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About this blog

a place to share and discuss the cross effects of weight loss surgery on Fibromyalgia and vice versa

Entries in this blog

 

Post Op Exercise: Combating the Sag

Anyone have any comments, ideas, thoughts or concerns about when to start exercising and what type of exercises to do post op in-order-to combat the post WLS sag?   Please join the conversation and post your comments, ideas, thoughts or concerns here.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

17
 

Weight Loss and Clothing Size

I'm kind of frustrated. I've lost nearly 50 pounds since starting the pre-op program. Pre-op clothes that fit perfectly are falling off me. Pre-op clothing that was too tight are fitting just right. So yesterday I want shopping for some fall and winter clothing and the only thing that fit was in my pre-op clothing size. :-(   What gives. I never really liked shopping at LB but now I'm wondering is there something fishy with their sizing policy.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

9
 

Highlights from PAINWeek 2013

Fibromyalgia: A Diagnosis of Exclusion No Longer   There were several master classes offered for physicians and other attendees at PainWeek 2013 in Las Vegas, NV the first week of September.   Fibromyalgia was the first and most anticipated. Obviously PainWeek organizers underestimated the interest in Fibro. At first there was standing room only, eager "students" stood 3 deep along the walls and 6 deep out the door. Finally, workers from the Cosmopolitan Hotel found a new room with enough seating for everyone.   Thank God I had my scooter with me, I would never have been able to get from class to class so soon after being sleeved.   The next few posts will be about the Fibromyalgia Master Class.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

6
 

PainWeek 2013

I made it to Las Vegas yesterday. Today is the first day of PainWeek 2013 and Fibromyalgia is the first Master Course offered. There will also be a course on Obesity-related pain.   It's 6:30 am and it's already 82 degrees out.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

5
 

Post Surgery: Things That Make You Go HMMM!

I've been home for a little over 24 hours now. I freaked out when I realized I gained 15 pounds in the hospital on the clear post op diet
my feel and ankles look like those of an elephant.
Then I remembered what Tony said, "As long as you sip and pee all day long, you're doing fine". Ok really, my son remembered. I called Tony at LCMH and he said this is normal because I was being pumped full of fluids and will eventually urinate out all the excess fluids and swelling.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

5
 

Extreme Exhaustion

I'm 3 weeks post op, I can sip almost anything and my nutritionist advised me to restart protein shakes. Now I had no problems with the protein shakes pre-op, but I cannot swallow them now. No matter how I make them, I gag at first sip.   Since I'm not getting any protein I am so exhausted all the time. I've dealt with exhaustion before since I have Fibromyalgia, fatigue is one of its symptoms. But this is extreme, I take a few steps and then I have to lay down for an hour.   Any suggestions?
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

4
 

1 week pre-op

It's been a long road to get to this point. I've walked this road with my 2 children, my sister, and my best friend [who just happens to be a doctor]. For years my doctor's have been warning me to lose weight. My sister and I have tried various programs [diet and exercise] to no avail.   I didn't come to the decision to undergo surgery at the flip of a coin. I purposely waited until today, 1 week pre-op, to tell my extended family and friends because they are not always supportive of what I want to do for myself. Also, my mother's side of the family is Nawlins born and bred. They are the biggest [no pun intended] weight loss sabatougers. They think I am too skinny.   Well, I made my announcement today and most of the family ignored me.   I'm turning all the phones off.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

4
 

First Family Event Post OP

Well yesterday was my first time attending a family function post op. It was a luau, there were lost of food and alcoholic drinks to be had by all. I am so proud of myself, I was phased by anything.   On a side note, I made 4 cheese cakes, 2 white chocolate and 2 mocho, this weekend for my children and wasn't tempted.   Question: Is this just a fluke or is it normal 2 weeks post op not to be bothered by one's trigger foods.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

