheduled for the sleeve in late July. Can any of you relate to having similar health issues with WLS, especially nearing the golden years? Or did less-than-optimal exercise levels hinder weight loss (losing less than expected)? I'm praying the surgery will jolt my nerves to replenish at least somewhat and exceed expectations. We'll see. Thanks for your time! (Feel free to message me privately.)

I asked my surgeon the same thing because I have an autoimmune disorder and I get sick often badly and he said if my caugh or cold is not very bad at the time of surgery then they can figure something out, if not they can reschedule. -Surgery Date 4/29/16

Thank you all for your incredible advice!!!!! I learned alot!!! I have had issues with my knees since 1997! My knee issues really scare me because my dad had had a failed knee replacement last year. Little more than a year out the doctor is saying it should be redone. His first recovery was horrible and I can't imagine him going through that again. But it made me realize I need to face this issue before I need a replacement. Time to stop putting my head in the sand and being ignored by doctors! @VSGAnn2014. I have been complacent in my weight loss because I look good but really I could loose 20 more lbs and not look too thin. Maybe that is what my knees need and it worth trying. I have lost most of my weight with minimal exercise because of the knees.... Who knows how far I could go if I worked a little harder or how it could improve my health. My biggest goal is to be active and I am not there yet. I am going to look for a orthopedic sports MD. My rheumatologist is worthless. He told me to lose weight and totally ignored the fact I had autoimmune disorder that can cause arthritis and wouldn't even do an x-Ray! I am glad there are other specialist I can try. Finally I am going to give PT a try. I already have the referral and it can't hurt. @Valentina..... I looked up Synvisc... It is from chickens!!!! My dad had that a couple years ago and they called him chicken legs!!!

Hi All! I've been thinking about this for 3 yrs. I finally cleared all the tests (for the last 2 yrs, i was unable to do it because i had bowel problems. We now know i have an autoimmune disorder). Now, i put my deposit down and have a date (one month out). I came to this site to find people like me. People who can understand what i'm going through. I know there are a lot of you out there who have been through this! I'm a 40 yr old mom of 3. I'm so scared that me not being able to control my weight has lead to the surgery and now im putting myself at risk. Negativity begets negativity - so i desperately want to get to that positive place where i don't go online to read about blood clots, horror stories! GOsh, not to mention friends & doctors who think i'm nutz. Have any of you felt like this? Should i go to a therapist? Do yoga? Find local support groups? Thank you for listening to me. Thank you to whoever responds. I appreciate you!

I have diabetes,ibsulin dependent, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pcos plus a bunch of other non weight related physical and mental health issues. Due to the sleeve, I'm now mostly diabetic and blood pressure free!! Maybe it's justmy results but there really seems to be a toss up with RNY and sleeve. If you have gerd, rny seems better but if you have autoimmune disease, psychiatric meds, pain meds for Chronic pain type situations, then according to my surgeon and some research, sleeve is better.

I didn't think my age would be an issue, and it's encouraging to hear so many others receive WLS later in life. I think I wonder more about the autoimmune issues. I've heard healing can be slower, or recovery. Thanks for sharing.

Congratulations! I also have autoimmune issues as in mild lupus and RA. I however didn't disclose this at the time of surgery (I do not recommend keeping deadly secrets from your doctor) and I'm doing fine. I was banded on 12/23/11 and have not had any problem, on he contrar. I feel alive again. Good luck to you and God bless!

