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This is very interesting to me, since I also have RA/PsA. When we started discussing biologics, I asked my rheumy's opinion of WLS. She was enthusiastically behind it, citing WLS as many times reducing the inflammatory factors. However, she and my surgeon (and my research) all said that the bypass was NOT a good option for someone with auto-immune because of the complete contraindication for NSAIDs and steroids, where the sleeve only has a relative contraindication for those meds. Not criticising you or your docs, just find it interesting how there are so many differing opinions in the medical community. BTW, biologics are now off the table for me for the forseeable future. My inflammatory factors are down, and we still have dosing room on sulfasalazine and we haven't tried plaquenil yet. Mtx failed and I developed an allergic reaction to it, so at least I don't have to give myself chemo anymore! LOL. So the sleeve has worked amazingly well for me. Not remission, but meds are working better and we're able to avoid the real heavy hitters indefinitely. It is interesting how doctors differ in their opinions. I have autoimmune diseases as well. Medications really truly were the reason i packed on so much weight so quickly. I have Psoriatic Arthritis and hypothyroidism. At the same time, I had a very severe case of GERD causing me to cough every day all day for over a year with no solution. We had to heavily weigh the right choice of surgery for me. GERD is 100% resolved, issues with pain control for my joints are an everyday battle and I can not and will not risk taking any nsaids even with treatment. Because I have Psoriatic arthritis oral steroids are out as well as it kicks up the psoriasis so bad that it has caused serious infections that have caused me to be hospitalized over the years. I also never over ate. However, I ate crap all the time so i was actually malnourished while being morbidly obese. In fact my family and friends could not understand how i was so heavy because they saw how much i ate, they just did not realize that all the carbs were killing me. Anyway, since bypass I am still on biologics (Stelara) and Cyclosporine to keep my Psoriatic arthritis under control. It has been well controlled for the last 2 years so we have slowly be reducing the quantity of those medications. We tried lowering the dose of Stelara over a year ago and I went into a full on several month episode so we increased it back to where it was. We are discussing trying a reduction again in the spring as everything looks like it is going into remission. That being said, anytime i have surgery it seems to kick back up again so we are going to wait until after my plastics in January to try again. The biggest thing about having WLS is the head game. You have to change the way you live and learn to make better choices. I think for the most part i have done this well. Of course there are times when i indulge but 90% of the time, I do have to fight with my head. In the beginning, it was easier for me because even if i did indulge, the weight still came off. Now that I am two years post op, those decisions matter. I will gain or lose based solely on my behaviors. I believe this MUST be true of anyone going through or that has gone through WLS. Yes, some people will lose slower than others - I was one of them. It took me 18 months to lose my excess weight and alot of hard painful work to actually get there. Others have lost their weight of similar proportions within the first 12. I am sort of glad it took me longer, and took me understanding that I am now in the drivers seat, not my pouch. What i choose to put in my body and how often will dictate whether i lose, gain or maintain. If i choose to get no exercise at this point, it will and does have an impact on whether i lose, gain or maintain. I am in the drivers seat......not my surgery. The sooner some people realize this there will be less need for revisions in my opinion. Of course, I am NOT referring to those that have a equipment failure. I personally feel that a surgeon that is considering a revision for those persons who failed to lose the weight (not by malfunctioning equipment/surgery) really do need to see someone to assist with why they have not lost the weight. There is a nurse in my doctors office who had bypass surgery at the same time i did. I know this because she told me and seemed almost upset that I lost all of my weight and she has lost very little. She immediately blamed the surgery for not working. Then proceeded to tell me that her schedule simply did not allow for her to focus on herself so she is unable to get the right Protein and even fluids in her body. She skips meals and then eats whatever is handy in a few minutes in between patients. Ok, that is not the surgery failing, clearly she is still following the same behaviors she was before surgery. Dont get me wrong, I get it....she is taking care of patients. But, there comes a time when we have to be selfish and focus on ourselves if we want to be successful in the end. I literally started taking care of everyone else but me from the time I was 16 years old. I was a working married mother of 2 by the time i was 19 going through a horrible marriage. By 22 I was divorced and a single mother working 3 jobs just to make ends meet. By 25 i was remarried to my wonderful hubby of 29 years and working a high paying very stressful job. I did so well in my career and became the primary breadwinner. Well, then there was the stress of that so again, not taking care of me just working like a crazy person. By the time i was 51 i was in big trouble health wise and was literally told, i would end up in kidney failure soon if i did not lose weight. So, it was time for me to be very selfish and start taking care of myself. For the last two years, I have been focused on my health and well being and when you are morbidly obese, that is a necessary part of getting your health back. So, i say again......your head really has to change in order to be successful. It is why they send you for physch evals before this surgery. I honestly think they could do a better job of assessing patients and setting them up with the right people to help them through the mental part of WLS. Most of us need some sort of help.

