My life is not changing like I thought it would

Help anyone. My life is not changing like I thought it would. I had Fibromyalgia and severe lower back pain before my surgery on 12-21-04. When I first started losing weight the pain seemed a lot better. I exercise everyday and I watch very closely what goes in my mouth as everyone does after this kind of surgery. I wanted to return to work by now, but my back pain has increased, and I've gotten depressed. So now all I do is exercise and sleep. We only have 1 car and I thought by now that we would have 2 so I could get out of the house more. My husband works a lot of hours and I very seldom have access to the car. My question is will my back pain get better as a lose more weight? Am I pushing it to expect my life to start changing at 3 mo post op? It seems the rest of you are losing so much more weight than I have. I've only lost 55 pounds since my surgery. What is your secret? Any advise would be welcomed. Thanks for listening. Mary Salmon 12-21-04 -61 pounds before surgery -55 pounds after surgery

Well Mary I'm sorry you aren't feeling well. But you've losta total of 116 lbs that is great. Is there any type of therapy for your fybromyalsia? I've heard it is very painful to your body. I will put you on my prayer list. bless you kelly

Hi Kelly, I probable need to call my PCP to have her send me to Physical Therapy for the Fibromyalgia. Thank you for adding me to your prayer list. I will let everyone know here on the December 2004 Board when it improves. Mary Salmon

MARY... DON'T GET DISCOURAGED... YOU HAVE LOST 116 LBS SO FAR... THAT IS INCREDIABLE... IT TAKES TIME FOR THE BODY TO ADJUST TO THE WEIGHT LOSS... I LOSE A LITTLE AND THEN I PLATTO... THEN LOSE A LITTLE AND PLATTO.... BUT AT LEAST I KEEP ON KEEPING ON... I DO WHAT I AM SUPPOSE TO EVERYDAY... AND I KNOW THAT IT WILL ALL CATCH UP... I AM SORRY YOU ARE IN SO MUCH PAIN.... I HAVE MS SO I HAVE A LOT OF NERVE PAIN... SO I GUESS I KIND OF UNDERSTAND... MY DR PUT ME ON NEURTION IT IS A DRUG THAT WORKS WITH NERVE PAIN... IT HELPS... WELL YOU HANG IN THERE.. JUST KEEP KEEPING IT UP AND YOU WILL KEEP LOSING... BONBON

Hi Bon Bon, You are so right - we have to just keep on keeping on. I have heard that MS and the nerve pain associated with it is the worse. I will keep you in my prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. Mary Salmon

Mary, First off you are doing an amazing job, you really are. I also have really bad pain in my lower back and I am really discouraged with the pain that I am still having, I would have thought that I would have had more relief by now, I just don't know what I'm going to have to do about it, I really don't want to have back surgery. Just take it one day at a time with the changes. Maybe try and change one thing a day or if that is to much try just making one change a week and sticking with it. It will get better I'm sure of it, really!! Keep thinking positively and you might want to check in with your Dr. about the back and sleeping. Take care of yourself and I'm here for you if you ever need anything. Loni -13 pounds before surgery -52 pounds after surgery Total=65 pounds gone!!

Hi Loni, 13 pounds lost before surgery is also great! It is amazing what we can do when we know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 65 Total pounds lost is a lot for you to be proud of too. I've heard from others that there is still a chance that our back pain may improve in the 1 st year following surgery. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the both of us. Have you been to a pain specialist yet? I had been going to one but when he heard I was having a Gastric Bypass he got all up in my face and was totally against it. He even dropped me as a patient because of it and said he would only see me if I decided not to have the surgery. There are other pain specialist here. I'm going to call my family doc tomorrow and have her put me back in Physical Therapy. I know in the past that it has helped me. If I can be of any help to you just let me know. In the meantime I'll say a prayer for us both that our back pain improves as each of us loses more weight. Thank you so much for your support. Mary Salmon

Find out what can be done to help your back. Talk to your Doctors unless you have done that already. I have noticed that since I started dropping the pounds that I'm getting a lot more aches and pains I never had before but some of those aches and pains are fading and getting better. Maybe it's our bodies going through the changes of weight loss. I would go in and talk to both your surgeon and your PCP. Best of luck and my thoughts are with you in your pain Hugs Donna 338/241 -97

Hi Donna, I am going to call my family doc and have her refer me to my Physical Therapist. In the past it has helped my lower back and my Fibromyalgia pain. I got out to go to church and do a little shopping today and I am feeling much better (emotionally). Hopefully it will not take long to get back in with my Physical Therapist. I've heard from others that it is possible our bodies readjusting our center of gravity. Thank you so much for your kind words and for your support. It is so nice we have each other on this December 2004 Board. Mary Salmon

2 points: for the weight loss, that seems to be very different from person to person. I suspect that some who haven't lost so much just don't post about it! And your loss is wonderful, I think! Just look at it this way: when in your life have you lost 55 pounds in 3 months, and lost it FOREVER!?!? That is the whole point of the surgery! As for the aches and pains, and didn't have any particular problem before surgery, other than some back and shoulder aches due to large breasts. (I had breast reduction surgery years ago, but then I gained weight and size back.) But I'm in constant pain now! I understand that this is because my body has to adjust to the changes, and develop muscles where I didn't need any before. I compare it to my aunt, who used to wear high heeled shoes to work every day, and they never hurt her since she had adapted to it. Like we adapted to our weight! When she stopped working and lived in sneakers, she had major foot and leg pains! It took her months to adapt to the new heel height of her shoes. I'm hoping it will not take months, but who knows? I suspect you're on the right track with the exercise, though, and I plan to start following your model. ~~ Leslie 12.17.04 RNY 238/174/138