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Well, it's just that dysphagia is a hallmark symptom of scleroderma. But then again, what do I know...I hadn't even heard of such a thing as an "autoimmune disease" prior to having the procedure done. Compared to other areas of study, I've never been particularly interested in biology/anatomy and didn't start educating myself about our inner workings to speak of until earlier this year. Thanks for your response. -David

Hi, I'm a 28 year old male with a Realize Band. I was banded in Nov. 2009 (weighed 274) and now weigh approx. 222. I lost about 12 pounds from the initial liquid diet, and the rest of the weight loss has been from dysphagia that has been occurring with no fill in the band. I've lost about 35 pounds over the last couple months. I had a bit of fill toward the beginning (a few CCs), but that wasn't enough to cause much restriction. In the early summer, when my left sternocleidomastoid (neck muscle) became inflamed, I had my fill emptied. Most of my weight loss has occurred since that time. Here are my symptoms: -Neck muscle (sternocleidomastoid) inflamed and hurting -Pain in knees and elbows...sometimes in various other bones/muscles/joints -Pain in various places in my abdomen -Dysphagia (hard to swallow even a couple bites of soft-serve ice cream...have to gag myself to get it out) -ears hurt (have already been checked for ear infection; there is none) -often have back pain -Unusually dark urine -heart stometimes feels like it starts beating too fast -Blood pressure has been all over the map lately -Massive headaches I've recently had an upper GI. Also CT scans of my neck, pelvis and abdomen. I've also had an x-ray of my chest. Everything has came back normal. I'm in so much pain that I typically don't want to get out of bed. I'm a college senior, but am not taking classes right now because of this. I almost blew my near 4.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) due to taking classes this summer. I'm concerned that I have scleroderma and will die in my 20's or 30's due to complications related to that. They say not to assume the worst, etc., etc., but my symptoms do seem to match up with scleroderma (AKA systemic sclerosis). I've also read that even though much more women have it than men, more men die from it. I hope that I haven't ended my life before it even starts, but we shall see. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Has anyone here been diagnosed with autoimmune disease(s) as a result of the procedure? I have an appt. w/ a rheumatologist on the 1st. Regards, David

Four years of undiagnosed SIBO raging out of control. Created a waterfall of sugar cravings, micronutrient deficiencies, sleep deficit, autoimmune flares, GI disfunction, food sensitivities, endocrine dysregulation, cravings, binging, dieting, lather, rinse, repeat.

Having gastric bypass is my Gastroenterologist's last ditch effort to help treat my gastroparesis. I also have Crohn's disease, in remission right now. Also Hashimoto's, fibromyalgia, migraines, and a host of bizarre autoimmune problems. I'm barely eating and should weigh 90 lbs, but I continue to gain weight, even after having my thyroid out. Dr hopes the RNY will ease my stomach pain, nausea, and poor motility.

Did I read correctly? You were having caffeine-free, then switched back to regular, of which you consume 5 cups per day? Is that accurate? Regular tea has 55 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Five cups equals 275 milligrams of caffeine daily. You also said you keep the tea-bag in the cup, so you're getting even more caffeine. coffee has 125-185 milligrams (depending on strength.) So you're consuming the equivalent of 2 pretty strong cups of coffee daily. Addiction is weird. I used to be a coffee & Diet Pepsi addict. It got so out of control that I challenged myself to quit. I quit cold-turkey for about six months. But then I started again. However, once I started up again, my body wasn't able to tolerate the caffeine. Two cups of strong black coffee in one day is enough to raise my blood pressure from all the anxiety the caffeine gives me. I'm not familiar with the sweetener that you're hooked on, but I know that I was hooked on artificial sweeteners as well. During my Diet Pepsi days, I would rather go without than drink a regular sugar Pepsi, because I needed the chemical fix. However, a few months ago I was diagnosed with Sarcoid Disease (Sarkoidosis) which is an autoimmune disease. They found granuolas (or granola or some weird mass) on my lungs. It's one of those diseases that lay dormant, so maybe I'll never get sick again, but maybe it will come back with a vengeance. Nobody knows the exact cause of Sarcoidosis, but I recently read a study that said I could have gotten it from Aspartame (Equal.) As of that day, I decided to use plain old Sugar - tried and true since the beginning of time, and at 41 years old, I finally have an excuse to use the damn stuff guilt-free. However, Donali, I agree. The world is full of ridiculous hypocrisies. Is anyone familiar Alcoholics Anonymous or "AA"? Since AA began, they've given birth to the same meetings for other addictions: Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc. I've gone to many AA & OA meetings. During AA meetings, the "sober" alcoholics suck down packs of cigarettes while drinking pots of coffee and eating piles of candy and sugar goodies (replacing the sugar they crave from the alcohol.) Could you imagine if I sat in an Overeaters Anonymous meeting while drinking a bottle of tequila and snorting a plate of cocaine? Did I just babble all that without making a point?