This is very interesting to me, since I also have RA/PsA. When we started discussing biologics, I asked my rheumy's opinion of WLS. She was enthusiastically behind it, citing WLS as many times reducing the inflammatory factors. However, she and my surgeon (and my research) all said that the bypass was NOT a good option for someone with auto-immune because of the complete contraindication for NSAIDs and steroids, where the sleeve only has a relative contraindication for those meds. Not criticising you or your docs, just find it interesting how there are so many differing opinions in the medical community. BTW, biologics are now off the table for me for the forseeable future. My inflammatory factors are down, and we still have dosing room on sulfasalazine and we haven't tried plaquenil yet. Mtx failed and I developed an allergic reaction to it, so at least I don't have to give myself chemo anymore! LOL. So the sleeve has worked amazingly well for me. Not remission, but meds are working better and we're able to avoid the real heavy hitters indefinitely. It is interesting how doctors differ in their opinions. I have autoimmune diseases as well. Medications really truly were the reason i packed on so much weight so quickly. I have Psoriatic Arthritis and hypothyroidism. At the same time, I had a very severe case of GERD causing me to cough every day all day for over a year with no solution. We had to heavily weigh the right choice of surgery for me. GERD is 100% resolved, issues with pain control for my joints are an everyday battle and I can not and will not risk taking any nsaids even with treatment. Because I have Psoriatic arthritis oral steroids are out as well as it kicks up the psoriasis so bad that it has caused serious infections that have caused me to be hospitalized over the years. I also never over ate. However, I ate crap all the time so i was actually malnourished while being morbidly obese. In fact my family and friends could not understand how i was so heavy because they saw how much i ate, they just did not realize that all the carbs were killing me. Anyway, since bypass I am still on biologics (Stelara) and Cyclosporine to keep my Psoriatic arthritis under control. It has been well controlled for the last 2 years so we have slowly be reducing the quantity of those medications. We tried lowering the dose of Stelara over a year ago and I went into a full on several month episode so we increased it back to where it was. We are discussing trying a reduction again in the spring as everything looks like it is going into remission. That being said, anytime i have surgery it seems to kick back up again so we are going to wait until after my plastics in January to try again. The biggest thing about having WLS is the head game. You have to change the way you live and learn to make better choices. I think for the most part i have done this well. Of course there are times when i indulge but 90% of the time, I do have to fight with my head. In the beginning, it was easier for me because even if i did indulge, the weight still came off. Now that I am two years post op, those decisions matter. I will gain or lose based solely on my behaviors. I believe this MUST be true of anyone going through or that has gone through WLS. Yes, some people will lose slower than others - I was one of them. It took me 18 months to lose my excess weight and alot of hard painful work to actually get there. Others have lost their weight of similar proportions within the first 12. I am sort of glad it took me longer, and took me understanding that I am now in the drivers seat, not my pouch. What i choose to put in my body and how often will dictate whether i lose, gain or maintain. If i choose to get no exercise at this point, it will and does have an impact on whether i lose, gain or maintain. I am in the drivers seat......not my surgery. The sooner some people realize this there will be less need for revisions in my opinion. Of course, I am NOT referring to those that have a equipment failure. I personally feel that a surgeon that is considering a revision for those persons who failed to lose the weight (not by malfunctioning equipment/surgery) really do need to see someone to assist with why they have not lost the weight. There is a nurse in my doctors office who had bypass surgery at the same time i did. I know this because she told me and seemed almost upset that I lost all of my weight and she has lost very little. She immediately blamed the surgery for not working. Then proceeded to tell me that her schedule simply did not allow for her to focus on herself so she is unable to get the right Protein and even fluids in her body. She skips meals and then eats whatever is handy in a few minutes in between patients. Ok, that is not the surgery failing, clearly she is still following the same behaviors she was before surgery. Dont get me wrong, I get it....she is taking care of patients. But, there comes a time when we have to be selfish and focus on ourselves if we want to be successful in the end. I literally started taking care of everyone else but me from the time I was 16 years old. I was a working married mother of 2 by the time i was 19 going through a horrible marriage. By 22 I was divorced and a single mother working 3 jobs just to make ends meet. By 25 i was remarried to my wonderful hubby of 29 years and working a high paying very stressful job. I did so well in my career and became the primary breadwinner. Well, then there was the stress of that so again, not taking care of me just working like a crazy person. By the time i was 51 i was in big trouble health wise and was literally told, i would end up in kidney failure soon if i did not lose weight. So, it was time for me to be very selfish and start taking care of myself. For the last two years, I have been focused on my health and well being and when you are morbidly obese, that is a necessary part of getting your health back. So, i say again......your head really has to change in order to be successful. It is why they send you for physch evals before this surgery. I honestly think they could do a better job of assessing patients and setting them up with the right people to help them through the mental part of WLS. Most of us need some sort of help. @@Djmohr, thank you for your comments. I was on the October 2015 forum and your posts have been encouraging. I am finally going to have gastric bypass surgery on December 12th and I have learned a lot from you and others in that and other forums. I just wanted to let you know that you are appreciated. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hi LisaMergs!You are well met! Thank you for your advice. It is very encouraging to hear about someone who has had this serious of a problem and is managing well without nsaids. You hit the nail on the head when you said you were dreading being without your advil more than your favorite foods. I have been worried that I will be thinner but in pain. My quality of life is too important. I'm too old to worry about vanity...give me health! Girl you can have both health AND vanity! Take back your life! Lol. I'll be sure to follow your journey!!! As an aside, my surgeon, upon consultation with my rheumatologist, felt bypass was the safer alternative for me- with autoimmune issues. But that's me.

