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Well i lost my way for the past year and need help badly... i will provide the background of my story & why im at a point where i really need help getting back on track. . I had my Gastric sleeve surgery in jan 2013. At the time i had been struggling with multiple autoimmune diseases ( sjnogrens syndrome, SLE or lupus, RA, fibrimyalgia) about 4 months post op my marriage was falling apart & the nasty 27 months of a horrid divorce started. I was doing well til i was diagnosed wirh cervical cancer in march 2014. That is when it really went down hill. sfter treatment i ended up back on more steroids and balooned. .. let me explain why...its a little long sorry. I hope you can follow and someone can help even if its just words of wisdom. i moved to New Mexico in 2007 from Michigan . When i was pregnant with my daughter that year is when i got sick.No one down in those small communities could figure out why! After she was born in nov 2007 i got worse & worse. On a visit back to my hometown in Michigan i fot extremely ill and decided enough was enough & went in to see the dr i had most of my life! After lots of tests he discovered i had multiple auto immune diseases. Upon returning to NM he had set me up with a rhuematologist in Lubbock texas which was 2 hrs away from our home in NM. This dr put me on such high doses of steroids & methotrexate( it looks like yellowgreen toxic waste & is used for cancer trestment as chemo therapy & also used on auto immune patients to eipe out their immune systems) injections that in Dec 2009 i had been hospitalized for weeks and my family had enough and moved me back to michigan. My ( now ex) husband went back and forth as he was a oilfield supervisor for halliburton. After moving back i got a good rhuematologist and internest. i was on 85 mg of prednisone a day at that point & it was killing me. I ballooned over 300pds. After i got pregnant with our son in 2011. Things got really bad weight wise. I was at 380ish at the time of his birth in april 2012. That is when my drs snd i decided gastric sleeve surgery was the only way that i was going to loose weight after several failed diets that they suoervised. Unlnowingly the stress i was under was not going to make things wasy. My son was born with a rare type of spina bifida called lypomeleomeningicle. He had surgery in sept 2012 at 5 months. They found things that they were not expecting when they opened my 5 month old baby up. Long story short we were at U of M for almost 3 weeks. Got home and within 45 min wrre rushing back & he had another 2 week stay. In Nov my body just gave out. I was hospitalized for 3 weeks. My drs said thsts it. Your approved for this surgery. They weened me off the prednisone which i was down to 35 mg a fay at that point. So end of dec 2012 and beginning of january 2013 i did preop. Lost about 38 pounds. I did well post op as well. But then my diseases slowed my healing process & progress had a few hospital stays. In April my marriage had gotten to its boiling point and began the process of one of the ugliest nastiest divorces i could have imagined. But i still was doing better and loosing weight everyday. I was ginalky able to participate in life again with my children etc. Instead of sitting on sidelines or canceling olans because i was sick. In the end of August 2013 i went out eoth some girlfriends ( i was under 300 pds by this time.) And met the most wonderful man. I wasnt looking at all it judt happened. We ended up habing one of those " holy cow what a small world" conversations. And how wed never cross pathsbor met before then was amazing. I was updront about my situstion, disease & gadtric skeeve surgerybupfront. And i wasnt looking to date. But from that night on we were inseperable. By Dec 2013 my divorce was in full swing but my soon to be ex husband was not happy that i was happy ( even though he never had been home even when he had weeks off and stayed 1500 miles away from us. whichbi found out he was having affairs when i decided i wanted a divorce because of a text my daughter whom was 5 at the time showed me. and when he was home he slept the whole time & never wanted to participate with our children or myself. even when i begged) he got a secret bank account & all our joint accts he closed and left me with NO money. Mind u he kept me a stay at home mom. He was very sbusive and controlling. Things were getting worse every day. My grandmother passed on dec 12th which is my oldest sons birthday. It was such a huge loss. In january 2014 i had alot of pain and called my gynocologist. I had a paps and check up in Nov previous and was all clear. They did biopsies. Long story short after 2 round of biopsies on my cervix and uterus. I was diagnosed with the