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So I will be sleeved in December, and I have been sharing my plans with a few female friends. My decision to have the surgery was mainly Type I Diabetes, sleep apnea, Transverse Myelitis, asthma, high cholesterol high BP, etc. etc. This surgery will help my blood sugars, which will help my cholesterol, lower my dependence on BP medications and asthma meds and possibly thyroid meds., eliminate my sleep apnea and stress incontinence, I AM READY! My friends, being chicks, listen to me talk about my comorbitites/autoimmune issues and then say, "No fair! You're going to be skinnier than me!" REALLY? THAT is your reaction? Unreal.

HI Everyone, New on this site. Would love to have a weight loss buddy. Someone to talk to or walk with here in the area. Some history. Had a RNY on July 11th this year. I was a revision from sleeve to bypass due to chronic GERD. My highest weight was 340. My lowest weight 165. Regained some weight over 10 years, but kept 2/3 off. Reflux, menopause and having a chronic autoimmune disease with lots of fatigue plus eating too much due to reflux caused the gain. Back to the basics again and hope to get to an all time low. HW 340 LW 165 CW 207 Goal: 145

I have a friend who has sparked my interest about lap band. Upon doing some investigation on my own, I discovered that Lap Band is not recommended for those with autoimmune disorders such as MS. Is there anyone out there that has MS and has had the procedure done?

I have an autoimmune disease called Antiphospholipid Syndrome, also known as APS, that causes my blood to clot abnormally. I've been taking Lovenox injections 9 yrs. Does anyone know if that would be a problem for me being eligible for Lap Band?

So I was wondering if any fellow banders have the same issues that I am having. I suffer from Crohn's disease (an autoimmune intestional condition) that already can cause problems. So could it just be the new "protein first" diet? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

Sounds just like what I had, GASTRITIS, different from Reflux Only detected through endoscopy which is how I found out I had it. Do you burp alot? Do you have a full feeling in your chest? Gastritis is not a single disease, but means inflammation of the stomach lining. Gastritis can be caused by drinking too much alcohol, prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or infection with bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic injury, burns, or severe infections. Certain diseases, such as pernicious anemia, autoimmune disorders, and chronic bile reflux, can cause gastritis as well. Symptoms of Gastritis The most common symptoms are abdominal upset or pain. Other symptoms are belching, abdominal bloating, nausea, and vomiting or a feeling of fullness or of burning in the upper abdomen. Blood in your vomit or black stools may be a sign of bleeding in the stomach, which may indicate a serious problem requiring immediate medical attention. Ask your Dr. about gastritis. I took prilosec for 2 months nad it got better.

My 1 year followup appointment is next week, so I had lab work done today in advance of that. The test results are auto-released to an online portal and I was looking through them (I don't think they've even been reviewed by a doc yet) and most of it looks good but my WBC has dropped. Dramatically. Like by half and is on the cutoff for being outside normal lab values. So what causes WBC to drop, I wonder? Cancer... don't have that. Autoimmune disorders... don't have any of those. Viral infection... nope, I'm fine. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies... crap. This is a possibility for someone like me. In looking at other labs, there are a couple other markers for malnutrition, including lowered transferrin and TIBC. Obviously, my medical team will review all of this and decide if it's anything to act on, but I was really surprised about this. I eat healthy and on-plan about 98% of the time, though not a lot of calories. I am currently averaging 1100 calories per day, but over the last 9 months, averaged out, I've eaten 900 calories per day. I never imagined malnutrition was even an option with the sleeve, and it made me wonder if anyone else has dealt with a malnutrition diagnosis (sleeve or otherwise), and how was it handled by your team?

Itching is a common symptom of a drastic condition known as 'healing.' Unless it's red and angry which could mean you've been scratching, in which case: Stop it! Let it heal. If you don't believe it's from scratching, then it could be, an infection, dermatitis, an autoimmune disorder, or a rare Amazonian parasite [In order of most likely to least likely]. It's never Lupus. If it's red and angry not from scratching, perhaps a call to Doc. If it looks ok, it's healing. Good luck, Tek

I was 210 when I had surgery. I lost 18 pounds the first month, and I plan to be weighed again this coming Friday. (I refuse to buy a scale!) It is currently week #5 for me, and will be my 3rd weigh in at the center. In terms of success beyond weight loss, my Type I diabetes has improved tremendously! The surgery has lowered an inflammatory response my body had, and I am hopeful this means no more autoimmune conditions. (Half a dozen has been more than enough!) Looking forward to more success! Good luck to you! So glad your insurance is covering surgery #2!

