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Showing results for 'autoimmune'.
Found 1,094 results
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What Do You Find Most Freeing About WLS?
ocgirl15 replied to Alex Brecher's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
WLS... Has been epic.... I am free to move, not be in pain, wear shorts and a bathing suit .....not just because I am thinner but because my psoriasis has cleared. That is a big one .... freer from autoimmune disease!! Free from PCOS. I am free from the hungry monster. Free from food controlling my life. Free from being self conscience about being fat. Free from being a wallflower... I could go on and on and there is no way I pick just one!- 18 replies
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If there was a Class Action Lawsuit against the band....
Nychkole2 replied to Nursebarbie's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I would participate in a lawsuit because I had many of the same complications as others, and then some. After having the band in for more than 10 years, I began having symptoms similar to lupus, and the doctors could not figure out why this was happening to me. I had a full blown autoimmune response where my body began attacking itself. It pushed me into Grave's disease and almost a thyroid storm. I had pain in my body all day, and it would wake me up out of my sleep at night. I was taking pain medication round the clock...and all of this ON TOP OF THE "USUAL" complications. I had the lap band removed, sleeve gastrectomy, and hiatal hernia repair on 8/5/14, and I haven't had to take my pain medication or sleeping pills since then. The sad part is, after surgery, my surgeon told me that it was a good thing they went in and did this surgery right when they did because everything was much worse than he anticipated. Those complications were NEVER explained to me, and frankly I am pissed that I went through so much with this. That was NOT what I signed up for. And yes I've done my homework, and I'm well versed in the medical field (I'm a nurse), so I knew my stuff before I got on the table the first time. What happened to me wasn't ever a disclaimer. -
Hi December buddies! I had my gastric sleeve on this past Tuesday, December 15. Everything went really well with the surgery, but I wanted to give you a heads up about recovery. If you have Fibro, or any autoimmune disease, please make sure anesthesiologist takes this into account - so that they can offset any potential flares. I have had several surgeries under general in the past, and never had a reaction like this one. Don't want to scare you - but if I can save someone the agony I went through I'd like to. The side effects were an extremely painful recovery in the neck & shoulders waking up from surgery, a longer than normal time in post-op to try to calm my spasms, spasms throughout my calves. The day in the hospital was fine, as long as I was on Tramadol, but once I got home, and the meds wore off, the pain became excruciating - all the large muscle groups, extremities, joints both hurt and were on fire. The surgeon's office said since it was extremities it wasn't related to the surgery, and go to the ER, or my doctor who treats my other conditions. I went to my doctor, since he knows my other conditions. He gave me Gabapentin and a cream form of Voltaren; I am also on Flexeril normally. And I started a course of Methylprednisone for the inflammation. Today I woke up feeling better, and have gotten progressively better throughout the day. The pain was in the back of the thighs, the front of the thighs, the shoulders, forearms and biceps and triceps and shoulder joints and ribs. I couldn't cough the surgery fluid up, and it was actually terrifying to be in so much pain, I have never experienced like this before. Funny enough, my surgery site, and tummy - they were all great! Sitting in the shower under the warm water helped, but only as long as I was there. I needed a stepstool to get into my bed, and had walk excruciatingly slow. When I woke up, the burning would be there and I would have to pull really hard, as I cried, to try to lift a leg, turn over, or push myself up. Again, I don't want to scare anyone, but if you have any underlying condition where you are prone to inflammation (autoimmune) or fibro (mixed signals and flares), talk to your anethesiologist in advance, and make sure you have the proper meds going home. That said, I am great 3 days out, have lost 8 pounds, and am so excited to be on this journey to a healthier me, for me. My surgeon was great, and I am so blessed. Good luck to each of you! #fibromyalgia, #lupus, #autoimmune, #recovery
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Sleeve or Lap Band? Scared of making wrong choice!
blondebomb replied to KS123's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
for me and the surgeon it was a no brainer ...with meds I take for autoimmune diseases and 2 of my specialist both suggested best for me would be the sleeve. and neither of these dr's had spoken to each other about me they dont even know each other but I seen them both in 1 wk an ironically they both referred me to surgeon for sleeve. theres no organ switching an less absortion problems. so I went with the sleeve surgeon backed me up he had been doing these ever since this procedure come about . eat slow, small bites, no drinking during eating first 4 months I did good to get in 3 or 4 bites a setting. now I am 8 months PO over 100 pds down an this has been the best thing I ever done for myself! the sleeve is less evasive . I do have a good friend who had bypass 8 yrs ago shes alot older then me an she did great as well. her health was a little differant then mine. do your research. it was easy on my part I trust my specialist they have always steered me in the right direction (my internist an endo that is)..best wishes! keep us posted.. -
LB surgery for my unhappy tean daughter?