end of stage 1 A cervical cancer. Jeffs ex was also a psycho. They had been divorced for a few years before i met him. He had one child with her.she had began withholding his son because we were dating. She knew many people i did and it got ugly. I was in no shape to handle all of the things thst were entering my life from his ex wife. but i had fallen so in love with him unlike id ever fallen in love with someone before. We ended up breaking up for oh.. a week.lol. and it was one of the hardest weeks in my life when it came to a break up. he still texted and called me daily. But he called begging for me to forgive him at day 8 & we got back together. I needed him. He hadd become my best friend & a huge support system. my divorce had gotten so ugly. My ex cut off the medical flex card i used for myself and the kids for copays on drs visits, medication etc. Mind u our son needed this as much as i did. He also came up unannounced and threw all of my things put. When i came home thst day after picking up kids he called the police and i was told i had to sleep somewhere else while he was home as he has no family etc of his own in michigan. This is when i had no choice but to move in with jeff. which was his idea. Its not how we wanted to do things. But my still husband was becomming increasingly physically , emotionally etc abusive and would show up unnannounced often. But i was fighting cervical cancer. Going through surgery & treatment. I needed almost 24 hr care or someone to be there. As i said things just kept getting worse. my treatment was done by august 2014. I tried working again. But ended up passing out at my job. friend of the court finally ordered child support to be paid to me that Oct. Things escalated to peak after that. Including me finally calling thebpolice after he assaulted me when we were doing kiddo drop off in dec. He fles the state when he foun out i called and filed charges. He decided he didnt want to pay 1800 a month in c.s mind u he was making about 260,000/ a year at thisnpoint. So in feb 2015 he wuit his job. By august 2015. He was behind thousands of dollars. I was in and out of the hospital and my drs snd lawyer felt this divorce would kill me before it was finished if it wasnt over soon. So i settled just to have it done. my kids & i had lost our amazing medical insurance when he quit Halliburton. Jeff and i had gotten engaged. For the first time in my life i was truely happydidnt say yes because i felt obligated because of my kids. ON Dec 16th 2015 my Jeff was at work and dell aprox 37 1/2 feet at work. His back explodednon impact as well as his spinal sac holding his spinal cord. It was by far the biggest trama of my life. So here is where i am worh my post op that i need help with. In feb 2015 i got shingles again asbi fo almost every year at that time. But i needed to be back on prednisone and lots of it for about 4 months. And have been on & off it til january this year. Between the steroids, stress etc i ate bad as well. but also stopped eating toom so when i did eat it was something fast. Especially since jeffs fall. Between taking care of him bow, my kids, my sons special needs which hes facing 2 surgeries one next month. My body breaking down. The fact i havent seen my surgeon for my sleeve since my ex quit his job snd we lodt thst medical insurance. I had gotten down to 170 pds. I began my sleeve preop journey at 396 pds. So that is 226 pounds and i felt i had reached my goal. But a month later is when the steroids started again and the climax of my divorce and then jeffs accident. Jeff and i did get married in january. Its not whst we had olanned. We had a wedding olanned, dress bought etc for October 1 2016. But for legal reasons etc and the fact i had almost lost the love of my life we decided to get married on jan 15th. So i know this is a long post and basically i laid my life out for all to see. But i need help. Im back to 240 pds. Jeff is also going on the diet with me. We began today. I don't have my diet book that i got when i had the surgery. If anyone has a copy of one they could maybe email me if love one. My husband has gained weight but has alot of muscle atrophy. Can anyone give any advice how i can get back on track. I know mh stomach didnt stretch out huge as it still only allows me to eat so much and i get full very fast. Im off the prednisone. But have been put on a new short term steroid. And i am not sure ifnit will hinder my diet. But weather it does or not i need to get back to my lifestyle. Yes it was a life style chsnge for me. Thank you for taking the time to read or give advice in advance. Again so sorry for the long post and kinda vent session. Lord knows i have alot to vent these days. Lol. Mrs.Krish Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