That's just the thing- it was anecdotal findings. A bunch of surgeons and rheumatologists noticed that individuals with autoimmune diseases were showing fewer and fewer signs and symptoms of their diseases. Believe me, there will be more research into this. As I stated- I don't care what the modality of change was/is- I'll take it!!! I haven't had but a handful of pretzels over the last couple of months. So really, no gluten here either. As for Cymbalta- I was given that for an off-label symptom of the RA- peripheral neuropathy. I'm weaning off now. No need!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have autoimmune thyroid issues (hashimotos) and psoriasis. I am 9 months out psoriasis is very mild now. Just a little patch on my scalp... I don't like putting stuff my scalp so that is without medication. It use to cover all 4 limbs and was considered severe. I only use a topical foam 2-3 times a week now and use to take Ortezla orally... It made sick as a dog. My fibromyalgia is almost nonexistent and I am off cymbalta (And many more Rx's as well). I don't think autoimmune can be cured but WLS has made it 95% better. But why? Was it weightloss alone? Low carb/ low sugar diet? No NSAIDs. And old Rx was making it worse? I don't know. I do know I am 99% gluten free. My NUT allows whole grain In appropriate quantities in maintenance but I have chosen not to bring them back. I gut tells me it is the gluten. I really think there is something to diet and autoimmune connection. I don't think I would have realized that without WLS. And maybe giving up dairy or soy would work for someone else. Dairy is my main protein source and I am clear while eating. I lost weight on medifast which high soy and had the worst psoriasis flare of my life so I know it is more than just weight loss.

Everyone is correct...the VSG does NOT get rid of Hypo/Hyperthyroidism or Hoshimoto's. In my case the surgery did absolutely nothing to change my medication dosage...I have Hoshimoto's Autoimmune disease.

Thanks to all of you. I'm feeling better now. I actually re read what I posted and am a little embarrassed of my ranting tantrum. I went to the seminar tonight and the surgeon informed me I would be a good candidate despite an autoimmune diesease I suffer from so that was one hurdle. I then asked the nurse about the surgery I may be having and how long it would hold up lapband and she said it wouldn't be long, maybe a month..2nd hurdle. I was told that I had to go through a 6 month pre diet program, that my insurance required it. I found that odd because I called the insurance company prior to going to the seminar and was told what the criteria was and that was not mentioned..hmmm Oh well, guess I'll have to do what I have to do.

Welcome! I am a type I diabetic (autoimmune, can't be cured), but I can tell you that my diabetes is much easier to control, hypertension is gone, as is high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Life is good with the sleeve!

Thank You everyone for your thoughts and prayers!!!!! I have some very good news, I have been approved by Medicaid here in Kentucky for the SLEEVE and I have a surgery date, December 2. I will be having my surgery done right here in Somerset. I am so excited, I was in tears today, but it was tears of joy.----- I have had so many setbacks along the way------ I was told in the beginning that Medicaid would approve the band or duodenal, but not the sleeve and Dr. Husted wanted to do the sleeve. I was only for the Band in the beginning. Also I was told that I had Lupus, which later I found out it was not Lupus. I found out I do have an autoimmune disorder called Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, and I was so afraid that I would not get to have surgery. But then I found out that I could still have surgery, but the Band is not usually done when people have an autoimmune disorder, so I could still have another procedure. Then when I had the testing done, I found out that I tested positive for H-pyloria, and then I had to go on the antibiotic Prev-pak to try to clear up my stomach infection, which I did not know that I had. Thank God that I was trying to have bariatric surgery or I could have ended up having ulcers or cancer as a result of untreated H-pyloria. But this delayed everything for awhile, because I had to be retested to see if the tests came back negative and they took the wrong blood test, so I had to be retested with the right one. It did come back negative, so then I was on my way again. After finally getting all the information turned in, I was told two times that I needed more information. But all things do work for the good, because now after waiting all this time, now the Sleeve is an approved procedure. Now I have so many thing to do to get ready for the big day. I am going to be starting my two week Pre-op diet of Protein milkshakes on November 18. Next Wednesday. Also I have to be weaned off of all my medication, which I take 14 pills each day. I know this will all pass, but right now it seems so overwhelming. I have been going through so many emotions since I found out I am approved. It is so real now, not just a hope. My family is so supportive of me having surgery, but everyone still worries about me having any complications from all the risks of having this type of surgery. But I keep in mind what my daughter told me, If I don't have the surgery, I could possible die from being so overweight ( MORBIDLY OBESE). In July my weight went up to 266 pounds, and anything over 100 pounds over the ideal weight is considered being morbidly obese. Even though some people do not seem to think I am, I know the facts and the scales tell all the truth, also my ongoing health issues let me know that my being overweight is a big problem in my life. My mom passed away June 20 last year, and she had many health problems related to her being obese. I wish she could have had the opportunity to have this surgery. She has also been alot of my inspiration to hang in there and not give up, so that I can possibly live a healthier, happier longer life. I hope to spend many more years with my family and friends, I am just beginning to enjoy life more and more now that I am losing weight and have the possibility of the sleeve being a tool to help me keep the weight off this time for good. Thanks again for being here for me just when I needed you!! I need all the support I can get at this time!!