shell04937 replied to ducky's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
why cant she take NSAIDS with the band? I have been banded since Sept 2006 and have been on NSAIDS pre band and post band daily. I have an autoimmune disease that causes joint and muscle pain so without them I cant walk. Just wondering if a Dr said not NSAIDS with the band or what because mine never said a thing. -
VSG to RNY - Not excited
I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ replied to stpatty's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
Reversal is important to me but for a different reason. If I get very sick with my autoimmune disease again (which is what caused me to need wls ~ 7 years of daily steroid use) I may need it reversed because I will have to go back on daily steroids again. We don't think that's going to happen, but it's there if it's necessary. -
April 2019 Surgeries!
KateBruin replied to CajunSam's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Finally lost a little fluid but I am still retaining. It’s a no pants party in my house cause pants make my sensitive skin feel worse and my incisions still hurt. I’m usually healed by now so I’m guessing it’s autoimmune related. Weighed myself...I actually forget what I was at surgery (205ish) but I’m officially out of the 200s and at 199. I got the surgery for GERD so my doctor didn’t expect me to lose much but I do need to get down to about 150-160. Dying for some real food. I’ve snuck a slice of cheese here and there. I take all my meds as small pills or capsules. Lots of googling told me capsules dissolve with just water so they don’t need a ton of stomach acid. I tried opening them into apple sauce and basically wanted to die. So I just take 12 capsules and a pill or two over the course of about an hour. I coughed up some of the capsule today and it was disgusting but otherwise it’s a success. GERD is essentially gone. I hiccup quite a bit and that’s a mild symptom but no real acid except some of one of my pills earlier. -
MS and Modified Duodenal Switch Surgery
ChunkCat replied to TwinkleToes87's topic in Duodenal Switch Surgery Forum
I don't have MS, but I do have several autoimmune diseases along with Fibro and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I am almost 3 months out from a traditional duodenal switch. I have found my energy level and ability to exercise has increased a lot, I no longer get post exertional malaise. I also have less pain because the surgery causes your inflammation levels to decrease and as you lose weight, those levels will continue to go down. Since I am so early out, I have not had any nutritional issues. However, my surgeon did advise I go with a longer common channel than the standard 100cm cookie cutter length that most doctors go with, because I have a history of nutritional deficiencies. I went with 175cm. I'm really glad I had the DS, I'd do it again every year if I had to just for the fact it put my diabetes and high blood pressure into remission immediately after surgery!! Plus I have more energy than I've had in 2 decades. There is a different forum that has more DS patients on it, you might try posting there. It is www.bariatricfacts.org I'm not sure if anyone there has MS, but they are great with recommendations. There's also a support group for DS patients on FB called "Duodenal Switch SUPPORT Group" and there are a TON of DS patients there, you might try posting and seeing if any have experience with the switch and MS. As for surgeons, I had my surgery done with Dr. Pilati at WakeMed Bariatrics in Cary, NC which is right outside of Raleigh. We have a number of excellent DS surgeons in this area because of our world class healthcare centers. I don't know of any in the DE area but the women at bariatricfacts might, a lot of them are vets of the surgery for 10+ years! -
VIP Member Check In
LisaMergs replied to LilMissDiva Irene's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Well, I've never used this forum on anything other than my phone- until today. Discovered status bars and VIP membership. Who knew? Most of you know who I am already, but my stats-- 49, female, married for 20 years 3 kids -19, 16,15 boy girl boy. Just got my oldest off to college for the first time. I live in the suburbs of Chicago- and grew up in the city itself. I practiced dentistry for almost 20 years before I became ill with an autoimmune disorder. My weight gain was directly related to this- high doses of prednisone combined with the inability to move around. The catalyst for surgery came from my rheumatologist who was reading anecdotal reports of people with RA who had bypass going either into remission or having a dramatic drop in symptoms. I didn't respond to any traditional or experimental meds on the market, so my thought was- the WORST case scenario for me would be less pressure on my joints. Luckily, I've not had any flares or RA symptoms since surgery. I got my life back. I'm contemplating returning to work now. I won't go back to active dental practice- I'm too scared, quite frankly. Worry of a relapse happening, my hands literally freezing up while working on a patient- so many scenarios of bad. People don't realize that RA can actually be deadly. They equate it with osteo arthritis. I'm an avid- maybe rabid?? Lol- hockey fan, and am thrilled beyond belief that my beloved Blackhawks are so Fricking amazing! Also- a huge college football fan (Go Wildcats!) That's that. I so appreciate the wisdom, wit and camaraderie here. These are my kiddos-- just cause I'm proud of them! Oldest is studying Sports Management at Iowa and plans on law school after. My daughter has an amazing voice and has been studying opera since 12, but wants to be an anesthesiologist-go figure! Youngest guy is the funny one, football player. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App -
It's pretty easy, eating the wrong things out of convenience is just as bad as eating things you "have a love affair with" out of desire. Having some health and autoimmune issues didn't help either. Not to be critical, but not everyone fits in the cookie cutter that you are placing on obese people.