I have a few autoimmune diseases as well as gastroparesis. I was told before my surgery that I would get better if I proceeded. Since, I am unable to eat or drink anything without vomiting. I've now learned from one doctor that I should have NEVER had the surgery with my gastroparesis. Anyone else with gastroparesis? How are you able to manage your symptoms? Sent from my LGMS550 using the BariatricPal App

I had a gastric bypass in 2006, and for nearly 10 years now I've been anemic and low on magnesium, calcium, iodine, selenium, Vit D. My doc was talking about a transfusion a couple of months ago, and I welcomed the idea. As for Vit D, I've been on 25,000 IU without being in the normal range. So yeah, malabsorption is real. Now that said, based on quality of life and what I knew when I had the surgery, I haven't regretted the surgery. But things went sideways for me a year ago and since then I have learned so much, not about bariatric surgery, but about IBS and auto-immune diseases. I now relate my weight to autoimmune concerns which are tied to IBS - and other digestive concerns. So, even though I am at a good weight (started at 350, now 155, but still have to work at it all the time, FYI), I'm on a gut healing diet and wishing I'd learned about that option before the surgery. The surgery will create a challenge for me in healing my gut. I came to this through Hashimoto's, the Root Cause. Assuming you don't have that particular affliction, I recommend you read The Paleo Approach, Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body. The blog SCDlifestyle was an eye opener, and a book I keep getting recommendations for, but have not read is The Body Ecology Diet. Even if autoimmune disease is a concern for you, these resources will help you understand the root of your GERD. So in summary, I've had 10 years of questionable health and nutrition problems and autoimmune disease challenges and I'm still having to do radical diets to find health, so you might be able to avoid surgery, resolve your GERD and lose your weight without the surgery. Me, I'm still working on it against stacked odds. Whatever path you choose, may you have the best result!

Here is the info from Allergan's site. 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 Crohns disease. You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery. You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for any 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/experienced 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 your 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.

I am interested but the link didn't work. My experience with various diets and WLS have convinced me that diet does impact autoimmune disease. But I think everyone has different triggers. It could gluten for one person and dairy for someone else. WLS provided a unique opportunity to discover mine. Also both psoriasis and fibro pain improved.. I know after medifast diet that soy is a trigger for me. Lost a ton of weight but had the worst psoriasis flare of my life. I also agree losing weight reduces inflammation so it improves things like autoimmune disease. My personal experience supports that but my dermatologist also said the same thing as your doctor. I love my sleeve!

Hello all, Here I am, all 156 pounds of me. Feeling happy, successful, filled with energy and health. (Have I mentioned lately I have normal cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, no sleep apnea, etc.???) I am proud of my success thus far, and feel confident if I continue to maintain the status quo as I was taught, I will have the ability to lose my final 16 pounds. Now that I am getting close to a normal BMI, I find my 2 NUTS telling me 2 different things, and I am wondering exactly how I will proceed from here. First, let me say that my research into this surgery and what it could do for my autoimmune issues was pretty extensive. I looked at medical trials, I talked to every doctor I have (and I have many) about the possibilities for this surgery. I took a risk, and it has paid off. That being said, I am certainly not professing to be a doctor or an RD, but I feel I know my body, and I don't see 140 pounds as an unachievable or unhealthy, nor do I see it as some sort of panacea. I'd like a normal BMI. Call me crazy. I have low muscle tone at the moment, skinny little fingers, small feet. I am not big boned or overly muscular, so a few extra pounds isn't masking anything. Yet, my dietitian (and CDE) who I love and trust has told me I am a perfect weight right now. And a new bariatric center dietitian who sees my weight as slowing down (despite the fact that the least I've ever lost is 3 pounds over a 2 week period) tells me to shoot for 145. I dunno. I see my long-trusted dietitian in a week, and she is planning to start me on maintenance. I figure we can talk about it, but I also plan to work on losing more. I will be up front with her, but man I'm the good kid who follows the rules. It will be hard to tell her no, not yet. Anyone else stuck in a goal dilemma? Best, Amy

