Question:
Has anyone on the obesityhelp.com suffered from spinal stenosis?

If so, were you able to have gastric bypass surgery or LAP? Did it make a little or a lot of difference?    — Sharon L. (posted on April 14, 2003)

April 14, 2003
I have cervical stenosis and it did not factor in at all. I'm not even sure my surgeon read through all my stuff to know I have it. <p>I also have DJD in L3/L4 and L4/L5 and surgery did give me a flare-up of the symptoms. Laying in one position for so long and gravity working on me I woke with quite a bit of numbness in my left foot and lower leg. Although my problems are typically on the right side. I had some symptoms there also, but not as bad. However, they are lingering and I am scheduled for an epidural steroid injection this Thursday in hopes of getting the remaining symptoms to settle down. I can't sleep on either side without the whole hip and leg going numb and the right side is painful too. I'm hoping that only one will be needed.
   — zoedogcbr

April 16, 2003
Yes, I have lumbar stenosis. I had a lap RNY, and I had residual numbness in my left outer thigh for about 6 months following surgery. Drove me NUTS! But my back pain disappeared for a good while, only flared up within the last several months when I tried to up my exercise too quickly for my body. Losing the weight will significantly improve your stenosis symptoms, but it will not "cure" it. Good luck!
   — lisachris