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Thanks, I'm doing pretty good. I've been off wheat entirely for at least two months now -- and I am not even attempting to give up dairy, I love it and eat loooooads of it. I also still eat too much sugar. But just giving up grains has been great, I've lost about 2kg from that, and my husband has lost 6kg from it! He also has a few autoimmune issues and migraines, both of which have gotten SOOOO much better since he gave up wheat. It's a weird thing, I never would have guessed it would have such an impact. Yes, I also dislike clubs, points, calorie counting -- all of that. I am too easily obsessed by that sort of thing, so much better for me to stay out of it in the first place.
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Hi terrified, I'm with you on that. My surgery is on the 16th and I'm having it done because of my Hashimoto's Autoimmune Hypothyroid disease. My symptoms are completely out of control and am doing this as a hopeful cure of my disease. I gained a bunched of weight because of it but not enough to normally have this surgery. They are hoping that by removing my stomach hormones, I won't have a fight between them and my thyroid horn ones anymore. This is an extreme surgery for a cure but I'm praying it works. I'm still scared tho. Let me know how it goes!! Debtovah
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Anne, last night I stayed on line chatting with Penni till I went to bed. I was actually able to eat a yummy salad for dinner, and I chewed really well, then I didn't eat for the rest of the night. So once again, I have one really good band-day under my belt. Yesterday was kind of hard at night. Once we get into the binge cycle, it's hard to stop. Last week I made a committment to call someone every night. My phone bill is gonna be huge, but it kept me from eating. I have a confession that I've talked about before, but I drink too much on the weekends, either on Friday or Saturday night. I've been contemplating going to AA to quit altogether, but something's been holding me back. I really enjoy going out to party, and we only live once, and I'm not getting any younger. It's not like I'll be hitting the dance floor at my local bar in another decade, so I suddenly came up with a plan. Geeze, it's so simple that I can't believe I thought of it before. I'm allowing myself a 3 drink minimum per weekend.. Why quit when I only drink a couple times a month? It's just one more thing I really don't want to give up. I drink responsibly - I never drive, I don't go to dangerous places, and I'm careful with my money. The goofiest thing is that this is something I can live with, but it just never occured to me that I can place a limit on myself instead of quitting. Getting the band was enough for me. I'm not allowed to smoke because I have an autoimmune disease that affects my lungs, I'm not allowed to binge, I don't do drugs. Hell, I even gave up getting my nails and lawn done so I can pay for the band. So there, I said it. I'm a lush! But wooo hoo for me, no more feeling bad about it because I'm a party girl and I know it! And as far as the extra calories, I always drink double my daily water before going out, I walk extra, and I dance a lot. Plus I skip dinner and just pick at some of Chris's food. I think this is gonna be a good end of 2004 for all of us... I kinda feel it in the air. Anne, hang in there. A fill does us no good if we can't control our binges (I'm a living example.) I'm doing whatever it takes to quit binging... one little day at a time. I DID IT, I have one good day again! And I decided that only posting my weight once a month isn't enough. Weekly is too much. I'm gonna post today - maybe posting my weight twice a month will be my sweet spot! Rock on, everyone!
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Did anyone like the band better?
Swampdoggie replied to OldMomOf3's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I don't know that people were misled as much as new information I on has been discovered/revealed over the course of time. I'd been warned that the band was still relativelly new and as such there weren't the types of long term studies that would show it's performance over decades. Yeah @Cleos mom, the surgeon I know was only telling me the info about the autoimmune showijg up as a point of interest. She herself said there was no way to know if it was caused by the band or independent. She only said she'd noticed it. I myself had much worse gerd with the band than with the sleeve and I vomited dai l y. Not the sleeves fault. I just never learned to work with it. -
Big Opie-- There is no shame admitting that you have low self-esteem. As such, it may feel easier to focus on the scary, dare I say, superficial aspects of weight-loss. But as someone who had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and difficult-to-control Diabetes, (I have Type I--autoimmune diabetes. Mine can't be cured) I urge you put the physical appearance aspects aside for a minute. Your body is sending you strong signals that it is breaking down and will continue to break down at your current weight. Your very life is in jeopardy. Since my surgery my cholesterol is normal, my blood pressure is normal, my insulin levels have decreased drastically, I have no more sleep apnea, no more A-fib... the list goes on. And in terms of vanity, I love being a size 8-10. I don't care if my belly will always be flabby. You can't see the flab under my clothes, bathing suits, or lingerie. This is the best decision I have ever made and I hope you make it too!
