What is your pain?

I’m waiting for the coffee to finish dripping.   Today is the first day of classes.  This morning, in addition to preparing for first day, I have answered emails from old students wanting in my class, new students wanting information about the class, and colleagues who are anxious to meet and hammer out the semester of conferences and collaborative work.  I am just happy to be working when so many who were super morbidly obese are still unable to stand for any length.  All the extra weight that we have carried tears our bones and ligaments and tendons to pieces.  My knees and shoulders are what took the brunt of my weight.   To this day, my knees will give out on me if I am not careful.  My shoulders were damaged from being in the wheel chair and having to lift myself with my arms from the wheelchair to my bed and vice versa. My orthopedic surgeon had recommended a total right knee replacement and had suggested a shoulder replacement for my left arm.  However, he agrees that we should wait as long as possible and that is what I’m doing.  Reading this forum and other wls forums, it seems as though most people complain of feet, knee, and hip pain.  I’m curious as to how many people have residual damage and if so what is that damage.  So, ladies and gentlemen, what is your pain?

After I lost all my weight I didnt have any pain at all. I am surely blessed with that. Also my diabetes is gone.
But on the down side I am suffering from Migraines again. Not sure what is up with that except that it may be cause of the Thyroid cancer. Well see if the migraines stop after the rediation.
Carla

Carla, Sending positive healing thoughts your way. The migraines could be coming from stress also couldn't they? I'm sure worry and anxiety don't help. It's hard not to worry. I know I'm kind of "born to worry." I try not to but it's hard. I'm telling those migraines to "Leave Carla alone!!!!"

Carla,

Sorry to hear you are having migraines, it might be the treatments, as well as the stress, so I am sending you postive healing thoughts and hoping your migraines disappear, along with the cancer.

Hugs, Laureen

Jeannie,

I am sure carrying around over 200 lbs of extra weight caused my knees to wear out long before they would have otherwise. I've had both knees replaced and will probably have to have that done at least once more in my lifetime. Before I had surgery, I fell while camping. My friend had to help me get up. She also was quite large. She pulled and pulled. As I finally came off the ground I heard popping and a searing pain in my right arm. By the next day the entire arm from wrist to above elbow was purple, black, blue, green. I had torn all of the tissue in that arm. It still bothers me some to this day.

My hips hurt and I'm sure they aren't in good shape either. I've sprained my ankles several times. I used to think the ankles were weak but realize now that the bad knees would give out on me and down I would go on the ankles.

However, I am much better than I was. I can walk and sit without my legs falling asleep like they used to. The knee replacements were a good thing. Not like the originals were but much better than the originals had become. Like most of us I wish I had taken better care of this "package" I was born with, but am trying to do the best I can now.

Jeannie, I'm with you on this first day of classes. No matter how many years I taught the first few days of each school year were filled with anxiety. Little did the students realize, but I was just as scared as they were. It must be so nice for you to be able to get around better. With middle school teaching it was absolute agony to have to turn my back to them to write something on the board. I know it wasn't my imagination that they were making fun of me. They liked me, I was a good teacher, but it was still very hard.

Karen, kids can be so cruel.  I know the joint pain has to be one of the worst pains.  Some nights when I go to bed, I move and move, trying to be comfortable.  Yep, for sure, for me anyway, the pounds brought on the pain.

Hi Jeannie,
well, gosh, I guess I don't have much of anyplace that doesn't ache.  (not whining, just stating fact).  Of course they all feel better since the weight loss, BUT the discomfort has never gone away.  Hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders that I injured AFTER losing weight from roller blading the one and only time I ever did it, back, knees, feet, ankles, and hips.  Yep. all ache but I do have myofascial pain syndrome so that is probably most of it.  Arthur is visiting in quite a few places too.  I can do what I need to do only with help of the celebrex I am on.  When I don't take it I can sure feel it.  Of course after the snow this weekend and the shoveling I feel it too!  LOL!  Only my massage therapist that I see when it gets to the point I can't take it anylonger knows how much I ache.  She can feel it!  But ya know, you do what you gotta do or want to do and keep doing or you lose it.  So I keep doing. 
Years of nursing and obesity have done a number! 

Debbie,

I'm all about controlling the pain and not letting it control me.  You are like me, just deal. LOL

I am definitely plagued with joint pain. Last year at the age of 56 I had a total right hip replacement after not being able to walk for 2 years. While it is wonderful being able to walk again, for some reason the right side of my body is aging much faster than the left. Today my right shoulder aches all of the time as well as my right wrist and arm. I also have age spots on only my right hand. While I hate being burdened with arthritis and joint problems at such an young age, I thank my mother that I inherited her genes and not those of my father (he died from a heart attack at 47). My pain is tolerable and I love being thin and active again.

I work for a school district and am very grateful having a job today!

Kathie

Kathie,

I think we favor one or the other side.  I know my right knee is a mess.  Both knees are bad, but the right one just grinds and grinds.  I have rheumatoid arthritis and know that when I have a major flare up, it goes from one side to the other; however, the pain that I have from years of obesity is different and less hot, if that makes sense.