Re: Life for FMS/CFS Sufferers - sorry, long, but life stories are

[Guest guest]

>

> Quality of Life is a perspective kind of thing. It is what you make

it.

> I've been diagnosed for 10 years, went through a period of grieving

as we

> all do. I felt worthless and that my quality of life was zero. I

could

> occasionally get out of the house to shop, but I never socialized

except

> occasionally with extended family, so I was very much alone a lot of

the

> time.

> Then in 2001 or so, I heard about Carnie and her success of

> weight loss after having gastric bypass surgery. I had heard some

stories

> about morbidly obese relatives having the stomach stapiling done in the

> 70's, and that it really didn't work. But I learned that GB was

different

> because they rerouted the intestines so that the patient actually had

> malabsorption of fats and nutrients, so it was much more successful

than the

> old stomach stapling. I was also told that the patients could not

tolerate

> eating sugar after these surgeries or they would be sick. I grabbed

onto

> this " hope " with both hands and jumped on board. I did take about 6

months

> to decide and discussed with my husband and then my mother about why

I was

> doing this. I believed that it was my last and only chance to get

back some

> quality of life.

> Well, I had my first surgery in May of '02, and proceeded to

lose 110

> pounds. This brought me down to a weight of 204, which was pretty

close to

> where I was in my college days. I looked darn good, but how did I

feel? I

> did not feel full of energy and raring to go. There was very little

change

> in my energy level at all. So, yes it was nice looking good, and I

could

> move around more easily, but my QOL? Maybe it went up to a #1.

> And I slowly started putting some pounds back on. I found out that

that

> sugar sickness didn't work for everyone. I was still able to eat

sugary

> food.

> So, I convinced myself that what I needed was a more severe surgery

> where I would have even less absorption.

> I had this revision in March of '05, and in spite of doing everything I

> should, I only lost 10 pounds of what I had regained. So my 6 week

recovery

> from the surgery turned into 18 months of pretty steady depression

which

> culminated in the fall of '06 with episodes of extreme anger that I

didn't

> know how to handle. I was having thoughts of cutting myself to ease

the

> hurting of my spirit.

> Thus began a long road with a new psychiatrist to try to balance

out my

> moods and hopefully increase my energy level. We have only recently

found a

> good balance of my meds. So, what is my QOL? I am still morbidly

obese,

> still have FM that keeps me from having a social life and doing much of

> anything. But my mood is up, more optimistic. So, if I assigned a

number,

> I might give it a 3 or a 4. I don't believe I'll ever reach #10

which is

> being able to be a superwoman, working full-time, keeping a perfect

home,

> and being everything to my kids and husband. You know, I am

worthwhile and

> important to my husband and kids.

> I don't know if any of this saga helps you or not. As I said in

the

> beginning, it is all how you look at it. If we compare ourselves to

our

> image of perfection that we think we should be, we will think we are

zeros.

> But, if our expectations are realistic for our FM selves, those QOL

numbers

> can go way up. Think about it.

> Jeanne in WI

>

>

> > Group I would like you honest opinion/thoughts on what kind of

life you

> > lead and what your biggest setbacks are due to the above

diagnosises and

> > the meds you take daily. Most of all what drives you day to day.

If you

> > prefer you may email me privatly.

> >

> > Thank you and gentle hugs,

> >

> > RAB

> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

>