I started thinking about a LAP Band initially because my closest friend has one. However, I spoke to my lupus doctor and she said she sees me more successful with the gastric sleeve. When I got weighted during that visit it was the most discouraging thing I was 264!!!! The heaviest I've ever been...I felt so nasty,ugly and worst of all unhealthly. I made a promise to myself to stop drinking sodas and for the follow up visit 30 days later I lost 8 pounds. I felt a little better but I need a drastic change im only 26 and 5'4 at 258 lbs now. So earlier today (6/20/13) I met with a surgeon that was based from Medstar hospital. During the consultation he told me he did not want to operate on me because I am too much of a high risk due to my lupus and the amount of medicine I am on. He was telling me about stories regarding inflammatory diseases that usually make the stomach leak after surgery...it may not be in weeks, months but even years where you may get a leak. My thinking process is Im glad he told me because when he said that to me I knew he was not confident in my journey being successful and I need that during this process I cant have a dr that is wondering when I am going to die...a week, month or years lol. So I do admit I felt down but after looking at some post on here with other Lupus women and have done this procedure I feel a little more confident. Additionally, My lupus dr is the one who referred me so obviously she knows me the best to know what Is going to work even with lupus factored in. I hope that this website can help me in getting knowledge of real people that have been through this process and I believe documenting my journey is a great way to cope.