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Ok all, it's been a long time since I've been on here. The lapband was very successful for me and it'll be 5 years next month. I need some 'banded' opinions. I went to the gastroenterologist. See, my whole life I've had problems. I've had constipation for over a decade, I started getting horrible acid about a year before I was banded, vomiting my whole life (never had a fever, would just feel sick and then after I'd feel back to normal). Anyway, I had been trying to keep track of food I had eaten and I was really starting to suspect Celiac disease. I also have Hashimoto's so...I have a history with Autoimmune problems. So I go in after years of pain and I see a dr. He scheduled me for a whole bunch of tests: colonoscopy, upper GI endoscopy, an xray. Haven't done the others but the xray...well I had a weird reaction to the barium. It kind of tingled and burned a little going down and made me really sick. I didn't find the taste gross at all so it wasn't that (and yeah, I know I'm weird). It was about 5-10 minutes after drinking I started having a full body reaction. I got clammy and almost passed out....then threw up the barium and I felt almost completely normal again. I then guzzled a big glass of Water no problem. However, (though they didn't wait long for the barium to move down), they said the barium wasn't going past my band. Which is silly because I have absolutely no problems with eating or drinking and I was opened wide up for a port revision under my muscle less than a year ago. They said my band was placed correctly except it's kind of the opposite direction that most are placed however I got the big band and I'm a very tiny woman and my doctor had also initially placed my port a little funny too. I think he had reasons for it and I don't question it because he had done many surgeries and was an award winning doc. To make a note of things, the acid only happens when I have super fatty food-just like it did BEFORE the band. Otherwise all of my problems are in my intestines-I love my band and it's never caused my problems before. I rarely PB anymore. And I only throw up with certain foods (thus why I suspected Celiac). But now my Gastro has canceled the colonoscopy and basically just wants to make this about my lapband. 1. My actual problems don't seem to be getting addressed. 2. I'm afraid this is just going to be a costly side trek and it'll just end with them saying they probably want my band out.

I posted on another forum on this site a few days ago. I was trying to get a support group together for RA and other autoimmune disorders. I'm pre-op and am very happy to see that you seem to be doing better post-op. I typically take about 1800mg of ibuprofen daily (I know, I know), and it terrifies me how disabled I might become if I can't take NSAIDs post-op. Any advice, encouragement will be greatly appreciated. I have decided to have faith that as my obesity decreases, my inflammatory levels will decrease, and my hands and feet will not be as swollen and painful.

I don't have RA but I have lupus another autoimmune disorder. Had surgery in Oct 12 I've been off my lupus meds since. My labs have been normal and lesser episodes of joint pain.. surgery or should I say weight loss helped control my lupus best thing I ever did..

I read this article about lap band an i want to ask a question. How long does the lapband last. I went to a seminar in the town that i live in and asked a doctor that puts in lapbands how long does it last? He told me forever but nothing last forever we all know that so my question is how long does the lapband last really. The article said that they need more research because they dont know how long they can last in a human body. Help me yall im having second thoughts after reading that. Not only how long does it last but does it cause autoimmune diseases? What are the research on that im lost?

I have lupus and have noticed an improvement in my symptoms. I take hydroxychloroquine and haven't had a flair since sleeved Jan 23. This surgery seems, somehow, to put ppl into remission or seriously lessen the symptoms. It is unknown why. Kinda like how autoimmune disorders frequently remit during pregnancy. So be open with your rheumy but I don't think an autoimmune disorder is a reason not to get the sleeve. I think it may be more of a reason to go for it (and the added bonus to easier arthritic control with increased weight loss)!!

I have an autoimmune disease (psoriatic arthritis, little psoriasis but severe arthritis) and was sleeved five weeks ago. I don't want to give you or anyone else false hope, but the surgery has put my condition into remission. No-one can understand why, not even my rheumy. I was on two immune suppressant treatments just to keep everything at bay - methotrexate (chemo drug) for last 7 years (max dose for last two years) and had been in discussion about cutting back - I stopped it 7 weeks ago and currently don't need it. Also inject a biological therapy once a week. Rheumy restarted it 3 weeks post surgery to stay ahead of my immune system starting to attack my joints again and, touch wood, all is going well. So down to one jab a week and my life has been transformed. I know it may return with a vengeance so am taking things week by week. Bariatric centre and rheumy watching with interest. Good luck with your surgery, I wish you the very best and a good outcome for you!

