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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

 

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
 

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
 

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 for 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

0
 

Fibromyalgia and WLS Awareness

As May gets under way, I realize it is a month of nurturing [Mother’s day], appreciation [National Police Memorial Week], and advocacy [international Fibromyalgia/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Gulf War Syndrome/ Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome Awareness Day].   My Fibromyalgia has been flaring big time but I've been busy building awareness of the special needs of people with Fibromyalgia who have had weight loss surgery.   For one, we cannot take out pain medication the way we did pre-op.   I testified at the FDA Public Meeting on Patient Focused Fibromyalgia Drug Development and spoke about my experiences as a post-op patient. After the meeting I posted all the questions which the FDA needs community responses online [Click here for questions].   If you are a WLS patient with Fibromyalgia, please take a moment, click on the link above and copy and paste these questions to a word document, answer them and then go to http://www.regulatio...013-N-1041-0004 and paste your answers as comments onto the FDA docket. The comment now button is in the upper right corner of the FDA’s page.   The comment period closes on May 26, 2014. The FDA really needs to know that there is a subgroup of people with Fibromyalgia who need their medication in chewable, dissolvable or liquid forms.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

0
 

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
 

Winter, Fibro, and Weight Loss

I gave myself and my daughter post-Christmas presents, memberships at Planet Fitness. Since I don't drive and PF allows you to bring a guest, my son gets one by association - he will be my driver.   The problem is that with this extreme cold weather, my fibro has been in overdrive. I don't like to go out when it is really cold because it aggravates my pain so I've been following the exercises set up by my pre-op personal trainer and my post-op physcial therapist.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

Fda Fibromyalgia Public Meeting On Patient-Focused Drug Development

The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] is presenting an opportunity for our voices to be heard.   On December 10, 2013, FDA is conducting a public meeting on Fibromyalgia Patient-Focused Drug Development. FDA is interested in obtaining patient input on the impact of fibromyalgia on daily life (topic 1) and currently available therapies to treat the condition (topic 2). The questions for discussion on these topics are located at the bottom of this page.   For each of these topics, a panel of patients and patient representatives/advocates will present comments to begin the dialogue and will be followed by a facilitated discussion inviting comments from other patients and patient representatives. If you are interested in providing comments as part of the initial panel discussion, indicate so during the registration process. Participants for the panel discussions will be confirmed prior to the meeting.   There will also be an opportunity for patients, patient representatives and others to provide comments on issues other than topics 1 and 2 during an Open Public Comment session. Sign up for Open Public Comment will take place the day of the meeting.   Don't worry if you cannot physically attend the meeting in Maryland, you can attend via webcast also.   click here for more information.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
 

The New Wls Site

I am glad to see the new site is up and running. For a moment I was having withdrawal thinking I would not be able to see inspirational posts from the groups I enjoy, Where are the Over 50s, African American Sleevers, Chicago Sleevers and of course Fibromyalgia/chronic pain Sleevers.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

0
 

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
 

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
 

September is National Pain Awareness Month

Pain Awareness Month is a time when various organizations work to raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management. The first Pain Awareness Month was in 2001, when the American Chronic Pain Association led a coalition of groups to establish September as Pain Awareness Month.   The purpose of Pain Awareness Month is to bring attention to the very real physical suffering of an estimated 100 million Americans and to highlight the need for research and new, innovative treatment options.   Events   PainWeek 2013 Healthcare provider training Cosmopolitain Hotel Las Vegas, NV Wednesday September 03 - Saturday September 07, 2013     Complimentary Chronic Pain Awareness Expo Open to the public The Desert Ridge Marriott Saturday, September 7, 2013 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

0
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

DEA Online drug scam alert

Have you ever purchased prescription medication or vitamins online? If so watch this report from ABC7Chicago.   http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=9207787
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
 

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

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