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I wish they had the delete option for those who made a post and want to remove it. For awhile you could hit edit and erase the info and put in "double post" but now the edit works weird too. You do not have access to the original post just that you can add onto the information. Flygirl congrats on the 70 lbs lost. Lucky they found your autoimmune disorder and now you are receiving treatment.

I found out from the test of the pancreatitus that it caused by my bad gullbladder, I have a "low functiouning" Gallbladder and it's full of stones from the rapid weight loss.. I really wish he would have taken out when I got the sleeve, My autoimmune disorder is just genetic and that along with the pancraititus is was cause the 3 clots I feel SO much better, healthier, more energy. I smile more! I'm not the fattest person in the room YAY! I'm looking forward to the next few months I hope to meet goal by my 1 year anniversay I had the sleeve done at Miami Valley Hopsital in Dayton, OH - Premeier Metabolic- DR. Teel. Most wonderful doctor! I trust him enought that I feel fine with my mom getting it done by him. She is just starting her process now.

I have just about every co-morbidity on the list, most caused by metabolic syndrome and auto-immune disease. SO...I told them I was having surgery to combat my wacky immune system. Most have commented on my weight loss (I haven't weighed myself lately) and I explain that the weight loss is helping reset my metabolism and deal with the gut hormones, which it is hypothesized is responsible for most autoimmune issues. I give the whole story to those who won't judge, but will also spread the word in the staff room so I won't have to! There is a stigma about WLS no matter how much we benefit. We just have to accept it was the best choice we could make for ourselves--and they are all pea green with envy!

Thank you all for the honest replies. 7 years ago I had gotten myself down to a very healthy person. Running and excercising were part of my everyday life. I wasn't on a diet but I watched what I ate. I was 157 pounds wearing size 10/12. It seems like a lifetime and over 100 pounds ago. I think that makes me feel like I have failed and what if I fail again? I have alot going on in my life which could be some of the cause for me sounding like an out of control and desperate person. Reaching my mid 40's has brought up some things from my past and my childhood that I'm having a hard time coping with and it couldn't have come at a worse time because it is impacting everything. I lost my parents in an auto accident in '99, I have a child with special needs. I am disabled now due to an autoimmune condition along with some other health issues. My husband went to 3rd shift to help me when I got sick. He's stuck there for a while so I rarely see him and I'm lonely alot. My oldest son is going off to college in the fall and though I am so proud of his achievements, I'm already mourning his absence. I am currently seeing a therapist, hoping he can help me with some of my emotional problems. I do want to go into this with the mindset I should have. I've been educating myself for months here at this site and other sites, I've talked to people who have had the procedure and I have attended the seminar. I've watched videos of the actual procedure. I seem to get really excited about the life change I will have. I know the sacrifices to be made with the band and the outcome it can bring. I just don't want to be a failure again.

Well you know what they say...autoimmune disease, have one, collect the whole set! I am sorry about your teeth but that makes your remission all the more remarkable!! My teeth have been doing okay but I go to a salivation dysfunction clinic to be monitored. I just had my surgery 12-6 and my Sjogren's made me miserable the first 24 hours. The hospital didn't give me my Evoxac, saliva producing meds. My mouth was so dry, I had an extremely hard time speaking and the inside of my cheeks were sticking to my teeth. Fortunately my husband stayed with me. But it was so hard to swallow and I was thirsty but because of the surgery, it hurt to swallow and I was nauseated. I was sobbing and telling my husband how this was a huge mistake by 11:00 pm. Then when they would let me take the Evoxac, the nurse said because it was a capsule, I had to take it without the capsule covering. It was like trying to swallow dirt. I knew my doctor didn't instruct to do that with capsules but she insisted and I just wanted my meds. The next morning, the physician assistant for my doctor said I was right and she would clear it up. She said that there were several WLS doctors who had patients on the floor but one of them doesn't allow capsules and the nurses are just trying to be cautious. Thank God, I finally was feeling better, could get fluids down and got discharged. Then day by day, just like they said, it got better. Now I am looking forward to 2013 and getting to a healthy weight. Again, your post is going to give me a lot of inspiration! I just got my Remicade last week so in 8 weeks I will see what my CRP is like at that time. I hope each time it goes down

This thread is interesting, I use essential oils in my hair for years and years just because I like it. OP forgot to ask were you recently tested for autoimmunes and the other culprit...