Actually no...I am not banded. My wife is scheduled to be banded this Monday. I have been heavily researching this procedure for her, and doing so from a review of the scientific literature as well as reading as many personal accounts of the procedure as I can find. This board is the first one I have found that seems devoid of all the politics, blatant dis- and mis-information, or "ads" for credit and crap. I have read journal articles and literature reviews of this procedure going back for about 3-4 years...and have based my opinions on that, along with taking personal accounts and considering their post-op behavior and expectations. I have read so much and asked so many questions of the surgeon my wife will be using that I probably am bordering on being a pest...but this is still surgery and I want to be completely satisfied with the choice we have made as she is the most important thing in my life next to our son and I had to be sure of all the details. I am completely comfortable with this procedure and we both understand the risks and rewards. As for my work, I direct a clinical trials laboratory that provides esoteric testing and development for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, focusing mainly on the immunologic impacts of their targeted therapeutics. Most are involved in monoclonal antibody or small molecule based therapeutics in the oncology and autoimmune disease corridors. So yes...I am a science geek...just look at my photo over to the left...

Hello! I’m new here in the investigation stage of doing sleeve surgery. I met with a weight loss Dr in May and started naltrexone (I was already on high dose bupropion) and a high protein/low carb diet. We discussed sleeve surgery for later this year. I lost 10lbs that month despite going on a cruise , but found out just before the cruise that we would be moving over the summer. I pretty much put my weight on hold and went into survival mode dealing with the move and kids who didn’t want to move, etc. But now we’ve moved and settled in and I’m miserable - I can’t be active at all with my kids, clothes are uncomfortable, autoimmune disorders and pain are out of control, and life in general is hard! My new PCP let me go back on naltrexone (I already take bupropion) and I’m looking for the best surgeon near Manhattan, KS (seems like there’s a great option in Topeka and I watched their video yesterday ). Best news is that our insurance here actually will actually cover surgery after the first of the year! I’m concerned about feeding the rest of my family after surgery though. My 10 year old has behavior issues and food or not getting foods she wants is a big trigger. She wants carbs, carb, carbs! She eats me out of house and home. We’re working portion control and body positivity with her. My 8 year old has sensory and feeding issues, barely eating, very underweight, and we’re trying to get his caloric intake UP! And my husband…well… We do convenience foods/fast food often. I have so many questions about how this will all look if I have surgery! Are you making 2 completely different meals for yourself and your family? (I already often make something different for the one who doesn’t eat anything!) How do you manage family food needs while meeting your own as well? I’m afraid of turning to even more convenience foods for family. This seems selfish though. It feels like such a hard balance as a family after surgery! Can anyone relate and tell me how you’ve managed? Sorry so long - thanks for reading!

I'm doing the Bariatric Fusion Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements (4/day), a sublingual B12 a couple of times a week (also Bariatric Fusion brand right now, but I have one of the more standard vitamin brands, Nature Made, for when those are finished), and now that winter's coming uphere I will add in a vitamin D3 a few times a week (D3 is a bit more absorbable than D2; conveniently, I have a bottle of Nature Made vitamin D pills in my cabinet! and they are small!) and some fish oil, when I have permission to add that. (I'm off blood thinners, so I could add them now, but they come in really large caplet form, meaning I'd probably have to break them open. So. I'll wait and not taste the fish oil, if it's all the same.) Since I'm supposed to go back on methotrexate any day now (read: two weeks ago, but I am afraid of what it'll do to my poor stomach), I'll add folic acid tablets when I do that, as well. But it seems like nobody besides autoimmune patients and pregnant people need to supplement that, so ... probably don't? How long after surgery were you able to take the one-a-day vitamins, @Kay07? I don't mind the chewables I'm taking now, but 1) I have an unfinished bottle of one-a-days, and 2) one theory as to why so many bariatric patients end up having tooth problems is our reliance on chewable vitamins. I figure I'd like to switch over once it's safe. The one-a-day vitamins are kind of huge, though. (I'll ask my surgeon's team, too, but anecdotes are welcome!)

