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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 agree with both posters but wanted to add that I chose the sleeve because it maintains normal anatomy. In fact I backed out of getting a lap band several years ago because I was worried about a foreign object because of a preexisting autoimmunity problem and seeing how many people are having them revised I am glad I waited. I am not sure the vertical sleeve was an option, I was offered an RNY . Maybe I had other more pressing medical problems.

I just realized you said you got a surgery date not the surgery itself yet!! Sorry! Congratulations!!! I've been told for some unknown reason these surgeries often reset and really help reduce symptoms of autoimmune disease so maybe that will happen for you too

Welcome!! I hope the surgery helped your MS. I have autoimmune disease and chronic pain myself and was sleeved just this past November 24th Welcome to bariatric pal

The genetic theory does not apply to me. I was Slim all my life till 2014. You can check my photos in my Gallery. I also suffer from depression on and off, and never gained weight because of it. My Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disorder) did 180 degree turn 2 years ago, I piled on weight 2014-early 2016, yet my Endo says that Graves contributed about 25% to my weight-gain, rest was my unhealthy eating during those 2 years. I gained 90Ib in 2 years due to eating loads of chocolate and fatty foods, and stopped even going for walks, let alone exercise. I have lost 70Ib so far, and nearing goal weight, albeit slower 8 months post op. If genetics were true, and even Graves Disease where you have high metabolism and can eat almost anything without putting on weight, I would have never gained this 90Ib! I wish ......

I have fibromyalgia but also gave autoimmune arthritis and other chronic pain issues. My surgeon was straight with me...he said it's not likely to get worse but less weight can help tge pain however WLS is not going to cure your pain issues

I'm autoimmune and not only did I NOT flare, I've been in complete remission since the RNY. It is one of the reasons I had the surgery. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Me too!! I hear that these surgeries tend to reset autoimmune disease too well calm the inflammatory factors..tgey dobt know entirely why...I've read this before but last week my rheumatologist brought it up too

Yay you and yes sleeve due to autoimmune disease here too. Congratulations!! I'm getting sleeved Monday!!

