i am new here. i am very overweight, and scared of surgery

[brokengrammy]

I have been out of work for a year now, been in so much pain for 3 yrs. The first surgeon I saw last year took one look at me and refused to operate.. He said I needed to lose 100lbs. I don't understand how..... I cant hardly walk. I saw another surgeon at university hospital in Philly. He is fine with my weight and said he has operated on people much larger than me.

I am so scared of surgery. I am afraid of being put to sleep. And doc said with the weight there's more risk with infection and healing. Is anyone in the same situation? I used to be so active, swimming, strength training, aerobics, walking. It' is so upsetting that I can only.go from my couch, to the bed and back to the couch........

 

[alexthecat]

Welcome to BoneSmart!

I understand your concerns about your weight, but lots of larger folks have hip replacement and do just fine. It's hard to stay slim when you can't exercise, right? If the surgeon in Philadelphia is okay with it, I would trust his judgment.

Once you have recovered from your surgery, you'll get back to the gym. Trust me! I'm running out the door right now to teach a Body Pump class. None of my students even suspect that I have an artificial hip.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

[brokengrammy]

Thats good news to hear! I cant wait to get back to the gym. My favorite activity is the water classes. Zumba in the water! I was able to attend a few classes and i love it. The doc told me to get in the water , but i cant even do that!

 

[alexthecat]

Do you have a date for your surgery yet? It sounds like you are ready!

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

[Me2]

I'm just on the other side of PA in Pittsburgh.
I made it a goal for myself to lose 35 pounds before surgery and really committed to it. I'm hoping to lose 15 more now once I get past initial "healing" phase -- I had promised myself a week, gave myself two, and hope to get back to swimming pool in two or three weeks to really start exercising again. Water helps everything feel better even if you just start with getting in.
But, some of the new techniques still promise quick recovery without weight restrictions. The one I had does say that it is available to some whose weight excluded them before. You found one who said okay, if he doesn't work for you, there are others.
I too was terrified of everything about this, especially the "sleep" part. I had really hoped to stay awake. Most surgeries are now done with regional with sedation. The surgeon and anesthesiologist talked me into awake into OR and "as long as they were comfortable" which ended up not as long as I had hoped but many of my fears about "sleep" did not happen. What about the sleep is scary for you?

 

[Jamie]

Welcome to BoneSmart! I'm glad you joined us. Many folks have fears about surgery, so you aren't alone with those thoughts. What helps is to talk about them and that's where we come in. If you can post your specific concerns, we can hopefully get you enough information that your fears will ease.

This is wonderful surgery that allows people to truly regain their lives again. I'm glad you have found a surgeon to help you. You're way too young to have to spend your life on the couch!!! We'll be right here to help you through all the pre- and post-op questions and concerns.

 

[bottomshollow]

@brokengrammy, so pleased that you have joined us here on the forum. Keep reading members' threads, Library articles, ask all the questions you want to, and voice any concerns that you have. The more you know and understand about THR, the less fearful and anxious you'll become.

I am going to give you links to articles from our Library that are essential reading for anyone who is planning to have a THR:

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Constipation and stool softeners
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home

The articles are not lengthy, and will answer a lot of your questions. Also, don't hesitate to check the library for many other excellent informative articles.

We are here to help in any way we can: answering questions and concerns; supporting and encouraging you from start to finish; giving you a place to vent, whine, complain if you need to; sharing experiences with one another; and having fun and some laughs along the way.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[brokengrammy]

Thank you all for your replies! I just cant figure out how to respond to each person! I just went to the dentist today. I have one more tooth problem and I can reschedule. Yes, I am ready!! But, I still have that fear! I'm afraid of going to sleep and not waking.up. Sounds silly, but that is a fear for me.

I have no other health problems other than celiac and lymphedema. I had extensive blood work done and to the doc's surprise, I'm pretty healthy lol. Only thing wrong is a high SED rate, which doc thinks is due to my celiac and the abscessed wisdom tooth that I had. My fasting glucose, cholesterol, lipids, triglycerides, ekg, and they even did extensive test on my heart, everything is perfect. So I am happy about that.

Since being diagnosed with celiac two months ago, I have cleaned up my diet, and I know I have lost weight, clothes are very loose!! Yay!! Just don't know how much.
Thanks for all the comments

 

[MajorHeidi]

Hi @brokengrammy and welcome here to Bonesmart!
I think you will find that all of us were scared of one thing or another before the surgery, and then
found out it was really the easy part of the whole deal.
Ask all your questions here, and I know you will receive all the support you need.

 

[old grey mare]

Hi brokengrammy

Bonesmart is a great place to get support. I am not afraid of going to sleep during surgery (actually it will be the first good sleep I had since my colonoscopy last Oct I had surgery on my back in 1976 way back when people stayed in the hospital a week and I had no problem. I would imagine that anesthesia has come a long way since then. I know someone who was afraid just like you - he let his hip get so bad he was in a wheel chair previous to his surgery. Afterwards, he said he wished he had done it sooner. So I think you will be fine - just keep positive!

