Hi,

My name is Jennifer. I had VGS surgery October 17, 2011. My highest weight (that I am aware of was 308 lbs). I had always been heavy, but never had tipped the scales at over 300 lbs. I decided to research WLS and went to see my surgeon, Dr Audencio Alanis in August prior to my surgery.

Dr. Alanis was knowledgable, kind, and understanding. His office staff (in particular his lovely wife), were more than helpful with choosing which surgery would best work for me, and with assisting me in getting financing for my procedure. I was able to be scheduled fairly quickly, and was excited to begin my new life!

The surgery went as expected. I was up and walking around soon thereafter, and released the next day. Recovery for the first 1-2 weeks was painful, but I followed all of my post surgical orders, and the weight began to fall off. Follow up care was crucial during the first several months.

By the summer of 2012 I was down to 242 lbs, but had hit a massive plateau. It didn't seem to matter what I did, the weight had simply stalled out. So, I searched for a trainer who could help me push past this mountainous plateau, and found one. I worked out rigorously (and I do mean rigorously - think Cross Fit) for months and was finally able to get down to 213 lbs. I had also developed a good little amount of muscle as a bonus.

In the Spring of 2013 I began to experience severe pain in my lower back that spread down throughout my legs. I thought perhaps I had overdone it. That was not the case.

To make a long story short, I began to get weaker physically, and the pain began to spread all over my body. After much testing I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, arthritis of an undetermined origin, and to this day continue to be tested for various autoimmune diseases. I am still waiting to be diagnosed on that front.

Also during this time, I developed cataracts in both of my eyes. They quickly advanced and I was legally blind in at least one eye over the past 2 years. None of this was a result of my WLS. I have now had my cataracts removed, and am being treated for my pain levels.

This leads me to my biggest problem to date. I had gotten down to 213 lbs. I could see 199 around the corner, and then it all went haywire. For 2 plus years I was able to keep my weight in the 215-217 range. I thought perhaps this wasn't bad because I have only been cleared to walk and swim as exercise now. Honestly, most times I don't feel like I have the energy for either. Then about a year ago I began to gain weight. At first I could get it to drop back down, but eventually it has continued to creep back up, and up and up. Two weeks ago I reached 247 lbs and was horrified. I started going back to Protein shakes, and salads, and have been trying desperately to not let myself slip back into bad habits.

​I am simply looking for anyone out there like myself, with a physical affliction who has gone through this and come out of it with better results than before. I worked so hard, and I can't stand the thought of not being able to lose not only the recent weight I have gained, but to never be able to reach my goal weight.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am not a sad person with a sad story. I am someone who laughs a lot, and has faith. Just looking for any answers any of you might have.

Jen

I have Fibro and Lyrica has been massively helpful for me. I'm having a bypass later in the summer. I'm hoping I can still take my meds for it. Does anyone have trouble with it post-surgery? I'll ask my rheum. also on my next visit. We've agreed that weight loss will be highly beneficial for my joints/tenderness regardless.
My bigger issue with my Fibro is that I get these electric zappy shocks all over (like a neuropathy of sort...I've had shingles 3 times, feels like that kind of zapping)...and the Lyrica has been huge it stopping the pain. Dealing with the zapping is rough! So happy my meds work, but will I still be able to take it? It was like magic to finally get relief.
Thank you for any shared experiences.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, cauda equaina syndrome, failed lumbar surgery syndrome, and diabetes. Took all but diabetic meds after surgery in October til January. I didn't stop taking them from side effects. I just stopped and realized I didn't need them anymore. 3months the only prescription I have is b12

That's wonderful! Thanks so much for your time.

On 3/27/2017 at 10:13 AM, crocodoxie said:

I have Fibro and Lyrica has been massively helpful for me. I'm having a bypass later in the summer. I'm hoping I can still take my meds for it. Does anyone have trouble with it post-surgery? I'll ask my rheum. also on my next visit. We've agreed that weight loss will be highly beneficial for my joints/tenderness regardless.

My bigger issue with my Fibro is that I get these electric zappy shocks all over (like a neuropathy of sort...I've had shingles 3 times, feels like that kind of zapping)...and the Lyrica has been huge it stopping the pain. Dealing with the zapping is rough! So happy my meds work, but will I still be able to take it? It was like magic to finally get relief.

Thank you for any shared experiences.

I was diagnosed formally with fibro in January 2016 after the symptoms I'd been living with for years got way worse following a major injury. I don't take the same medicine as you, but I haven't had problems with any of my meds since about 10 days post-surgery. (Took forever to get them all down the first week and a half!)