"Globe"......I would recommend sticking to the compound lifts such as shoulder press, dumbbell bench press, squats, pull ups, dips, T-bar rows and even some light deadlifts if your back is in good shape. These compound lifts are really all you need to do to help retain the muscle (along with your protein). Make sure you get your form/technique down with light weights before doing heavier weights. The isolation lifts, for me anyway, are more for muscle building mode (along with the compound lifts) when you are at maintenance calories or slightly higher. How many days do you think you can lift a week? You can probably get by with just twice a week (say a Monday and a Thursday for example), if you are fairly thorough during your lifting session. I wish you the best in regards to your autoimmune issues and a speedy recovery!

Hi Debbie, Yes, no crocs here, on the Gold Coast, humid here though too now, thank goodness for air conditioning! I lost most of my excess weight in the first 6 months. I have been in a long stall lately, same weight but my measurements are still changing, shrinking .... I basically had a pretty good recovery, with few issues that were caused by my Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disease). If not for Graves, my journey would have been very easy. I like my new lifestyle and results. All the best to you!

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder. A faulty thyroid isn't enough to account for this. Do any members of your family, including your cousins, have thyroid issues?

I am still pre op. too. in fact, I start my 3 month medical weight management on Tues. I began on my own though this past week. I am currently taking daily steroids for autoimmune disease and I am starving from sun up to sun down. Here's my thoughts on my last big grocery shopping last week. When shopping healthy, you pay more for convenience. Meaning the less you have to do when you get the food home to consume it. I still had to get the little things for my Autistic texture sensitive 9 yr old that I don't eat or drink. But, I bought the bulk boneless skinless fresh chicken breast package ( i get 8 big chicken breasts in it) and a ton of veggies and some fruits. When I got it home, I put each chicken breast into a freezer bag and put them into the freezer. Now, We generally eat more than a chicken breast between the three of us, but I've found that by freezing them individually, they thaw quicker. Which in my house can be interpretted as one less excuse to just get fast food. They are thawed in time to make for dinner. The veggies and fruits, I immediatly started washing, chopping (or tearing for the greens) and putting in variety of sized baggies, For example, a head of lettuce cost me under $1. By washing and tearing it up myself, I had a very stuffed gallon sized baggie full of lettuce ready to go. I tuck a paper towel in with it to keep it fresh longer. But, Our fave bagged salad is $3.88 per bag and you get half the amt. I got a bunch of celery. I washed it, and tore off all of the leaves and put them in a baggie in the fridge. The stalks, I made nice thin match sticks out of. Those I put into snack sized baggies. I probably made 12-16 snack size baggies of celery sticks. Same with the seedless grapes. I washed, plucked and scooped half cup size portions into snack baggies. I washed and chopped up two heads of cauliflower. I LOVE roasted cauliflower. I just toss a bunch of popcorn sized florets onto a cookie sheet. spray them lightly with some cooking spray and sprinkle them with dried italian seasoning. I bake until they brown just a bit. Anyways, same with the cucumbers, berries, zucchini, broccoli, and squash, etc. I spent less and did more prep at home, but as my Granny often says " I've got more time than money". LOL. It stretched my same grocery bill with same spending into what is now grab and go healthy food. We typically eat fast food or the likes of fast food 3x per week. Between my health issues and my special needs child's issues and therapy schedules, it's just become a way of life. We haven't eaten out since last Sunday. And we haven't gone without either. You'll have to factor in Protein shakes for your future. My husband is a work out nut. Seriously goes to the gym 7 days a week, plus runs. He goes thru a lot of Protein Shakes. But, I'd guess he spends about $40-$50 a month on the big things of Protein powder. I plan on saving that money for myself every week just by skipping the fast foods and the cokes or dr peppers here and there. I hope this helps a little.