Surgery went well. I have very little pain. No nausea. I had a problem coming out of anesthesia but I was told I might have a autoimmune disorder I have to go for testing 3/25 with my dr. But as for the surgery everything went great and I feel great. Went shopping today for a birthday party I have this weekend.

Urbanlamb - I am so sorry you are dealing with so much! I'm in the same camp of not quite believing I can be healthy again. I've for some autoimmune stuff going on and at the moment recovering from Shingles...so I think that's got me a little down. I also have young kids - who are Amazing and perfect - so all my energy right now goes to taking care of them. My house and career are on a bit of hold. I'm sending you lots of healing thoughts and energy. Thanks for your response! Shellie

My sleeve was 12/22. I think I am likely overeating. I am finding it really hard to get in five small meals per day, even while working from home. I am hitting my fluid intake without issue. I am likely going to be going back to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol diet where it makes sense - it is very high protein, healthy fats, low carbs. I felt so great right out of the gate after surgery. Now, not so much. I just need to figure out how to follow the program better.

There are many people with autoimmune diseases and the band with zero problems- including myself. The contradictions that Allergan list are no different than any other drug or device on the market. They have to list all the possible issues to save themselves from lawsuits. It's no different than the birth control not be recommended for women over age 35. Hundreds of thousands of women over 35 take the pill without a problem but they have to list it in the warning for their own protection.

Thanks for the study!! I guess I am just so nervous about gaining the weight back. I found out I have Hoshimotos (autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid) gained 93lbs in a year and have been trying to loose it ever since. I was able to loose 30, but I ended up gaining it all back after my grandmother died last year because of helping my mom with all of the stress/stuff that comes with that... What would you say is key after getting banded to keep the weight off? I'm not a huge fan of support groups (no reason, just not). Obviously the exercise and diet is a huge factor, but anything else? Maybe some good questions I should ask the surgeon when I see him? I am a teacher so I'd like to have the surgery over the summer when I'll know I'll have plenty of time off.

There are a number of reasons someone's liver can be enlarged. For us who are obese it's usually a nonalcoholic fatty liver, but it could be caused by hepatitis, autoimmune conditions, alcoholic fatty liver, cysts, gallbladder issues, mono.. It doesn't sound like she had any identified problem aside from maybe NAFLD. OP - I'm so sorry, I can imagine this is fairly traumatic. I do wonder if it's just the surgeon's level of skill, confidence, or just the liver size that determines a surgeon's plan of action. It does seem to vary widely - for example, I was 325 pre-surgery, 321 on surgery day, and only had a prescribed diet of Clear liquids the day before surgery, no pre-op diet. My surgeon didn't mention any problems with my liver. Do you have any comorbidities that might have affected it? I am surprised that on that low of calorie diet that you didn't lose more than 8 pounds. I really hope you hang in there and follow the diet again (You can do it!) and kick those 20 pounds to the curb so that you can get your surgery done. After this whole ordeal, you deserve to be dropping some weight and feeling great.

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 think it's that common to have a reaction, my mom has an autoimmune disease so I think it was a genetic thing that I reacted to them. With me, it started with a rash on my left hand that eventually spread all the way up my arm and got really nasty. It took a lot of googling to figure out what was causing it. Once I had them removed the rash went away completely. Autoimmune reactions can vary though, depending on the person.

With anemia you don't necessarily have to have a heavy period. There are different types, and since you have Graves, you could have something autoimmune going on with the iron? Lol I read google too much! I've had a few periods since surgery too, and what got me confused was that I had one, it was normal, lasted 6 days blablabla...so it goes away. Exactly a week later I got another period!! For another 6 days! Just went away on Tues. It better not come back next week lol, I will be so mad! And pleaseeee, call the doctor lol

Yea, having an autoimmune disease can mess with your blood, the platelets and red/white count...I had some stuff going on with my counts a few months before surgery, that's when I started googling everything about it lol. Omg I started cramping a little today and I was about to flip if my period came again lol. It was just a little gas tho I think. Ugh I hate being female sometimes! :-O

That's awesome, both of you!! Well done. I love primal, it works for me and it's also been very good for my husband too. He didn't have much to lose (but he has autoimmune issues that have WAY cleared up from being off gluten...yay!), but he's even shed a few. Yay us!!!