What I DID have was a big flare following the surgery. The pain wasn't unbearable, but the exhaustion and weakness really hit whenever I over-do activities. I missed Wednesday of this week entirely due to falling exhausted into bed after a busy Tuesday only to wake up Thursday morning. I attribute that to the additional strain on my body from healing. The GOOD news so far is that the flare has been causing significantly less pain than pre-surgery flares. Hopefully that's a Thing and not a coincidence.

I also have FIBROMYLGIA. I have Osteoarthritis, Psoriasis Arthritis. I have used so many Opiates. I was dignosed. 1997. I got lucky because my Dr had Fibro also, so he knew all about it. Back to the medications I have been on. They put me on MARINOL which is the THC from pt. It was a joke. I have made brownies and smoked it for my pain.. The thing is you don't know exactly how much to use so I overdosed myself a couple of times. Man the PARANOIA I just knew I was going to the ER and would have to tell them what I did. LOL Then they put me on METHADONE, this distroyed my Cognitive abilities like noones business!! Then they put me on VICODIN, I took high doses of it. After I moved back from Idaho to Roseburg, Oregon finding a DR was a real challenge!! When I found one to help me he was shocked to say the least!! The amount of VICODIN that I took were TOXIC!! So he tooj me off of it and gave me FENTANYL PATCH"S. He retired just recently so I had to start all over with a new DR. who is worried about the FDA stepping in and stopping the use of OPIATES at all unless you have Cancer. You talk about the worrying!!! I have had the best coverage of my pain ever. So I had my RNY and I can honestly say that getting my weight off has really helped me out. I never had probems with my knees until after my WLS they tell me if I hadn't lost my weight that I would be in a wheelchair. But now here is the DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED if youy don't. You all know what they say about exercise helping FIBRO well yes they ARE right, but before whenever you tried to exercise you had so much pain that you wouldn't have been able to exercise!! After my WLS it is totally true about it helping my pain level. They are defintly right in that area!! I still hurt and some days I can't do what I had planned but YES IT will help us but there are just times that I roll up on my couch with a blanket. Good luck to you all

@Sherrie Scharbrough Whew, that's a catalogue of medicines I'm relieved to have avoided! But you're so right about the catch-22 of exercise and fibro. It's one of the top reasons I had this surgery.

.

I'm struggling to get to the point where exercise doesn't knock me out for the next day now.

Hello, There are so many forums, I don't know where to start. I also have an arthritic condition, Ankylosing Spondylitis, that has changed my life drastically. It took at least 10 years to finally get diagnosed. It started with severe lower back pain in my 30's, then loss of range of motion in my neck and spinal surgeries on my forties. The disease attacks the spine and sacroiliac joints. My last spinal surgery resulted in a spinal cord injury and disability in my early 50's. With lots of physical therapy, I can now walk with a rollator for short distances.

I've been overweight all of my life, which I believe affected many aspects of my life. I carry a lot of sadness due to having spent so many years hating my body and disappointed in my inability to lose weight. Since my disease is progressive, I decided to finally have the gastric sleeve surgery in hopes that I can be as independent as possible. I backed out 2 years ago, but now I'm ready.

I'm on day 4 of 14 day pre op diet. I'm looking for a support group.

Hi your post attracted my attention as I have been lurking. I have psoriatic spondylitis after years of misdiagnosis and need spine? neck surgery. I was in a wheelchair but walk now mostly unassisted. Wls has helped my mobility and self image despite ARTHRITIS I grew up with. Grrrrr. Good fortune!!

I've had 6 spinal surgeries and it's not easy to find the best doctor. Whatever you do be sure to follow up with plenty of physical therapy, it makes a world of difference.

@Betty Trigo thank you. I love my surgeon, he's a neurosurgeon, not surgery eager, highly recommend and has a very nice PERSONALLY..wow!! Lol I appreciate the pt advice. I need pt now! Yikes. Hugs hang tough

??

On 5/3/2016 at 0:10 PM, JenniferVSG2011 said:

I am simply looking for anyone out there like myself, with a physical affliction who has gone through this and come out of it with better results than before. I worked so hard, and I can't stand the thought of not being able to lose not only the recent weight I have gained, but to never be able to reach my goal weight.

Hi Jennifer,

I know this post is over a yr old, and am hoping you are in a much better place now. Hopefully you have found some things that worked w/your specific situation to help you get the scale moving in the right direction again. But if not, or even just as possible add'l help for you or anyone else reading, these are my thoughts...

With my Fibro, I started having symptoms toward the end of my 1st weight loss program, which was physician supervised, using Phen-Fen, seeing a nutritionist & exercise physiologist. I needed to lose 30 lbs+/- and I lost 31. Titrated off the meds, but even before that, started having pain in my neck & shoulders which I attributed to my job as an admin (worked a 10 line phone while typing reports all day - phone always scrunched between ear/shoulder). I was still able to keep the weight off, but 6 mos later got pregnant & that was very difficult w/pain & fatigue.