What I am afraid of is the post op pain given my adverse reaction to strong pain killers. I am 60 lbs overweight and it is mostly around my belly and hips so I know the incision will be going right through my bulkiest area.
Anyhow, if I pass the pre admission testing and cardiac clearance, I will be having RTHR at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philly. You did not mention the hospital in which you saw the surgeon but Rothman Institute at Jefferson is supposed to be one of the best.
Good luck to you.

Chris

 

[brokengrammy]

@old grey mare I will be going to University of Pennsylvania. Yes, I heard Rotherham was excellent but they do not take my insurance. Thank you for you comments,

 

[Vetgirl]

Hi @brokengrammy welcome to Bonesmart. Ask your questions, talk about you fears, vent your frustrations....we love to support and alleviate fears.

We have had a few people who were overweight and came through their surgery fine. I think it's great that your general health is spot on....that's really important.

The waiting and fears pre surgery are often worse than the actual surgery. Nothing we say may alleviate your fear about the anaesthetic but we may reassure and calm you just a little. Be sure to talk to your Aneathesist about your fears and any problems you have had previously with anaesthetist. They like to know this.

I had the spinal and found no after effects ....I was numb for the day after surgery which meant no pain!!! And the post op pain is well controlled with meds.

I hope some of what I've written heaps

Talk soon

 

[brokengrammy]

@Vetgirl......you had an infection afterwards?

 

[Vetgirl]

@brokengrammy yes I did....don't worry....it's a very rare complication

Please feel free to ask any questions xxx

 

[Josephine]

He said I needed to lose 100lbs.

Why? What is your weight and height? I'll work out your BMI for you. I'll bet you're actually smaller than me! There are surgeons (shame on them) who do refuse to operate on people with a BMI above 28 for no other reason than that the (slightly) higher risk of complications will blight their reputations!

I am afraid of being put to sleep. And doc said with the weight there's more risk with infection and healing.

It's a theoretical risk and more usual in people with a BMI of 35 and upwards.

I'm afraid of going to sleep and not waking.up. Sounds silly, but that is a fear for me.

Of course you are. Everybody is and it's not silly at all, it's a perfectly natural fear. But please bear in mind that it's perfectly common for people to range between uncertainty and outright panic. This is a big deal and you will be handing yourself over into the care of total strangers that you will probably not even set eyes on and letting them do things you have no idea about and that is scary.

The only crumb of comfort I can offer here is that these strangers do this several times a day, every day of the week. Or to put it another way, for you this is a big, unknown and scary deal, for them it's just another day at the office. But you can trust them.

I used to be one of those unseen and unknown people in the OR and I took care of every individual that came into my care just as much as if they had been my own mother or father. They will too because they are professionals and know their job. So the only thing you really have to fear is the unknown and that we can help you with. Read around here and be educated. It will help you greatly.

 

[bamagirl]

@brokengrammy I don't know how overweight you are, but I am 5'7" and weighed 270 lbs when I had my right hip replaced a little over 8 weeks ago. I go in Thursday for my left hip and weigh exactly the same. Of course the doctor wants me to lose weight. I have lost 70 lbs from my highest weight, but it got to the point that the pain kept me from doing anything. So I know exactly how you feel. My favorite thing is the water too. I was really getting into swimming laps when the pain kept me from that too. Yes, you must take extra care of your wound when you are big because you have a belly flap that hangs over the area. But do what they tell you and you should be fine. I honestly ended up with a superficial infection at the top of my incision area because I didn't keep the area clean like I should have (I thought I was doing ok but I guess not). Some antibiotics did the trick and it closed up fine. You'll do great and won't believe the pain relief you will get! I can't wait to get my other hip done so I am pain free again!! Do you have your surgery scheduled yet?

 

[charmed-life]

I would think that at least some doctors also worry about the risk to their very overweight patients - not JUST their reputations!

 

[yougrowgirl365]

Hi @brokengrammy ! I just wanted to reassure you about being overweight and a THR. I too, worried as well. I have been overweight since I was 8. (Currently 5'8", 218 lbs.) I worried about how it would feel to walk afterwards (among other things). I had my LTHR (posterior lateral) on April 14, I was able to walk with my walker not long after I woke up (I had a general). Other than feeling like my leg was dead weight at first, it was okay. I have never had a lot of pain (still taking meds), and so far, my walking continues to progress. (I was able to shower two days ago without my walker in there with me!) ;) Is your surgery scheduled? It really is so much better than I thought it would be, much sooner. The pain I have had so far is SO MUCH LESS than the pain I had with arthritis. (BTW, I worked with a PT prior to HR to to gain some muscle strength in my left side b/c it was much weaker than the right - this was my own decision, doctor just mentioned he could see a big difference and I thought it wouldn't hurt to try with PT - I don't know if it really did help, but I've been happy with recovery so far.) Of course, I still worry some about infection and the swelling and numbness I have, but so far so good. =) I know everyone's experience is different, and I hope yours will be successful and better than you ever imagined!

 

[bottomshollow]

@brokengrammy, here's an article that may make you feel much better:

http://www.hss.edu/newsroom_knee-replacements-morbidly-obese-individuals.asp#.U1lMCFxsZBw