Figgered I'd nip in and drop a post... I got banded by Dr. Woody Denham at Evanston Northwestern on July 16 2007. Incidentally, very nice of him to do Medicaid work. I'm a bit a-typical here... frankly, I've been told (and tend to believe) that I would have been reverting down to my 'natural' weight with time (and was already on my way, prior to surgery). That said, enough was enough, and I'm perfectly ecstatic that I had it done. There's a bit of a story there... and it smacks of 'vicious circle' coupled with quack doctors ... this is long (just feel like writing it down right now Essentially, I was born (or acquired soon after) the autoimmune disease Celiac Sprue. That's a nasty little thing whereby the body's immune system ends up attacking glutens (wheat (flour), rye and barley) - and any organs in contact with the glutens. In hindsight, the first symptom was a 'rash' on my right ankle at around age 5. Over the years it was usually diagnosed as psoriasis, though the penultimate diagnoses (from a specialist, no less!) was something along the lines of "well, the morbidly obese often have skin problems" - thanks, doc! Doctors would also blame 'allergies' in general (like to doggies)... finally had my pediatrist tell me I'd be dead in 10 years, at which point I just stopped going to doctors (was offered no answers - just 'lose weight). The celiac hit overdrive right out of high school (all of the following started within a 2 week period): heart palpitations, nightly; acid reflux (had never experienced that before - went from 0 to the value sized tagamet and tums bottles overnight); bad sleep and nightmares; kidney stones (omg, those are fun!)... to name but a few things. Perhaps 8 years ago the celiac ratcheted up again - so, that was about 8 years w/o a solid bowl movement (and I went from once a day to 10-20 times a day near the end). Well, I just figured (depending on my mood) that I'd either gone nuts, was dying, had cancer, had a dicky heart, had a brain tumor... but I slogged on, nonetheless. Eventually the sleep became a serious problem (starting about 10 years ago). I've _always_ had trouble *falling* asleep, but up until the 'right out of high school' period I quite enjoyed sleeping A recent revelation I've had, though, is that I was -always- yawning for as long as my memory went back (yes, a bit of hyperbole... but only a bit). Gradually, my 'sleep' went up from 7-9 hours per night to 10-14 per night near the end (and ANY less than 10 hours and I'd feel like I was hit by a mack truck). I'd also wake up seemingly constantly because of back pain (I took to sleeping in bizarre positions - the worst was the last one I utilized: face firmly planted in the pillow, legs on a pile of pillows raised up a good 9" to 1 foot higher than where my head was). Ah, weights, as I remember them... 180 in 5th grade. 250 in 9th. 300 by the end of high school. Around 330-350 for quite awhile... then it shot up to 425 three years ago. At a guess, it was 625 1 year ago (wow!). OK! Now, onto the punchline... I had really gone 'down hill' starting maybe 6 years ago. See all of the above but I'd also taken a huge hit to my mental faculties, and I'd get horribly winded from walking a block or so. Ended up moving back in with my parents and started working for my father, but it became harder and harder to do even the simplest mental or physical activities. About 3 years ago I started getting real bad tooth pains; went in to a dentist and he found an impacted wisdom tooth. Ok - I figured I might as well get them all out. He yoinked 3 (was awake for it) but couldn't do the impacted one, so he gave me some pennicyllin and I scheduled for 2 weeks later with a dental surgeon. Got the last one yanked (awake for that one too... bits of tooth flying everywhere!) and got