Edit: at over 2 years after after the gastric sleeve surgery, I am sincerely wishing that I had never had it. I was already in chronic pain due to previous spine injuries and surgeries in both my neck and lower back. However, my pain was grossly under control with oral medication. It seemed logical that loosing weight from my mid section would only help to lessen my lower the pressure and pain on my lower back. After having the weight loss surgery, I began very quickly to struggle controlling my pain even with higher dosages of even more potent pain medications due to malabsorption, which was not supposed to happen with the sleeve. Not to mention the severe constipation...
Also, because of the discomfort and pain of food on my stomach and extreme persistent nausea, I lost all of my extra weight in less than 6 months, where it was supposed to take a year to lose 80% of the excess weight. My tailbone became excruciating painful to sit on at all.
Now Dr. Teng's sister and office manager at the time of my surgery-Tina will not even assist me by sending a physical signed supporting letter explaining why I am unable to take NSAIDS and why I do not absorb oral pain meds well. I feel like I got abandoned. This surgery was the final straw that broke my back and disabled me. I'd rather had stayed obese and been able to continue working than to be thin and to be in constant, medication-resistant pain and be unable to work at a young age.
My advice- if you're already in chronic pain, DO NOT get gastric weight loss surgery! It will ruin what's left of your life completely.