Not-Quite-Everything you Need to Know about Lap-Bands Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. May 2013 When the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, admitted in May 2013 that he got gastric Lap-Band surgery, many pundits assumed it was because he plans to run for president. But the choice raised questions about the governor’s judgment. Why would he chose a weight loss strategy that has become so unpopular that the major manufacturer of lap bands, Allergan, no longer wants to make them?[1] Most weight loss strategies don’t work for most people – usually they lose weight and then gain it back, and that can make it harder to lose again. But it is important to keep trying, because obesity can kill people by increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some kinds of cancer. Lap-Bands help many people lose weight rather dramatically – some lose 50-100 pounds in the first 6 months or year. Unfortunately, Lap-Bands are often not a lasting solution to obesity. For example, an obese woman with high blood pressure will see her blood pressure go down in the first years after surgery, but will increase if she gains weight back after that. Even more controversial than the use of Lap-Bands to treat life-threatening obesity if the use for people who are not extremely overweight. The American Heart Association advises “bariatric surgery should be reserved for patients who have severe obesity” and only when medical therapy has failed and surgery is a safe option.[2] The FDA came to a different conclusion, and they approved lap-bands for people who are only slightly obese (with a BMI as low as 30) if the person has a serious health problem caused by their weight. If you’re thinking about getting a Lap-Band, here’s the information that can help you decide. Q: What is a Lap-Band? A: A Lap-Band is a silicone band around your stomach that reduces the room for food so that you feel full after eating very small amounts. If you eat too much, especially too much of certain kinds of food, you will feel nauseous or will vomit. That will discourage your from overeating and help you lose weight. It is a less complicated surgery than gastric bypass surgery, but most people with Lap-Bands don’t lose as much weight as patients undergoing gastric bypass. Also, Lap-Bands are reversible, and gastric bypass is not. Q: Whatever diet I use, I can’t keep my weight off. Will a Lap-Band help me lose weight and keep it off? A: Most people with Lap-Bands lose weight during the first year. Surprisingly few people continue to lose weight after that, despite the small amounts of food they can comfortably eat. After a year, people who have Lap-Bands usually stabilize at their new weight, or start gaining weight again. Some gain and lose weight just like they did when they were on different diets. Despite how difficult it is to eat solid food, many people don’t lose weight with a Lap-Band. Approximately one-third of the people with Lap-Bands have them removed and not replaced within 1-5 years. Q: If a Lap-Band makes it impossible to eat a large amount of food, how is it possible that some people don’t lose weight with a Lap-Band? A: There are fattening foods that people can eat large quantities of even with a Lap-Band, such as ice cream and liquids. If you enjoy ice cream, drink many high-calorie beverages, or eat small meals all day long, it is possible to not lose weight or not lose much weight. In fact, a company that makes Lap-Bands, Allergan, found in their research that some patients actually gained weight! Q: Can a Lap-Band be dangerous? Can it kill you? A: All surgery has risks, including Lap-Band surgery. Almost all patients will survive Lap-Band surgery, but the risks increase after surgery. We know that patients have died as a result of Lap-Bands, including some patients who were not so overweight that their obesity would have killed them. We don’t know how often that happens, but it is important for patients and their families to understand that there are serious risks that may be greater than the likely benefits for patients who are not dangerously obese. One of the risks of Lap-Bands is that weight loss after surgery can increase the risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias. Research shows that the Lap-Band can deteriorate or causes a perforation in the gastro-intestinal tract, where acids and fecal matter can leak into the abdomen. Researchers at the European School of Laparoscopic Surgery found that more than one-fourth of Lap-Band patients had experienced band deterioration within 12 years.[3] It can take less than 30 minutes of surgery to get a Lap-Band, but patients can end up undergoing emergency surgery and staying in the hospital for days when something goes wrong. Lap-Bands do not last forever, so even if the patient has a good experience with a Lap-Band, eventually it will wear out and need to be removed (and replaced, if the patient wants it to be). The European School of Laparoscopic Surgery study followed Lap-Band patients for 12 years and found that half had their bands removed within that period of time.