I have Multiple Sclerosis I wondered if I could have the surgery. From what I was told I wouldn't have any problem & my neurologist would have to give me the ok. Talked to my Neuro & he thought it was a good idea for his patient & said there shouldn't be any issues. I have been DX for 2yrs. I'm current stable. I do have concerns that I will have a flare up after surgery, it's a risk with any surgery & a autoimmune disorder. There is the option of putting the fibro or whatever autoimmune disorder on the back burner (hush hush) until after surgery. DX these type disorders can take mths or yrs & u don't want ur surgery put off till then. Also don't rush the DX or fibro. DRs told me it basically means they don't know. There maybe another autoimmune disorder that hasn't fully shown itself. Sorry for the book! Lol!

So, I have promised to share my story with anyone who is interested. I’m not simply a bariatric surgery patient. Feel free to ask questions about what I have gone through. I am not shy about talking about my travails and have lots of experience with surgery in general. The photos I am sharing may be disturbing to some people. I am scarred and have an ileostomy. If you are squeamish, you may want to skip the photos. Here we go… Get your popcorn, this is a very long post. My name is Andy. I turned 52 in early July. I am single and live alone with my dog. I’ve been heavy most of my life. But, my journey is about my chronic illness and the effects it has had on me and my body. I have Crohn’s Disease. I started having symptoms when I was 15. It got really bad when I was in the Navy, but it was in 1990 that I was first hospitalized because of it. I was, at first, diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and started on medication. This seemed to help for a while, but it kept getting worse. In 1995, when my doctor said I had to start taking Prednisone again, I opted to have a radical surgery to “cure” me by removing the organ of choice for this autoimmune disease. On April 20, 1995, I had the first of three major abdominal surgeries at Northwestern University Hospital, in Illinois. I had my entire large intestine removed and an internal pouch was made out of my small intestine to take the place of my large intestine. The surgery took almost 12 hours to complete. It was done open incision; laparoscopic surgery of this type was not perfected until the early 2000s. (My youngest brother had this exact surgery performed in 2012 laparoscopically. Crohn’s disease runs in my family.) This pouch was connected to the exit and I had a loop ileostomy for three months while the internal pouch healed. Yes, I pooped into a bag hanging from my stomach for three months back then. Then, after the three months, I went back in for another surgery where they closed the ileostomy and dropped my intestine back inside. Things went well for a couple of years, then I got sick again. I moved to California and started a new job in 2002. When I found a new gastroenterologist in southern California, he did some tests and said I did not have ulcerative colitis, but Crohn’s Disease. (The difference between these two irritable bowel diseases is ulcerative colitis only attacks the large intestine, but Crohn’s disease can attack any part of the digestive system.) This doctor started me on an infusion medication called Remicade. This was the first medication that ever really worked. I took it for about 14 years until I developed antibodies to it. I kept taking it even though it was not working because the doctor never had me tested for antibodies. In 2014, I moved to Idaho. I found my current gastroenterologist, who is the best doctor I have ever had. He put me on Humira. This is a self-injectable medication that also worked for a while, this time about two years. When he saw that the Humira was no longer working, he ordered a blood test that would see if I had antibodies to it. This is when I found out that I had antibodies to both Humira and my previous medication, Remicade. I was then switched to Cimzia, which never worked. I just keep getting sicker and sicker. (The worst part of having Crohn’s disease is there are no outward signs that you are sick. I looked fine but felt like crap all the time. No one at work believed I was sick) One of the side effects of my surgery in 1995 was scar tissue in my small intestines where the ileostomy was. Because of this, I periodically have small bowel obstructions that usually require hospitalization. To date, I have had 17 small bowel obstructions. These usually clear themselves while I am in the hospital, by not eating anything (NPO) and having an NG (Naso-gastral) tube inserted up my nose and down into my stomach, to remove any contents using suction. Let’s jump ahead to last year – May 2017. I had yet another small bowel obstruction. I was hospitalized as usual, but this time it did not clear. I had been in the hospital for two weeks and then they decided I needed surgery to clear the blockage. When I was talking to the surgeon before the surgery, he said I had a 90% chance that I would come out of surgery with a permanent ileostomy. This was not the case. In this second major open abdominal surgery, the surgeon was able to remove scar tissue strictures from the outside of my small intestine and they immediately inflated and the blockage passed. I got lucky. The surgeon told me that if I had another small bowel obstruction, he would be forced to remove my internal pouch and give me a permanent ileostomy. In August of 2017, this is exactly what happened. A bit after 4 am on August 21, 