Hi y'all, I'm Debbie and I just saw my doc for the first time today. Kinda looking forward to this but kinda scared too. Why am I doing this? Well, in 2002 I broke my tailbone and crushed my lower back. By the time I was fused 13 months later, the surgery failed. Called "Failure to Thrive". Basically means I'm in chronic pain. Because of the way I landed I was told I started a domino effect which is causing my discs to disintegrate known as Disintegrating Disc Disease. All my discs have failed. To help with this I have had 2 Neurostimulators implanted. Yes, I am a Borg. Lol. A few years ago I was seeing a doctor 3x's a week for spinal shots and he unintentionally overdosed me with Vitamin D, which I am apparently allergic to in high doses. Go figure. Well, I ended up with Hashimoto's Hypothyroid Autoimmune Disease. Yay me! Like the back wasn't enough I guess. Yeah. Hashimoto's see's the thyroid as a foreign object to be attacked by the immune system. Unfortunately, I gained a bunch of weight. (55 pounds!!!). On top of already being chubby. and it won't stay controlled or stabilize!! I either sleep all the time or I'm awake for days. I had lost 65 pounds just before all that happened. It's just about broke my heart. Anyway, I went to my pain management doc for more pain shots. But because I told her I was having chest pains she told me I had to see a Cardio doc first. I told her my a Endocrinologist said that was normal with Hashimoto's, she's like nope. Heart doc. So I went. The first thing the Cardio doc said was a Gastric Sleeve to control the thyroid. Boy. What a moment. What a thought. Who knew?? So where I am, 10 days later starting my 6 month journey to surgery. So glad y'all are here!!!

Oh I can totally relate to the back issues you have and the chronic pain. My main objective to getting this surgery was just to be healthier and help my back. I also have degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and spondylthesis. The pain can be unbearable and causes you to miss out on so much of life. I also go to a pain clinic and I just don't want to live this way forever. I am hoping the more weight I lose the better I will feel. Unfortunately I realize there is no cure for the things I have wrong with my back but I am hoping for a miracle. Keep plugging along. I wish you much luck in your journey!

Thank you so much!! Wow! I've never met anyone with the same back problems!! Good luck to you too!! I hope it helps us both!!

Wow ladies - I have some of the same back problems and I see my Pain Dr. For steroid injections. I have a disintegrated disk And a lot of inflammation around it. I also have degenerative disc disease, Spinal stenosis and spondylithesis. As far as exercise goes, I am limited to walking and swimming for short periods of time. I sleep with a special pillow under my knees to take the pressure off of my back at night. am getting sleeved next Monday, November 11, here in sunny Southern Cali. I see this as my opportunity to get this extra weight off of my back so I don't have to be so restrictive, so I don't have to spend so much of my days in pain!!!!! I hope we all get some sort of relief!!!! God Bless You two! I know how challenging these back problems are! With live, Lisa Marie

Lisa Marie,

Please let me know how it goes. I know I have 6 months to go but since we are all afflicted with the same chronic pain issues, I'm hoping to hear good news on at least a little pain relief in the near future.

Thank you so much both of y'all for sharing and I hope we all end up better for this. Good luck and G-d Bless!! I'll be waiting to hear from you as time progressed.

It'll all be worth it in the end. I fell and broke my tailbone also, ended up having it removed (worst surgery ever). And remember for every 10lbs of weight you lose you relieve 40lbs of pressure from your joints. So you'll feel better just with the pre-surgery weight loss. Good luck.

Wow!! Thanx for the encouragement!! I was supposed to get my tailbone removed but my best friend talked me out of it. Said it would make my butter flat. Lol. Her father was a doctor so I believed her. But when it hurts sometime!!! I wish I did have it removed!!

I am looking forward to this surgery in a strange way. I see my NUT for the first time in 2 weeks. I've already set up all my doc appointments and have had my heart stress test. All I need is the GI test and the psyche test and 6 months of nutrition. Looks like surgery is going to be around my birthday. lol

I had the bypass to help with joint pain and chronic pain. I have rheumatoid arthritis and have been on prednisone for many years. It was a vicious cycle for me. I took the pred to be able to function - the pred made me hungry - the food made me gain weight - had to increase pred to function - and so on.

My goal was to get off the pred for good. I knew losing weight would help. I am 17 months post op and have lost 125. My joints feel so much better and I only have 1-2 flare ups a month. I have decreased my pred from 20mg a day to 2.5mg a day. Every time I try to go lower I have a flare up, but I am not giving up.

I know enjoy life so much. Will the pain ever go away completely - no - but I have more good days than painful days. I exercise all the time. I play soccer 3-4 nights a week.

My mom has degenerative disk disease as well, and she does not take good care of her self. Please make sure you get in your protein like you are supposed to. It does so much for our bodies!

Good luck!!

Thank you so much for sharing!! And that's great news about your pain and your pred!!! I'm hoping to get some of the same kind of relief.