[3] Each additional surgery, whether to take a band out or replace it, is an added risk. Q: Why do people have their Lap-Bands removed? A: Some people never lose weight from a Lap-Band, so they get the Lap-Band removed a few months after it’s put in. Some have terrible side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or perforation of the gastro-intestinal tract, mentioned above. In some cases the Lap-Band slips off or starts to deteriorate, requiring surgery, and the patient decides to remove the Lap-Band and not take that risk again. Lap-Bands can deteriorate after just a year or two, or possibly a few years later. These are some of the other reasons why people have their Lap-Bands removed. Some people just get tired of their Lap-Bands because they don’t like to have such draconian limits on what they can eat. They long to have a sandwich or a small bowl of Pasta, or to eat a regular meal with their family or friends. As long as you’re losing weight, the restrictions may be tolerable for many people, but may not seem worth it if you haven’t lost any weight in months or even years. Q: What are the health benefits of a Lap-Band? A: If a person who is overweight has the willpower to eat only the small amounts of food needed to feel full, a Lap-Band can help him or her lose weight and keep it off. How often does that happen? Most people who are obese don’t eat only when they are hungry, they eat for other reasons. There are no studies to tell us how long the average obese person will keep a Lap-Band, but we know that many patients have their Lap-Bands removed. The latest research shows that two-thirds of very obese people with Lap-Bands needed additional surgery over the next decade and almost half had their Lap-Bands removed because of complications. That doesn’t include people who had their Lap-Bands removed because they were ineffective or because the patients didn’t like them. Would less obese people do any better? On the contrary, it seems logical that a very obese person will be more motivated to keep their Lap-Band because they are more thrilled about losing 60-100 pounds than a slightly obese person will be about losing 30 pounds. We need better research to find out what the real benefits are. Here’s a good research study that someone should do: find 200 average height women who are 30 pounds overweight at the age of 25 and who want Lap-Bands. Then find 200 of the same height and weight who choose other types of dieting instead. Ten years later, how healthy are the women who had Lap-Bands compared to those that didn’t – and how much do the women weigh in each group? Q: How much does Lap-Band surgery cost? How much does it cost to remove a Lap-Band? A: It usually costs between $15,000-$30,000 to put in a Lap-Band. If there are complications, removal will cost at least that much and possibly much more. If you are considering a Lap-Band, find out if your health insurance will pay for the surgery and be sure to find out if it will pay to have the Lap-Band removed. Many insurance companies will only pay for one Lap-Band surgery, so they will pay to put it in, but not to take it out. Remember that Lap-Bands do not last forever, and we don’t know exactly how long they usually last. Some last just a year or two, and we estimate that most will not last more than 10 years even in the most ideal circumstances. Q: I’ve seen ads that say a Lap-Band can save your life. Can they say that if it isn’t true? A: It is possible that a Lap-Band could save a person’s life. That doesn’t mean it can save your life, and it doesn’t mean it will save the lives of most people who get them. It may not even improve the health of most people who get them. Ads by doctors are usually not regulated to ensure “truth in advertising.” Q: Lap-Bands have been sold in the U.S. for almost 10 years and in other countries for 15 years. Why are there no studies of people who have had Lap-Bands for 10 years? A: Some people think the companies that make Lap-Bands haven’t done the studies because they are concerned that the results won’t be good for sales. All we can say is that the companies haven’t published any studies, and the companies say that they have not done the studies. Q: What happens when Lap-Bands deteriorate? Will aging Lap-Bands cause even more serious health problems? A: A Lap-Band that deteriorates can kill or seriously harm a patient if it is not removed. We don’t know how long most Lap-Bands will last in the human body before they deteriorate and that is why the FDA is requiring Allergan to do studies to answer those questions. However, the FDA says Allergan can sell Lap-Bands to people who are only slightly obese even before those studies are started. Q: What is the scientific evidence that Lap-Bands are safe and effective? Allergan, one of the companies that makes Lap-Bands, provided two studies to the FDA. One is a 3-year study of about 178 patients from the ages of 18 to 55, with the original BMI criteria of 35 or higher. Those people were dangerously obese. The second study has only 149 patients from the new target weight group, who were slightly obese (BMI of at least 30) with weight-related health problems. All the patients were 18 to 55 years old and none had diabetes. They were all studied for only one or two years. Q: Isn’t 149 people a rather small study? Did the studies include men and women and different racial and ethnic groups? A. Yes, 149 people is a small study, and the study included only 14 men, 14 African