Still pre-op and having a setback

Feeling pretty defeated tonight.  I am still pre-op, just have to get the specialists clearance and I'll get my date.  I have Fibromyalgia and have been having a horrible flare up since mid September and my rheumatologist has said there's nothing else he can do for me.  He tells me I need to get down to about 150lbs and I'll be ok and my Fibro will be basically non existent.  I'm having huge issues with one of my arms right now and can not even straighten it out and of course it's my dominant arm and because I have been overcompensating by using the other arm it is now starting to flare as well.  Late this afternoon I get a phone call from my employer's FMLA/short term disability people saying my claim was approved through November 4th and as of November 4th I no longer have and job protection because I have used up all of my FMLA time between doctor's visits and flare ups.  They've had my paperwork since mid-October and I have been calling every few days asking for an update and they call me 10 days after I no longer have job protection.  I am beyond infuriated.  Of course my rheumy is off tomorrow so I can't even call and tell him he needs to do something now.  This also means that now I have no time off to make my specialist appointments which now delays my surgery(I don't have a date yet).  I'm so afraid that they're going to throw me out of the program because it's taking too long to see the specialists and now I have to wait until January to go.  It's bad enough I've been eating some pretty bad stuff lately.  Tonight it was a whopper and fries, the other night it was an entire pint of ice cream.  I was so focused for the first time in my life and now it has all gone to hell because I am constantly in pain and can't even do anything for myself on some days.  When I do cook I do make it healthy and load up on veggies, but this stress and pain is bringing me down and i'm so afraid of giving up.  I just want my surgery to be here and over.  My 40th birthday is next month and the surgery is kind of a gift to myself so I start my 40's off healthy.  Any tips to get me back on track on those days where I am just too fatigue or in too much pain to cook?  My husband works 2 jobs so it's not like he can cook for me.  Heck the only thing he knows how to make are hot dogs and boxed mac n cheese.  Did anyone else have setbacks while they were still pre-op?

I don't know if you have already done this..I'm sure you have since you have been hurting for so long...but this is what I would do when I had a fibro flare up pre-op (when I could still take the meds) and it worked really well. 

Take 800mg of IB Profein (4 pills) and 400mg of extra strength Excedrine Migrane (2 pills)  Put on my warmest robe and heat up 2-3 towels in the dryer until they are really really hot (10-20 min).  Put the hot towels over the areas of the flare up and cover myself with a blanket or two to help hold in the heat.  I then either go to sleep or watch a movie or something.  This has always worked for me. 

Now that I'm post op I can't use the pain meds anymore but the heat alone works wonders. 

I'm really sorry that you are having such a hard time and are hurting so much and for so long.  I wish there was something I could do to help.  So far I have not noticed a reduction in flare ups post op, but I'm hopeful that once I reach goal they will go away!

Good Luck!

I hate to rain on your parade but do be aware according to most of the people on the fibro forum here the surgery (no matter which one) doesn't necessarily resolve the fibro. Many still have it and weight has really nothing to do with it, fibro is a neurological and muscle malfunction and plenty of skinny people have it too.You need to find either a new rheumy or find a pain specialist because there are several meds just for fibro plus many, many that can be used for it that aren't just for fibro. I take cymbalta, neurontin and a fentenyl pain patch to deal with mine plus oxycodone for flare ups. There is no reason for you to suffer like this!!!

As for meals I would cook up a whole bunch on your good days and if you have to try some of the weight loss type frozen dinners, there are several brands. Good luck I hope this all resolves before long!

Totally not raining on my parade at all.  I honestly do not expect my Fibro to get better after surgery.  It may help with the arthritis I have in my knees, but not the Fibro.  My rheumatologist keeps trying to convince my husband and me that it will.  I have tried Lyrica & Neurontin and had horrible side effects with both.  He gave me Tramadol for pain and it doesn't do anything either and I've heard horrible things about it as well.  I have an appointment with him on Monday afternoon and he mentioned possibly giving me an injection so I can get back to work.  I did find a pain management clinic right here in town so I'm going to see if I can get a referral to them.

As far as my meals go I've been pretty good the past few days.  Once I get this injection and hopefully feel better I think I'm going to take advantage of the weekends and make a bunch of meals and freeze them.  It'll be helpful for me and for my husband as he works 2 jobs and sometimes only has an hour in between to eat dinner and get changed.  Thanks so much for the ideas!