2017 (yes, the day of the total solar eclipse – I’ll say more about this in a minute), I went to the emergency room and was admitted about 8:30 am for yet another small bowel obstruction. I had been up all night throwing up and getting sicker, so I was exhausted by the time I got to my room. About 10 am, the nurse came in and asked if I wanted to go out to the parking lot and watch the eclipse. I was so sick and exhausted that I said no and slept through the entire event. (I live in one of the areas where people came to view the event (eastern Idaho) and I missed the entire thing because of this damn disease…) When the surgeon came in later that day, he said that he had scheduled me for surgery on Wednesday, August 23, 2017,, for the removal of my badly diseased internal pouch and give me a permanent end ileostomy. So, again, I poop into a bag. So, on August 23, 2017, I had the third major open abdominal surgery. One thing to note here is this was the third time I had been opened up in the same place – from just above my belly button, vertically down into my groin. My wound had barely healed from the surgery in May and the surgeon was cutting me open again. This ended up being a long recovery. There were two issues with this surgery: the first was the placement of the ileostomy. The surgeon placed it in the scar tissue from my ileostomy that I had back in 1995. This has caused issues with the seal on my bag. The second issue was the surgical wound. While I got much better since the badly diseased part of my small intestine was surgically removed, the wound did not want to heal. I was in the hospital for over three weeks and eventually sent home on with a wound vac. This device keeps constant suction on the wound and removes any blood and body fluids from the wound, preventing infection and speeding healing. The problem with my wound this time is it was not closed properly and it took over four months for it to close enough for me to stop using the wound vac. I was able to finally return to work in January of 2018. Back to my gastroenterologist. I went to see him in Februar 2018 for a checkup and an intestinal scope, called a sigmoidoscopy. This is basically the same as a colonoscopy, but they use a much smaller device. It is about the same size as an endoscope. When this procedure was over, he said to me that I needed to lose weight. (He basically says this every time I see him, about every three months) This time, I was sick of hearing about it so I asked him for a referral to see a dietician to help me with my weight and my eating. About a month later, I get an unexpected call from a bariatric surgeon’s office near where I live and was invited to a seminar. I went and after the presentation, I went to ask the surgeon a couple of questions about whether or not I was a candidate based on my surgeries. She said that it was not out of the question, but she would need me to make an appointment to be sure. I was seen in late March 2018. When I met with the surgeon, she asked me to lift my shirt and show her my abdomen. She took one look at my scars and said she could do nothing for me. She referred me to a bariatric surgeon at the University of Utah, who I met with on June 29, 2018. Because I had already started the journey, according to my insurance, back in March, the doctor placed me on the fast-track to get everything done. Since June 29th, I have had 14 appointments in Salt Lake City, about 210 miles south of where I live. During this first appointment, I also talked to the bariatric surgeon about my other issues and he referred me to a colo-rectal surgeon, also at U of U. I met with him on July 20, 2018. We discussed revision surgery on the placement of my ileostomy and the removal of internal scar tissue around my small intestines on the left side of my abdomen. He said that these things need to be done and that he would coordinate with the bariatric surgeon. The bariatric surgeon was more hesitant and needed much convincing. I finally was able to talk him into performing both sets of procedures during the same operating room visit. I was finally approved for everything and am scheduled for surgery on September 6, 2018. In early August of this year, I was finally approved for yet another Crohn’s medication – Stelara. This, by the way, is the second most expensive medication in the United States, behind only Harvoni (which is used for hepatitis C). Stelara costs about $20,000 per dose and I have to inject one dose every two months. So far, it is working. So, to recap – on September 6, 2018, I will be having a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, performed laparoscopically (prepped for open, but he is going to attempt laparoscopically first) by Dr. Volckmann as the first procedure performed. While I am still under and after Dr. Volckmann finishes, Dr. Pickron will come in and perform a revision on the location of my permanent end ileostomy and attempt to remove as much scar tissue from my small intestines as he can. This will be performed open, through the same incision location and scar tissue that has been used now three previous times. I am also posting photos of what I look like without clothing, with privates blocked out. Since my surgery on August 23, 2018, only my doctors have seen me this way. And the last photo is of my "surgery" haircut. I hate to deal with my hair in the hospital so I just cut it all off before I go in. If you have made it to this point, thank you for reading my story. I have never written it all down before and as such, have never shared everything with anyone.

