obese friend and knee replacement

delfin

delfin

Cathlete
I have a very good friend who is very obese. Her knees are shot, one of them very bad, so she is considering knee-replacement surgery. I haven't the nerve to suggest she lose weight first, so that her new knee won't be subject to the same stress that her current knee faces every day. But wouldn't you think these doctors would absolutely insist that she lose some weight first? It's outrageous to me that they haven't even helped her with some kind of weight-loss plan. What do you think?
 
I am so sorry for your friend, first off.

What a shame that her weight has really done the damage.

The doctor knows best though, but she could always get a second opinion!

Good luck!

:)


"Life is short - Be the best you can be every day of your life"
 
Maybe the doctors have told her this. Since you have not talked to her about the weight, you do not know what the doctor has been saying to her. I do know that knee replacement recovery is terribly painful, and not something a person wants to do twice.
 
I had an acquaintance at another office in the company I work for who was in a similar situation. I would say he weighs 450 lbs or so. Has had both knees replaced and they both still hurt him. Said it was a very painful surgery. He still can't walk more than across a room without having to stop and lean on something, and I think alot of it has to do with the weight. So why replace your knees, when your just going to tear them up again? Also, I would think all that extra weight would make recovery much more difficult and painful. I've read that for every pound you put on, its something like having an extra 5 or 10lbs (could've been more) for your knees to support. OW!!!! But I would think any Dr worth his/her salt, would suggest weight loss, since the weight prob caused most of the prob to begin. It might even help avoid or at least put off the surgery. Just my 2 cents

Nan
 
Yes, the doctor needs to not only suggest this, but absolutely INSIST that your friend lose weight. Not only for the safety of the surgery, but to actually benefit the person!!!

My neighbor also needs a knee replacement, but the doctor told him that he will not do it until he loses 80 lbs! Funny, I haven't noticed that that has sped up his desire to lose the weight, though!
 
> Funny, I
>haven't noticed that that has sped up his desire to lose the
>weight, though!

If you are not him, you don't know if his desire to lose has sped up. Obesity is a difficult situation, and you cannot know how someone this obese is feeling unless you have been there. 80 pounds is a lot to lose and would take quite a bit of time. Perhaps this person despairs that he could ever do that large of an amount so feels like why bother. Perhaps he HAS lost that amount before sometime, and gained it back plus some, and again despairs and feels why bother.

People in this world are so judgemental of the obese, and that does not help them. BTW, I know normal weight people who need their knees replaced too, so while the extra weight cannot be helping, it is a malady that can strike anyone with a genetic tendency for it and/or overuse from sports.
 
Oh, I've been there!!! Believe me!!! 3 yrs ago I weighed over 250 lbs! I have worked and have taken off 70 lbs over the last 2.5 yrs, so yes, I know! I know what it's like to be stared at for what's in your grocery cart, I know what it's like to not be able to fit in the airplane seats, I know what it's like to hide in your room binging on doritos and pop-tarts because you are so depressed about your weight/size that it makes you eat more which just makes the downward spiral even faster!

I was not meaning to sound judgmental at all, it's just that when he's told that he needs to lose 80 lbs before they will do the surgery, but yet, comes over to my house for a cookout and downs 8 bratwurst, all the while asking me how I've lost my weight. I even offered to take him to my Weight Watchers meetings.
 
I feel it is very possible that her doctor DID encourage her to lose some weight but that she is resistant to it. It IS hard work and possibly she was considering the knee surgery thinking it's the "easy way out". She'll have a new knee and won't have to worry about weight loss. Just a thought....

If you can find a way to talk to her about this I think that you should. Just ask her about what the doctor has said as opposed to asking a direct question about weight loss. She would really be doing herself a disservice by not losing weight prior to the surgery.
 
>Oh, I've been there!!! Believe me!!! 3 yrs ago I weighed
>over 250 lbs! I have worked and have taken off 70 lbs over
>the last 2.5 yrs, so yes, I know! I know what it's like to be
>stared at for what's in your grocery cart, I know what it's
>like to not be able to fit in the airplane seats, I know what
>it's like to hide in your room binging on doritos and
>pop-tarts because you are so depressed about your weight/size
>that it makes you eat more which just makes the downward
>spiral even faster!
>
>I was not meaning to sound judgmental at all, it's just that
>when he's told that he needs to lose 80 lbs before they will
>do the surgery, but yet, comes over to my house for a cookout
>and downs 8 bratwurst, all the while asking me how I've lost
>my weight. I even offered to take him to my Weight Watchers
>meetings.

Kudos to you, and you know his fear. There is fear of what would happen if he could lose the weight. Fear of trying and failing, think about where you were before you got to the point that you were ready to drop 70 pounds. Whether it is 20 or 100 or 200 pounds, there is a point where a person says, enough is enough and gets the courage to take on the task. he is not there yet, no matter the talk about, I need to lose weight, yayaya.
 
I understand both sides here. Recently my husband informed one of his knee patients that weight is an issue with knee pain. That's ALL he said (although she is overweight). She glared at him and told him that being overweight is not a choice and quickly changed the subject. I think sometimes patients forget that being obese/overweight is a health issue and that it is appropriate for health care providers to discuss the problem with them. This is not an isolated case with him either. He finds many patients taking offense at even the suggestion that they lose weight (for health purposes only), and so as a result, he cannot be as direct as he would like.

carolyn
 
>I understand both sides here. Recently my husband informed
>one of his knee patients that weight is an issue with knee
>pain. That's ALL he said (although she is overweight). She
>glared at him and told him that being overweight is not a
>choice and quickly changed the subject. I think sometimes
>patients forget that being obese/overweight is a health issue
>and that it is appropriate for health care providers to
>discuss the problem with them. This is not an isolated case
>with him either. He finds many patients taking offense at even
>the suggestion that they lose weight (for health purposes
>only), and so as a result, he cannot be as direct as he would
>like.
>
>carolyn


Wow, that's really ashame. Your doctor should be the one you feel comfortable discussing issues such as weight with even more so then your spouse or your closest friend! As a doctor, I would feel it would be my duty to my patients to alert them if I found their weight to be a detriment to their health/well-being. I feel bad for your DH, Carolyn. That really stinks that he has to deal with that kind of attitude. :-(
 
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