I am currently in month four of the six month required diet & exercise program with Johns Hopkins Bariatric Center. I was just diagnosed with Discoid & SLE Lupus right before Christmas. I am severely tired / exhausted all the time plus having the flu-like body aches and pains every day. I do have an appt in three weeks with the Lupus Center / Dr Petri at Johns Hopkins. But in the meantime, I have been reading lots of blogs regarding Bariatric surgery plus a Lupus diagnosis. Most everything I read is negative about the recovery from surgery. Most people have extended flares after surgery, and/or the Lupus creates additional complications from the bariatric surgery. What has been your experience with the surgery and Lupus flares or complications?? I'm really afraid to proceed any further. I don't want the Lupus to cause more problems than it has already accomplished.

Have you developed further problems post-surgery? Have you made a major flare while recovering from surgery?

Any feedback would be wonderful, either positive or negative, that can help me decide on completing my final steps and scheduling this life-changing surgery. PLEASE HELP!!! Thank you!!

girl listen!! I have over 12 dx! to name a few..SLE, Polymyalgia, Fibro and Hashis...I told my thumey I was having this done to get my life back. I wasnt out for her approval. I had 2 of specialist refer me to WLS. I have stage 2 an 3 kidney disease. I had to go on armour thyroid in order for my thyroid to be "within" normal range to get released from my endo but I made it! I have a specialists for every organ I have left. I wasnt out to get approval from drs..I did this for me. bc NO dr can tell you how its going to be after everyone reacts differant. but I had ballooned up to 270 or so . I was miserable. yes in pain before an after still. my surgeons words to me was he has had some fibro pts who improved the pain. some pts GERD inproved. some do an some dont. I was going to do the surgery no matter. I was either going to kill over fat an miserable or what have ya. my surgeon told me the surgery was worth the risk. it gets soo much easier with the weight dropping. the first month was brutal...not from pain but from the tummy just being so swollen inside so getting drink an food down was a chore. but I also had hernia fixed. after the first wk an I went into get weighed an stepped on the scale I had lost 25 pds. I knew then it was going to work. for the first month I was pain free! then the flair hit me like a brick wall. yea...I tuffed thru it a few months..upped my plaquinil. had a medrol pack I took. got thru it after I had to get some relief. it was several months flaring but I had already made a radical diet change a few yrs ago got off all processed sugar, grains etc...even with them changes alone the weight kept going up. so yea I am thrilled I went thru my desision of the sleeve. I am 6 months out an almost 100 pds down. it is well worth it. I flaired being fat which felt just as bad if not worse bc of the excess weight an of course mentally an emotionally..I flair now. I would so much rather be thinner an have a somewhat better active life then the way I was on that self destructive path. I am better mentally getting my confidance back an emotionally better. but I have been ordering essential oils from the mountain rose herbs...organic..sn I rub that on my muscles which is alot of areas...but I prefer them to prednisone. I drink hot tea at night either ginger, peppermint or licorice an I ordered organic liquid D3, liquid B12 an I take wkly B12 injections myself..turmeric. I have muscle issues in my esophagas so I try an take liquid suppliments as much as I can. getting difficult to swallow things. but I manage. I have not taken narcotics for pain. I didnt want to start that path but the oils are helping. I do have a script topical lotion that I can use an I use my TENS machine for my neck back an shoulders. if this is something YOU want an YOU only dont let others talk you out of it. they dont live in your body. I didnt tell anyone in my family except my hubs that I was doing this. I didnt want to listen to everyones opinions. this is tuff going thru it enuff without all that negativity. thats just me. they still dont no. I told my BFF an thats it. an with 90 some pd weight loss yea Iv been turning heads! lol...I dont care! I just say I am on a strict portion control plan ..eat high protein off such an such basically Ketogenic diet. an the right amount of thyroid med. feels great!! I wish you the best. I hope this helps. but I would not change it for a million bucks!! you can contact me further whenever you need to! from one lupie to another..