I don't know of any reason WLS would cause that to happen.

I think maybe because we pay more attention to ourselves than we did before. I wasn't being sarcastic. I just wonder sometimes if we are more aware of our bodies than we were before the surgery. I think before we would pop a motrin like it was nothing.Now we can't. 

Bassetts..I agree with you. Totally.

For example, my wls surgeon has recommended meditation to his group to get in touch with our hunger fullness mechanisms.

I am preop, and no matter how much I mediate, reflect and get in touch with myself, I can not find satisfied or fullness. I find hunger, starving so mcuh I am getting sick (and will vomit) lack of hunger (after eatign) and stuff to the point I am sick.  It is like i dont have continous gauge..jsut one that alerts me when I have surpassed some odd index.

Also, prior to my back surgery, I wandered around in crazy high heels and had foot drop. I acknowledged that I hurt, but it was mind over matter. My disc was so herniated and compressing my spinal cord that you couldnt even see it on the MRI wiht contrast in that region. The surgeon was amazed that I could walk, let alone do it in astronomical high heels. He said "I have operated immediately on less. I dont know how you can be standing and walking..."

I just "tuned out" the pain or popped drugs as you suggested. However, some people cant just "tune" things out. Not in their psyche. Some numb with food and/or alcohol..etc etc.

My immunologist/allergist actually referred me to a pain management doctor who is conducting research on this topic..the pain management doc has a lot of patients that come to her having had RNY surgery and other co-morbidities, looking for relief from their pain. I am curious to learn the results of her findings, as it seems that, while a great many of my co-morbidites have improved, my pain level has gone up after bypass. I am almost at my goal weight and exercise regularly, yet there are days when the pain is so bad i can barely get out of bed. this doctor noticed a trend in that a high percentage of her pain patients had RNY surgery, so she called my bariatric surgeons office and I think they are putting a study together, last i heard.

I am changing what empowers me.I went on amusement rides and wasn't afraid.My daughter asked should I be doing this? I said I have been not doing so many things that I have watched life pass me by.

May I suggest a volunteer position at your local library?  A reading program for slow learners, literary club for seniors, or tutoring students.  Teaching basic computer skills to seniors would help them stay connected to friends or shop online.  I also think that everyone has at least one good novel in them.  I designed cook books for charities and our own business.  I tested the recipes, did the art work, and followed it through the printer and finished product.   I was totally unprepared for the public acclaim that came with it.  And, I was dealing with severe sciatica for some of that time so it can be done.  Facing adversity is far better than running from it.   I do agree that our emotional/mental state affects us physically.   

Like dieting, we have a long term goal but take it one day at a time, turning around psychologically is setting a goal and working on it one day at a time.   I suggested getting out among people because you will meet interesting people that  can help you in ways you might not imagine.  Broadening your base of friends will empower you.

I know that the OP and several others on this thread do have specific back issues.  My comment is for those who do not, yet are feeling either sudden back pain or shooting pains as thought a nerve is pinched. (DH described them has having a cattle prod zap you for just a moment.)

My husband had these when he had RNY.  The surgeon was not very good about telling him what issues were severe or expected.  DH went to a chiropractor who basically said "Oh yes, I have many bariatric patients with surprising back pain.  Here's the deal: your body spent years building up all this support structure to just allow you to sit and walk with all that weight in specific places.  Now you have lost weight and the extra support in place is throwing your back out of whack.  He said to consider it like car shocks... if you always have a huge amount of weight in the trunk, then you would probably put extra strong shocks or springs on the rear of the car.  Later, if you take all that weight out, the car tips forward and is out of balance."  Having adjustments along the way after that with his weight loss, certainly helped him completely!

Additionally, about the shooting nerve pains... he had the answer for that too.... he said that because of the extra volume DH had been carrying around, as he lost volume, there were extra unneeded blood vessels and nerves that were getting reabsorbed. Just the same way when you gained the weight, more nerves and blood vessels were made.  He said that unless it was the sort of pain that is a symptom of clots in the legs, that to just hang in there on the pains and they would reduce as his body adapted to the new weight.  He was right!

I just wanted to post this to let everyone know that just because your back hurts, or you have short pains in parts of your body, it doesn't mean is isn't caused by your weight loss!

Meditation and being able to control my thoughts and "reframe them" if they are not positive is empowering to me. Dr. Fitzer recommended we take meditation classes (to learn how to slow down in eating, get in touch wiht our fullness sensation etc etc) but I have found other positive benefits.

Try to find a Sahaja yoga meetup (it is free by dictation of their creed). They are typically held in teh free meeting space of libraries. If you cant find one, I will send you a link for a free onlineline one.  Just let me know. Anyway, it is all mediation. Despite the name "yoga" I have not experienced any weird stretches or poses in the groups I have gone to. I have been attending faithfully for over 3 months now.

I have also ordered several "reduce pain through mediation" cds in preparation for the surgery.  They being shipped now. How about you store my archived copies for me just in case my condo burns down or something? I ordered my cds from soundstrue.com.

L

What about having Isaac become a certified therapy dog and taking him to convalescent hospitals or pediatric hospitals? Is there something you've wanted to do, but have not done that is physical feasible? For me, it was running a 5K. I never thought I could do such a thing and until my accident was doing one every other day. I hope to be back on the road again soon!  But I know you are a great researcher and writer. How about writing a book about WLS myths and truths? Even if you kept it private and never published it, imagine having completed an entire book? 

At some point I would like to have Isaac certified as a therapy dog.  He would love it.