This is fantastic news Niki - both v treatable. You feel like a new woman v soon. But you need to give at least one of your doctors a big kick up the behind for not testing you sooner - thyroid conditions are v common and low blood pressure should have triggered an Addisons test. Both of these are probably autoimmune conditions, so it would be wise to read about these disorders generally... You can't always rely on GP's to put the pieces of the puzzle together, unfortunately. I have several autoimmune conditions, and they are known for that - if you've got one you are more likely to have others.

Sorry to hear that it has not worked for you. I am surprised that your Dr banded you as all the info lists autoimmune diseases as a contra-indication to being banded. makes senses reall, if your body works in a way that it attacks itself then it is not going to like something foreign. Have you been advised that the symptoms will resolve after removal or is it a case of now that you have them you are stuck with them?

Certain autoimmune disorders are contraindications, as well, as it affects healing. Here's a list put out by http://www.lap-band-surgery.org/LAP-BAND-Contraindications.cfm : LAP BAND Contraindications The LAP BAND System is not right for you if: You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohn's disease. You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel). You have portal hypertension. Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance you might have a narrowed opening. You have/experience an intra-operative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement. You have cirrhosis. You have chronic pancreatitis. You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the LAP BAND System has been placed, the band may need to be deflated. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill. In rare cases, removal may be needed.) You are addicted to alcohol or drugs. You are under 18 years of age. You have an infection anywhere in your body or one that could contaminate the surgical area. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure. You might be allergic to materials in the device. You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device. You or someone in you family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.

Hey Jack, Thanks for your concern. I'm a nurse, so I'm well aware of what they're talking about, and what's involved in bypass versus the band versus DS; I've talked to several nurses at my work who've had the surgery and have been able to ask really detailed questions that the average WLS consumer might not think of. I have a list of 25 things I plan to ask the doctor during my consult. Apparently, the smaller the amount bypassed, and the earlier in the digestive process it takes place, the less malabsorption there is. (This "jibes" with everything I learned in nursing school, and has been verified by my husband who has a BS in Biology and who's counseled people on nutritional counseling). Obviously, ANY malabsorption is a problem, especially for someone with an autoimmune disease as I have. I need all the help I can get to keep my inflammatory condition at bay, which is why I take roughly 25 vitamins, mineral, and other various supplements a day. So that's an enormous concern. OTOH, not having anyone able to follow me after banding is a huge concern as well. Even the one doc up here who does fills is difficult to get in with and is talking about not doing them anymore; and he wont' actually touch the band, just do the odd fill. Yikes. There is literally no one within 2500 miles who would follow me and help me if I had a complication; I'm not sure people who don't live in Alaska quite understand how isolated we are up here, and how limited our health care choices are. It's really quite frustrating how limited we are. The lack of follow up care is scary for me, and why I'm reconsidering banding. The safest operation in the world becomes dangerous without proper follow up care. The money situation with us is enormously difficult. Without going into details that I'm uncomfortable sharing, there is no way I can have my surgery financed. I have to go through my insurance company or it will not happen. We've figuratively cut the fat out of our budget in order to support a family of FIVE on two health care worker's incomes (we're not doctors, just a nurse and dental assistant) in one of the most expensive states in the US. So it's not as though I'm not motivated; there is literally no way to do it (and I'm a persistent one). I can always wait until we move to Washington or Oregon sometime in the next 5 years, but how much weight will I have gained by then? (I don't wanna know). So it's frustrating right now. My insurance would cover me going to Texas for the band, but I'd have no follow up care. My new insurance (as of April 1) won't cover WLS at all. So if I'm going to do something, I have to do it now or else possibly wait several years. In the meantime, my mobility is failing, my comorbidities are getting worse, and my Sarcoidosis is getting worse as well, in part because of my inability to exercise and the stress of my weight on my lungs. (I was in the ER the other night because of a flare up, which led to a panic attack). Sucks to be me, doesn't it?