I consider myself an expert when it comes to autoimmune rheumatic diseases. First- let's talk your prednisone: See an endocrinologist. Pronto. I was taking 60 mg of pred a day for years. There was no weaning off, because any time I got down to 20-25mg, I literally could not function. In any capacity. Enter the endocrinologist. Because the prednisone does just as much (if not more!) damage than good, my adrenal function was gone, I had prednisone induced glaucoma as well as prednisone induced diabetes. I needed off the meds ASAP. She prescribed me ORAL hydrocortisone. It mimics- and tricks- your body into believing it is prednisone, and is MUCH easier to wean off of than the prednisone. It took a total of 2.5 months vs over a year or longer if it were the prednisone. Do this. Again, ASAP. Ask for it. Second- methotrexate, either by pill or injection: pills made me sick, puking, typical chemo side effects. The shots did not, and they actually work much more effectively than the pills, so if given a choice, it is a once a week teeny tiny needle. Side effects- don't bother paying attention to them. The benefits far outweigh any possible adverse effects. You will need regular blood work to monitor your liver enzymes. Again, I have been on a very high dosage, so mine were often screwy. Third: I can't imagine any surgeon doing WLS or ANY elective surgery while you are on either of these meds. I had to "wash out" before I could have my surgery, meaning get all traces of the meds out of my blood system and stored reserves. Both drugs make you more susceptible to infection and the prednisone especially makes healing hard. And keeps weight on. Again- seeing an endocrinologist will get you off the pred by using oral hydrocortisone pills. Usually PMR goes away after a year or so. I wonder if you don't have true rheumatoid arthritis? The tests- a sed rate and C-reactive Protein screen are used for PMR as well as other autoimmune arthritis diagnosis. Just a thought. So- don't worry about side effects of the methotrexate and get off the pred!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Hi am just seeing this now. Thank you for responding. I did get off prednisone about 8 months ago. But it started to come back and about 2 months later I couldn't take it and went back on. My rheumatologist says cut down till I feel pain. Then start methotrexate. Shots. So I can continue to get off prednisone. I did have all the testing done. They did suspect fibromyalgia ms. Lupus RA etc Till all tests were done. I will look into seeing an endocrinologist. I did tell the dr about prednisone. He said it was fine and I may lose slower. I am now 9 weeks out and lost 20 pounds. 10 more the week before surgery. I was "only" 201 day of surgery. I would like to lose faster but. I really want to get off the prednisone. Thank you and why doesn't my rheumatologist k ow about this? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi all, I've been lurking for some months, and want to share how I came to my decision to have VSG surgery. My life the last few months has been pretty awful, but it did make my decision to get VSG a no brainer. April 26th of this year, three days after my 35th birth day, I was the sickest I have ever been. It had been going on for about a week and I just thought I had food poisoning. I was nauseous, vomiting, and had really bad headaches. I was so sick that I decided to skip crossfit that week. I had recently started again, and I LOVE it. I decided to tough it out, and went into work. Later on in the day, I was just finishing up with a meeting in my manager's office when I noticed a REALLY strong ammonia smell. It was like someone had opened a bottle right in front of me. I leave the meeting in my manager's office, take a deep breath, and lo and behold I'm the source of ammonia. I'm a scientist, so I immediately knew it was my kidneys. I rushed home to let my dogs out, and drove myself to the hospital. I didn't really know what to think about how long I'd be there, but I told my mom who flew in the next morning to make sure I was ok. I'll save a lot of the drama (there was a lot). Funny story, they admitted me into the ICU and assured me I WAS NOT dying. I was. My BP at one point was 227/160, so I'm very lucky I didn't have a stroke. I still can't believe they tried to assure me I wasn't dying. I guess they were being nice. After days of trying to figure out why I went from perfectly healthy (other than being a professional fat girl) to nearly in the ground, they diagnosed me with an ultrarare autoimmune disorder called atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. I had never heard of this. My mom had never heard of this, and I had to be moved to a different hospital for them to treat me accordingly. Atypical HUS is a disorder that can attack any major organ system, but its favorite target are the kidneys. Before 2011, the treatment was very unsafe plasma exchanges. Now there's a new drug that shows a lot of promise. So I lost my kidneys this summer. I have been on dialysis since May. I won't go into all the psychological stuff that accompanies being on dialysis or having kidney failure, but I no longer have to go in center. That is a blessing. I am able to do it at home. So I was 35. Always fat. Still healthy and active, and then this happens. Now I'm faced with the possibility that one day I'll need a kidney. Well, my BMI disqualifies me from being listed for a transplant. I had a friend come to visit me earlier this summer and she was having the sleeve, and trying to convince me to do it. I'm stubborn. I've always wanted to do everything on my own and have done everything on my own, so I resisted when she said I should get it. My plan was to start crossfit again and just do that. Well even doing crossfit 3x a week, I don't lose a ton of weight, I easily put on muscle though and saw my body contours change. I'm already one of the stronger females in my gym. But once this happened, and I wanted to get my life back, I decided that the best insurance would be for me to get the sleeve. My nephrologists are all supportive and very behind me. So I just wanted to share what happened. I have stories about being in the hospital for nearly a month. Once nurse was convinced I was there with malignant hypertension (she didn't read my chart and I have never had high BP before this) and therefore a diabetic, and tried to give me insulin. This was my first night out of the ICU and I was on a lot of pain killers, and I still managed to set her straight. So don't let people tell you fat shaming in health care doesn't exist. She was the exception, and my doctors never brought up my weight except in the context of a transplant which I thought was fair game. They've all been really really great. I might be off dialysis soon, things are looking up and my kidneys seem to be recovering in their own time. I have a lot of emotions about what's left to come this year, but I'm excited. I may never need a new kidney, but I think I made the right choice in deciding to have the surgery. I'll post more as December approaches. This is a great forum with great people, and I'm glad I'm apart of this community now. -Broove

WLS... Has been epic.... I am free to move, not be in pain, wear shorts and a bathing suit .....not just because I am thinner but because my psoriasis has cleared. That is a big one .... freer from autoimmune disease!! Free from PCOS. I am free from the hungry monster. Free from food controlling my life. Free from being self conscience about being fat. Free from being a wallflower... I could go on and on and there is no way I pick just one!

Oh I'm so happy to see this thread and so many responses and interactions. I'm biracial African American and Asian. I have a surgeon whose partner is African American but I ended up with the other surgeon for experience reasons. I still have the other one to consult with if necessary. There is also a African American nurse in the office that I like to talk to so this helps me. I wear my hair natural but my hair is weird. It's allergic to a lot. I also get keloids. I get sleeved next month on the 24th. I'm in San diego and I'm 39. I have multiple health issues some weight related. Others not. Autoimmune disease, chronic pain disorders.i was supposed to get RNY but surgeon felt it wasn't a good idea due to my preexisting conditions so we settled for the sleeve. I love to eat diverse ethnic foods and moderately spicy wondering if I will be able to continue that?? Anyways thats a bit about me...

