Keep us posted!!! You're almost on the LOSER side!! YEAHhhhh Irene

I have had fibromyalgia for over 5 yrs now.  I see a rheumatologist who is wonderful.  He has been great in trying new pain management.  Right now I take wellbutrin, amitrptyline hcl, flexeril, and cymbalta and lortab as needed.  The combination has seemed to help me.   I tried pt and it didn't help for me.  The flexeril and amitryptyline helps alot with sleep though!  I am pre-op for rny scheduled for 9-25-07, and I am a little nervous about the pain management.

Thanks for all the good info!  My insurance handbook says it will cover "banding" ( not the lap band, but the whole incision one) if the person is at least 100 pounds over the recommended weight and they have pre existing conditions, one of which is arthritis in the weight bearing joints. So I would assume that I would be covered . I just had cortisone injections in my knees and the Dr. said my knees were very bad and he wouldn't hesitate to recommend me for the surgery. So that's the good news - the bad news is I'm just not sure I'm ready to take that step yet. I have other health problems that probably should be addressed first. Many of my symptoms are pointing toward MS. I'm really scared about it - silly, I know, since I haven't been tested or anything. I guess time will tell, and I'll make the decision whether to go forward when I'm ready. Take Care All - Leone

My hips have been hurting on an off for years, specifically around my monthly. Now, it's constant. Can't sit, can't stand, can't lay, there is no comfortable position. It's deep in my bones. It's combined with RLS, but not just that, it just simply aches and I'm so stiff when I try to walk after being in one position for a while. Putting my feet up on a stool when sitting doesn't help. My doctor seems unconcerned, and mentioned bursitis but I wonder if it is arthritis. How would I know? I'm sick of taking 3-4 advils 3 times a day and dreading getting in a car and driving...

It was suggested I post my problem here in the medical forum, but I didn't see a place for just random medical questions, so I went with this Arthritis Forum, because one it is the first one listed and two... though I don't feel this is arthritis, it is pain and arthritis is painful. *following is the original post found in the general forum* Hey all. . . I'm in pain, not constant and not serious (I don't think). I think it's normal pain, but pain I wasn't prepared for,  nor did I ever expect. See. . . when you get this surgery, every tells you about the pain of losing the ability to eat this food and that and they cover the pain of dumping, etc. . . What no one every mentioned was the pain of the excess skin. Not the mental pain, but the physical pain. I am hurting. My skin isn't hanging profusely (yet). It's loose yes, but it isn't to the point that it is physically unappealing to me or those around me. I know I'll have work done so I'll have that pain too. But right now the pain I am feeling I believe is from the skin starting it's "hanging" issues. When I remain still for a long period of time, example sleeping all night, or sitting in one spot for too long, I'll stand, rollover (if I am in bed), and my entire body hurts. It feels like gravity is pulling at the skin and the tissues, nerves, muscles, (whatever holds the skin to one's body) is aching. I never was warned about this pain. It isn't fun. Not fun at all. I hurt so much that sometimes, after I have been sleeping and wake up, or after I have sat down for a while, I dread moving because the pain is everywhere. It is in my face, my chest, my arms, my legs. It is like a stinging, pulling sensation and my whole being feels it.