Input please....RNY or sleeve for me and my knees
I am 54 years old. I have had arthritis (osteo) in my hands, feet, spine and knees for some years. I have also had a few borderline rhumatoid factors come up, so that may be in the mix too. Last year I contracted H1N1, and it hit my joints big time. 6 months later, I had a bad fall, and took out what was left of my left knee's soft tissue.
Osteo won't operate because I am too high risk at 280 lbs for surgery, and they want me to have wls to lose 80 lbs before they will consider total knee replacement. I am in constant pain, wearing braces on my knees, eating NSAIDS. My PCP and I think sleeving is the best for me because altho losing the wt will be great for the knees, I am still going to have pain and I want so much to be able to move and exercise again. Heck, even take a walk.....
I know that with RNY I can't take NSAIDS, and am very leary of cutting myself off of that and having to rely on narcotics or other meds.
Anyone have similiar dilemma ?
Osteo won't operate because I am too high risk at 280 lbs for surgery, and they want me to have wls to lose 80 lbs before they will consider total knee replacement. I am in constant pain, wearing braces on my knees, eating NSAIDS. My PCP and I think sleeving is the best for me because altho losing the wt will be great for the knees, I am still going to have pain and I want so much to be able to move and exercise again. Heck, even take a walk.....
I know that with RNY I can't take NSAIDS, and am very leary of cutting myself off of that and having to rely on narcotics or other meds.
Anyone have similiar dilemma ?
Hi Briar Rose.....before my gastic bypass surgery in 12/2004, I too popped nsaids like they were M&M's. I was in constant pain.....and never felt any relief. I weighed 330 lbs and had no cartlidge in my left knee. I talked to a knee surgeon and my gastric bypass surgeon.....and decided on having the gastric bypass surgery first. I did lots of reading and realized that the lighter I was....the less pressure I would have on my knees....which then would equal less pain. One year after my surgery, I was down to 200 pounds and had my knee replacement.
The lighter you become, the less stress on your knees and then the less pain you will have. This August I had spinal fusion....and in a few weeks, I am having a minor surgery on my right knee.
You can still take Celebrex with the gastric bypass.....but as you lose the weight, you will need in less and less.
I recently discovered that I had a vitamin D deficiency which has probably caused some of my bone issues.
I too was hesitant on taking the pain narcotics that the surgeons prescribe. Knee replacement is very painful....more so than anything I had ever gone thru. For that month I was recovering....I was grateful to have the pain meds.
You owe it to yourself to be healthy and able to move about. Life is so much better when you can live it to its fullest. Please dont let fear hold you back from being the healthiest you can be.
Rose
The lighter you become, the less stress on your knees and then the less pain you will have. This August I had spinal fusion....and in a few weeks, I am having a minor surgery on my right knee.
You can still take Celebrex with the gastric bypass.....but as you lose the weight, you will need in less and less.
I recently discovered that I had a vitamin D deficiency which has probably caused some of my bone issues.
I too was hesitant on taking the pain narcotics that the surgeons prescribe. Knee replacement is very painful....more so than anything I had ever gone thru. For that month I was recovering....I was grateful to have the pain meds.
You owe it to yourself to be healthy and able to move about. Life is so much better when you can live it to its fullest. Please dont let fear hold you back from being the healthiest you can be.
Rose
I'd go with the Sleeve, in your situation. It seems that the Sleeve and the RNY are having about the same rate of weight-loss success, and the Sleeve is doing it without all the issues involved with a stoma or malabsorption.
If you think you need/want malabsorption, go with the DS. It has the same stomach as the Sleeve, plus an intestinal bypass that specifically targets the absorption of fat.
Over six years ago, when I was researching WLS, I was told that the only possible help for my knees was total replacement on both of them, but---I was too fat for the odss of success to be very good. I chose to have the DS instead, and six years later I still haven't had the knee replacements---yet I spent six hours working in my garden today. (*grin*)
If you think you need/want malabsorption, go with the DS. It has the same stomach as the Sleeve, plus an intestinal bypass that specifically targets the absorption of fat.
Over six years ago, when I was researching WLS, I was told that the only possible help for my knees was total replacement on both of them, but---I was too fat for the odss of success to be very good. I chose to have the DS instead, and six years later I still haven't had the knee replacements---yet I spent six hours working in my garden today. (*grin*)
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