some more pennicyllin. That second course of antibiotics got me - I went into anaphalactic shock. I actually tried to wait it out, but after 5 hours I went to the hospital. Hit me with Benadryl and that fixed that. BUT... enzymes came back - I'd had a mild heart attack, They found a 100% blockage on some minor artery; stint didn't take and they just loaded me up with heart meds and sent me on my way. About 3 months later I had an arrythmia (conginital heart defect - another missed diagnosis). I was born with a misfiring node (literally a short circuit) that would occassionally fire off and produce a tachycardia (I think... extremely rapid (~200 beats per minute) and irregular. In the past it had always corrected itself w/i 10 minutes or less (it's happened probably 2x a year since birth). WELL.. this one lasted 6 hours (no shit - 200 BPM when I hit the hospital). They hit me with some drug - instant fix. 'Course, another mild heart attack (from the enzymes) showed up. Now, I didn't have insurance then... and the docs certainly knew it. There was alot of discussion - I was assured that the problem was fixable and that they'd do it... but as the time got closer they suddenly had a change of heart (insurance, I'm sure) and tried to talk me into medicating the problem. I fought that, and they did it... kept me awake for that one as well. Jeez - it was supposed to be an hour long procedure (cardiac ablation - they burn out the misfining node)... but the node was in a dangerous place (or the doc was drunk) and it took 8 hours and a total of 18 burns... and I felt each one BUT they got it! By this time they had me on 300mg Hyzaar, 10mg Norvasc and 400(!!! was reduced to 300 though) of Metoprolol... That's like triple the max dosages for the hyzaar and Metoprolol. So, 2 years later (January of 2006) I was like a zombie. I'd fall over, had tremors (heh! I told that to the doctor... he upped my dosages!), had trouble seeing... well, it was bad. Parents finally made me go to their doctor... And that's where it all got fixed! I walked in and he took my bp... 50 over unreadable. It took monthly visits for ~6 months for him to ween me off of the stuff - at the end I was taking no heart meds, other than an aspirin a day (he added in 25mg of Cozaar, just as a precaution). Next he tackled the sleep apnea. I went in for a sleep study in May of '06 and had an apnea index of 180 (anything over 30 is 'severe', and that's the highest rating the scale goes). 99% of them were hypopneas (meaning I didn't completely stop breathing, but came very close)... 180 "events" per minute (one every 20 seconds!) - I was told that they'd never seen anything that high SO, gotta mask, have used it EVERY single time I've slept... and the apnea index is at 2. Anything under 5 is "ok", so... well, it's made an unbelieveable difference! I do NOT yawn anymore - and that's shocking to me. Then, right after the sleep apnea diagnoses, my doctor pinned the Celiac down. It was my ankle - I showed it to him as an afterthought (hey, with a list *this* big...). He got it right away (amazingly, he has Celiac as well - serendipity!). Ugh, I still dream about pizza... but I got on the diet right away. Unfortunately, the celiac had progressed to Apocalyptic mode... it had ulcerated my intestines (many, many years ago) and the glutens were being carried throughout by bloodstream. And wherever my antibodys would find them... well, brain damage was confirmed (enough to get me declared disabled) and who knows what else (my heart would get it as well, I believe - I'd get (and will still get) funny and pounding beats if I get "glutened"). Also, unfortunately, it took until Feb of this year for the doc to piece together the rest. No matter how careful I was I'd still get reactions - twice they were bad