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Can I join?! :-) Just signed up today but I've been lurking for a while, been in the thinking stage and am now actively pursuing insurance approval. So it's time to come out of hiding! I'm 42, 5'11, and 300 lbs. I'd like to get to 165ish. Maybe 175. Weight problem started in my mid-20s and I reached my highest in 2009 (330). I'd gotten down to 260 last year but yeahhhh. I have autoimmune disorders and the extra weight has become a real issue for my joints. It's gotta go. My doctors are fully supportive and my insurance requirements are very straightforward, so we expect all that's between me and surgery is the medically-supervised 90 day diet rule. Have my 60 day check in appointment on the 15th and my first surgical clinic session on the 18th. Exciting stuff! Luck and good to all!
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@@rose1504 Definitely get your Thyroid checked, and not just TSH and T4, but T3 as well. I have Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disease), this kept me slim my whole life, till 2014 when it did 180 degree turn, and I was piling on weight at a frightening speed. I went from 60kg to 101kg between 2014 and March 2016. I also developed astonishing sweet cravings during that time, which made a mess of me. Graves is Hyper-thyroid. I had every symptom of this disease, except of bulging eyes and goitre. There is also Hypo-thyroid (under-active), Hashimotos etc which also can really mess with metabolism and general well being. Good luck @@rose1504 I hope you don't have thyroid disease, as I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy ...... Had my both ear Daiths pierced 3 weeks ago, to see if they would help my thyroid migraines and severe headaches. They (the acupressure point piercings) helped me tremendously! I was living almost daily on very strong pain killers. Now, I don't take them, and so those piercings really helped me. I have a huge stock of heavy duty pain killers at home, and now I forget all about them. So, Good Luck with all your tests. Please let us know how you went.
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Weirdest None-Scale-Victory - I'll go first
ChunkCat replied to chiquitatummy's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
My hands are getting smaller!! Specifically, my fingers. I've had chubby little hands since I was 14 and my autoimmune disease showed up. When I was 200 lbs last time I was still an 8 1/2 on my ring finger in US sizing. Yesterday I finally took off my wedding rings when I noticed that even with the ring snuggies they are spinning around on my finger and threatening to come off. So I decided to measure them. I had gotten up to a US size 9. Now my ring finger measures as a US size 7!!! Never in my life have I ever wore a 7 in rings except maybe when I was 12?? 😂 I cannot get over how differently our bodies lose weight with these surgeries. I have to find a substitute ring to wear now because at this rate I'll be a US size 5 when I'm at goal! LOL I never thought I might have to sell my wedding rings because they can't be resized due to the difference being too much! This is so fascinating... -
Welcome Swan! I hope you are up for a lot of advice and tough love here. That is how we all stay on track. Have you started your pre-op diet? Get a pedometer and start walking. It will really help you heal after surgery........moving after surgery helps get rid of the gas. You will do great. I am so glad you have taken control of your weight issue before you get older. The band is a tool to help you lose. I is the magic pill that will fix all your weight problems. If you have questions there are plenty of seasoned banders here to help. Julie, you poor baby. I hope you get to the the rheumotalogist soon. That is a painful condition. Xanax helps calm the nerves. I sometimes take it when the weather is changing. I took it everyday for 10 years for my gut until my doctor sent me to a psychiatrist. I was having panic attacks caused by the Savella. Now I am on Lexapro and Savella (for FM). If you have an autoimmune condition the doctor will have to give you meds to treat the condition for you to get relief. I hope you get in soon to see him. HUGS! and I am praying for you too. Cher, so many hard decisions to be made for your parents. I think organizing and getting rid of their "stuff" they don't use would be a first step. I am going to go do that for my mother soon. So many of us at our age are dealing with the same issues. My inlaws were in the country when they both got cancer. He refused to move. They both died in the hospital so we didn't have to deal with moving them. My mother..... when she was still able moved to a retirement home . She will soon need to go to assisted living. That is why I need to start clearing out her "stuff". Can you sister who is the doctor talk to them? HUGS! for you and all of you faced with this ordeal. I am going to Water aerobics this morning. It is freezing outside, but I gotta exercise. I will CBL.