thanks for all your support. i so look forward to the journey. i spend so much time on this forum and looking at before and after photos. i have even dreamed of issues related to the sleeve. so my mind is thinking even when i am sleeping. regarding my baby's birth. i have had infertility issues for the past 13 years. not weight related but related to an autoimmune disease. in the end after years of trying every thing and having multiple miscarries we sought our a gestational carrier for our children. my daughter is now 5 1/2 months old and our new baby will be born the end of august. i am totally in love. when i think about my children i just do not want them to witness my struggle with obesity. i know food will always have to be monitored but my relationship with food will be more normal i think with the sleeve. as for timing. i hope to have the sleeve the first week of august. if all works out i will have surgery about two to three weeks before our new baby arrives and hope to be feeling better by that point. i will then continue my recovery from surgery as i am also on maternity leave from my work. with having surgery i will also be able to use up my big bank of sick time and not use my vacation time on my maternity leave. so i think that is a great plan. at this time i am planning on going to dr aceves for my surgery since i have a bmi of 31.8 and will be self pay. i am a nurse and never thought i would consider mexico. i did talk to a doctor in tucson and he said i would not even qualify for his program. point blank. so for surgery in tucson i would need to wait for several years and more weight gain and more comorbidities..... that just seems crazy!!! i have 70-75 lbs to loose. and i have been on some kind of diet it seems my whole life.... well at least planning some sort of diet. the more i read of dr aceves and his program in mexicalli i get more convinced he is the doctor for me. i love that he has so many patients on this board that highly recommend him and from what i can find on my own research a great reputation and wonderful surgical stats. so that is that. thanks again for your support. kelly

Mary I don't think malabsorption was the issue specifically, because my surgeon said if any of us had an autoimmune disease, we would be candidates for RNY or sleeve gastrectony (and RNY has malabsorption built in) but rather rejection-type issues. Of course the band doesnt convey any malabsorption, it just slows things down (which actually would seem to improve it, wouldn't it?) I am sure if the OP's surgeon is proceeding he has his own good views on the issue; just better to check and find out what they are etc. Especially if she's self pay; she doesn't want to have to have it removed because of some issue that could've been prevented.

What adjustments did you make to your medications before and after surgery? How has your weight loss affected your symptoms. I have rheumatoid arthritis and hoping weightloss will help my joints. Thanks!

I understand. I have Sjogren's, dry mouth autoimmune disorder. But you can't drink with meals as it stretches your pouch and will lead to harm and undoing the whole point of the surgery. I know it is hard but you can do it. Set a timer for 30 mintures and distract yourself. Select foods that are easier to get down at this stage. If you really feel like you are about to cough or choke, you can do a massage that will make more saliva in your mouth so you can swallow easier. http://reasonablywell-julia.blogspot.com/2011/07/ssf-patient-education-sheet-how-to.html Also thinking about sour things like lemons can also make your mouth Water. Make sure to drink 30 minutes before your meal so you are well hydrated.

An endocrinologist can order to a test that will tell you how much insulin your pancreas is producing. It is uncommon for adults to develop Type 1 diabetes, but not impossible (I was diagnosed at age 26). When it develops in adulthood it is caused by an autoimmune disease. I have not heard of a pancreas being damaged by the surgery (and I have read everything I can re: diabetes and surgery), but anything is possible I suppose. Please see an endocrinologist you feel comfortable with - it took me 8 doctors to find one I liked - keep trying if you need to. A good endocrinologist will listen to you and get to the bottom of it.

I'd like to hear the experiences of anyone sleeved that is/was on coumadin or warfarin. My mother is wheelchair bound due to an aortic aneurysm and has watched me reach goal and maintain the past three years. I would love to be able to see her have the surgery, too, but she has autoimmune issues and is currently on coumadin. Please share your experience, as well as your surgeon's info and any special tests/considerations that you encountered. My mother is in Texas and I'd consider Dr. Nick Nicolson for her (I considered him for myself in 2010) but am reluctant to start the process or speak to his office until I hear about other experiences first. ~Cheri

Here is a medical study on autoimmune disease and weight loss surgery... http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112152.php