It's been a long while since I posted. I am very discouraged. I started at 311lbs and am sitting at 262. I have been here for 4 months. I have complicating autoimmune issues with high dose drugs that made me expect to be a slower loser but this is ridiculous. I will say over winter exercise was minimal as that is when my inflammation and arthritis are worse. But now I cant seem to kick start anything.y calories are around 1000 per day, although somedays I dont quite hit that. Any other tips? Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

It's actually a very interesting question and one that caused me a lot of introspection to understand WHY I put on weight. Consider my situation. 5'6, female, 47 years old, not in menopause, underactive thyroid, and acute inflammation from an autoimmune disease the latter two of which will slow down weight loss. Eats 1200-1300 calories a day most days--yes, seriously. Tracks calories religiously for years and years. You show me a food, I can tell you how many calories in it. Ate "badly" at times in one or two ways. Either starved myself on 800 calories a day for months on end, or ate 2-3 pieces of cake one week or maybe those damn little Debbie Peanut Butter things (can we say trigger foods??!). I have never eaten a whole cake, a whole pizza, a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting. I never hid my eating, binged, or purged. Never even finished my portions at restaurants. I don't drink so no junk calories there either. Could not lose weight. Could NOT lose weight. I'm not like those people that lost 100s of lbs only to put it on. I simply couldn't lose the weight (except when I was dying, two years ago). Worked out hard with a trainer for 6 months, ate 6 small meals of clean food--lost ONE pound in 6 months. I think even the trainer was ready to cry. Did Paleo, put on 10 lbs in one month. Did vegetarian diet with 2 lbs of veggies, 3 fruits, 1 c of Beans, 1 handful of nuts for 2 months, lost nothing. So WHY? WHY the hell did I weigh so much? I am not sure I know the whole answer still. But I do know one very important part of the answer. I am a sugar and carb addict. And I do not have the metabolism for it. Even today, I cannot eat a piece of fruit without being super hungry for the rest of the day. Pre-sleeve, I didn't control my carbs. Yes I ate 1200 calories, but often that was almost NO meat. Pasta, rice, lentils, veggies, fruit, no meat. I hated meat. So I think I gained weight because I ate the foods that were the WORST for me, and I didn't realize that. I do wonder what would have happened if I had eaten meat and veggies before I got sleeved. Would I still have needed the sleeve? I don't know. And notice I said I can leave them alone unless they are my trigger foods? Here's a list of my trigger foods. Cake, cake, and more cake. Donuts. Reese's pb cups. Those peanut butter bar things. Those horrid swiss cake rolls that will survive nuclear holocaust. Those things? I can't leave alone. Those, I do eat until they are gone. And notice, they are ALL sugar + fat + Flour. Deadly combination, deadly addiction. I thought I was well educated about food. I tried every diet there was--except the low carb diet because a) I wasn't sure it was good for me and I didn't want to give up my carbs--addict talk right there. There may be more to the story, it's still being written. But I don't have the "typical" signs of a food addict and therefore it's taken me a while to figure out what went wrong. I ate carbs and they caused me to crave more carbs. So I became insulin resistant, overweight, carb addicted, fat, and unhealthy. And always hungry. It was when I could no longer control the constant hunger that I gave up control and admitted I needed help, and got sleeved. Sorry for the long post but it's been an important journey for me.

hi yáll. my nickname is cloud. i am 61 yrs young and in the pre-op process for the sleeve.. over 120 lbs overweight, to date. only good thing is i'm 6' tall and get to spread the weight out a bunch. i've gained 60 lbs since Nov. 2012. That's when I was last hospitalized with pneumonia, then got to spend another 2 weeks in a rehab,.. blah, blah, blah. Äround 14 years ago, i began my overweight journey. my life radically changed when my health rapidally declined. in 1999, i began to collect multiple auto-immune disorders. 1st diagnosed with asthma, than MCTD (Mixed Connective Tissue Disease) w/Lupus and RA, Diabetes, Hypothyrodism, Fibromyalgia, Hypertension, MS, Raynauds, to name a few. I would love to here from anyone out there with any of these issues, or similar circumstances - post-op or pre-op. i also am in a wheelchair due to extreme pain in my spine, numerous herniations (7 at last count). i guess it's easy enough for me to say, äm going to need all the support i can get!" Anyone else out there with autoimmune issues? God Bless!!! Always, cloud

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