I was just talking about this--the pain, not the chance I'll let it deter me from the surgery--with my spouse today. I'm ready to have 3-4 very bad weeks after surgery. I don't want it to go down that way, and I'll follow every direction I can to prevent it, but the first few days could be nearly unbearable: I don't honestly know that any pain meds work on me (I recall continuing to feel the pain, but just, falling asleep despite it ... and they won't let you sleep that long while you're in the hospital, I've been told). I hate hate hate vomiting. I hate being in pain. So I am aware that I might be in agony, at first, and in hard-to-deal-with pain and stomach discomfort, for a while, and I'm still set on going through with it. But then, I have autoimmune arthritis pain to deal with if I don't go through this. My already painful joints will likely continue to deteriorate slowly but inexorably. I already can't walk much distance, due to plantar fasciitis, knee and hip pain, and pain in my lower back. I could lose even that distance and end up in a powered wheelchair when I have to leave the house. My hand and shoulder joints could get enough worse that I can't do the crafting I do for fun, or the typing on a keyboard I do for a living. (This could happen even with the surgery, but it has good odds of preventing it.) Aside from the arthritis and asthma (which I've had my whole life, at every weight), I'm healthy. Yeah, even at 300+ pounds. It really pisses off some doctors. But the arthritis has decreased the exercise I can do and the amount of time I can spend preparing healthy foods for myself, which means I can't look forward to staying healthy, if I don't go through with this. Without the arthritis, or another equally bad comorbidity, I wouldn't go through with it. That's real talk about me, not advice for you. You should weigh the pros and cons for yourself and decide if you're willing to endure one really bad month (could be more, could be a lot less, but that's kind of what I'm building myself up to deal with) or not.

Holy crap judgmental much? I was never an overeater and have had on and off bad head hunger. I gained weight because of various psych meds and autoimmune disease. Sounds like you need to get your judgmental ass into therapy more than the rest of us.

I am 73 years old and I was sleeved this past Wed 19th. All of my doctors said I was a good candidate despite my age and autoimmune disease. You are not too old.

I have been hypothyroid for more than a decade. Once you are hypothyroid, you typically have the disease for life. As far as the results of my weight loss surgery are concerned, I have more energy than ever. I no longer feel sluggish or overly tired. By the way, I also suffered from autoimmune idiopathic hives for many years, but the problem resolved within months after bariatric surgery.

Everybody is different. Personally I am 4 mos out and maybe I would go now. At 6 weeks I was dead to the world. I do have two autoimmune diseases that probably made a impact on my healing. But, I agree with Laura-Ven and don't let anything get in your way of that surgery! Good luck!

Yay my nutritionist told me that I don't have to do the shakes just must eat a no carb, no sugar diet. So essentially just preparing me for the rest of my life. Also forgot to mention in the above post Height - 6'3" Starting Weight - 140kg or 308lbs Surgery date - 7th June and I'm Australian. I've struggled with my weight my whole life, can't remember being anything other than fat from about 8 years old, being teased, having to shop in different clothes shops, shopping used to make me so sad when I was younger. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the beginning of this year and one of the meds I'm on caused me to gain 25kg or 60lbs in 3 months regardless of what I ate. I'm actually so excited about this, it's the first time I felt this happy all year 13 days and counting 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

fiddleman, my friend with a degenerative autoimmune disorder and fibro (no NSAIDs) discovered a combo of tylenol, turmeric tea, low inflammation diet and anti inflammatory juice combo really did wonders for her.