enough (think kidney stones, but pain centered in the intestines) that I could have gone to the hospital (didn't, though). Apparently, other intolerances had latched onto the Celiac (he explained it, but I'll demure) and were replicating the symptoms (he called it a 'neat trick'). He gave me a neat analogy, though - people can be allergic to Benadryl/antihistimines! Said that some people who have gotten terrible cases of poison ivy/poison oak have rubbed topical benadryl all over it. The body, attacking the poison ivy/oak can 'mistake' the benadryl for the poison ivy/oak... and it then proceeds to "remember" the benadryl as bad. Upshot is that I can't eat gluten, dairy (lactaid is useless), tomatoes, citrus/citric acid, artificial sweeteners. SO... hehe, gastric bypass was NOT something I wanted! We're talking ZERO amounts of those foods - zero meaning zero, naught, zilch, zed, bupkiss. So, there it is... mu ticker's just dandy - had a chemical stress test before the banding surgery (chisticles, that was BAD... i had a violent reaction with one of the chemicals. I felt like I was in Gitmo in an interrogation room).The 'heart attacks' I had kind of make me chuckle - my doc assures me that I had many, many per night before I got the sleep apnea treated, along with many, many mini strokes (and, at a best guess, this was going on for 10+ years). Apparently, any heart attack (infarction), no matter how "small", will show up in the enzyme tests they gave me. My EKGs are perfect too. My eyesight's returned (in fact, a few weeks ago I removed my glasses and found that I had 20/20 vision, which hasn't been the case since 6th grade at the earliest! But it changes from day to day...). I've been abdominal pain free (minus the surgery) for couple or 3 months - that's a first since "right out of high school". Mental facuties are creeping back as well (in high school I could do square roots in my head... I 'used' to be able to visualize words and numbers... and it's starting to happen again). Still have to get the whole kidney stone thing sorted out - I'm on allopurinol (for gout) for 4 years now and still get 'em... and my diet is great now (as are my blood tests). Doc wants to wait for the weight to drop to some extent before dealing with that. Also just diagnosed me with peripheral nerve disease (now, that one ISN'T weight related, so far as I've read... seems like it's celiac related... and it definitely will flare up horribly bad if I have a celiac reaction). The celiac definitely prepped me for the lap-band, diet wise... but what has _astounded_ me is that, once we got the celiac diagnosed and 'in check'... I'm -just not hungry-! After the lapband I've gone a few stretches where I don't eat for 24-36 hours... and, yah, I'm hungry (starving, really)... but it's controllable. The celiac, in comparison... not only was it worse (there was pain, nausea and _intense_ craving)... BUT, what made it 'hellish' was that it would (get ready for it) kick in (with attitude) AFTER a meal! Talk about 'never feeling full' - ultimately, and that's where the weight really piled on - I compensated by eating one meal, right before bed (else I'd just get hungry again) - and at a 'fit to bursting' amount. If I ate during the day (to the point of feeling painfully stuffed) I'd be ravenous not 3 hours later. Amazing.... and it feels real good not to experience that any more! Though.... ugh... I just have to live in chicago, pizza and hot dog capital of the world. I _dream_ about pizza... my last one (with gluten free dough) was for Christmas (re: 36 hours of utter, violent pain). Sigh, maybe the dairy and tomato intolerance will go away! Welp, end of story... large chunks left out, probably. Feel free to zap me an email if you have any Celiac or sleep apnea related questions 8^)