I am too far away to consider going back to Mexico for fills or even a post surgical check up.. I live in SW VA and am 5 hrs from any major airport.My complication thoughts, in truth, were ones years down the road, not soon after surgery. Seems as if when there is a rare complication I always seem to get it. I also have a lot of autoimmune issues so I am a little leery. I read, I think on his site that Dr Aceves only does people 56 or younger. Anyone know about that and if it is so?

I can't recommend one or the other but here are my thoughts: Advice for those researching Lapband: Ask what your doctor's experience is with removing lap bands. How long can I expect to keep my band before it needs to be removed? (Bands are being removed anywhere between 2 years out and onwards. I personally know of only 3 people who have had their bands 5+ years and one of those is on band #2.) What long term negative effects have your patients experienced with Lapband? Lapband is a high pressure system. The band creates a great deal of pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. The esophagus, in attempting to move food into the pouch, puts tremendous pressure on the LES, as well. Over time this causes damage and the sphincter fails to open. This creates a feeling of being "stuck" but your food hasn't even made it to the pouch. This situation is becoming more and more common in the banded population and causes permanent long term damage that cannot be reversed. This is what is called "difficulty swallowing" on the disclosure. It's actually band induced achalasia. Often on the various wls forums or social media groups, people will speak of random tightness, difficulty with swallowing yogurt, liquids, etc, regurgitation of meals despite cutting their food, chewing thouroghly and eating only 1/2 cup meals. What's your practice's re operation %? (Re operation following Lapband is upwards of 50%) any claims of lower % might mean your doctors patients are seeking help elsewhere when problems arise. How many of your Lapband patients have reached goal weight? (Average EW loss is in the 40-60% range...if you have 100 lb to lose, you can expect to lose 40-60 lb.) What do you consider compliance? -attendance at support meetings? -weighing, measuring, logging food intake? -adherence to a particular diet? -steady weight loss? -monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual band check ups? -what is the protocol for fills? (Many doctors consider failure to lose 1-2 lb per week noncompliance despite their patients claiming to adhere to a strict protocol.) I hear a lot about certain complications such as: achalasia, gastroparesis, adhesions of stomach to liver, erosion, band slips, band tightening without a recent fill. What's your experience with these issues. (More and more banded patients are experiencing these complications starting as early as 1 year post op and as long as 9-10 years out.) Will you band someone with autoimmune disorders? (This is a mixed bag...my personal experience is that having a foreign object in my body exacerbated my IBS) Do you screen for contraindications using EGD, esophageal manometry and upper GI? (These tests should be done to evaluate your ability to tolerate banding) If I have a hiatal hernia, what procedure do you use to repair it? What type of sutures do you use? (Nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures are never used in conjunction with bariatric surgery to repair existing hiatal hernia). As a final warning, recently there have been increasing reports of cardiac issues following banding...irregular heartbeat, arrhythmias, palpitations, etc. The heart and the esophagus lie sued by side in the chest. The vagus nerve(controls heart rate, breathing and GI tract) is also in the same area. Food retained in the esophagus puts pressure on the nerve and heart. This is not good. I'm posting this because although I lost over 100 lb while I had my band, I now have permanent esophageal damage, cardiac problems and I'm on additional medications to manage the complications caused by my band. I was compliant with diet and lifestyle changes. Part of the problem was that my hiatal hernia was repaired using a nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures. Also, upon removing my band it was found to be placed very high on the stomach. I didn't have esophageal manometry testing prior to my band placement. (My band doctor was recently named as one of Seattle's Best Bariatric Surgeons for 2013.) 3 years later I had 0% motility when tested. I never had swallowing problems before banding. I still have difficulty with many foods. Bands are a money maker for doctors who are still implanting them. They get paid to put them in, fill them, empty them and remove them, then revise their patients. Many reputable medical institutions will no longer implant a band and many who still do, consider it a short term device and remove within 2-3 years then revise to gastric sleeve before permanent damage is done. I thought the band was least invasive. I have 15 incisions on my belly I didn't have when I started this. 3 surgeries, dozens of diagnostic, invasive tests, $150,000 later and I don't have a WL tool. I have a cardiac condition I didn't have, esophageal dilation and achalasia + 3 new meds costing me $150/month out of pocket. Do your research and be open to hearing the "negative" along with the positive...it might save you from years of suffering.