I swear... my saga never ends. Got the good news about my kidney. Then I got the latest blood results back. My labs were WONDERFUL. Except for my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level. It was high enough to order more tests to see what was going on, and to see if I had Hashimoto Disease (and another autoimmune but can't remember what). Seriously? My TSH has NEVER been high before. And the rest of my labs were so perfect I would have thought that they ran someone else's blood instead of mine... except that bilirubin level was still high (but not quite as high). So... back to the lab again. More calls with my nurse practitioner. Turns out my newer thyroid related tests were all fine. WHEW! Another close call. So... bilirubin still high (may never know why), but my liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, stomach, intestines (the parts they could see), Right kidney, and my thyroid are all in good shape. Nasty scarring on my left kidney, but otherwise fine. My EKG is back to normal. No UTI after my last round of antibiotics. Oh... skin checks are usually normal too (had 2 cancerous lesions removed but not the bad kind). Knee seems to be doing better after an injury. I do have some mild osteopenia. I guess that just leaves my lungs that haven't been checked out recently? Hmmm... wonder when I will have a bad asthma flareup... seems like that will be next LMAO. Oh.... and my brain hasn't been checked, but I did pass my psych eval well enough to qualify for surgery, so I guess that is good. But really... what is next? LMAO Grateful everything is good news, but boy am I sick of doctors visits! I need to reschedule my dermatologist 6 month check, and my eye exam, then I have my nutritionist and surgeon nurse practitioner visit in the next 2 months back to my FNP and cardiologist in the fall... but after that I would really love to have yearly visits only! And to fire a couple docs!

I want to ask a few questions to. I am new to this site. I have Hashimotos and fibromyalgia. Autoimmune diseases are the worst. I take 200 m of thyroxine and am constantly exhausted. Plus all the other things I take for pain and reflux. My body is truely a mess..I am post menopausal and my hashimotos has gone out of control. My weight gain has been 20kg( sorry I am Australian ) about 55lbs. In 4 years... Just crazy. I have been on every diet known to man...lol...hence my name... So I have been reading what others with the same disease are saying and they do have success. My 1st appointment is next week. Do the Drs know the true answer to malabsorption of vitamins? Having autoimmune diseases I am concerned getting more such as Parkinson's because of lack of the proper vitamins to support my body? Will the vitamins I take orally be enough will they absorb? Should I get vitamin injections instead. What are the crucial questions to ask the Dr in my first visit? Looking forward to hearing back from you any thoughts will be well received.

I was told and read the same thing. It's because Lupus is an autoimmune disease and the body attacks the band, rejecting it. What I am unclear on is why that happens with Lupus but not RA or Multiple Sclerosis, both autoimmune diseases as well.

I’m scheduled to have a sleeve in August and have RA, which is an autoimmune disease. I’m just curious if anyone with RA has had any complications or healing issues? I’m 52 y/o. 5ft 7in. 235lbs. I’m confident in my decision to have this procedure and having it at BariatricPal MX, I’m just nervous about being off my RA meds and having a compromised immune system.

In 2008, I had surgery for the lap band. I never really did lose that much weight with it - I started off at 220 or so. I think the lowest I got down to was 140 or so. I also had reflux before I had the band, so as you might imagine, the band made it worse. In 2017, my band slipped; I couldn't even drink water, nothing could go down, so the band was removed immediately. The surgeon who removed it is a bariatric surgeon, so I mentioned my real concern about gaining the weight back. He then suggested the sleeve. One year almost to the day, I went through surgery for the sleeve. My doctor also fixed the hiatal hernia that had developed from the band. I knew the sleeve surgery had its risks, particularly since I already had scarring from where the band used to be. However, all went well, and I am so happy that I went through it. I feel fantastic, no more reflux, no more antacids, and I lost approximately 105 pounds from when I had the band. I fluctuate between weighing 112 to 115 pounds. I haven't been this weight in 30 years. Part of my concern about the band removal was the prospect of needing to take prednisone in the future. I have a autoimmune disorder (sarcoidosis) that is mostly dormant but flared up once, and I needed to take prednisone for six months in order to function. I must have gained about 50 or 60 pounds while on steroids - my appetite was voracious. I was afraid that if I didn't have something like the band or the sleeve to curb my eating, I could really gain weight if I needed to go back on prednisone. I hope your surgery went well today!

