FibroDiva

I'm having success with unjury. I will try those listed here also.

I had my sleeve at Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park on August 01, 2013. Try using Protein shakes, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury is a really good one. It doesn't have an after taste like Muscle milk and the othes. go to www.unjury.com.

I didn't have a problem with Muscle Milk pre-op but couldn't stomach it post-op. I just started Unjury and am doing great with the unflavored and the strawberry flavored powders.< /p>

I love each and every point. As I read your responses I kept saying, "yes, that's exactly what I was thinking!"

I didn't read all the replies, sorry if I repeat anyone else:

1. I wish I would have known about the sleeve when I was banded, the band wouldn't have even been considered.

2. I wish I was more prepared for the drastic weightloss, I had lost so slowly with the band and had some regain everytime they took even a tiny amount of my restriction away, and then with my sleeve I lost 100 pounds in less than 10 months.

3. I wish I had known my surgeon wasn't a "warm fuzzy" man, his beside manner left something to be desired, but all in all he is still one of my most favorite people in the medical field. He gave me the tools I needed to save my life, and for that I will always have a special love in my heart for him.

4. I wish I had known how emotional I would be when I look in the mirror, some days I still see my fat self, and other days I'm freaked out by just how small I am now. I see a therapist for body dysmorphic disorder. I have gone from a size 22/24 to a size 0/2 and my 1 year anniversary is this thursday. It's weird if I look in a mirror I see a fat woman looking back at me, but if I catch my body's reflection in a store window or car mirror I think wow that's a great body wish I could be like that, then I realize it's me. So I'm working on it.

5. I wish I would have better prepared my daughter for my body changes. She was freaked out when I started wearing a smaller size than her. But she was happy to inherit all of my Victoria Secret bras.

6. I wish I would have known that I would want plastics when I hit goal. I always said I'm not vain, and since I'm a tomboy, and too old for bikinis, and skimpy clothes the skin won't bug me. And for visual reasons it really doesn't but I have some pain issues, like I have to sit carefully, or I end up sitting on a fold of skin and have to deal with bruises. no fun.

7. I wish I would have been warned that my favorite Soup would taste like metal after surgery. I make a stuffed pepper Soup, and everything is fresh (nothing from a can at all) and it tastes like it has been sitting in a steel bucket for days before being served now. My family says it's just me, that it taste just like it always did. So I would have liked to know that healthy food would change in flavor too, they warned me about sweets but not "real food"

8. I wish I had been warned that I would lose relationships when I lost weight. I think some people were only willing to be friends with people that made them look good (they looked thinner because the rest of us were morbidly obese) and I also had family tell me I took the easy way out.

9. I wish I had known how much money I would save on meds post-op. I have been able to come off of several meds, and have only picked up the ppi.

10. I wish they would have made us take a class on how to dress our new bodies. I seriously need to do an episode of "What not to wear"

I know I listed more than 4 things, but this journey has taught me a ton about myself and others. I have said it before and I will continue to say it, I would do this surgery every year if I had to, I LOVE my sleeve.

Hi Chelenka,

I pushed myself into a painful Fibromyalgia flare. I went to a family reunion in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and walked around without my scooter. Then my daughter got a new job out of state, moved and her husband stayed behind (he's looking for a new position so he can join her and the baby). I went with her to help with the baby. Finally, I went to DC to give testimony to the FDA about the medication needs of a person with Fibromyalgia and gastric sleeve surgery. Thanks fur the suggestions.

I joined Planet Fitness for my birthday so I will work with their personal trainer.

Hey FibroDiva! I haven't seen you on here for a while. Try doing some weight training to build up your glutes. It will take tie but your butt will feel/look better. For your hair try adding more your Omega 3 fats in your diet with avocado or eggs, organic beef or chicken, nut butters. I am convinced that this helps my hair and skin. Sending you a cyber hug! (())

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.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2013-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.

I wish I had known that I would lose all my curves and my backside.

I wish I had known that my hair would continue to grow but would thin out.

Anyone else out there with Locs? I've noticed something strange about mine. They are growing but they seem to be thinner. Any suggestions or comments?

I've had an MRI post surgery. I simply told the tech before hand, there was no problem.

Great idea.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh to keep from crying. So whenever something weight loss and/or chronic pain/Fibromyalgia hits me, and I remember, I will post it here.