I have Sjogren's Syndrome. Mine is moderate, mainly causing a lack of moisture in my mouth, sinuses, throat, and eyes. I take OTC guaifenesin (generic Mucinex) to help thin down the mucus in my throat. I had the sleeve on 9-1 and have had "the foamies" more than I have ever had. Often after I drink a protein shake. "Foamies" is such an accurate description! If I miss even one day of not taking the guaifenesin I get this awful "plug" of slimy mucus in my throat that basically chokes me until I can get it up and get rid of it. I have had this problem for years, finally I went to an ear, nose, and throat dr that correctly diagnosed my problem and put me on guaifenesin. This is not medical advice, just my experience. Maybe finding a different kind of doctor would help, as it did with me. Best wishes to you. Sjögren's is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. Along with symptoms of extensive dryness, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, major organ involvement, neuropathies and lymphomas.

wow...I have read the comments and I tend to agree ...I have a question or 2 IF you dont mind me asking or sharing I dont want to get into others business but since this is a learning question/answer support forum Im diving in...you can either answer honestly or just say its none of my or our business..1. you mentioned you have PCOS. I do have a niece with this also..it does an can contribute to the weight issue alot bc its hormonal. are you seeing a gyn or endocrinologists for this or being treated? and are they referring you to a WLS to have this done? have they mentioned maybe having a hysterectomy to remove/resolve this hormonal issue an then take supplimental hormones in replace of the ovaries? Is your dr treating this with bc pills..etc? Im sorry..I dont mean to pry...theres reasons why I am asking. I had PCOS from a very young age...I started gaining weight at 17...used bc pills several yrs..it took me a yr an half to get pregnant with both of my kids. I started getting soo sick in my mid 20s. Im over 50 now. I have had my share of yrs of yo yo if you wanna call it dieting..the more I dieted the bigger I got. my weight was up an down over 30 yrs. yrs ago when I reached 200 I had myself convinced I still looked good. but my body was breaking down fast. I didnt think I looked bad. I had a total hysterectomy in my middle 30s. then menapause them issues...then I couldnt hardly move joints, stiffness etc...15 yrs down the road I had developed over 12 differant dx...autoimmune disease, thyroid disease etx..now thyroid med for rest of my life.....2. is this not YOUR choice to have this WLS bc if not Im kinda confused of why your here? Im not being mean or judging just trying to help you ...with the top 2 issues you mentioned to begin with I get the idea it almost sounds like your limitaton of amount of food you would be able to eat BOTHERS you or you use food as a security blanket which most ppl do but there is also underlyning reasons WHY ppl eat an thats to calm oursleves down with comfort...but yet you made another comment you dont eat MASSIVE amounts...am I missing something here? and I have heard of plus size women wanting to stay plus size not only for their security blanket AND their hubs security. (not saying this is you guys) but let me tell ya something from my journey..I agree with others..I had myself convinced I wasnt that over weight for yrs! it was ok...this past yr I put on 50 pds from not eating what I thought wasnt much calories...WRONG!!!! I was brainwashed..I did it to myself..but I had to make my own personal desision I didnt ask my hubs or worry about him..this was MY health at severe risk an obese WILL cause BAD health issues if you dont have them now it will happen. I woke up one day an said IM DONE! NOT carrying around this FAT suit any more. trying clothes on was exhausting! clothes getting from 1x to 2x almost to a 3x..yes I was 100+ over weight! I am 5 months out an over 80 pds down now..I thought I knew myself. boy was I wrong..I am seeing my true self for the first time in my life. an I am loving it. I had been thru 10 yrs of therapy (talk therapy) I got to the underlyning issues..I knew it was my time and ready. you MUST be READY for YOU an NO ONE ELSE. an as far as loose skin..hell yea it might happen. but to me I told the hubs listen if I am doing this an I need a little help with some parts you bet Im having it done. thats not my worry for now. later I'll deal with it...one step at a time. but ya know, I want to be around to live with my hubs for as long as possible. this is your decision be absolutly sure going in ..if its others steering you here then it sounds like its something you dont really want. I made up my mind an with 5 months out I eat sensible I use the myfitnesspal an for my stomach size I do fine. I dont NEED food for comfort anymore. I eat to live not live to eat. plz dont get offended thats not my goal. best wishes hope you make the right choice for you an you only...but until you get the PCOS an hormones starightened out first an fixed Im not sure if this is right for you ...my thyroid had to be working right in order to have this done an work properly or it would have been useless...I got it addressed an fixed an it works appropriatly now.

