I'm glad I found this site.  I have had chronic pain for most of my life, and over the last 22 years have gained a lot of weight.  I keep trying to figure out what I did, what I didn't do to bring this about.  The best I can figure is back in the late '80's I was diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent a battery of procedures/tests/surgeries/drug therapy to get pregnant.  The good news is, it was successful and I had two (more) wonderful children, and I thought I had waited too many years to expand our family.  Part of the treatment was taking an anabolic steroid to stop my body from creating estrogen.  This caused me to rapidly gain 60 lbs.  Sixty pounds in less than three months.  I truly believe this was the catalyst for my journey with pain and obesity.  Before the endometriosis I had also injured my back at work, so I was babying my back, and trying to deal with all that weight and then eventually got pregnant in 1990.

When I got pregnant was when my pain really started.  I didn't really gain much weight with the pregnancy (only 20 lbs), and my daughter was born in '91 at 9#2oz.  I actually weighed less after giving birth than I weighed before I got pregnant.  So I struggled with leg pain and back pain for a couple more years, and got pregnant again, and my son was born in '94.  Again, I gained very little weight (15 lbs) and he weighed in at 8# 4oz.  After this things went downhill in a hurry.  I never really got a handle on my leg pain and I had all kinds of tests done and no one could ever really figure out what was going on.  I did get a diagnosis in '96 of Fibromyalgia, but never got any real pain relief.  

I would up injuring my right knee and tore my meniscus and had to have surgery to remove the torn cartilage.   My knee improved for a while, but eventually the pain came back and got worse and worse and worse.  My doctor kept telling me it was the fibro, even though the pain was in my joints (mostly my left foot and my right knee).  But he kept insisting that all I needed to do was exercise and it would get better.  So I did, and my knee kept getting worse and worse.  Finally I demanded more be done, and my doctor sent me to a rehab doctor for a second opinion, and she gave me the OA diagnosis.  My right knee was totally gone.  My hips were gone too, but had not started causing me pain.  I had my right knee totally replaced in 2004, and four months later had surgery on my left foot to fuse three joints that were affected by a congenital defect that no one found in the 45 years I'd been on this planet.  I lost some weight before the surgeries and lost more after and eventually got down to 240 lbs, all on my own.  But as the old saying goes "all good things must come to an end".  The pain came back, this time it was my right hip, then my left knee and my left hip.  ALL need total joint replacements.

I've seen three orthopedic surgeons and NONE will do surgery on my hips because of my weight, and one even said I had to have gastric by-pass before he would do surgery.  I've always resisted the idea, mostly because I'd always been able to lose weight when I tried to, but now at 53, and post-menopausal, the weight just won't budge.  And to make matters worse, I was laid off my job in 2010.  So I decided to go to college and get a degree, and would hopefully be able to switch careers and hopefully get myself together.

Needless to say things have not gone like I had planned.  The only health insurance I have is what is provided as a college student and it will NOT cover ANY kind of weight reducing procedures.  And without losing weight I can't have my joints fixed, and without getting my joints fixed, I'm pretty much doomed to a life of pain and constant pain meds.  And besides the OA, I also have Myofascial Pain, Lumbar Stenosis, Urinary Incontinence, PTSD and now, Panic Attacks which have never been an issue for me before.  I had an issue with a professor who doesn't like people who are disabled and people who are overweight (I hit the daily double on that one), so I'm struggling with that, and dealing with the knowledge that there are still people out there, people who we are supposed to trust that feel it's OK to discriminate.  So I'm undergoing therapy for that (thankfully the school provides this at no cost), and I'm working with the campus disability department to get my classes completed so I can get my degree.

I've not left my house in over a month (I get a panic attack when I even think about walking out the door) and I missed two really awesome job interviews because I'm so self-conscious now I don't know what to do.  And before the incident with the professor (who actually announced their feelings to the ENTIRE CLASS) I went on a job interview but couldn't get in the building, the office had steps and no other way in.  And I had another interview to go on and this time I ask before I went, and again - steps, no ramp.  I have to use a walker to get around and I can manage ONE step, but not more than that.

Sorry to bombard with such a long post.  I am feeling very alone, and honestly thought I was old enough that I would not be subjected to bullying, especially by an instructor, but I guess you're never too old.  I so want to drop at least 200 lbs, get my joints fixed, and see what the rest of my body does after that.  I had actually went into a partial remission shortly after my surgeries in 2004/2005, then my husband had a stroke in '09 and all the stress, and constant running and worrying and trying to not lose our house and everything else, slowly but surely, all the pain came back with a vengeance.

The worst thing is I have no job, and the chances of getting a job without losing the weight and having the surgeries is pretty slim, and without a job, I have no means to pay for a weight loss surgery.  My unemployment ran out early, due to the job market being so much better to actually motivate.  I had thought about trying for disability, but my degree requires I do a practicum, and even though it's an office job, it will negate any disability I might get.

So, I'm not sure what I'm asking for, a kind ear, helpful advice, extra money for my surgery (just kidding!!).  My family listens, but they don't understand.  I guess that's what I'm really hoping for - understanding.  And direction if someone knows how to go about this when you have no money!  The hardest part is before the steroids way back in the 80's, I was super active, played sports, hiked, rode my horse everyday, I enjoyed life.  Now I merely exist, living one day to the next hoping and praying that I find a solution to this, I'm only 53 and I'm not ready to be an old lady yet.

Peace,

Gin

"The best laid schemes of mice and men / Often go awry" -- John Steinbeck

They send a therapist to your home once a week for 6 weeks. They expect that you will do the exercises each day on your own.I have been told it is vital to keep up with the exercise. 

Hi all.

I'm a pre-op with RA.  Not only am I a fairly new pre-op (three months in), I've only been diagnosed with RA since Valentine's day.

Right now I'm on 20 mg of methotrexate weekly and cimzia shots every two weeks. I've been struggling with fatigue.  I've never been one for naps but now I feel like I could take one at any time.  And it is interfering with my fitness goals.  I'm trying to get 120 min of walking a week but im struggling to get my twenty minutes of walking in a day.

I don't want to stop the MTX.  I think it is helping and it has definitely helped my psoriasis.

Anyone have experience with this and/or suggestions?

Pookah

It's funny because I have been trying to solve all of my medical problems I have become really good at talking to doctors.  I take meds for depression and mostly all of the meds are time released.  I point blank told the doc that because of RNY my body can't break down the drug and it will go right through me.  He looked at me and realized that I was not going to take any other answer but I will write you a non time release.  I tell you this because with some docs. they think that they are gods.  With managed health care in this country, the common man almost needs a medical degree.  Acetaminophen and oxycodone aka Percocet 10 mg/325 mg 3 or 4 times per day.  It can be addictive but I managed it for 6 years and I take nothing at all now.  I still have aches and pains but it is a walk in the park compared to what I felt with two bone on bone knees.  You will know if you can handle the perks.  Start out with taking 5 mg and then increase to 10mg.  Word of advice if you are given it and they tell you take 2 5's tell them you want the 10's reason is that it is 325 mg. of acetaminophen instead of 650 mg.  Most docs don't even think about that one.  Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.  I will be checking into this sight at least every few day.  I wish you much luck but more important no pain.

Hi Rachel

Unfortunately, Celebrex does rip your stomach up.  I am RNY (open) 7 years this June.  I had 2 bone on bone knees.  The percocets were just not cutting it so my ortho doc put me on Celebrex about 3 years ago.  This past September I was loaded with ulcers all along the pouch line. They were treated with meds and as of the beginning of this month they are all gone.  I will never doubt what my gastro doc tells me.