Hello everyone, I am new here. I am scheduled for the sleeve on October 17th. I was originally scheduled for September 20th but I messed up on my meds; I have lupus; and was suppose to have 2 weeks off my autoimmune suppressant and I took a week that I wasn't supposed to so the surgery was rescheduled for October 17th. I look forward to meeting people that are going through the same situation I am and we can support each other. I am located in Michigan and I'm having my surgery at Henry Ford in downtown Detroit. Anyone else going through Henry Ford? My surgeon is Dr. Genaw. I start my liquid diet a week before surgery. Good luck to all hope everyone's journey is a success. Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App

I'm so sorry for your loss! I had my surgery at 59 and I can identify with the recovery process. I had literally no pain and in fact after surgery I had to look to see if they had done it. However I have Liver Disease from autoimmune disorder. Recovery was especially hard . It took me the better part of 2 months to get back to normal without feeling like I just couldn't do another thing or walk another step. Fatigue which is part of the disease issue of mine was terrible in compounding it with surgery. But after my recovery, wow what a difference. I had energy that I had never had before and felt so good. I too want to see my grandkids get married, graduate college etc. I know both of us are doing this for the right reasons..

Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 8 Diet Myths Debunked! Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 1 Negative-calorie foods Some high fiber foods like celery and citrus fruits are claimed to be negative calorie foods. The presumption is that it takes more energy for the body to digest these foods, and thus burns more calories than the calories in the food itself. The truth is that the amount of calories it takes the body to digest food are minuscule compared to the calories in the food. Read a counter-viewpoint and decide what is true for you, “Eating Foods that Burn More Calories.” 2. Muscle weighs more than fat Don’t fool yourself. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight the same — 1-pound! However, because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame will make you look leaner. Also, 1-pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day whereas 1-pound of fat burns only 2 calories — so muscle increases your metabolic rate. Learn about “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.” 3. A diet is the best way to lose weight In the short-term “dieting,” that is following a prescriptive plan of eating fewer calories for a period of time, results in weight loss. But the weight loss is only temporary and weight is regained when former eating habits are resumed. Instead, find a way to eat healthy forever. That’s the way to lose weight and keep it off. More articles on Eating Healthy after weight loss surgery! 4. An entree salad is the low-cal choice on the menu Salads can be a very healthy choice — or a very unhealthy choice! A general rule of thumb might be the yummier that you make a salad the less healthy it becomes. Watch those toppings: cheeses, candied walnuts, dressing — yikes! Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad has 580 calories, and 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat. Compare that to a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with 440 calories, and 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat. More Unhealthy Foods we think are healthy! 5. Skipping meals speeds up weight loss Not eating actually slows down metabolism. So to keep your metabolism going eat a healthy breakfast, followed by healthy lunch and dinner, several hours apart. Not eating also can cause ravenous hunger later in the day, which may drive you to overindulge. Check out this Healthy Lunch Solution after Bariatrics! 6. “Light” foods are better Light foods may contain fewer calories or fat, but not without increasing sodium, sugar, chemical additives, or artificial sweeteners. A serving of fat-free cream cheese is only 15-calories less than the real, full-fate version. But the sodium content is 11 milligrams more. Sodium is a major cause of bloating. Add to that, when people perceive a food as light they tend to eat more of it, sometimes consuming more calories than if they had eaten the real version. Read “The Bitter Truth about Aspartame” 7. A gluten-free diet will help you lose weight A gluten-free diet is assumed to be a no-carb diet. That is not true. A gluten-free product replaces gluten-containing grains like wheat flour with non-gluten-containing grains like rice flour. Both wheat flour and rice flour are high in carbohydrates — and gluten-free pastries are high in calories. A gluten-free diet was designed for people with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine cannot digest gluten. Read “Gluten-Free is Unhealthy and Expensive” 8. Over-the-counter diet pills help weight loss The Federal Trade Commission charged four weight loss companies with fraud. The companies charged with deceptive marketing practices include diet products we’ve all seen nationally-advertised: HCG Diet Direct, Sensa Products, LeanSpa, and L’Occitane. Talk to your doctor about your options for safe and effective medications for weight loss, combined with dietary and physical activity improvements. Learn about Getting Active after weight loss. This information was sourced from authoritative sources and is shared for informational purposes only. Use your best judgement and consult with your trusted healthcare provider before changing your diet and exercise habits. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