For the ones that has had the leaks, do any of you have autoimmune problems? Or on any medications that may cause you not to heal as well? I have autoimmune disease and take predisone. I am terrified of having a leak, but the dr saids since I stop other medications I should be fine. Just wondering if they said why you imparticular may have had a leak.

Hi all mass bandsters I was banded at the Faulkner Hospt. in Aug. 2005 I haven't had as much success as I anticipated. Only lost 40lbs. I had the bad luck of coming out with an autoimmune disease right after surgery and my treatment is steroids.:cry If you are aware of this type of medication it makes you gain weight:mad: I didn't gain but I stopped losing. Thats my story I hope you all have better success with your journey. I live south of Boston.

Me! I have an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis. My surgeon told me not to take my naproxen any more but I've been taking it anyway, along with my prilosec. I used to take it twice a day. Now, I just take it once a day. I also take Enbrel injections weekly. I have fibromyalgia too so I take neurontin and zanaflex for my muscle spasms. I wouldn't worry about it until after your surgery. I started taking my naproxen about a month after my surgery and it hasn't bothered me at all. I'd say the Coke Zero bothers my stomach more than the naproxen does. Depending on what kind of arthritis you have, there are a lot of options for pain control after having the vertical sleeve.

Hi y'all, I'm Debbie and I just saw my doc for the first time today. Kinda looking forward to this but kinda scared too. Why am I doing this? Well, in 2002 I broke my tailbone and crushed my lower back. By the time I was fused 13 months later, the surgery failed. Called "Failure to Thrive". Basically means I'm in chronic pain. Because of the way I landed I was told I started a domino effect which is causing my discs to disintegrate known as Disintegrating Disc Disease. All my discs have failed. To help with this I have had 2 Neurostimulators implanted. Yes, I am a Borg. Lol. A few years ago I was seeing a doctor 3x's a week for spinal shots and he unintentionally overdosed me with Vitamin D, which I am apparently allergic to in high doses. Go figure. Well, I ended up with Hashimoto's Hypothyroid Autoimmune Disease. Yay me! Like the back wasn't enough I guess. Yeah. Hashimoto's see's the thyroid as a foreign object to be attacked by the immune system. Unfortunately, I gained a bunch of weight. (55 pounds!!!). On top of already being chubby. and it won't stay controlled or stabilize!! I either sleep all the time or I'm awake for days. I had lost 65 pounds just before all that happened. It's just about broke my heart. Anyway, I went to my pain management doc for more pain shots. But because I told her I was having chest pains she told me I had to see a Cardio doc first. I told her my a Endocrinologist said that was normal with Hashimoto's, she's like nope. Heart doc. So I went. The first thing the Cardio doc said was a Gastric Sleeve to control the thyroid. Boy. What a moment. What a thought. Who knew?? So where I am, 10 days later starting my 6 month journey to surgery. So glad y'all are here!!!

Lovely suggestions!! I'm an autoimmune patient and I incorporate these every day. I'd also suggest for the fatigue and mental fuzziness due to the liquid diet, add ELECTROLYTES. You can buy all sorts of sugar free ones. Often during the liquid diet our body is trying to shift into fat burning mode/ketosis. This can feel very unpleasant and we go through carb withdrawal. We are also low in calories. So electrolyte supplements once a day help give us the things the low calorie, sugar free diet is lacking and it often eases the fatigue and headache some... Good luck with your surgery!! ❤️ I have found mine has really helped my systemic inflammation and fatigue!

