I've had surgery on my right big toe. What I thought was a bunion was actually arthuritis. The surgeon I had, put me under, broke my toe, scraped the arthuritis, then put two pins in criss cross. 6 weeks later, I went in and had the 2 pins removed. Gotta admit that it was kinda painfull, and I admit to living off of percocet for about 3 days there, but boy am I ever gratefull now. I couldn't even walk before no matter what kind of shoes I wore. And now I don't have any pain what so ever now in my right foot when I walk. Now I am looking forward to having my left toe done. My surgeon told me that is how arthuritis starts, usually in the feet and travels up. I did not want to have knee replacements like my mom did, and she also had what she thought was bunions. Another word of advice if you choose to have surgery. Go to the chiropractor a few weeks before and tell them what you are having done, I found that by working the muscles in the back and legs, sure speeded up the recovery.

I take a combo of Palquenil and Azulphidin(enteric coated). It takes about 3 weeks to fully kick in, but it works great for me. Also, warm water movements in a therapeutic pool, keep my aunt, who is much worse symptomatically than me, going.

Well I am going to have WLS at UCLA if they can ever get their act together. However, I have gone to the preoperative classes and they are very emphatic about ANY NSAID including aspirin. As in NEVER CAN TAKE IT AGAIN! I am not sure how I feel about that. I know my OA hurts like bloody hell when I don't take my Vioxx. And I happen to know a number of folks who have had their surgeries done at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, CA and that particular group of docs has said to one gal anyway wait until you are completely healed and then take Vioxx and Pepcid with your lunch. That sounds sensible to me. Arthritis doesn't go away just because you lose weight, just doesn't hurt quite as much at times. Soooo, I'm gonna have to have a chat with a rheumatologist/pain management type person. As soon as I get a date from UCLA I will have to stop taking the Vioxx until after the surgery which means I will be taking more narcotic pain medication...I have to take both in order to have a quality of life. Soooo, I don't know if I have given you hope or not. There is a very interesting pain management board at Harvard Medical School Neurological Forum. You might learn something juicy there. Good luck Grace

Hi, I am pre-op for Lap band. I wanted RNY but due to my RA meds it was not an option at this time. I have RA/OA/fibro. I am on Methotrexate injections, Enbrel injections, Bextra and occasionally prednisone. I started on Arava and it worked great for the first year after Dx and then my RA got worst....so doc added MTX. Its the MTX which is a chemo drug. It robs me of B-vit leaving me with all the side effects, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, eye sores and diarrhea. I don't know what the answer is but long term pred use it not it!!! You will become dependent on pred. this is one of the reasons I stay away from it. Has your doc tried to control your RA with one of the Biologic DMARDS such as Enbrel, Humira, Kinert or Remicaide. Enbrel has made a big difference for me though it needs the help of MTX. I take Enbrel injections twice weekly and take my MTX injection once a week. I am hoping once I am post op and get some weight off I will see some improvement. Prednisone is good when things get out of hand and you need to calm it down but not for long term use. My doc and I argued about this and I won! Not to mention it does rob you of bone mass over long periods of time. Even if you take calcium/vit D suppliments! Antoinette

What : First 2-Day National Convention Who : "Make The Journey Together" with Friends (new and old) from all over the United States! When : Saturday and Sunday, May 15 & 16th 2004 Cost : Sunday May 16th, 1pm until 5pm FREE for any (pre or post) weight-loss or plastic surgery patient. Come meet the Surgeons and discuss your special needs. Want more? $20 Registration for the full conference! (Includes: full 2-day access to all events, registration materials, special activities and much more!) Where : Wyndham Arlington, Arlington,Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth Area) Room cost $99.00 includes free shuttle to and from the airport. No need to travel far. Free local travel with 5-mile radius of the hotel. No need to rent a car! And now for the best part; Six Flags over Texas is a mere 4 miles away meaning you can never get bored! (Free shuttle service included to Six Flags!) Fun things to do: Meet the founders of ObesityHelp.com. Socialize with peers. Convention is just 4 miles from Six Flags over Texas. WLS Fashion Show! Clinical information talks. Free door prizes. Show off your before and after photos. Help with printing your WLS Success cards. Help with getting your photos on the web. Discounts on ObesityHelp store items (books, tshirts, magazines, etc..). Group photos. Free samples of nutritional products. WLS "Retro Party" Pictures and information on the gathering will be featured in the OH Magazine and the website. Are Spouses Welcome? Yes. Carpools are forming. Partner up with people near you. Members from Houston, Dallas, and other cities will be driving in together. Indicate on the survey below if you'd be interested in starting or joining one. Flight Information: Call 800-433-1790 for the lowest fare plus our group discount! American Airlines Group Discount Program: Discount code# S8454AV 5% discount on lowest possible fair. (less than 30 days booking notice) 10% discount on lowest possible fair. (31 days advance.) 10% discount on lowest possible fair. (Upgraded seating -Business class, First etc) What to bring: + Your before photos + Your after photos + Your camera + $25.00 for food Secial Prizes: To recognize your dedication, whoever travels the farthest to attend will receive a special prize! Greatest amount of weight-loss Prize! Newest Pre-op Prize! And more!