8 Diet Myths Debunked! Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 1 Negative-calorie foods Some high fiber foods like celery and citrus fruits are claimed to be negative calorie foods. The presumption is that it takes more energy for the body to digest these foods, and thus burns more calories than the calories in the food itself. The truth is that the amount of calories it takes the body to digest food are minuscule compared to the calories in the food. Read a counter-viewpoint and decide what is true for you, “Eating Foods that Burn More Calories.” 2. Muscle weighs more than fat Don’t fool yourself. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight the same — 1-pound! However, because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame will make you look leaner. Also, 1-pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day whereas 1-pound of fat burns only 2 calories — so muscle increases your metabolic rate. Learn about “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.” 3. A diet is the best way to lose weight In the short-term “dieting,” that is following a prescriptive plan of eating fewer calories for a period of time, results in weight loss. But the weight loss is only temporary and weight is regained when former eating habits are resumed. Instead, find a way to eat healthy forever. That’s the way to lose weight and keep it off. More articles on Eating Healthy after weight loss surgery! 4. An entree salad is the low-cal choice on the menu Salads can be a very healthy choice — or a very unhealthy choice! A general rule of thumb might be the yummier that you make a salad the less healthy it becomes. Watch those toppings: cheeses, candied walnuts, dressing — yikes! Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad has 580 calories, and 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat. Compare that to a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with 440 calories, and 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat. More Unhealthy Foods we think are healthy! 5. Skipping meals speeds up weight loss Not eating actually slows down metabolism. So to keep your metabolism going eat a healthy breakfast, followed by healthy lunch and dinner, several hours apart. Not eating also can cause ravenous hunger later in the day, which may drive you to overindulge. Check out this Healthy Lunch Solution after Bariatrics! 6. “Light” foods are better Light foods may contain fewer calories or fat, but not without increasing sodium, sugar, chemical additives, or artificial sweeteners. A serving of fat-free cream cheese is only 15-calories less than the real, full-fate version. But the sodium content is 11 milligrams more. Sodium is a major cause of bloating. Add to that, when people perceive a food as light they tend to eat more of it, sometimes consuming more calories than if they had eaten the real version. Read “The Bitter Truth about Aspartame” 7. A gluten-free diet will help you lose weight A gluten-free diet is assumed to be a no-carb diet. That is not true. A gluten-free product replaces gluten-containing grains like wheat flour with non-gluten-containing grains like rice flour. Both wheat flour and rice flour are high in carbohydrates — and gluten-free pastries are high in calories. A gluten-free diet was designed for people with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine cannot digest gluten. Read “Gluten-Free is Unhealthy and Expensive” 8. Over-the-counter diet pills help weight loss The Federal Trade Commission charged four weight loss companies with fraud. The companies charged with deceptive marketing practices include diet products we’ve all seen nationally-advertised: HCG Diet Direct, Sensa Products, LeanSpa, and L’Occitane. Talk to your doctor about your options for safe and effective medications for weight loss, combined with dietary and physical activity improvements. Learn about Getting Active after weight loss. This information was sourced from authoritative sources and is shared for informational purposes only. Use your best judgement and consult with your trusted healthcare provider before changing your diet and exercise habits. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

I consider myself an expert when it comes to autoimmune rheumatic diseases. First- let's talk your prednisone: See an endocrinologist. Pronto. I was taking 60 mg of pred a day for years. There was no weaning off, because any time I got down to 20-25mg, I literally could not function. In any capacity. Enter the endocrinologist. Because the prednisone does just as much (if not more!) damage than good, my adrenal function was gone, I had prednisone induced glaucoma as well as prednisone induced diabetes. I needed off the meds ASAP. She prescribed me ORAL hydrocortisone. It mimics- and tricks- your body into believing it is prednisone, and is MUCH easier to wean off of than the prednisone. It took a total of 2.5 months vs over a year or longer if it were the prednisone. Do this. Again, ASAP. Ask for it. Second- methotrexate, either by pill or injection: pills made me sick, puking, typical chemo side effects. The shots did not, and they actually work much more effectively than the pills, so if given a choice, it is a once a week teeny tiny needle. Side effects- don't bother paying attention to them. The benefits far outweigh any possible adverse effects. You will need regular blood work to monitor your liver enzymes. Again, I have been on a very high dosage, so mine were often screwy. Third: I can't imagine any surgeon doing WLS or ANY elective surgery while you are on either of these meds. I had to "wash out" before I could have my surgery, meaning get all traces of the meds out of my blood system and stored reserves. Both drugs make you more susceptible to infection and the prednisone especially makes healing hard. And keeps weight on. Again- seeing an endocrinologist will get you off the pred by using oral hydrocortisone pills. Usually PMR goes away after a year or so. I wonder if you don't have true rheumatoid arthritis? The tests- a sed rate and C-reactive Protein screen are used for PMR as well as other autoimmune arthritis diagnosis. Just a thought. So- don't worry about side effects of the methotrexate and get off the pred!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was told I b would eventually be able to take nsaids and steroids again and is o b e if tge primary reasons my b surgeon thought t he sleeve v was or will be v a better choice for me bc if my many pain medications including morphine and also steroids etc for my autoimmune issues. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T807A using the BariatricPal App