4
 

Holidays And Cultural Food Traditions

Heeeelllllp!!!!   This is my first holiday post op. My family is from New Orleans so we start cooking the Sunday before Thanksgiving.   My daughter lives in Peoria, IL in the area hit by last week's tornado. The family is traveling to her to support her, her fiance and their 1 year old daughter. They were not hurt physically and did not suffer any damage to their home but the work at the local news station and have been under a lot of emotional stress.   I am nervous because all my life the only way my family has celebrated the good times, and shown strength thru the bad times is by eating. My family actually is insulted when one does not partake with large bowls of gumbo and plates of turducken, etc. etc.   I have stopped testing the food as i cook it but what do I do when it is time to sit down and pass the plate?
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

3
 

Grandchildren

I have several grandchildren and have not seen most of them since pre-op. Yesterday I saw my 4 year old grandson MJ. Because of my weight loss and physical therapy, my Fibromyalgia pain has decreased so I was able to bend down to his level. MJ screamed, "YaYa you're my height, I can see your eyes". He then hugged me and said, "YaYa I can hug all of you!" :wub:
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

3
 

Daily Affirmations For A Fibromyalgia/chronic Pain Sleever

Sometimes we [people with Fibromyalgia, women in general, parents, grandparents, older alduts] have to remind ourselves to STOP. We are so use to doing things for others, to putting others first, that we neglect our own needs and health. It has been difficult for me to do this in the past, but since my surgery I have begun to practice putting myself first. Sometimes I have to remind myself of the flight attendants speech, "in case of an emergency, put your oxygen mask on first and then turn to help children and others around you".   Here is a list of 10 things we should type up and put on our mirrors or frig to remind us that we need to stop doing in order to take care of ourselves.   The following list is from an article written by Adrienne Dellwo for about.com   Today I will stop:   1. Overdoing it. 2. Criticizing myself. 3. Blaming myself. 4. Believing other people's negative opinions about me, Fibromyalgia, and weight loss surgery. 5. Having unrealistic positive expectations. 6. Having unrealistic negative expectations. 7. Putting myself last. 8. Giving up on new treatment options and/or lifestyle changes for my Fibro too soon. 9. Letting stress overwhelm my life. 10. Asking why.   Click here to read to complete article
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

Emotional Eating

Yesterday an EF4 tornado ripped through the area where my daughter, her husband and infant live. This is a picture of the area around the news station where my daughter is Executive producer and her husband is a teleprompter techinican. They were not home or at work, they were upstate visiting his mother where an EF3 tornado touched down.   Everyone is ok but I spent all day fighting the urge to eat out of stress and worry. It took my daughter and her family 6 hours to get back home, normally 2 1/2 trip, driving through debris and high winds.   Even though they are home safe and sound, even though their home sustained no damage, I am still worried and struggling with the need for emotional eating.   I know eating is not going to help my daughter. I know that overeating will only make me sick, but old habits are soooooo hard.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

headaches anyone?

I thought it was just me. Ever since surgery I awake each morning with a headache. My surgeon blames my Fibromyalgia. My Fibromyalgia doctor says she doesn't know what's causing the headaches. I found a new study published online in the journal Neurology® that suggests bariatric surgery may be a risk factor for a specific condition that is known to trigger severe headache. Researchers found that the surgical procedures were sometimes associated with later developing a condition called spontaneous intracranial hypotension. The condition is often caused by a leak of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) out of the spinal canal, lowering spinal fluid pressure and triggering sudden headaches with accompanying nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, and difficulty concentrating. The study goes onto report that it is known that body weight plays an important role in CSF pressure. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is typically associated with a tall and lanky build, while obesity is a risk factor for intracranial hypertension, or high CSF pressure. The authors hypothesize that the loss of fat tissue may uncover a susceptibility to spontaneous intracranial hypotension.   Click here to learn more
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

Going To Emergency Room

Every day that goes by the amount of liquid I can hold down gets less and less. Today I could not keep anything down and vomited and dry heaved all day. My son is on his way home and is taking me to the ER, Hopefully I will get some IV fluids and get back to square one.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

