"over 50"

BriarRose
on 3/26/10 1:32 pm
OK, when I asked on the main board about folks over "50", I actually meant over 50 years old !!!  But they sent me to this forum, and gee, I "fit" here too !!!! 

I am a 54 year old woman, who has been overweight all my life, and over the past 20 years the extra pounds have piled on to sneak into the obese, and morbidly obese catagory.

I used to be able to keep my weight at under 250, but my osteo arthritis in my knees have left me not being able to continue to do my walking or my curves class.  Excuses, I know....but painful ones none the less. 

2weeks ago I was rundown by a bull mastiff at the dog park, and twisted and fell on my knees, of course.  I took out what little ligaments were still working.  The osteo doc says although my knee is a candidate for surgery, I am not because of my bmi, and being too much of a surgical risk. 

My PCP (Kaiser, a HMO) recommended WLS, and said that it isn't that much of a surgical risk, or they wouldn't do WLS, and gave me a referral to the OPTIONS program. 

I"m nervous about the prospect of elective surgery -- I had a difficult abdominal surgery 2 years ago, with a cancer scare, that turned out very well.....and I"m nervous about what if they don't take me, and nervous about well, everything. 

Nothing seems to be moving too fast.  I had my appt. with my PCP on 3/16.  I have managed to get into the next "informational meeting"  scheduled for 4/22/10.  I know they insist on 12 weeks of prepatory classes before they refer you to a surgeon.  But I am going to schedule my physical with my PCP which is one of the many "steps" involved. 

So, are there more 50 over 50 ?
Andi
Loris
on 3/26/10 1:44 pm - Midlothian, VA
There is a board for folk over fifty years old, but I have never navigated there.

Welcome here.  :)  Research all your weight loss surgery options, DS, RNY, etc.

Ask lots of questions.  Loris

                                     Loris  344/119@ 5'2" Below Goal                    
                                     Lower body lift  10/17/2007
                                     Upper body lift     1/23/2008

 


 

Teresa S.
on 3/27/10 1:29 am - Simpson, IL
First off let me say WELCOME to our forum.. I am sure you will like it here.. there are so many great folks on here who are very supportive and encouraging and some smart cookies too that can answer any questions you may have .

YES  there are many of us on this board who are over 50.. I am one of them.. I am 51 and was in really bad shape when I had my surgery.. I also have arthritis in my knees and I know the pains you are talking about.. I also have a failed back surgery and I suffered with that on a daily basis too...I still do... I could not walk from my living room to the kitchen with out being in tears from the pain.. My doctor too recommended the weight loss surgery to me in 2004.. I was denied by my insurance which began a 5 year struggle to get the surgery, in the mean time I was still gaining weight and developing more physical problems.. I had almost every Co Morbidity you can list by the time I finally got an insurance that would cover the surgery.. I was a high risk and I knew it but MOST people who finally decide to have WLS are high risks.. and yet the death rate is low compared to other surgeries.. I had my surgery in November of 2009.. I lost 67lbs in the preop 9 month diet process and have reached 100lbs lost this month.. I am now walking about 2 miles a day.. I hurt like the dickins when I first started and did most everythng in the pool. (which is great by the way), but I found the more I moved and the more weight came off the better my knees got.. now I still have to let them rest sometimes and I still apply Bengay most days.. but I move.. I hope that can happen for you too.. if not then keep moving in the pool.. most arthritis patients can get a lot of exercise in the pool..who knows maybe once you get the weight off those knees you may not need the surgery.. and if you do at least you can plan on them healing properly without those extra pounds to lug around.. .


I am glad you have started the process for weight loss surgery... I am glad there is a 12 week prep class too.. you need to have all the information you can to make an informed decision.. Get books and read and learn all you can.. research research research.. the fears are usually of the unknown and as you learn you will start to feel more at ease and really KNOW you need and WANT the surgery..

Stay with us here on this forum and let us know how things are going for you.. I am sure you will see you will fit right in..

huggs..


Teresa S. 

   

    Beginning Weight 303    Surgery weight 236     Amount lost by surgery date  67lbs    
    Starting BMI  63.3             Surgery BMI 49.3          Goal Weight 125 Goal BMI 26.1

      

In Order To Change...a Caterpillar must have the faith of a Butterfly    
Donna C.
on 3/27/10 3:31 am
Welcome to BMI over 50!    Stay awhile!  I just turned 46 so I think I can relate to you!  LOL!

I too have been heavy all my life.  In 94, I shattered my right knee so I now have arthritis in both my knees and posttraumatic edema in my right.  I have a torn ACL but fixing the ligament is not an option for someone so large they say so I have learned to live with it.  I also had a hysterectomy in 06 due to cancer and I am doing fine.  I had that surgery open at a weight of 406 as I had been actively doing Weigh****chers for the second time when I got diagnosed and managed to lose up until the surgery cause I was scared to have surgery at that weight.  To date, I am cancer free!  I had my WLS at 444 with a BMI of 63.7 and was able to have it laprascopically and had no complications, even though I have hypothyroidism, anemia, hypertension and sleep apnea. 

As Teresa said, learn as much as you can.  Most of my fear is always fear of the unknown and knowledge cures that.  There are some good books about the psychological aspects of weight loss, like Shrink Yourself comes to mind. 

These days with the good weather I am finally getting back to walking at the park.  I use a rollator to walk, most especially because when I walk a fair distance I am needing a seat to rest every so often.  I have the invacare bariactric rollator.  it holds up to 500 pounds I believe and can take the bumps of walking on a rocky dirt road and grassy field of my local state park.  I plan to run that thing to the ground until I don't need it any more.  so far it seems to be one tough piece of equipment. I have also been known to do water aerobics from time to time, which I love, but am not quite feeling I can afford the gym membership these days, especially since I am not up to doing any of the classes or even the treadmill or other machines just yet.  Eventually I will go back when I feel I can do more and get my money's worth. 

It took me 14 months from the day I met my surgeon until I had my surgery, but that was mostly her requirement of my losing weight to make the surgery safer.  You do need to shrink the liver because it gets in the way during surgery.  But when I had my surgery the surgeon said it was a breeze and I weighed 444 when I had it. 

Feel free to ask anything you want here.  There are many helpful knowledable people here!  : )

Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.

HW 491, BMI 70.4 *** SW 444, BMI 63.7 *** CW 364, BMI 52.5

 

       
Larissa P.
on 3/28/10 7:46 am - Denton, TX
Here is the board you were looking for:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/over_50/

But don't take that as an invitation to leave us high and dry here, and welcome!
Duodenal Switch hybrid due to complications.
 
Click! > DS Documents ~ VitaLady.com ~ DSFacts.com ~ OH DS FB
kylee
on 5/11/10 3:23 am
Hi there! Just follow what is advised to you and later on you'll be scheduled for a surgery. And also, it's good to loss a bit before surgery. Cheers! Good luck to your Bariatric procedure.
Health is important!

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