I had considered sleeve gastrectomy for four years and made excuses for four years. The knee conv…
T=0: The Decision
BMI 47. Knees failing. Orthopaedic surgeon told me in September 2021 that I was not a candidate for knee replacement surgery at my current weight. That I would need to lose 80 lbs before he would consider it. He said this the way you say something you have said many times before to many people who have not managed it.
I had considered sleeve gastrectomy for four years and made excuses for four years. The knee conversation removed the last excuse. Insurance covered 80% after a six-month medically supervised diet programme requirement. I completed the programme and scheduled the surgery.
Being a knee replacement candidate by 45. Teaching without pain.
3 Months Out
Recovery was harder than I was prepared for. Two weeks of liquid diet, then pureed food, then soft food. I questioned the decision at week 3. My relationship with eating has fundamentally changed in a way that is not comfortable yet.
“The psychological adjustment is as significant as the physical one. A bariatric therapist, not just a dietitian, is essential. The surgery changes your stomach, not your relationship with food.”