Thank you very much! I was having trouble all day yesterday and today getting my doctor's office to fax my monthly weigh-in office visits and my thyroid test results to the bariactric center. They told me it would be sometime next week when they would fax them and I decided to finally go their office and sign a release form for the information to be given directly to me. She was not happy about it and made some strange comments, then told me that she would try to get them done but I would have to wait. I told her that I would wait. She realized that I was not going to leave, so then she got them done and it did not take her very long. I left and hand delivered them to the Bariatric Center, which they faxed it right then to the woman who takes care of submiting it to the insurance to try to get the approval. She called me immediately to let me know that she received them and that she had submitted them and she should hear back from them by Friday or the beginning of next week. I had been trying to get those records for over 2-3 months. I am hoping that they do not need anything else so that there is no more delays. I started weigh-ins in Feb. of this year and at that time I was told that I had to have 6 months weigh-in supervised by my family physician, which would have put surgery date sometime in August, then I was told that insurance increased it to 7 months weigh-ins. After all that I went through finding out I had H-Pylorial positive test and had to take antibiotics and be retested and finally it came back negative. Also I found out during all this time that I also had an Autoimmune disorder and thought that it might prevent me from having the surgery because they told me that it was Lupus, which after several test they found out that it was "Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder" instead. I got confirmation that it should not prevent me from having surgery. So after all of that, when my family Doctors office was not cooperating with us to get those papers faxed, I really was losing my patience. I am glad that I was able to get it taken care of today. It could have delayed surgery until possibly the beginning of next year, also it would have been that much longer that I would have to wait to see if I would get approved and then I would have had to wait for a surgery date. Now there is a chance that if approved, I may be able to have the surgery in Nov. I have really tried hard to hang in there and not give up. It has really been stressful this year, But I am hoping that it will all be worth the wait, if I get to have the surgery. As they say it is easy to put on, but hard to take off.--- SO TRUE!!.-- I am so happy that people on this forum do really care and understand what we are going through. Thank you. I will let you know as soon as they let me know if I am approved.

fatty liver is one of he reasons someone might do this type of surgery, so i'm sure it wont stop you. I have autoimmune liver disease so i'm followed closely by a specialist. He told me that after surgery i will have to be followed closely after surgery because in some patients, fatty liver does develop (of increase) in teh period after surgery. I guess the fat is being metabolised in the liver instead of sugars so it may take a while to adjust to it. a careful watch of LFT on your blood results is the fix.

I'm sorry that you're in the same situation. I'm having seizures and in constant pain due to trigeminal neuralgia , raw and several autoimmune diseases. Being in a wheelchair is limiting. My weight loss has stopped and sometimes gone up. I need to lose. About 40 more pounds. It's depressing after all the problems during the surgery. No hope for change so I'm learning to live with it. I hope others are doing well.