Americans, and 16 Hispanics. There were even fewer Asians and Native Americans. The men had less success with the Lap-Band than women. We need better research to determine whether men don’t do as well when researchers control for confounding variables such as weight and illnesses. We need to study more African Americans and Hispanics to know if it is safe and effective for them. Q: Why was the new study only one year long? A: As stated above, one has to wonder if the company was concerned that a longer study would not have favorable results. That still leaves us wondering why the FDA did not require a study that lasted at least 3 years. Obviously, a one- or two-year study is too short-term to determine long-term safety. Implanted devices often work well for a few years, and then problems arise. Since Lap-Bands have been sold in the U.S. for almost 10 years, the company should have studied them for at least 5-8 years. Q: Are Lap-Bands especially risky for some people? A: In the study conducted by Allergan, none of the patients had a personal history or family history of autoimmune. That’s because of concerns that the implant could exacerbate autoimmune problems. For that reason, Lap-Bands should not be approved by the FDA for patients with a personal history or family history of autoimmune disease. Allergan proposed a “caution“-not a warning-for patients with autoimmune diseases or symptoms, and did NOT mention a family history of those conditions. That is risky, since the company intentionally did not study patients with either a family history or personal history of autoimmune disease because of concerns about the dangers. We don’t know if the FDA will require a warning for autoimmune patients and those who have family members with autoimmune diseases, but they should. We know that some doctors don’t know that Lap-Bands were not studied in patients with autoimmune disease, and don’t know that the company has cautioned against their use for those patients. As a result, some patients get very ill. Jessica Resas is one such patient, living in Texas. Jessica had an autoimmune disease and her sister had lupus when Jessica got her Lap-Band. She lost more than 100 pounds, but says she has never felt so sick as she does now. In a letter, she asked, “Please advise me of what I need to do to verify if my issues are due to a reaction to the Lap-Band, and if I remove it will the symptoms disappear? …I don’t want to become debilitated to the point that I can’t work or function. I have a 70-year old mother to look after.” Jessica’s autoimmune symptoms might be caused by her Lap-Band, or might not be, but we need research to find out for sure. If studying Lap-Bands on people with Jessica’s autoimmune history is too risky, then it is also too risky for doctors to put Lap-Bands in people with that autoimmune history. Q: Is there any reason to think Lap-Bands are less safe for African American or Hispanic women? A: African American women and Hispanic women are especially vulnerable to lupus and several other autoimmune diseases. There are also other racial and ethnic differences that could influence safety. Is the Lap-Band safe for them? We can’t answer that question because so few were studied. However, we think the risks are likely to be greater than the benefits for African American and Hispanic women because they are more likely to have autoimmune symptoms or diseases. Q: Should I get a Lap-Band? A: Are you addicted to eating? If so, a Lap-Band is probably not going to help you lose weight. Do you love ice cream or fattening drinks? If so, a Lap-Band is probably not going to be effective in helping you lose weight. Do you have auto-immune symptoms or family members with an auto-immune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, or scleroderma? If so, the risks of a Lap-Band are higher for you. Does your insurance cover additional surgery if the Lap-Band doesn’t work out? If it does, are you sure your insurance will be as generous a few years from now, when you are most likely to need additional surgery? If insurance or tight finances might be a problem for you, you should probably not undergo Lap-Band surgery at this time. Think about all the eating restrictions with a Lap-Band: no more regular size meals. (We don’t mean no more Thanksgiving dinners, we mean no more dinners that are one-third the size of a Thanksgiving dinner). No more pasta dinners – maybe four noodles will be ok, but not more. Before choosing a life of those types of restrictions, make at least one more serious effort to improve your diet and exercise habits, and see if you can lose weight without surgery. After you have made that effort, if you are still obese, check out what the latest research shows about Lap-Bands and talk to your doctor about your options. After you read this article, think about how you feel about your life. What risks are you willing to take to lose weight for what might be only a year or two? If you are dangerously obese or extremely unhappy with your weight, the risks might be worth it, but this should not be a quick decision. You might want to wait a year or more until better research has been done, to figure out how effective Lap-Bands are and if some types of gastric bands are safer than others. http://center4resear...bout-lap-bands/