A Spoon Full Of __________

My surgery was Thursday August 01, 2013. I have Fibromyalgia and high blood pressure. Two of my meds are crushable; two are in capsule form and cannot be opened so I have to work with my doctors to find a liquid or crushable version.   I was in the hospital for 4 days. While there, I worked with my post-op nurse on this issue. We discovered that the two medications that are crushable will go down better and stay down if I sprinkle the powder over a teaspoon of warm chicken broth, or, plain tea or coffee and sip the mixture down and then quickly sip a second teaspoon of warm liquid.   CAUTION: make sure you work with your personal health care professional. Some medication is not intended to be crushed, even if it is a tablet and you can physically crush it.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

My Special Surgical Experience

Ok, don't think I'm silly but I'm ready to share my s urgery experience. Let me preface by saying I have a twin brother named Bev. Bev is 3 minutes older.   Wonder Twin Powers . . .   So the only thing I remember about surgery is “Ninja woo ha”. I thought I kept seeing a puff of black smoke and hearing a faint whispered “ninja woo ha”. I would then see my twin brother Bev appear out of nowhere intently looking over the surgeon’s shoulder.   At one point I thought I was standing next to my twin looking at the operation and taking to him . . .   Me: “look you can’t keep Ninjaing in and out of the OR.”   Bev: “I’m just making sure the doctor doesn’t make any mistakes”.   Me: “ahhh, you really do love me better than Greg and Bea”.   Bev: looking all pouty faced, “Na uh”   Me: “so how are you able to “ninja” in and out if we don’t do the Wonder Twins Power Activate” thingy?   Bev: “I’m the oldest, smartest, and I am a 7th degree black belt in taekwondo! Duh.”   Me: “well you know this is awwwkward, I am naked down there.”   Then I hear, “Ninja woo ha”, see a puff of black smoke, and with that my twin is gone and I’m waking up in recovery with my twin brother Bev and son, Phil staring at me like I’m some kind of alien survivor of a crashed UFO.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

Post Surgical Body Issues

Throughout my sleeve journey, I've been working out and trying to minimize the post-surgical sagging. Despite my efforts, I have body issues: bat wing arms,
potatoe sack thighs, and
a thut [a but that literally sags into my thighs with no definition between these body parts].
I don't know if this is due to the rapid weight loss or because I am fast approaching 60 years old [thus the result of aging], or, a combination of the two.   No matter the reason, I'm exercising. I've been working with both a physical trainer and a physical therapist and developed an exercise program that supposedly will address my body issues while being appropriate for my Fibromyalgia/chronic pain and over 50 age group.   I joined a gym in Chicago, for when I am home, and utilize the fitness center in my daughter's apartment complex in Milwaukee/Brown Deer when visiting her and my granddaughter. I'm worried about working out too much because now I'm losing volume in the girls [my breast].   On top of this, I have developed keloids at the surgical incision sites. I expected them, as an African American, I've had problems with them in the past. I've tried using cocoa butter, shea butter, etc. to no avail.   Short of surgery, I guess there's nothing I can do about the sagging. I found some suggestions for handling keloids naturally. Guess I'll try them.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

Nightshades, Fibromyalgia, Weight Loss, OH My!

Since I'm starting the elimination diet phase of post surgery and will now have to live on a restrictive diet for the rest of my life, I decided to talk about food and Fibromyalgia. Before deciding to go through with the verticle sleeve surgery, I began developing food allergies to items I have been eating since a baby. My allergist and Fibro specialist both agreed that Fibro may be related to this frustrating phenomenum.   Not much research has been conducted on the connection between food and Fibro but many years ago I attended a support group lead by a leader named Neava. Neava studied this connection because she personally suffered many food allergies and sensitivities. One topic she discussed was Nightshades.   The nightshade family encompasses some common fruits and vegetables, including:   *Potatoes (but not sweet potatoes) *Tomatoes *Eggplant *Sweet & hot peppers *Ground cherries (a small orange fruit somewhat similar to a tomato) *Goji berries   Like many people and some researchers, Neava strongly believed that nightshades aggravate the symptoms of conditions such as arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue CFS/ME. There is a chemical in these foods, glycoalkaloids, that some people with FM (pwf) may be sensitive to - like some people are sensitive to gluten.   he only way to know for sure how foods impact your symptoms is to experiment and pay close attention. One great tool for that is the elimination diet, and it also helps if you keep a detailed food/symptom diary.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