While "fantastic" wasn't the first word that came to mind, I am still appreciative that they are both treatable! My doctors did test me for thyroid but not the Addison's until I went to a cardiac doctor then got referred to an endocrine doctor. But I also didn't know that with one usually comes another, so thanks for that. Hopefully things will turn around for me soon. Niki, I too have thyroid issues. I have been diagnosed with "Graves Disease". In 2007 I had my thyroid ablated because of hyperthyroidism. Now I take synthroid to regulate things. They can give you synthroid and your blood pressure and heart rate will rise and you will feel so much better. I was hyper so I my BP and HR were too high and that is why they had to kill it. So now I have a dead gland in my throat! lol You having hypothyroidism, it is easily fixed and with meds. I hope that is the case. Graves Disease is a autoimmune issue as well. Wishing you the best. I know you are on the road to recovery. You will feel better once they start giving you meds. Did the Dr. say they would start you on synthroid? Hi Lisa...they actually haven't technically told me what the disease/disorder is but that's because they're putting it on the back burner until I can get the Addison's disease and the blood pressure issue taken care of. But they did tell me that when they do they'll start me on Armour. So I don't know much about any of this until my docs appt on the 11th. Right now I'm just trying to get out of this hospital. Thanks for the well wishes! You're welcome! I'm not doctor but I would think they would start you on those meds now to help your BP and HR. Armour is good as well. Actually heard the sides effects are less and it works better for some. I'm sure you are ready to get home. I would ask the Dr. about this though if I were you. Just a suggestion. It may help you get out sooner if they can get your BP up. Looking forward to reading your post that you are home! Take care

While "fantastic" wasn't the first word that came to mind, I am still appreciative that they are both treatable! My doctors did test me for thyroid but not the Addison's until I went to a cardiac doctor then got referred to an endocrine doctor. But I also didn't know that with one usually comes another, so thanks for that. Hopefully things will turn around for me soon. Niki, I too have thyroid issues. I have been diagnosed with "Graves Disease". In 2007 I had my thyroid ablated because of hyperthyroidism. Now I take synthroid to regulate things. They can give you synthroid and your blood pressure and heart rate will rise and you will feel so much better. I was hyper so I my BP and HR were too high and that is why they had to kill it. So now I have a dead gland in my throat! lol You having hypothyroidism, it is easily fixed and with meds. I hope that is the case. Graves Disease is a autoimmune issue as well. Wishing you the best. I know you are on the road to recovery. You will feel better once they start giving you meds. Did the Dr. say they would start you on synthroid? Hi Lisa...they actually haven't technically told me what the disease/disorder is but that's because they're putting it on the back burner until I can get the Addison's disease and the blood pressure issue taken care of. But they did tell me that when they do they'll start me on Armour. So I don't know much about any of this until my docs appt on the 11th. Right now I'm just trying to get out of this hospital. Thanks for the well wishes!

Molly, That kind of sucks. Have they told you that you cannot do the surgery now? I too have an autoimmune disease, not the same one though, I have Antiphospholipid syndrome(causes increased risk of blood clots, miscaraiges and even posibley strokes). I told my rheumatologist that I was looking into the Lapband and she did not say that I could not do it only that I needed to be on full anticoagulation for an entire week after surgery. And I told my surgeon about it and he did not seem concerned except about the week of full anticoagulaion. So my surgeon is planning to talk to my rheumatologist about it too. But so far no one has told me I could not have it done, and from what I have read about autoimmune diseases and lap band it is mostly thyroid related. I hope that helps. Jen

I am 50 yrs old...had weight prblm all my life. By my 30s I started with insulin problems, hypothyroidism. No matter what I ate either 300 cal or 1700 cal weight didn't budge. I did active aerobics till mid 30s...health kept goin down hill. Fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases etc...Iv thought about surgery for 20 yrs..the only regret is I didn't do this sooner. Its a major desicion. When 2 specialist sent me with neither one knowing about the other..I knew it was my time. Yea my surgeon told me if you can get thru first month youv got it whipped. .easy? Hell no! Its a major commitment an lifestyle change. I needed this tool to force me to make the needed changes bc let's face it were here bc of being fat we were unsuccessful on our own. It takes brutal honesty to oneself to face it when we accept we need help. I was in 2 yrs therapy getting to bottom of issues I did that. There is a lonnnng process to go thru to even be approved as a good candidate for this major surgery but I'm soo happy I did..I'm sorry some aren't. Its challenging changes an mental an emotional changes have to be done before this happens. For those who feel it was a mistake I'm sorry u feel that way but give it time. Its a new learned behavior. We have to baby our tummy. I lost 40 pds in 5 wks...it works! Ur body stalls it has to catch up it's also hormonal changes. Cover all basis...there is more success storys then not. I'm feeling like I have a new life! An I'm so excited I'm finally feeling free...best wishes:)

