Here's to HOPE

LOL  You are TOO funny Vanessa.   LOL   MY son's senior photos are on my profile if you would like to see him.   He has sang all his life too.   When he went into middle school he wanted to take BAND of all things.    I refused for him to take it and made him take choir instead.   He LOVES choir.   He hasn't been the lead in any musicals ( not because he isn't good enough...but because He was always in choir and never drama till this year at school.  He has been in all the musicals since his sophmore year in high school but decided this year to take theatre too.   He just got home and they got aways in the Betty Buckley awards for teche.    He lives music too.   He has self taught himself to play the guatar and keyboard....and he writes his own music and songs.    He sings contemporaray Christian Music.  He has no current girlfriend unless he goes back to his old girlfriend he had for 18 months.....she is coming around again.  SO who knows on that.

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Valerie, I hope I didn't come across negatively, sometimes writing and not being face to face makes it hard to interpret each other.  If I offended you in any way I apologize, not was NOT my intent.

I know you are grateful and I totally get where you are coming from, stay focused and let matters play out, it'll happen stay tough.

Valerie,

Congratulations on your decision.  I agree with Dana and Viviam; three months isn't a very long time.  While you're seeing the nutritionist for three months, you're going to have to have medical clearance, a psychiatric evaluation, and likely attend some classes required by your surgeon.  It could take three months to get the final clearance anyway and the three months of journaling and learning more about food choices and surgery will be highly beneficial for you.  Really.

I'm sorry to hear about your back problems/pain.  I understand from your post that you're not a good candidate for surgery AT THIS TIME.   I'd like to encourage you to not totally dismiss the idea.  I do believe it should be a final and last resort to alleviate pain and, if necessary, to take pressure off of the nerves in that region that are causing damage to those nerves that may be permanent and/or in the case where one has lost total feeling/sensation in their extremeties.  My husband had spinal fuson at S1-L5 in July last year.  He had to do it because the pain was unbearable and he had lost most sensation in his lower extremeties and was experiencing paralysis.  He was petrified to have surgery -- especially on his spine which I completely understand but when he fell three time (that I saw - he may have fallen more and didn't tell me), I was able to help him realize that if he didn't relieve the pressure on those nerves, he may suffer permanent nerve damage and/or he may break something as he fell (a leg, arm, or hip), or suffer a head injury and then he'd really be in a pickle.  It was a last resort.  He's doing much better.  Because his damage was worse than the MRI and XRays demonstrated, he wasn't able to enter into PT for 6 months rather than 3 months.  He's been in PT since January. It's been horrifically painful BUT he is doing so much better.  It looks now like he has permanent nerve damage and will have to suffer with the consequences of that for the rest of his life.  He takes Lyrica and that helps with the sensation and numbness but while he's still in pain management because PT is physically hard/painful, he's not hurting like he was, he's getting around better, and his overall mood has improved signficantly.

So, again, congratulations on your decision to have WLS.  WLS may help with your back pain enough that you don't require surgery in the future but please don't completely dismiss the idea of surgery after you've lost the weight if you still need it expecially because of the potential nerve damage. 

Also, because you have those issues, I think it would be crucial for you to keep up with your vitamin regimine especially that you take a high quality B-Complex and keep your calcium and Vitamin D levels in a good range!

I hope this helps!

Take the 3 months and be proud.  There are some pitfalls to it.  My son had to do six months.  He lost weight the first five and put on 10 pounds in the last month.  His insurance then refused him saying he was not "committed" to losing weight.  They required 3 more months and in that time he was laid off and lost his insurance.  Now he is doing it all over with his new insurance.  When we were doing it we actually had to do 4 visits with the Nutritionist (NUT) because of the timing on the calendar.  Make sure it is 3 months not 90 days, there can be a difference.

I have arthritis in my back, knees and hands.  My surgeon allows me to take NSAID's on occasion.  He did not allow it for the first year.  Then I had a major problem and as long as I do not make a habit of it and get ugly ulcers, he is OK with it.

I will say that after the weight started coming off, it got better.  It will relieve pressure on your back and sometimes it is in the first 20 pounds.

Our surgeon was very proactive and had us do all the medical screenings in our 3 months of a diet and as soon as that was over we were ready to submit for approval.

Good luck, ask us anything, we are pretty awesome people.  Join us at group meetings or just for coffee.  You will never walk into a room of us and be alone.  Total acceptance is yours.

KEEP POSTING!!!

I applaud you on beginning your journey into Weight Loss Surgery and the world of the thinner and healthier people of the world! 

I have had three back surgeries, all on the same three vertebra (two discs) L3-4 and L4-5.  I had to use a walker to get to the bathroom and was out of work for 6 years!!  Worker's Comp makes you go through hell before they approve of ANYTHING that is beneficial to your health!  That said, the weight loss surgery has helped tremendously!  You will be so glad that you did it.  Just know that the next three months you have to go through will be gone in a flash!!  and I have absolutely no problem taking NSAIDS, so it's up to your doctor and you whether you will be able to use them.

Keep your chin up and your spirits soaring and you'll make it through!!  You are blessed!!

Honestly, from consult to surgery without any special insurance requirements it was 4 months for me. If you can get things rolling so your surgeon can schedule your surgery date while you're completing the three months of counseling, it should go fairly quickly. I know it's difficult when you're in pain (I have a chronic pain issue from an injury 2 years ago), but hopefully knowing relief is in sight will help you keep pushing through.

Good luck!