Point out the potential health hazards you are currently facing. My children were actually the ones that convinced me, I had mini stroke in 2007 and then two more in 2012. They did an intervention and brought together all the grandchildren and had them rehearse, "we love you YaYa and want you around to see our children!"

Once your family realize that you are doing it for health and not simply looks, they hopefully should be more supportive.

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.

Wish me luck, I'm venturing out into the cold to meet my new personal trainer at Planet Fitness. Don't need luck with the personal trainer, I need it with going out into the cold with Fibromyalgia. ????

I was retested for sleep apnea and still have to use my CPAP

no regrets. I wasn't prepared for the loss of my baby cheeks and my "girls" but digging out old pictures I realized there was a time when I did have either.

I am healthier now and that is what matters. I have noticed that now I spend my spare time at old hobbies, crochet, jewelry making, and even cake decorating [family eats the cakes].

Hello, I am wondering how I will cope up with my arthritis once sleeve is done...how will I walk a lot without pain killers...

I know walking is very important after this operation..

I have Fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease cervical and lumbar, siatica, and cervical stenosis. I had my sirgery Aug 01, 2013. My pain doc ordered physical therapy to begin Sep 01. I went to PT until Dec 31. My pain doc also ordered liquid versions of all my medication.

If you can, go to physical therapy and use a recumbent bike first and build up to walking on the treadmill next.

they made me remove polish from both fingers and toes. I got a mani-pedi with no polish as a compromise. they used the monitor on the finger but still wanted no polish.

OOOps the above link is for the blog entry on exercise.

Here's the link for the album with the exercise sheets

Hey, I am 2 months into my program for gastric sleeve. I have 10 more pounds to lose. I have some trouble going to the gym. Not sure what kind of workouts to do ? Can anyone tell me what kind of workouts they were doing before surgery and after surgery ?

How long after surgery did you go back to the gym ?

Thanks in advance for the answers !

I have severe Fibromyalgia and because of the pain I did not work out. My insurance required that I see a personal trainer pre-op. She did not want me to exercise without the approval of a physical therapist. She did give me a package of exercise to show my physical therapist. The physical therapist modified the exercises and I went to therapy for 3 months and now I do the exercises at home.

I started 1 month after surgery.

You can find the handouts on my blog by clicking here. I've been scanning and uploading the package from the personal trainer. You don't need a gym. I use exercise bands, canned vegetables and Water bottles instead of weights. I've been hinting to my children that I would like a set of 1, 3 and 5 pound dumbbells for Christmas

I agree with LindarfromFlorida.

Pre-surgery I battled Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I've given up sugar, even though I bake lots of cakes and Cookies for family members. I haven't had any IBS problems post-op. As I re-introduce food into my diet I am discovering what my stomach does not like, fried foods, spicy foods.

Take it one day at a time. When you get to the point that you are re-introducing food, try a new food when you are not straying away from home. That way if you have an incident, you are safe within your own home.

I would give up the sugar!

This is not going to be a pain-free Christmas.

The first ghost of Christmas, Fibro Fog, came to visit yesterday and I ruined a whole batch of Rum Balls.

Last night the second ghost, Insomnia, moved in and I spent all night starring at the ceiling.

This morning the third ghost, pain began unpacking. I'm so stiff and exhausted I can't get out of bed or even fathom moving about or exercising.

I'm too exhausted to think about a Christmas day menu or shopping or cooking.

Well I guess I don't have to worry about gaining any weight.

This Chicago weather is beating me up. ~Sabrina.

I wear them on special occasions but didn't start until I hit 70 lbs of weight loss.

As the weather gets colder, my Fibro is getting worse and I'm finding it harder to exercise.

I did it. I made it through the turmoil and aftermath of the tornado where my daughter lives. My so drove me down to Peoria for the holiday. I did all the cooking and did not do any taste testing. I let everyone else do it.

When it came time to eat, I used the baby's sliverware to make my plate. I only got down one bite of everything for Thanksgiving dinner and then had the rest for lunch on Black Friday.

We then went shopping on Black Friday and I completed all my shopping. Now for the drive back to Chi-town. I know I will go into a flare but I am proud I did not give into the desire for emotional eating. :-)