I tried to post yesterday but don't see my comments. Oh well. My story is that I'm now 6 years out as of Jan 9. I don't struggle with weight at all. I started at around 240 and am now 136/137 at 5'7. I wear a size 4 with no changes. I have even been through menopause during this last few years with no weight gain. I don't kill myself with exercise but I do lift weights and have for 20 years and do light cardio. It's just not necessary to do more to maintain. Also, I eat a plant based diet so the majority of my intake is carbs. I've also had 2 rounds of plastics. The first one was 4 1/2 years ago and the second a year later. I just think this is where my body wants to be. I do suffer from autoimmune arthritis and osteoarthritis and need knee replacements but I'm not ready for that yet. I'm actually afraid I'll lose more weight with a big surgery. Laura

I am so excited to finally be scheduled for surgery! My date is Feb 28! WOOHOO! I have been attending a WLS support group weekly and finished up all my classes in December. Took FOREVER (not really but it sure felt like forever lol) to finally get my mental health eval. Went through an almost 600 question test prior to seeing the psychologist. 2 weeks later I saw the doctor for my in person visit. I was slotted for 90 minutes and was out of there in 15! He basically asked if I had questions and said a few things to make sure I was ready for the changes ahead. The doctor said he would put in my report by the end of the week (my appt was on a Wednesday). I jokingly told him he still had 1 hour and 15 minutes slotted for my appt so he had plenty of time to write up my report Well apparently thats what he did haha. The group I had been going to all said it would take at least 2 weeks out from that appt before I would be scheduled to meet with a surgeon. The day after my appt, I got a call from surgery asking if I could be there Friday morning. UM YEAH! Of course I would be there I was terrified going into the appt, hoping I would like the doctor since he is not the one I orginally wanted. Well his intern started to scare me a bit. He was suggesting that I might be better off with the RNY. NO WAY did I want that surgery and my family would have flipped if I switched to it anyways. He was going on and on about how I could lose 10% more of my weight, well no thank you, at my weight its not worth the addition risks to lose a few extra lbs. So he went off to get the doctor, now I had read up on him already, everyone said he was a great surgeon but had a bad bedside manner. What do I care about that though?? All I care is that he knows what hes doing. Well I thought he was great. He is very direct, he doesnt sugar coat things, which is great! I appreciated that he was so straight forward with his expectations of me and what I can expect from him too. He is very conservative in his treatment and repeatedly told me if I have any issues post surgery to make sure to contact him ASAP and not to play the waiting game with anything. He is also putting me on blood thinners for 30 days. Normally he only has patients with my BMI do it while in the hospital and saves the blood thinners at home for patients with a BMI over 50 but because I had issues with clotting in pregnancy with no known cause (all my labs for clotting and autoimmune disorders were fine) he thinks its best to just play it safe and do 30 days worth. I really did like him and felt totally at ease with the surgery once I left my appt. Most the doctors at the hospital only require a 1-3 day liquid diet pre surgery but he requires 2 weeks sooooo now Im trying to prepare myself for that. Im going to start it on the 15th because there is no way Im starting it on Valentines day lol. Ive started buying Protein drinks, bought AMP today to try, hoping its not too terrible, especially since its on sale at GNC right now Anyways, move on over people, I'm ready to join you all on the losers bench

I've had 100+ hours of therapy at http://mocsa.org a few years ago. I was of "normal" weight then. My weight gain took off after I fell down some steps and mangled my right ankle. I had one unsuccessful surgery on it. Later, two ankle reconstruction surgeons told me there was nothing more they could do. I was sedentary and very depressed after that. It doesn't help that I have an autoimmune thyroid condition. I'm not suggesting that more therapy might not help me but a sedentary lifestyle really derailed my ability to walk or do much in the way of weight-bearing exercise. It's been 10 years since I injured my ankle. Morphine is the only thing that even gets close to taking the edge off the pain. (And I tried many other non-narcotic meds first, plus holistic treatments. My PharmD daughter finally explained to me that being dependent on a narcotic for actual pain relief is different from being addicted to a drug when no physical malady is present.) Taking 300mg of morphine per day doesn't give me a "high"; it just helps me move around without writhing in pain. I also take oxycodone for breakthrough pain. Believe me, nobody WANTS to rely on powerful meds like these. It's weird to say, but I often welcome competing sources of pain (gallbladder surgery; lipoma removal, or even my knee replacements) to help keep my brain confused about where the pain is. I expect my bariatric surgery to be no different. There's nothing that my surgeon can do to my body that can overtake the pain I live with everyday. Boo-hoo me.