Eight weeks after my daughter was born, I got back to the gym. Yes, it was painful. No, I didn't really Want to do it, but I worked hard to lose the weight the previous year. Plus the Y offered child care & that gave me 2 hrs per day to myself. I could work out for 1-1/2 hrs then use the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi (all helpful for pain) for 30 mins. Things that helped me were 1. Starting slow w/exercise & building up intensity (w/weights & cardio), 2. Stretching a lot as soon as I was done - like ASAP, 3. Using the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi at the YMCA, 4. Icing painful areas when I got home (some ppl prefer moist heat which is fine), 5. Using a topical pain relief aid such as Biofreeze - roll-on is convenient, 6. Getting a TENS unit for home use for bad areas, 7. Taking Zanaflex at bedtime to help w/muscle tightness & sleep, 8. Working out at a fairly intense pace actually works best for me for some reason (makes no sense, I know - endorphins, maybe?), but I do HAVE to slowly build up to that level whenever starting something new and/or after a flare-up or anytime there has been a pause in my work-outs. I literally start with 1 lb weights and build up to circuit weight training again. These are all the things that have helped me to stay active and lose weight despite intense pain from Fibro.

As far as appetite goes, well for one thing, I am at my highest weight ever rn because I hurt my back 10 yrs ago & it's been a snowball effect. That has significantly decreased my workouts much more than the fibro did. So, I can't speak to how all of this works after having had the sleeve, but will know more on that after my surgery 12/27/17. However, I was at a point after both my parents passed where my weight was up more than usual and just working out and "eating well" wasn't working. So, my family doctor let me take just Phentermine (since Fenfluramine is now off market) as long as I came to her monthly for blood pressure/check-ups, and also went to WW for better food accountability and the YMCA for workouts. That helped me lose about 25 lbs.

So, I don't know if appetite suppressants are allowed after WLS, but obviously there are new/different meds on the market now so is worth looking into (also helps w/energy & motivation to "just do it" when you are otherwise lethargic). Also, every person is completely different and I know/respect that. Some fibro patients are bedridden, some still work FT and take care of house/family. Just bc something worked for me, won't necessarily work for you, but I have 21 yrs worth of journals I've kept & those are the things that helped me the most. I really hope you are feeling so much better now. I'm sorry my posts are so long, it is one of my worst traits I think, I apologize. I try to edit but can't get my point across otherwise! Best wishes and feel free to PM me if you are still on here and want to talk or even if you have advice to help me since you are actually post-op!

Hi Taylor! I'm back! I had no idea this thread had gotten this long until I got an email about your response! I've been trying to catch up, but my pain is at a 6 right now. I will definitely hop back on here tomorrow. I have updates about what I've been experiencing and hope I can help! [emoji4]

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Hi Jennifer,
I know this post is over a yr old, and am hoping you are in a much better place now. Hopefully you have found some things that worked w/your specific situation to help you get the scale moving in the right direction again. But if not, or even just as possible add'l help for you or anyone else reading, these are my thoughts...
With my Fibro, I started having symptoms toward the end of my 1st weight loss program, which was physician supervised, using Phen-Fen, seeing a nutritionist & exercise physiologist. I needed to lose 30 lbs+/- and I lost 31. Titrated off the meds, but even before that, started having pain in my neck & shoulders which I attributed to my job as an admin (worked a 10 line phone while typing reports all day - phone always scrunched between ear/shoulder). I was still able to keep the weight off, but 6 mos later got pregnant & that was very difficult w/pain & fatigue.
Eight weeks after my daughter was born, I got back to the gym. Yes, it was painful. No, I didn't really Want to do it, but I worked hard to lose the weight the previous year. Plus the Y offered child care & that gave me 2 hrs per day to myself. I could work out for 1-1/2 hrs then use the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi (all helpful for pain) for 30 mins. Things that helped me were 1. Starting slow w/exercise & building up intensity (w/weights & cardio), 2. Stretching a lot as soon as I was done - like ASAP, 3. Using the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi at the YMCA, 4. Icing painful areas when I got home (some ppl prefer moist heat which is fine), 5. Using a topical pain relief aid such as Biofreeze - roll-on is convenient, 6. Getting a TENS unit for home use for bad areas, 7. Taking Zanaflex at bedtime to help w/muscle tightness & sleep, 8. Working out at a fairly intense pace actually works best for me for some reason (makes no sense, I know - endorphins, maybe?), but I do HAVE to slowly build up to that level whenever starting something new and/or after a flare-up or anytime there has been a pause in my work-outs. I literally start with 1 lb weights and build up to circuit weight training again. These are all the things that have helped me to stay active and lose weight despite intense pain from Fibro.
As far as appetite goes, well for one thing, I am at my highest weight ever rn because I hurt my back 10 yrs ago & it's been a snowball effect. That has significantly decreased my workouts much more than the fibro did. So, I can't speak to how all of this works after having had the sleeve, but will know more on that after my surgery 12/27/17. However, I was at a point after both my parents passed where my weight was up more than usual and just working out and "eating well" wasn't working. So, my family doctor let me take just Phentermine (since Fenfluramine is now off market) as long as I came to her monthly for blood pressure/check-ups, and also went to WW for better food accountability and the YMCA for workouts. That helped me lose about 25 lbs.
So, I don't know if appetite suppressants are allowed after WLS, but obviously there are new/different meds on the market now so is worth looking into (also helps w/energy & motivation to "just do it" when you are otherwise lethargic). Also, every person is completely different and I know/respect that. Some fibro patients are bedridden, some still work FT and take care of house/family. Just bc something worked for me, won't necessarily work for you, but I have 21 yrs worth of journals I've kept & those are the things that helped me the most. I really hope you are feeling so much better now. I'm sorry my posts are so long, it is one of my worst traits I think, I apologize. I try to edit but can't get my point across otherwise! Best wishes and feel free to PM me if you are still on here and want to talk or even if you have advice to help me since you are actually post-op!