@@genn Thank you for the info: I still have to use Atenolol at times (beta blocker), not as often as pre RAI. Headaches got better with my Ear Daiths piercings in both ears, and no more migraines for me. These acupressure points work for apparently 50% of people, and I am the lucky one in the 50%. I was getting them daily before, awful! I was on very strong pain killers for my severe headaches and migraines. Now, I very rarely take them. These days, occasional headache I get is due to my hay fever, mostly. I have been using older styles anti-histamines, as the newer ones did not help me at all, with my constant runny nose, even cortisone did not help. No hair loss for me, thank goodness. My hair actually got healthier, so one plus here! No more periods for me, had an earlier menopause years ago, and it is now settled/gone! Funny though, after my WLS, I thought that my menopause came back! No, it didn't, those were due to my too high Thyroxine doses/levels. Yes to heart symptoms, they do get worse with too much Thyroxine (our name for Synthroid in OZ). Luckily my heart is OK, and Atenolol works, I only take it as needed these days, which is not that often. I have a Bp/pulse measuring device at home, and this helps to give my readings to my Endo, and to notice if there are any significant changes. My insomnia and irritability does get worse if Thyroxine is too high, together with heat intolerance. We just started a hot summer recently, here in OZ, and Queensland is bad for heat and humidity. I have had my air con running daily for the past 2-3 weeks. @@genn Thank you for the list of symptoms, even though I have them from my earlier days, it is good to see them in a simple list form. Very helpful. I belong to few Thyroid support forums, both American and Australian, and I get Mary Shomon's blogs and emailed newsletters. If not for my thyroid issues, my recovery from WLS would have been quite smooth. Having and autoimmune thyroid disease really sucks! Hopefully, one day, it will all get better ..... I woke up at 4 am, my time today, hence I am having a quick look on this forum. I either can't fall asleep for ages, or I fall asleep at 10-11pm, then wake up around 3-4 am ..... I am not depressed, but sleep deprived .....

I MAY have an autoimmune problem - I've been to lots of doctors over the years because of weird symptoms. Now, my allergy doc yesterday told me he believes I do have an autoimmune problem. I'm about to be banded in a week or so. Why would an autoimmune disease be a problem if you have the band?

i have no idea if this is okay to post here, but i could use a little feedback as i am overwhelmed and having trouble getting focused (nothing new there! lol) i am in the middle of becoming a certified personal trainer. i am saving money to become a certified health coach. i have a background in counseling (chemical dependency counselor for 7 years, family counselor and private therapist for 6 years), natural health and healing (managed health food stores for 3 years, among lots of other things i did/learned), and cooking for health (taught classes and did private consultations for special diets). i want to focus on helping people get prepared for surgery (or just lose weight) and adjust after surgery. what do you think would be most helpful for me to offer? currently i am working with 2 people on anxiety/emotional eating/autoimmune diets. we meet 1:1 and we plan ways to practice dealing with anxiety without food. i also help them plan meals to deal with autoimmune disorders and help one of them cook. they are friends and i do this to help them out and practice what i know. i want to figure out how to monetize my services, but am not sure what A.) would be most important for people and B.) what people would actually pay for. C.) or how to present myself to people. any feedback would be important for me to hear to help me with moving forward. thanks.

I went through something similar. Had my surgery in August. My body freaked out from the surgery and I had this autoimmune problem in September. I spent time in hospital and was put on intravenous steroids for 3 days followed by 50mg of prednisone. I did taper off and stopped altogether after about a month. Still, it was the worst! It felt like the universe was mocking me. Here i am trying to lose weight and then bam, I'm forced to take steroids! The main point is that you have to take care of your health first. I hope that you're okay now. I know you posted this a little while ago, but I just wanted to say that i know what you're going through.

Have they checked your thyroid like done an entire panel not just a t4? For years I was exhausted all the time and unable to lose anything, turns out I had an autoimmune disease killing my thyroid. It took my gyn to figure it out the pcp didnt. Ask for a full thyroid pannel to make sure it's working alright bc if it isn't it knocks your metabolism way down