my mom has never been overweight. but she had an overweight husband and two kids who were overweight adults. (and i was a fat teen for a while) she is a food pusher. she cooked diet meals for my dad, but kept lots of ice cream and candy in the house at the same time... his weakness. she is a compulsive food shopper and will hoard food. will buy tons and tons of junk and cram her cupboards full. she would buy soda pop on sale and drop off at my brothers house (knowing he needs to be under a certain weight at work). i dont understand her. as a fat teen she would offer me all kinds of crap, ask repeatedly if i wanted seconds, thirds. she claims food is love for her, but its not food she lovingly cooked with her hands. its just garbage. my MIL certainly enables her food addicted boyfriend. but she is overweight too and claims the reason she makes such bad food choices when she has an autoimmune disorder is her boyfriends insistence on keeping bad food in the house.. so she gets to blame him while she enables him. i get that. i dont get my mom. my first H was abusive to me about my weight.. i worked really hard at the gym. my mom knew this. but she would still buy me crap, special! i have had to set boundaries with my MIL with my kids, she doesnt seem to see anything wrong with filling my son (who is trying really hard to control his weight!) with take out, candy, junk from morning till night when he is there! there are a lot of food pushers out there. i think each one of us probably knows a few! they could use some therapy too!

I noticed that in the past few months I have been sneezing lot more, and my nose drips like a tap on some days. At first I thought this hay fever/allergic rhinitis was/is due to my autoimmune thyroid disease because allergies come up with this disease, or get worse. After doing some reading on post op possible symptoms (post VSG), I found that few people end up with runny noses and sneezing. I have tried all sorts of medications and sprays (cortisone ones and non cortisone ones), and nothing much is helping. I ordered older types anti-histamines, as the newer ones did not work on me at all. At least the older ones like Phenergan, Benadryl and Sudafed seem to relieve my symptoms, together with Beconase nose spray. So, my question is if anyone here has been experiencing this after surgery, how long for, and did it go away for any of you at some stage? I am in my 9th month post op.

I have an autoimmune disease too so I totally get the weird/unfortunate symptoms they cause. I'm glad that you have been given a tool to help you lose! And for "slow" weight loss, I bet your surgeon is happy with your progress, especially given the circumstances.

Inside comments/jaunty banter is simply a form of familiarity. Not to worry- we have all been new here That said- what kind of surgery you have also has a TON to do with whether you can tolerate carbs or not- the "bad" kind, that is. Five and a half months out, I still can not tolerate a piece of banana. Others can. It is always trial and error. And maybe one day I'll be able to- who knows? Sleeve patients don't always experience "dumping" - when the sugars hit your intestines and are not able to be processed like before surgery. That is part of the "accountability factor" associated with bypass. Now some sleevers DO dump- and there are a handful of bypass pts that DO NOT. Typically that is not the norm. Same could be said for fatty foods/greasy fried foods. The point is- GOOD SOLID nutrition is ubër important for ALL of us to not only be successful with the WL tool we now have, but ultimately, to be successful at maintaining our loss. There are ways to "eat around" your surgery- namely by not following the no drinking while eating or for 30 min after you finish eating. I, personally, try and follow a ketogenic diet. Not all NUT will agree with this diet. However, because inflammation is a huge issue for my body- cellularly speaking- and the autoimmune issues I have, my docs and NUT are fine with this- and I have been symptom free since surgery. How cool is that??? One thing I will say- not ALL WLS patients have ready access to a NUT. Some see theirs only before and maybe once or twice after surgery, so if they were unclear about nutrition, and can't find what they need to know here or elsewhere on the internet ( lots of conflicting information out there), then the likelihood is they may be confused or unaware. And because we here all see different doctors- again- conflicting information- and debates ensue. What you need to do is work with your NUT and bariatric team, take what you need from here, and make an educated decision. Hope that helps! Lisa Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App