As with any weight loss procedure post op diet is usually dependent on the surgeon's or dietician's guidelines. There won't be any dumping but there should be restriction which can be as restrictive as a sleeve. My ESG post op diet was liquides for three weeks and moved on to puree then soft foods before progressing to normal foods. It was anyway up to four or six weeks before eating normally. There is a lot of inflammation and the sutures need time to anchor properly (scars healing) as well as the stomach folds time to 'meld'. The dietician who was attached to my doctor had the same food guidelines (once on normal foods) as for weight loss surgery, higher protein and low starch veges if room have a small amount of complex carbs. All limited to 1/2 cup per meal. My ESG failed...pretty much all but one suture had come undone or loosened. I did push the boundaries with food volume one or two times. The surgeon who did my surgical sleeve said some of the cause of the failure may be related to an autoimmune issue I have which causes inflammation and that stomach inflammation may have caused the stomach folds not too meld or the anchors to lodge properly. In Australia there seems to be a higher failure rate than USA (no hard evidence just the posts in facebook groups I am a member of). Failure may be due to non compliance with post op guidelines, lack of doctor skill/technique and for some no known reason. One person who suffered bouts of severe vomiting (due to illness) for a number of weeks early in the healing stages also had a failure. To be honest, I was all for ESG for the fact if was minimally invasive, lower complications and faster recovery, I was in denial for a long time that mine had failed, and would highly recommend the ESG to all and sundry. Now I advise caution make sure your surgeon has done many many many ESGS well over 500 (if possible) but certainly no less than (250), know their complication rates, failure rates and success rates (for patients beyond one year and two years). How many ESGs they had to redo, how many patients did a conversion to a surgical sleeve or other surgical option. Aside from the incision site discomfort my recovery was pretty much the same for ESG and gastric sleeve. For the ESG my stomach had rolling cramps for about two days, for the gastric sleeve I had stomach spasms when I first tried fluids in hospital this probably lasted a day. I had minimal gas pain with the gastric sleeve. My fears around the gastric sleeve surgery were unfounded.

I wish I had time to really dive into this post considering I'm on thyroid meds for underactive thyroid, PLUS I have Sarcoidosis, an auto immune disease. And YES my port immediately became infected. But if Sarcoid or Thyroid would reject the port, why didn't it reject the whole band? I personally don't believe my thyroid or autoimmune had anything to do with it. I think my surgeon did sloppy work or just a fluke. Donali, Karen, Michelle, Diane, Penni, Francesca, Karen, etc... all eroded. Did they all have my same conditions? Uh, nope. I'm not being mean, I'm just too busy to get fluffy right now, but I mean well!

For reference, I have a complicated medical history including several co-morbidities, an autoimmune disease that has affected my gut, eyes, and spine, with a history of small bowel ulcerations, and a history of iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency that only respond to high dose pills (Vitamin D) and regular iron infusions. A while back I saw my first bariatric surgeon and had an awful experience. The guy was dismissive of my concerns, brushed off my questions, and was in the room less than 5 minutes and told me the DS was my only option and anything else would fail. His nurse was rude and took my blood pressure with the wrong cuff and when it came out at 175/112 told me I was just too nervous. (I know what "white coat hypertension looks like and mine does not look like that!). They rushed me through, didn't answer my questions, and I felt like a number. I saw my second surgeon today and the difference in visit was like night and day! He was much more engaged, has the same concerns about my surgery that I do, and said that it may be possible to only do a sleeve but if that ends up being the case we will make the best of it! He even volunteered to call my Gastroenterologist and chat with her to get her opinion and risk assessment if we go for a more invasive surgery. She has treated me for almost a decade so I really trust her opinion but I couldn't get an appointment to see her. He thanked me for giving him an interesting challenge to work on! And I got to meet my case manager who was super sweet. So all in all I am feeling much better at this place, super thankful for the long chat the doctor took the time to have, and incredibly relieved that the concerns are not all in my head like the last surgeon made me feel! To anyone with lots of questions and a doctor who won't answer them, it was definitely worth the effort to get a second opinion. As one of my doctors said "You need to be REALLY confident and comfortable with the surgeon that's going to cut into your gut and rearrange your insides!" LOL Oh, and my blood pressure was 104/67. 🤣