Per the Allergan website, there is NO warnings or contradictions for people with RA or MS. It is NOT all autoimmune diseases that have a problem with the band, in fact it's only a very small number of them: "You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases." Here's the original text: https://www.lapband.com/learn-about-lapband/lapband-is-for-you

I've heard this as well.. The only things I have found is this : Allergan intentionally did not study patients with either a family history or personal history of autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS or scleroderma, because of concerns about the dangers for those patients. We don’t know if FDA will require a warning for autoimmune patients and those with family members with autoimmune diseases, but they should. If the risk was too high to study Lap-Bands for those patients, it’s too high to sell Lap-Bands to those patients. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/what-you-need-know-about-lap-band-surgery?page=5 Here is a link to a similar thread http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/122498-rheumatoid-arthritis-lap-band-surgery/

RA isn't considered a contradiction for the Lap Band. In fact, the majority of autoimmune diseases are fine with the band. The problem is specifically with connective tissue autoimmune diseases, like Lupus, but even some Lupus patients do fine with the band. (this is per the Allergan/Lap Band band website) Btw, I too have an autoimmune disease and I've had the band for 16 months. I have Multiple Sclerosis. The band has done nothing but help me tremendously and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Hello, I am finding conflicting info regarding as to whether or not one can have a lap band with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder. I am curious if anyone on here has RA and currently has or had a lap band? I am not talking about osteoarthritis, which is a totally different disorder. In 2003 when lap band was fairly new to the US I went to a seminar and they told us if you had an autoimmune disorder you could not have a lap band. I decided that left me out. I have a positive RA titer on my blood test. I have not had any luck since then losing a great amount of weight. The other day when I went to my rheumatologist I decided to ask him if I still could not have the lap band just to see if anything had changed. I was not seeing a rheumatologist back in 2003. My doctor told me he saw no reason why I couldn't have a lap band and did not understand why they would of told me that in 2003. His reasoning is that doctors put foreign objects in arthritis patients all the time in knee and hip replacements. He was all for me getting the lap band. I am obese and have diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, depression, sleep apnea and RA. He feels it would really help me. I had pretty much convinced myself to go for it, but now I am uneasy about it. I can't seem to find much data on success of lap band patients and RA. I would like to find some people that have RA and have had success with the lap band. I am taking a lot of medication and could most likely eliminate half of it if I lost a good portion of weight. I am 5 foot 2 inches and weigh 210. I have not always been overweight. I am 49 years old and would like to have a long life, but realize the odds are against me if I can't get some weight off. I have tried many things since 2003 with no success. I am not interested in gastric bypass as my sister has had it done. She has had nothing but problems such as vomiting and diarrhea on a daily basis. I am not sure if it is due to her not following the protocol or just complications, but i have seen enough of her problems that I don't want to go that route. Her immune system is also a real problem. Can anyone help me with any information? Do any of you think that it may be just something that I have to try and if it doesn't work out have it removed. That is what I am beginning to think as there are no guarentees with any surgery. Thank you for your time in advance. Sincerely, MichelleDenise

Only connective tissue autoimmune diseases and a few specifically listed gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases are contradictions to the Lap Band. This is per the Allergan website. Psoriasis isn't one and isn't listed so you should be fine.

