Back issues?

[flintdonnel]

Well I am one week out of surgery and have to say that some info was left out of the sales brochure but it has been mostly a blessing.
1) I wish someone had advised me to round up an old used up pillow to sleep with as I am a side sleeper and leaving my belly unsupported seemed a little painful.
2) I did not expect to open a pharmacy storage in my home. One of the benefits was to eliminate the meds that I was taking for diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure. I left the hospital with prescriptions for 10 new meds, above the vitamin supplements and many I will be on for years. But the worst part is the few that I had to stop already.

On my 3rd day in the hospital when they were getting ready to discharge me, my heart rate was to high. My roommate had his lap-band removed after one week due to complication(he obviously never gave up soda as he had it 2-3 times a day while we were there). The lack of sleep and general nerves about the drastic step that I have taken made me anxious. They gave me a Rx for lopressor and kept me another night. All in all it was 3 1/2 days, 3 nights in that hospital bed when I wasn't walking. I've had a problem with sciatica that just got worse. I had air pain the first night but got over that and everything else has been ok except the pain radiating down my thighs. I will speak with doctors tomorrow about it but it is frustrating that Naproxen worked so well on this pain and I can no longer take that medication and the stuff that I am allowed to take does nothing for this pain.

Please do not get me wrong. I have been blessed in that I worked hard to prepare for the surgery, developing habits and all, and it has paid off in that I have had no problem with vomiting or severe pain from the surgery. The weight is coming off steady and I am happy. I just was not prepared for this leg pain from my back issue. It interferes with my walking and quality of life more than anything else at this point. This is my priority concern at this point.
My diet is going well as I am starting to incorporate pureed food.

I do feel blesssed at this point as everything else has gone extremely well.

[Christie13]

Congrats on having no major complications after surgery. What are all the meds the doctors sent you home with? I was only given an anti nausea and pain reliever. Nothing that I will need to take permanently other than vitamins and supplements that I bought myself. I also have to sleep with a body pillow. It is what helps me get comfortable and I also use a heating pad on my lower back when I first go to sleep. Hopefully with weight loss you will help with your pain issues. Getting rid of excess weight can help with all sorts of our obesity related issues. Good luck.

[Leslieann]

I went home with pain meds, previcid. and surprisingly ,Heparin, which I have to give myself a shot ..thanks goodness for 14 days only. Then after 14 days I start the vitamins.

[ghost_ryder]

I had the same sleep issue, cannot sleep unless I am on my side. Using a spare pillow as a kickstand did not help me though. it hurt just as much to get on my side but when I got there and settled I was ok.

[flintdonnel]

Thanks for the input. I have tried heating pads and cold packs. the relief seems to be very temporary so far but it is getting a little better every day.
I was sent home with a Rx for Norco for pain, generic forms of prilosec and carafac as well as 4 or 5 different nausea meds ranging from some that I need to take several times a day to a couple as needed if the others don't work. One is a suppository if it gets bad enough that I could not keep anything down. I am grateful for all the preparation just in case. I would hate to be having problems on a Friday night and no way to contact a doctor until Monday morning.