FibroDiva

Recently I attended a Fibromyalgia Health and Healing Retreat with my sister and a close friend [both have Fibro and my sister is in the pre-op stage]. Well my friend, who experienced a drastic unplanned weight loss and won't go to the doctor to find out why, was driving me crazy with the following statements. Feel free to add your own statements. 13 Things You Should Never Say to A Sleever You had Bariatric Surgery, you’re losing weight the cheating way!!! I would never have that surgery, I can lose weight whenever I want the natural and real way! You know people who have that surgery all die. How do you drink those nasty shakes? You need to eat more, you’re going to die of malnutrition. OMG, you look like you’re sick now. You didn’t need that surgery, all you had to do was eat less and exercise more. Come on, eat some more, you’re making me look like a pig. Try this, try this, one little bit can’t hurt! Clean your plate, you know it’s wasteful and disrespectful to leave food on your plate. I told a friend about your surgery and showed her your picture, she said she thought you would have been humungous but you weren't so why did you have the surgery. Are you sure having the surgery was the best thing for your health? I can't be seen with you anymore because you're looking better than me.

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

I had my surgery August 01, 2013.

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.

It's frustrating about the sagging Forsythia, it's not enough for the doctor to be concerned or to be covered by insurance, but it's enough for me to notice. Also, I've lost all fat in my face and don't recognize myself.

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, 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.

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

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.

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.

Well the FDA finally held the hearing. Oh, I forgot to post the original meeting of Dec 10, 2013 was rescheduled to March 26, 2014. The March meeting was fantastic. The FDA really wants to know how Fibromyalgia symptoms affect our quailty of life and what we think about medication. 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.

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.

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.

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.