WOW! This is great news, my doctor never said anything about risks regarding banding and autoimmune diseases, but someone here gave me a heads up and told me that their doctor would not do it if the patient has any autoimmune disease. I am looking forward to it and will be so glad to get the weight off so that I can start exercising again and hopefully my breathing will be much better and allow me to do so.

Not a food but my Dr and nutritionist both said GUM. they said if I swallow it I could cause a blockage that is harder to clear than food. However, I have Sjogren's syndrom, and autoimmune disease that causes dry mouth, eyes, etc... I have to chew gum to get saliva, otherwise my mouth dries out so bad that my toungue cracks. I haven't chewed anything yet because with teh sipping every 15 minutes I have been able to handle the dry mouth, but when I am cutting my liquids to normal servings instead of constantly drinking I am sure I will need gum either gum or hard candy works but I know gum is much better for me losing weight.

I have hashimotos thyroiditis (autoimmune disease where the antibodies kill the thyroid) and I'm losing weight with my band. Appreciate the band as there are millions of other obese people without the privilege of using it. ETA: somebody flamed me so I'm toning it down a bit.

Hey girlfriends, So of course, as my surgery date draws near, I've been thinking a lot about my upcoming "sleevization" and all my previous weight loss attempts. My last big weight loss was in 2010/2011. I worked HARD dieting and exercising (sometimes for 2 hours a night 3 days a week) and went from 270 to 187lbs. Size 22 to 14 (and some 12's). It was SUCH a struggle and such a victory. I've battled with weight my entire life and had REALLY made a lifestyle change. I became a beast in the gym and truly evolved from an exercise hater to an exercise lover. Right towards the end of my journey, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and got pretty sick. Couldn't really exercise anymore and thus, my healthy lifestyle went right out the winda! After a few months on prednisone (the devils choice pharmaceutical), I had gained a whopping 50lbs. Once I got there, I just said "FML" (f*** my life) and spiraled into a pity party complete with cakes, ice cream, donuts, Cookies, etc. Shortly after that, a bipolar II diagnosis came along. Perfect timing right? More meds, more weight gain and here I am at 279lbs. As I gained the weight back, I furiously put ALL of my cute little clothes into plastic bin exile because looking at them was even more excruciating than my disease. As I've now made the decision to try to end this lifelong nightmare by having VSG, I have new hope for myself and my life. So, last night I pulled those bins out of the closet in my spare bedroom. I smelled and touched them. I imagined myself back in those clothes. I remembered how cute and sexy I was. I began to really, really miss the girl who used to wear those clothes. I broke out into full on sobs holding those clothes in my hands. I cried for the loss of who I was. I cried because a bunch of things beyond my control started my descent back to this place. I cried because instead of getting back on track after getting off prednisone (which I will NEVER go on again), I gave up on my healthy lifestyle AND I gave up on myself. I cried because I MISSED working out IMMENSELY but felt too much shame in my fat body to go back to the gym. Lastly, I cried because I knew that soon, I'd be making my way back into those clothes. That vision moved me very deeply. It was much more of an emotional experience than I expected. I'll be back in those clothes again. It's the most empowering, assuring feeling I think I've ever felt. Have any of you had experiences like this or am I the only assclown sitting in the closet and crying while clutching clothes I can't even stuff a calf into?

I’ve lost a significant amount of hair from sleeve, bypass and autoimmune disease. Nothing has helped so far. Biotin is great to try and keep existing hair healthy but I’ve never read anything that says it helps with hair loss. As your weight and diet stabilize it will come back. I’ve been told 9-12 months

Autoimmune disorders like RA are considered a contraindication for the adjustable gastric band. I had 5 happy years with my band before having it removed in April 2012 (due to stenosis from 20+ years of silent reflux). I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy in August 2012. I'm having a hard time adjusting to my sleeve, but I'll to list the pros and cons as objectively as I can. THE BAND Pros: Adjustable Reversible Reduces hunger & appetite Provides early and prolonged satiety No malabsorption of macro or micronutrients Cons: Slower weight loss (average 1-2 lbs/week) Small, gradual fills can delay weight loss until enough saline is put in to create optimal restriction Contraindicated for people with autoimmune disorders Risk of esophageal and/or stomach dilation, slippage, and erosion Risk of reflux, especially if the band is too tight Need for frequent aftercare visits (fills, unfills, checkups) Certain foods can be difficult to eat SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY Pros: Faster weight loss Greater weight loss (but it's really too soon to trust the stats on that) Reduced need for aftercare visits Supposedly eliminates hunger (due to reduced production of grehlin, the hunger hormone), which has not been the case with me Supposedly makes it easier to eat a wide range of foods (again, not the case with me) Cons: Not adjustable Permanent - not reversible Can cause malabsorption of miconutrients (vitamins & minerals, especially Iron, folic acid, B12) Reflux is so common that PPI's are routinely prescribed to sleeve patients (and long term use of PPI's can also cause anemia) Risk of dumping syndrome (from rapid gastric emptying) Risk of staple line leaks (very painful, can be life-threatening) The good news about my sleeve surgery is that I've lost 20 of the 30 lbs I regained from losing my band. The bad news is that since surgery, I experience extreme spikes and dives in my blood sugar, which is apparently the cause of the ferocious hunger I experience about one hour after I eat, no matter what or how much I eat. So far no one has been able to fully explain or resolve that problem, and it makes my daily life a misery. Also, I experience dumping when I eat anything with more than 5 or so grams of sugar in it. I've become very anemic and have to take an iron supplement every day. A hemoccult test showed that I have some kind of a gastric bleed, so tomorrow I'm seeing my gastroenterologist in the effort to find out if the anemia is caused by the PPI I'm on (omeprazole) or the gastric bleed (from ulcers, a perforation, or something else). I can't take it lightly because my mom had colon cancer, so I'll probably have to have a colonoscopy to identify the source of the bleed. Now, having said all that (and clearly not being a happy camper), I do know many people who've been sleeved and are delighted with their weight loss and the lack of side effects and complications. I just wish I was a member of that club. Jean