I'm so sorry you've been diagnosed with shingles! They are agonizing, but hopefully you will recover from them soon. I had shingles a few years ago, during one of the calmer, less stressful times of my 20s, before becoming obese or having weight loss surgery. I have autoimmune issues that made me more susceptible, but another contributing factor was having a severe vitamin D deficiency. Many people are deficient in vitamin D, and it's even more common in those who are overweight due to how the body stores this vitamin. I definitely recommend that everyone have their levels checked and treat the issue if necessary before undergoing WLS or anything else that could be stressful. A new vaccine with a fantastic rate of efficacy has been developed, but most insurance companies will only cover it if you're older. It's possible they'd be willing to provide the coverage if your doctor could argue that you have an underlying condition that would put you more at risk. The vaccine that is currently available isn't as effective, though it does still help. My dad had shingles last November on his eye, and his doctors said it could have been severely damaging. He'd had the old vaccine, and though it didn't prevent shingles, it greatly diminished the severity of it. I hadn't realized I had shingles until the blisters had erupted, and started the antivirals late. Ice packs helped reduce the pain and itchiness a lot. I also got a cream from Whole Foods that was pricy but worth it for how it helped. I actually still have it in our medicine cabinet and can get the name when I'm home tonight if you think it might be of use.

I don't know about the seizure disorder but if it helps, from the seminar I went to, my surgeon's biggest issue was people with autoimmune disorders, so if I remember correctly, that won't pertain to you! I too have done WW....I've lost 40 pounds about 10 times! LOL Always gained it back plus plus until I topped out at 405 and realized I had to have more in my arsenal than what any current "diet" offered. So welcome and good luck!

ok, I just responded to what I think was your original post, then I see this one. wow, maybe the energy you'll get from fixing your heart will help you exercise and lose weight without the lapband, but if not, what a thing to be thankful for! listen, that's one reason I think infertility treatment to some extent - at least the testing part - should be covered by insurance. Through all the tests I had done with that, my docs found several little things wrong with my body that I would have never known about. a slight autoimmune disorder, a thyroid problem, and insulin resistance (not diabetes) which was causing polycystic ovaries. had I not gotten these things treated, some of them would have turned into very serious things down the road. Best of luck. it's a miracle what docs can find and fix these days. everything but cancer . . .

Have you had a pouch test to see if everything is in tact? Also, good to have a good physical as there are many things that can cause tiredness and weight imbalance... low vit D, thyroid as you said and done drs dobt follow the updated values on what is considered hypothyroidism, anemia, autoimmune diseases, Cushing's syndrome, pcos, and more I do think going back to the basics for more then a week might be. Good idea especially if you do have anoyhet unknown issue in the way. You can document everything so you have evidence to show the insurance and new doctor that you tried everything and here are the results Maybe you do need a revision but if you have a primary thyroid condition, a revision is not likely to fix it help much...your body needs repair first with meds, than WLS can be considered. I have bipolar, and lithium has given me hypothyroidism but after a couple years on thyroid meds, it's better. I was just sleeved and I have pcos too and I notice my weight is slow to move off despite following the rules. Still tweaking things though... I have to get steroids from time to time and that makes me voraciously hungry, pack on lbs and store fat for the winter lol but I'm still loosing with the surgery just not as fast as my counterparts it seems.... So, having thyroid issues should not make you gain huge amounts and loose nothing with the sleeve in place unless something is wrong with the sleeve and it happens even though not often I have to be very strict about my meals bc I dobt lose as fast so maybe you need a diet reset for longer, document every crumb for yourself, the NUt, surgeon old or new and insurance. Also suggest getting a good exam..maybe you need a new gp!! Good fortune

OD, have you explored alternative eating? I love meat, total coyote, but because of my autoimmune stuff, I am learning a lot about "raw" cuisine and it is incredibly healthful and tasty and has tought me that we don't have to miss out or deprive ourselves, just play with the ingredients! I mean heck, you can have truffles and cake for goodness sake, via Eggface's Protein recipes

Hi DDBug, I am praying that you get good news at your appointment. In the event that you find that it is RA, though, please look up Dr John McDougall (a doctor whose diet has been shown to halt numerous autoimmune disorders - he provides all his info for free) and Dr Garth Davis (a Bariatric surgeon who recommends a McDougall-like diet to his patients). Both are leaders in their fields and will be easy to google. Congratulations on your baby boy and your weight loss. I hope you get some answers soon!