WLS and Self-perception

Quick drastic weight loss is a strange experience. Don't get me wrong, I was fully prepared, after all it took over 10 years to finally break down and undergo surgery. After all the research, doctor's visits, and support groups/forums, I was prepared buuuuttt. I'm having trouble moving into the "skinny mindset".   I eat like a skinny person, I don't have a choice since 95% of my stomach is gone. I'm becoming active like a skinny person with Fibromyalgia [there's only so much you can do with Fibro].   The problem is clothing. I still see myself as fat and think I should wear larger clothing. That's where having lots of children [young adults] in one's life helps. After being teased for wearing clothing that is too big [even though it is smaller than what I use to wear], I broke down and purchased items from stores I would have never dreamed I could patronize, Express, Old Navy, J C Penny, Victoria's Secret. Everyone thinks I look great but I feel they are too small.   Oh well, I guess my self-perception will catch up with the physical as time goes by.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

2
 

Don't Let Fibro Sabotage Your Weight Loss

When I finally made the decision to go ahead with WLS, the first person I talked to was my Fibro Doctor. He did a work up on me to make sure that my thyroid was working probably and even now, 3 months post-op, still monitors my thyroid. He explained to me that as a person with Fibromyalgia I have a risk of developing thyroid problems and this would counteract any benefits I reap from WLS.   Here is a great article on Fibromyalgia's affects on weight.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
 

WLS, Dehydration, and Fibromyalgia

Question from a member: "Do you have FM? If so, how has it affected your recovery?"   Answer from Fibro Diva: Yes I have Fibromyalgia. The first week post op my Fibro pain went through the roof. I went from a baseline of pain at about 4 to post op pain of 10. I was taking pain medicine 4-6 times a day. 2 weeks post op pain level went down to 6 and pain meds went to 2 times a day. Now that I am four weeks post op my Fibro pain is back to 5 and I am only take pain meds 1 time every other day.   I did end up in the emergency room, that's why it has taken reply. The reason, I can't stomach the protein shakes and I was taking my anti-nausea meds incorrectly so I got to the point that I could not drink anything and became severely dehydrated. They pumped me full of IV fluids and anti-nausea meds and now I am back to business.   Just like with Fibromyalgia, everyone's experiences will be different. If you have not already spoken to your own FM doctor, do so as soon as possible and ask for liquid forms of all your FM medicines. If your FM is not under control before surgery, it will get even worse afterwards so work on getting and keeping it under control.   Finally, talk to your surgeon and the anesthesiologist pre-op. Emphasize to them that you have Fibromyalgia which may impede your recovery via increased pain. My surgical team at Little Company of May Hospital in Evergreen Park, IL has had lots of experience with people with Fibro so they made sure to address possible triggering issues such as plenty of warm blankets, postioning of IV arm for anesthesia, and frequency of post op pain meds.   I hope this was helpful   Fibro Diva
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
 

Discussing Fibromyalgia and Surgery with my surgical team

I have an evening appointment with my surgeon's assistant tonight. The purpose is last minute instructions and Q & A. I found a patient education sheet "Guidance for Fibromyalgia Patients who are having Elective Surgery" on the website of the Fibromyalgia Information Foundation.   I'm printing out a copy and taking it to my appointment tonight. Everyone at the hospital seems knowlegeable about FM and its affects on post-op recovery but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
 

Family Support

As a divorced mom, I was the sole source of support and motivation for my children. My daughter is now a news producer and my son is a photographer [he's photographying my weight loss journey]. Now my children are my support and motivation as I battle to get healthy. They watched my struggle to get control of Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, they are confident I will take control of my weight.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1

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