Everyone is correct...the VSG does NOT get rid of Hypo/Hyperthyroidism or Hoshimoto's. In my case the surgery did absolutely nothing to change my medication dosage...I have Hoshimoto's Autoimmune disease.

If you have the autoimmune type of Thyroid Disease, it doesn't go away after the surgery, however Sarsar is right in that you have to be re-evaluated. My doctor told me that it is not uncommon to have to have a reduction in the dose following a large weight loss. I have not had my post op Thyroid evaluation yet as I am only 3 weeks out, but I will be going in soon to have the test checked to see where I am.

I had hypothyroid before surgery, you will feel better as soon as your levels improve (a week or two). Not sure how the surgery caused this though this is usually caused by autoimmune disease.

I'm right there with worm I'm keeping it real, had my surgery in Dec, open Diary, struggle with Protein intake , because I do not do meat real well, so my choices vary are limited, and I have an autoimmune disorder that affects my joints and organs so my weight loss slow and steady! however I'm an open book feel free to add me shakiraa80 Cyn-shakiraa Dos 12-17-12

Me! I have an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis. My surgeon told me not to take my naproxen any more but I've been taking it anyway, along with my prilosec. I used to take it twice a day. Now, I just take it once a day. I also take Enbrel injections weekly. I have fibromyalgia too so I take neurontin and zanaflex for my muscle spasms. I wouldn't worry about it until after your surgery. I started taking my naproxen about a month after my surgery and it hasn't bothered me at all. I'd say the Coke Zero bothers my stomach more than the naproxen does. Depending on what kind of arthritis you have, there are a lot of options for pain control after having the vertical sleeve.

I have Hoshimoto's which is the thyroid autoimmune disease. I have flares where I swing back and forth between Hyper and Hypo but for the majority I am hypo and so are all of my symptoms. I was on Levo and Synthroid for 6-10 years until last fall when I had enough. I switched to Armour 120mg a day and it has changed my life. Unfortunately, the weight didn't change at all but that is fairly typical at least for women. However, my symptoms, tired, achy, brain fog, lethargic feeling all decreased dramatically…some of them completely. I found a doc who treats by the symptoms not just blood work. Just because you are in the 'appropriate" blood work range doesn't mean that you feel any better. I know for me I am at my best when my blood work comes back at around a 1.5-2.0. Some people do better lower. My doc is not an endo either. She is internal med. I had 4 prominent endos in KC and they all refused to listen and went solely on blood work results not how I felt. Their answer to everything was losing 50 lbs. Well autoimmune disease and thyroid issues typically aren't affected by weight high or low. One key to the success I have with Armour is I chew it up and i take it the same time every night with water… nothing else because it can affect absorption. The nice thing about Armour too is that if you are having a flare you can break a pill in half during the day and supplement so it will counter the flare. Your doc could explain more about that. The best thing I did for myself was research, research, research. http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ is by far one of the best thyroid sites out there. Please check it out. It helped me tremendously. Good luck!

I am 6months post-op and recently diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I give myself weekly shots of methotrexate and seems to be helping. I still have some joint pain and it makes exercising challenging BUT I canNOT imagine how much worse I would feel if I still had those 65lbs. I feel so much better in my skin. I no longer have sleep apnea which is HUGE. Here is the challenging part, I HAVE to make sure I get all the protein and fluids in (vitamins daily and B12 shots monthly) or I have low energy. Its difficult for all of us but I think its even more crucial when dealing with autoimmune issues. Please keep that in mind. I had a problem taking Rx pills for psoriatic arthritis with my little tummy. Thats why i do injections and its the best choice i made. Very, very small needles. Easy to do and only once a week vs 2 pills a day. Life is truly sweeter now. I really wish I had surgery years ago. You all are going to be sooo happy! Its not every day you turn your life around. Enjoy the journey.