Hi Kathy, Do you have any type of autoimmune disorder or family history of such? Hypothyroidism, Celiac, Lupus, MS, et al?

The lapband site used to say that autoimmune disease were a contraindication for getting banded( I don't know if it still says it) , maybe your experience is an example of why?

Stevehud it really was the best carb:Protein ratio that I could find in a non-whey Protein powder, 12g carbs and 28g protein. A bariatric nutritionist long ago told me to balance my protein to carbs at every meal 2:1, so this fits that ratio. All the other non-whey protein powders that I have seen are very high in carbs. I use the Bob Marley coffee flavored Raw Fit from Garden of Life, BTW, not the vanilla in the hyperlink. The vanilla was cheaper so I linked to it. If I buy this at my local healthy food store it is about $10 more per container! Anyway, just keep listening to your body. I think that is something that we as obese people did not do well at. If you notice gas or bloating, or pressure, cramps, problems with BM (either too loose or constipation), anything along those lines, then you may be developing a sensitivity to lactose. It is not uncommon after gastric bypass -- not sure about the other weight loss surgeries. As an FYI, celiac disease is not uncommon to develop following gastric bypass. I have both celiac disease and lactose intolerance. I also read a study yesterday that proved what I have known in my soul all along. The chemicals in processed foods are leading to autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, RA, diabetes type 1, etc.

The regulation of type I and type 2 will differ as yours is autoimmune and mine is metabolic. You do not have any information on your profile so not seeing how much you currently weigh. I am still very large at 265 lbs. As my weight comes down my BG will also change as it has already changed due to weight loss. I am taking a lot less insulin now than 5 weeks ago. The ultimate goal is NO insulin resulting from a large weight loss. I know its possible. When my BG gets to 5 I start to feel hypo. Everyone is different I really wish that I could just 'go back' to protein shakes. Very early post op i could not eat or drink much. But the hunger I am experiencing NOW is what is throwing me off and I am trying to satiate myself. I did not get to almost 300 lbs because I decided I could just not eat. Said no morbidly obese person. LOL that is funny. I am going to check with my doctor in Mexico if they will allow me to take an appetite suppressant since my blood pressure is now very good

I have been overweight my whole life as well. I had jaw surgery 14 years ago and lost 60 pounds because my jaw was wired shut. So of course I gained that back. Lol. I guess most recently it has been a couple of things. I have an autoimmune disorder which I know would get better with weight loss. I also have worked with a LOT of celebrities and I like my work and don't wanna be the awkward fat girl at the party. And finally, my daughter. My 18 year old daughter is a model. A real life, gets paid to take pictures, has an agent, stops traffic Model. And I don't wanna be following her at an event bringing up the rear her fat, dumpy mom. I did that through childhood as my gorgeous moms fat, dumpy daughter. People tell me all the time that my daughter looks just like me, how could she? How could she? I don't see my beauty like I used to. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I will hopefully be sleeved first week of May 2014.

Ask your doctor if they are okay to crush first because some pills can't be crushed. For me, I was chewing my meds even before my surgery due to my EOS (autoimmune disorder that causes narrowing in the throat and leads to choking) so nothing honestly changed for me. Some meds come in liquid form or chewable so I'd ask my doctor were I you.