Hey Folks...is there light at the end of the tunnel??

I am having WLS the end of October...I'm almost 65 yrs old & have severe osteo arthritis, herniated disc in my back, very bad knees. I need to loose about 100 lbs so I can start to get some relief from the pain I am experiencing from these ailments. Can anyone out there related to my situation?...anyone get any better/worse after surgery. I am hoping to at least be able to walk at a normal pace...but also would like to live some life after surgery.  Please tell me your stories of life after surgery when it comes to the above issues!! Is there light at the end of the tunnel or hope in the future?...gonna get the surgery no matter what....this old body can't get any worse off..so gonna give it a shot and live according to the program/book my center gave me. My daughter just had the surgery and she is my encouragement as she is doing amazing well!!!

my mom is going thru tht...her surgery is in.january....however now it looks like she will need a full hystorectomy first...so.january will be delayed...on the flip side, my childrens siblings live in.moosonee and moosefactory, ill be heading tht way in late august.fpr my step daughters wedding....small world!

Sure it a small world...we have met so many ppl who are connected to up here through this process...made some new good friends along the way too.

While weight loss will not repair the injury to joints the weight loss will certainly help with pain control. Initially I did find my back ached a little more until I adjusted to the weight loss. Being able to move and exercise will also help.

Seems to be a common thread ...that the body needs to adjust itself after surgery. Hope this old body lines up quickly..lol!!

As I think you know pain control post WLS is an issue if you have the RNY.  I would highly recommend you prepare your case for the sleeve as you may need NSAIDs post WLS and it gets complicated with RNY.  

I am in mid 50s and have had severe pain in my knees and hips, every day was taking high dose ASA, chondroitin, MSM, glucosamine and the occasional Tylenol 3 if pain was keeping me awake.  I tried to walk a few kms a day but had real problems with pain if I did more.  Since my RNY I take no pain killers, no supplements except what WLS requires (which is much cheaper than what I used to take), I can run 5 kms, walk about 7 to 10 kms a day and chase a toddler all day long.  I still feel my joints groaning sometimes but they are pretty happy for the most part esp compared to before WLS!  

Enjoy the ride, , there is light !  

I have no taken any NSAID'S in a long long time...have a script for Celebrex but its so hard on the body I only tried it once or twice awhile back. I take X strength tylenol and when it gets really bad I take tylenol 3. Have some nerve damage from herniated disc ..take Gabapentin for that but hope to get off once some weight is gone. Glad to hear how well you are doing...gives me lots of hope!! Thanks for the encouragement!!

Hi Zephie! 

Good for you deciding to have this surgery. It will help a lot with getting the extra weight off those joint. I agree with what my clever pal Ian said and would point out that Celebrex is an NSAID as well so that may cause some problems with Roux En Y.

As for the pain, being our age, you know it's just going to change from aching bones to aching muscles but that's a good kind of pain. 65 isn't really old, just the start of the really fun part if you ask any of the old timers. We get all the fun time with the babbies and none of the cranky days. No boss griping about business and no commute to work with the rest of the rat race. Just days in the park, beach, playground soaking up the sun and getting in touch with all things important with the toddler set. 

But first you gotta get moving. 

The biggest change is in embracing an active lifestyle. All those little things that make a difference throughout the day. Swimming is a good place to start as the water is easy on the joints but helps the whole body to loosen up and build some muscle without so much pressure on the joints at first. 

Before my surgery I was pretty body conscious and swimming was kind of a no go, but now, I feel so good when I move and swimming makes me feel good for the whole day, I have gotten over the loose skin, scars and far more hair than most Hollywood hard bodies would appear with. It's about me now and not what people around me might think. I can't control anyone's opinion but my own. Not to mention being a good swimmer dictates you're the go to person to teach the kids and grand kids to swim. :)  The beach and poolside are the new office. ;)

Though, let;s not forget that all this doesn't come free. It's hard work getting from where you are to where you want to be. Well worth the effort in my opinion. 

Best of luck!

 

 

I am 62. Every joint in my body aches. Before surgery I would do swimming but not enough to help with the weight. Because of high blood pressure i could not take celebrex. It put my pressure up too much. Most other drugs just made me feel crappy. So I still stick with tylenol arthritis. I walk a lot. about 8, 000 to 10,000 steps a day. I do the stairs at work instead of the elevator. I bike as often as possible.I tried yoga recently and although I am too stiff for many moves I still enjoyed it and did what I could.

So basically what I am saying is there is definitely an improvement in movement. The pain will not completely go away. I have already done the damage to the joints but it is much better.

Good luck to you

Thanks for all the encouraging words Folks!!! Thankfully I am looking forward to a full rich life with increased health and activity. You stories have inspired me to just push passed the pain towards the goal of living life to the fullest ..both now and after surgery. Again thanks a bunch!!!