Hello fellow lupies!

Hi! My name is Jennifer and I am a 16 year survivor of lupus and just 2 months into my weight loss journey. I just wanted to meet a few of you and see how your life has changed followign wls.  I know I am flaring up now, but it could be because of the weather (I hate winter), the flu(which I have right now) or any other reason. Anyway, I am so happy to find other lupies who have had this surgery.  I am 48, married grandmother of nine. I have so much to live for and that is why I decided to have this surgery (VSG). I feel so much better overall, other than the flu and such, and I feel like I can do this successfully.  Hope to meet you all and share our stories! Jen

Just wanted to say Congrats! on your journey. 

Hi I am Betty. My RNY was August 2003. I was diagnosed with Lupus in 1992 after a long wait for dx( as most of us know).  I have been in remission for about six years but I am afraid that has ended. I am not aware that my Lupus has been a  major factor in pre-surgical process or post surgical healthcare.  I do have mitral valve prolapse. And I do have heart palpitations, mostly when I eat too much sugar.  I have very few complications from my surgery. I have never once thrown up. About three times I wished I would!!   Years of Lupus and FMS had put a lot of pounds on me.   The CNS lupus had taken an emotional toll on me.  I wound up having cervical and lumbar surgeries. I had to get the weight off my BACK.  I was two years out of my back surgery when I had the neck, then WLS.. Then guess what. With the weight loss, counseling and much better nutrition and EXERCISE, the lupus basically disappeared.  Until recently.. I've been under an incredible amount of stress with my mother's Alzheimers. A recent bout with the flu I think is what put me over the edge.  I am sure I have rib and pleura inflammation right now and am a little concerned that  the Lupus is back.   I came on here to find out about the heart palpitations. I have four friends who have had the surgery since I have. They all have a lot of digestive problems..(I don't) I seem to be textbook.  EXCEPT I CRAVE SUGAR.  My doc checks me every 3 months. Nothing out of normal ranges.  I ramble.  Glad to see this forum exists. When I was first diagnosed with lupus, chat rooms helped me through more than anything.  Now,, here I am again.  Once a lupie......................oh, any old chatroom buddies out there?. I was "lupustoad", affectionately called "toadie"

Betty, I have recently had a major flare up and was put on steroids to control it some. I was only n a medrol pack, the one week course of steroids, but since then I have not been able to lose any weight! In fact, I gained weight! I have been a t a standstill for over a month now and it really upsets me. Nothing has changed, except for the steroids. I see my surgeon this week so I will ask him. Thanks for the reply. We lupies have to stick together! I know of a great support site for lupies, it is at http://lupusbutterflies.ning.com   A friend of mine named Kimberly started the site and it is great. You may want to check it out.

hi My name is Carol and I found out I had lupus 2 years ago.I I had the rny and I feel better.My aches and swelling went down alot. However I have been under a lot of stress since December 2007 and I have some flare ups but not too bad.I have recently wake up in the mornings with stiffness but I am determined to get out of bed and MOVE> I can tell when I have a flare up one side of my face swells and my butterfly rash comes out full force.*look at my pics and you can see it through my makeup .Even though I tried to hide it it came through .But oh well. I would do  the surgeryr all over again. Do you get palpiations after eating? what other sypmtoms does anyone else have? I am interested because I usually dont address that I have lupus and really talk about it. I would love to hear feed back from anyone. hugs, carol

Carol, I had a VSG but I get the hiccups when I am pushing it with my food intake. It is funny, I will take one bite too many then here come the hiccups. I think it is my body telling me to stop now. I do, and I have had not real problems since discovering that the hiccups mean to stop.  As fr the lupus, read my comment above and it explains what has been going on with me. Hope to get to know you! We lupies have to stick together.