I meant to respond directly to you! It's late here, but I will be back on tomorrow and hope to of some help! Thank you for reaching out. And don't worry, I post novels. I think it helps everyone understanding where you are at in your journey! [emoji4]

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Hi Jennifer,
I know this post is over a yr old, and am hoping you are in a much better place now. Hopefully you have found some things that worked w/your specific situation to help you get the scale moving in the right direction again. But if not, or even just as possible add'l help for you or anyone else reading, these are my thoughts...
With my Fibro, I started having symptoms toward the end of my 1st weight loss program, which was physician supervised, using Phen-Fen, seeing a nutritionist & exercise physiologist. I needed to lose 30 lbs+/- and I lost 31. Titrated off the meds, but even before that, started having pain in my neck & shoulders which I attributed to my job as an admin (worked a 10 line phone while typing reports all day - phone always scrunched between ear/shoulder). I was still able to keep the weight off, but 6 mos later got pregnant & that was very difficult w/pain & fatigue.
Eight weeks after my daughter was born, I got back to the gym. Yes, it was painful. No, I didn't really Want to do it, but I worked hard to lose the weight the previous year. Plus the Y offered child care & that gave me 2 hrs per day to myself. I could work out for 1-1/2 hrs then use the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi (all helpful for pain) for 30 mins. Things that helped me were 1. Starting slow w/exercise & building up intensity (w/weights & cardio), 2. Stretching a lot as soon as I was done - like ASAP, 3. Using the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi at the YMCA, 4. Icing painful areas when I got home (some ppl prefer moist heat which is fine), 5. Using a topical pain relief aid such as Biofreeze - roll-on is convenient, 6. Getting a TENS unit for home use for bad areas, 7. Taking Zanaflex at bedtime to help w/muscle tightness & sleep, 8. Working out at a fairly intense pace actually works best for me for some reason (makes no sense, I know - endorphins, maybe?), but I do HAVE to slowly build up to that level whenever starting something new and/or after a flare-up or anytime there has been a pause in my work-outs. I literally start with 1 lb weights and build up to circuit weight training again. These are all the things that have helped me to stay active and lose weight despite intense pain from Fibro.
As far as appetite goes, well for one thing, I am at my highest weight ever rn because I hurt my back 10 yrs ago & it's been a snowball effect. That has significantly decreased my workouts much more than the fibro did. So, I can't speak to how all of this works after having had the sleeve, but will know more on that after my surgery 12/27/17. However, I was at a point after both my parents passed where my weight was up more than usual and just working out and "eating well" wasn't working. So, my family doctor let me take just Phentermine (since Fenfluramine is now off market) as long as I came to her monthly for blood pressure/check-ups, and also went to WW for better food accountability and the YMCA for workouts. That helped me lose about 25 lbs.
So, I don't know if appetite suppressants are allowed after WLS, but obviously there are new/different meds on the market now so is worth looking into (also helps w/energy & motivation to "just do it" when you are otherwise lethargic). Also, every person is completely different and I know/respect that. Some fibro patients are bedridden, some still work FT and take care of house/family. Just bc something worked for me, won't necessarily work for you, but I have 21 yrs worth of journals I've kept & those are the things that helped me the most. I really hope you are feeling so much better now. I'm sorry my posts are so long, it is one of my worst traits I think, I apologize. I try to edit but can't get my point across otherwise! Best wishes and feel free to PM me if you are still on here and want to talk or even if you have advice to help me since you are actually post-op!

I tried to send you a personal message. Try to message me when you get a chance! [emoji4] Jen

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