Being supportive isn't just living with someone and dieting with them every once in a while. My husband ha beyond supportive and here are sine basic things he did for me: 1. what I eat he eats when we are around each other. I am 7 weeks out and he still does this. When he is at work or out on his own then he indulges. I keep saying it is not needed but he said if it helps me only 5% it is worth it. I am on regular foods now so it isn't a big deal since we eat baked fish at least once a day and don't eat junk food. 2. He walks with me after dinner a few times a week. I work out daily in the morning but those are great bonding times and we both get exercise. There are so many other things like not buying any junk food or bring it in the house, planning outings were we get exercise in, etc. The bottom line is maybe thinking of all his past failures is rubbing off in him. Maybe he is lazy and doesn't want to try to try too hard. But being there for a loved one who is dealing with this means NOT judging. On things in the past or even last night. Offer to help and help in any way you can without saying a word to him. If he doesn't take it or do the correct things then it is his fault he is not using the tool he has. That is on him and him alone. The other thing is why are you on this site and not him? I get your trying to understand and all but honestly unless you have struggled with this demon like we have you can not ever totally understand. People can explain it to you till they are blue in the face but it can't make sense to you. I have one more thing to toss out. I have 5 autoimmune disorders. Since they wreck my body from the inside and attacked my metabolism making it not functioning no diet in the world would work for me like this has. We all have different reasons for needing this surgery and implying it is because we "let ourselves go" is just ignorant. I'm glad you couldn't let yourself get beyond 30 pounds over the weight you wanted. Good for you but for some of us it was a medical issue or maybe simply we didn't notice how bad it was until it was 100 pounds over. Everyone is different and my heart goes out to each person for doing this for what ever reason. I think good for them for taking a chance to hopefully save their life. In proud if my fellow sleevers and proud of Rick for doing it. Are you? Does he know if you are? How are you showing it? These are things you might want to look it. That's my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.

Yes I ate most of the bread Pn the sub. I am making good choices nothing fried or too high in carbs. My doctor did testing and said everything was normal. My only vice would be pizza and I had one piece last week but could have eaten more that. I limit myself on calories and even if I am hungry dont eat most days. I tell myself this is a tool and I can't be crazy about it. So I write out my calories daily with a food journal. If I have enough calories to eat a slice and it is around I have it. I don't have pizza in my house often and cook 95% of the time so this will work for me. If I was around it more I could see it as my down fall and asked my family to not bring it home. I am short 5 foot 2. So I assumed my sleeve would be short. I also am a type 1 diabetic and have a few other auto immune disorders. I am wondering if that matters. My doctor have done thousands of sleeves but has never had a patient who is a type 1 diabetic and had all my autoimmune issues. I just wonder if that us somehow playing a role in my sleeve if steel. It just seems too good to be true so I am trying to be careful.

Hi, I am curious to know too. I currently have the lapband (since 2008) but seeking revision to sleeve. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease last year. Good luck on your journey!

I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This causes me pain each day, and makes exercise for weight loss (I have always had to do major workouts to lose consistently) very difficult. I have begun the process to be sleeved by September. Anyone else done this procedure with an autoimmune disease? How has it improved or worsened the symptoms? My rheumatologist tells me that the weight loss will help the medications work better (at lower doses), and my surgeon says they deal with AI issues regularly. He did say he would not put in the band, because that can exacerbate symptoms. Thanks in advance! Tina San Antonio, Texas

fatty liver is one of he reasons someone might do this type of surgery, so i'm sure it wont stop you. I have autoimmune liver disease so i'm followed closely by a specialist. He told me that after surgery i will have to be followed closely after surgery because in some patients, fatty liver does develop (of increase) in teh period after surgery. I guess the fat is being metabolised in the liver instead of sugars so it may take a while to adjust to it. a careful watch of LFT on your blood results is the fix.

Hi there I just sent a message to Missy. Im sure she will respond as soon as she is able. I dont have MS however I have Fibro, Raynauds and Lupus. Which is another autoimmune disease. However i was diagnosed after my band placement. My surgeon says if I had been diagnosed before banding he would not have performed it. Because of inflammation an organ involvement. Like I said I dont have MS. So maybe its different.