I am 62 and today is the second anniversary of my surgery. Yes, I was 60 when I had the surgery two years ago. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and wish I'd done it 10 years sooner. I am SO MUCH HEALTHIER! No, I wasn't pre-diabetic, no autoimmune issues, etc., just getting heavier and heavier every year, and watching my blood pressure become worrisome. We've all been there, tried every diet known to mankind (some several times), goaded ourselves into exercise programs, gyms, fitness routines, etc., only to continue to gain about 6-10 pounds a year. Six pounds? Not bad... until after 10 years it's 60 pounds, after 20 years it's 120 pounds. SIXTY IS NOT TOO OLD FOR THIS SURGERY!! I was anxious, I was nervous, but I kept reminding myself: Eyes on the prize! I will tell you... no more back pain, my knees are much better, my BMI is down, my blood pressure is normal. I look in the mirror and actually smile at what I see there. How long has it been since THAT's happened? I go clothes shopping and don't hate every second, and this summer I went to the swimming pool with my daughter- in a bathing suit, in public! I feel like I am living like a "normal" person again... not someone who is always pulling and tugging on her clothes, wearing things that don't fit well, don't look good, don't make me feel good, worrying about "will I fit" in the theater seat, on the airplane, in the amusement park ride seat. I am pretty sure, even if it doesn't "cure" your arthritis issues (I know, not the correct term but you know what I mean), you will feel so much better about yourself, it'll be worth it! I won't lie... there are things I miss, things I can't now do, but I am talking about the things that got me into the weight loss mess in the first place. I won't ever again sit down and eat unlimited amounts of food: Not gonna eat a whole pizza, not gonna load my plate with seconds at Thanksgiving (and then have multiple desserts), not gonna do a whole lot of things that I used to love. But you know what? IT'S OK. I'm still learning to live with my new anatomy, my new physiology, but I'm working with it. Here's a story, a story makes me feel happy. My daughter and I are big fans of going to Disney World, and our vacations have morphed as she's grown (she'll be 25 next week). As adults, one of our favorite pastimes on vacation (not just at Disney) is enjoying good food and drink. My daughter and I went to Disney this summer, for the first time since my surgery. I was pretty concerned, especially as one of my favorite restaurants anywhere is at Disney. It's called Boma, and it's a buffet of African-inspired dishes (along with more "americanized" options). I LOVE THEIR FOOD. Authentic African dishes, multiple hand-carved roasts, 5 soup options, 10 salad options, and a dessert buffet that extends to the moon! Ahh... Boma... never gonna be the same again, and I knew that going in. But guess what? I had a WONDERFUL time! I was just careful. I tried 3 of the soups (about 2T of each, enough to taste and enjoy) and had small slices of each of the meats. I had little tastes of each of my daughter's desserts, and yes, I HAD A GLASS OF WINE. Was I well within my eating regimen? No way... I know I ate more than normal, but I wasn't stuffed, wasn't sick, and most of all, I was satisfied. It reinforced that with thinking and planning, I can STILL enjoy the aspects of a good meal, just in moderation. I was MORE than satisfied, I was EXCITED that this new "stomach" of mine isn't going to limit my enjoyment- but now I am going to limit my consumption. I felt like it was such a positive, successful evening, and I left Boma floating on air! HAVE THE SURGERY. Do it for more than just the autoimmune benefits. Do it for the excitement of feeling good about yourself for the rest of your days! Stick to the plan, follow the rules, don't play loose and fast at the beginning. It's normal to be anxious, to worry about "what if" but here's a little secret: You already know what's going to happen IF you don't have the surgery... because it's how we all lived, all these years. Another diet, another exercise program... what's gonna happen with that. HAVE THE SURGERY. Don't look back, eyes on the prize!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!

Well, you need more water. You may be slightly dehydrated which could explain the headaches. Also, your protein is incredibly low. My protein drink alone has 32 gm's in it, and that is just one. By 15 weeks post op you really need to get that protein in now that you can! You are under the recommendations at just 45g a day. Also, have you considered a certain type of food you may be eating causing your headaches? I know that nightshades or eating more carbs or starches than protein can do it for some people, it's almost autoimmune. Good luck, and stay well!

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

I was originally considering the gastric bypass, although I was very hesitant. My niece had gastric bypass and she's done very well with her weight loss - but she has so many digestive problems and her diet is so limited, it just didn't seem healthy to me. I started hanging out on various WLS boards and going through all the different procedures. I had never heard of the gastric sleeve but found some message boards and read more about it and it really appealed to me. I never liked the idea of having a foreign object implanted in me and a port leading to the outside just seemed weird. Plus the lapband boards had so many people who seemed to be struggling to get the right amount of fill, and they couldn't eat a lot of different kinds of food. Anyway, I had pretty much decided on VSG when I had my initial intake visit with my surgeon. He went over all the options for me and told me he thought I could consider DS, bypass, VSG, but he would not recommend the lapband. He told me he hardly ever does lapband anymore, there are too many complications and not enough success with it. He only does it if the patient absolutely refuses to consider anything else. He told me that on average people lose a little more with the bypass but he thinks his patients tend to have a better quality of life with the sleeve. Also, because of my personal and family history with autoimmune diseases, the sleeve would be a better choice. I was sleeved 6/19 and so far so good! No complications. Some adjustments to make but it's been mostly easier than I thought. Good luck to you, and sorry for the super long post!