Hi all. I have. An autoimmune disease called polymialgia rheumatica. Took a long time to diagnose because the average age of first diagnosis is 70. And I was 46. I had actually lost 96 pounds on my own and was in the best shape of my life. But steroids for years has put me back up over 200. So I had the sleeve done 6 weeks ago. I am tapering off prednisone. May take a year. And my rheumatologist wants me to take methotrexate. I forget who mentioned taking that I know it's a chemi drug. Any bad side effects and did it work for you? Also the original poster mentioned eyesight problems. One of the side effects of polymialgia rheumatica is giant cell something and it can blind you. Pmr. Mimics other diseases and is hard to diagnose. Needless to say my weight loss after surgery has been slow. I don't eat. Much. My rheumatologist says that the steroids make your body hold onto the weight. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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.

I am an autoimmune nightmare. Literally. Started with APA and then Rheumatoid, then Sjogrens. You name it. Though SLE was in the cards but got lucky there. There was some anecdotal findings about people with severe RA having had bypass who went into remission. That's all I needed to hear. Sign me up. In 9 years time, I didn't have a day without pain, fatigue, depression, you name it. Couldn't walk to the bathroom without pain let alone to the corner. Well, I had the bypass in March. Six months ago. Guess what? I will not say I'm in "remission" ( the Rword!) BUT I also have literally been pain free/symptom free since that day. I have NO clue why, and frankly, I don't care. All I know is that these have been the best 6months in forever. I'll take it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am an autoimmune nightmare. Literally. Started with APA and then Rheumatoid, then Sjogrens. You name it. Thought SLE was in the cards but got lucky there. There were anecdotal findings about people with severe RA having had bypass who went into remission. That's all I needed to hear. Sign me up. In 9 years time, I didn't have a day without pain, fatigue, depression, you name it. Couldn't walk to the bathroom without pain let alone to the corner. Well, I had the bypass in March. Six months ago. Guess what? I will not say I'm in "remission" ( the Rword!) BUT I also have literally been pain free/symptom free since that day. I have NO clue why, and frankly, I don't care. All I know is that these have been the best 6months in forever. I'll take it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

These posts are so for me. I'm 39, about to get sleeved next month and my biggest worry are my mystery autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia. I have sooo many health issues and on about 18 meds. I am in major pain all the time since my single digits and I need morphine daily to make me just comfortable enough to manage my days. I'm very worried about the exercise components even though I am a swimmer which is good. I, also allergic to the sweetener as per tame. The dietitian is going to be doing the food class with me one on one bc of that and the diabetes. I have been looking for others like myself and really happy I found this post Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T807A using the BariatricPal App

Well, I've never used this forum on anything other than my phone- until today. Discovered status bars and VIP membership. Who knew? Most of you know who I am already, but my stats-- 49, female, married for 20 years 3 kids -19, 16,15 boy girl boy. Just got my oldest off to college for the first time. I live in the suburbs of Chicago- and grew up in the city itself. I practiced dentistry for almost 20 years before I became ill with an autoimmune disorder. My weight gain was directly related to this- high doses of prednisone combined with the inability to move around. The catalyst for surgery came from my rheumatologist who was reading anecdotal reports of people with RA who had bypass going either into remission or having a dramatic drop in symptoms. I didn't respond to any traditional or experimental meds on the market, so my thought was- the WORST case scenario for me would be less pressure on my joints. Luckily, I've not had any flares or RA symptoms since surgery. I got my life back. I'm contemplating returning to work now. I won't go back to active dental practice- I'm too scared, quite frankly. Worry of a relapse happening, my hands literally freezing up while working on a patient- so many scenarios of bad. People don't realize that RA can actually be deadly. They equate it with osteo arthritis. I'm an avid- maybe rabid?? Lol- hockey fan, and am thrilled beyond belief that my beloved Blackhawks are so Fricking amazing! Also- a huge college football fan (Go Wildcats!) That's that. I so appreciate the wisdom, wit and camaraderie here. These are my kiddos-- just cause I'm proud of them! Oldest is studying Sports Management at Iowa and plans on law school after. My daughter has an amazing voice and has been studying opera since 12, but wants to be an anesthesiologist-go figure! Youngest guy is the funny one, football player. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App