ObesityHelp

I am new to the site, and wondered if anyone could give me some advise on dealing with RA and gastric bypass. My surgery date is scheduled June 5th, and I am very excited and nervous at the same time.
 
I have had RA for 10 years now, and have had problems finding medication that works for me. I have been on Pred for about 3 years now, and contribute most of my weight gain to the drug. Although the drug is helping me move everyday, I worry about the long term effects of it. I have found myself to be hungry all the time.

 I am at my heaviest weight right now, and have started to have problems cleaning personal areas in the shower, and decided that was the last straw. Last June my RA doc told me that all my joints were very swollen and I need to begin IV medication. I was placed on Actemra, and for the first time I have not reacted to the medication, and at times feel pretty good. I also take plaquenil and lipator. The lipator is due to the increase in cholesterol due to the actemra.

I am a very active person and have learned great ways to mentally block out the pain. It took me many years to realize I could sit at home in pain, or do the things my body would allow. I learned quickly there were some activities that were needed for my mental health and a little physical pain was worth it. Soccer is one of those activities for me. It can be such a mental battle in order for me to play. Although I am excited to lose the weight my goal out of this surgery is to play soccer without pain, and get off the steroids for good!

I worry about two things with the surgery and would like advise on.
First has anyone been on long term pred and had this surgery? What were the first few weeks after surgery like? Did pain increase? did the steroids make your stomach upset? Was you hunger controlled?
Second for those who are married? Once you begin losing the weight and feeling better did your spouse have a hard time with it. My husband has cared for me for so many years, and I am worried about the effects of this surgery on him. We have talked at length about it, but the unknown is scary.

Please any advise would be appreciated.
Samantha

Update: arthritis did flare, and took close to 6-8 Weeks for biologic to kick back in. no regrets, would do it again.

I created a website to mostly help those who are already on disability or are about to apply, I will add your website to it, www.freepeoplehelpingpeople.com 

 check out craigs list, seems people often discard theses. Surely a handyman could fix it for a reasonable amount of money

dana from teexas im so sorry that u are sick but i hope that u will feel better soon ill ;pray for u ...joann 3333   god bless u

 I decided on the Duodenal Switch surgery to be able to take NSAIDS for my hip and knee arthritis pain so I can exercise. My stomach has all the digestive qualities as pre surgery, with an intact  pilorus and normal digestion. Even with all this, my surgeon is worried about developing stomach  ulsers using NSAIDS  long term. He suggests using Celebrex, but my insurance- BCBS of Mi wont cover it. The cost is high, out of pocket. I take it once a day as directed, with good results. I was able to swallow pills the second day in the hospital, post surgery, never had to crush any. Taking pills  was a prerequisit to being released with pill pain meds for home recovery. I have been so happy to be able to enjoy life with the Duodenal Switch way of eating, and digestion. I have lost 116 lbs in 7 months, 20 lbs away from my goal. Celebrex has enabled me to work out at the gym, weight lifting, and treadmill for cardio. My body is toned, and I feel happy and  energised.  ;-)

Hello everyone.

I am new on the boards but have been researching RNY for quite some time now and I am working on my insurance requirements to get it paid for.  I am almost 30 years old and was born with lumbar spinal stenosis.  It did not affect me until I was 26 when I herniated a disk and went into hell.  I had a microdiskectomy and that surgeon told me I was a hypochondriac when months later I went back to him with my pain and loss of feeling and incontinence.  I ended up finding a new surgeon and as soon as he saw my MRI he immediately scheduled me for a fusion.  After everything I was doing o****il I tripped and turned the wrong way and broke my vertabre and blew that disk as well. I had emergency surgery to fix it, which basically meant that I had to be re-fused with longer rods and more screws.  Today, at 300+ lbs, It is hell to try and do normal things like dishes and laundry. I try so hard to keep working to help my family. There is not a day that goes by that it does not hurt. I would like to think that having a bypass and losing 100+ lbs would help but does it really?  Just putting my story out there to help or give advice to those suffering with back problems and surgery questions.  I am looking forward to starting a new life at a normal size.  Thanks for listening !

Barb,

Thanks for the apology. Altho it wasn't necessary, it's always nice to have. I'm not upset, hurt or angry at posters who have good intentions. It is, however, annoying to have people trying to change my mind, especially since I made it clear I'm not looking for that kind of advice.

What I stated is just the facts. You and the others don't know me and don't know why I've made the choice I have.

I'm sorry the band didn't work out for you. You're a brave soul to get the RNY, especially since the sleeve is available. I think you would have to knock me unconscious, hogtie me, and transport me to an operating room against my will before I would ever get the RNY. Of all the procedures, that's my last choice. But ... different strokes for different folks.

You seem like a nice, friendly lady. Heck, if I lived in Hawaii, I might be smiling all the time like you!

Yeah, I'm really bummed that I'm back to square 1 with no doc and no date. I'm gonna take a break from my non-stop efforts and see if I can't get some mobility going. Right now, my arthritis is keeping me bed-ridden. It ain't easy but once more I'm gonna find a way to do water aerobics.

I'll friend you so we can chat more if you like. BTW how are YOU doing?

My apologies if I upset you. I can see you have done your research and have chosen the procedure that you feel will work best for you. I'm so glad that all the follow up is covered by your insurance. That is a huge financial relief!

What a bummer that you have to search for another surgeon. But from the way you are writing, you are a very intelligent woman and will find the right person for you.

I wish all the best for you in this journey!

I have to agree with all the other posters. It's too bad your insurance doesn't cover the sleeve, but you can't take NSAIDS with the band so I would encourage you to look into DS. I know a few people who have had luck with the band but I was not one of them. I had mine removed and revised to RNY about 2 months ago. Seriously, please reconsider getting the band. Understand that you have to get fills and unfills in order to find the right amount of restriction and you need to check to see if your insurance covered them. My surgeon charges $250 for each fill or unfill. This may not even be an issue for you, but RNY and DS are way more effective than the band. Feel free to ask me questions if you want. By the way, I'm 57.