Jilly69

So I didn't think I was losing any weight and was kinda getting discourged. It sems like I can only make one goal a day, either protien or water one or the other but not both. So I weighed this morning and I'm down 15 pounds from the last time I weighed. I'm 5 pounds from my doctors goal and 10 to 15 pounds from personal goal. I guess I am doing something right. I feel better now knowing the weight is actually coming off....I think it helps staying off the scale for a while.

Hi Linda: Will you be going down there alone? I am traveling alone down there. It would be nice if you would want to meet up before hand. Let me know, I work in Chino, but live in Corona which neither is far from you. It would be nice to have a buddy through this process. Let me know if you are interested, Jill.

June 30th

Hi Tommy Joe: Who is your doctor? Mine is June 30th in Mexico with Dr. Ortiz. Tara that's my date too! I'm having my surgery in Mexico

Im in corona Ca. having sleeve surgery on 6/30/16.

I'm in Corona, will be having sleeve on 6/30/16. Self pay with Dr. Ariel Ortiz. Im about a month away and am very excited and nervous at the same time.

I wanted to ask people who already had surgery about the incentive spirometer, my doctor requires to use it 2 weeks prior to surgery and also bring it when have surgery to continue to use it. It seems they come in 3 different ML's, 2500, 4000 or 5000ml. Which one do you suggest? Thank you for your time...

I'm having sleeve on June 30th

I have a Kitchen Aid Diamond Vortex blender and it works great, it is not cheap though around $189. It has an ice setting on it and I also put raw vegis in it no problem, with easy clean up. Was worth the money.

Where do you buy the edamame pasta at? Does Sprouts maybe have it? Thank you for sharing, this looks delicious!

Hi Jill. I'm at that 'arthritis of unknown origin' point. Have been for a few years now. The rheumatologist has tested me over and over and keeps an eye on my inflammatory markers. I take anti-inflammatory meds and methotrexate with folic acid. What are you prescribed now that you have a definitive diagnosis? I'm really curious to know as this chronic illness and the pain that goes along with it is draining at times...especially now that I'm in a flare and back on steroids. Hi gowalking: In regards to what I am prescribed now that I have a diagnosis, I have been on several things. I started out with methotrexate and he wanted me to take prednisone too but I told him no because of all the side effects especially weight gain with that. I only took methotrexate for a couple of months I didn't see any difference on that other than my hair breaking off. Next he had me try Emberel, that made my pain a 100 times worse and he wanted me to keep taking it for 6 months. After the 2nd month I had to stop, the pain from that was too intense. Then he had me try Humira, luckinly they gave it to me in his office the first time because within about 30 seconds after they gave it to me I started pouring down sweat, got extremely nauseous and my scalp was on fire. I was literally drenched within seconds, it was actually quite scary! No more bioligics for me n though he wanted me to try remicade to, but I said no after trying the other 2. He them had me try sulfazine, that killed my stomach and I couldn't kep taking that either. So now I am on arava, generic is leflunomide which is to help keep inflammation down. I also take hydrocodone, flexeril and some other pain meds as needed. I hate taking medicine and told my doctors I want to manage my health conditions with the least amount of meds a possible. I have been through some severe flares and I have to just tough through them as best I can. I try my best to keep my stress level down which is hard to do. if my doctor brings up any medicine that one of the first side effects is weight gain, I tell him don't even bother talking to me about it, that it cant be good for my joints to gain weight. In the beginning when he was changing so mch medicine I did gain like 30 pounds, I was so mad. I have also lost 2 inches in height in 3 years already, used to be 5' 10, now 5'8, not too happy about that either. Anytime some new symptom comes up I try to talk to him about it at the next apt, because I still think there are other things brewing. My problem is I don't know of anyone in my family that has anything like this, so I have no one to talk to about it, because they don't really understand the anything I go through on a daily basis. I think the worst thing for me is the fatigue that it causes. I work a lot and the fatigue really gets in the way. its nice to know that there are others out there that have similar things and we can all learn a little form each other....Jill

Hi Jen: Are you seeing a Rheumatologist? If not you might want to consult one to help with a diagnosis. I went to doctors or 14 years, most of them told me that my symptoms were all in my head. It wasn't till I sat down one day and wrote down everything I though was a symptom and when I was done I had 2 sides of a piece of paper. I went and saw a new Rhematologist and gave him the paper with the symptoms, he spent an hour and a half with me going over everything and then sent me for a million x-rays and tons of blood work and some other tests. He had told me he thought I had reactive arthritis. I went home and looked it up and thought hum, that doesn't sound too bad. When he got my results he told me I have Ankylosing Spondylitis! I said what the HELL is that I can't even pronounce that. It is also a form of arthritis and is an autoimmune disease with no known cure. I also have a secondary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis , along with Fibromyalgia. He is constantly testing me though for Lupus, that's what they thought I might have in the beginning, but it is hard to diagnos. Don't give up on a diagnosis, only you know your body and you need to keep pressing the doctors for a diagnosis, not just arthritis of unknown origin. I am pre-op right now, but will be getting sleeved in July. My doctors say it should help with some of the issues I have. Also when you have one autoimmune disease, it is possible to have more than one of them. I hope you get a clear diagnosis in the near future it will help put your mind at ease when you have a name to what is causing you so much troiuble. Sorry for the long post....Jill

Hi Gingeryank & rest of this group: I too have Ankylosing Spondylitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia along with a gammit of other things. I am not sleeved yet but will be having surgery in July. I hope it will help with many things. I too have suffered with many of the same things you have. In fact I don't know anyone else that has Ankylosing Spondylitis. I went to doctors for 14 years before I was diagnosed, most of the doctors told me it was all in my head. I cannot take Humira, Remicade or any other of he Biologics as it makes my pain a 100times worse, I am on Arava and a few other things thought. The strangest thing I find about this disease is that I have lost 2 inched of height in 3 years.In the beginning when ai was finally diagnosed, I gained about 30lbs from all the medication they were giving me which didn't help. Even if getting the sleeve helps loose most of my excess weight and put less stress on my joint I think it will help with the pain and also the fatigue that this disease causes. I wish everyone on this thread pain free living...Jill