I have lost 23 lbs in about 6 weeks. I am super motivated. I work out 5 times a week or more. Both on the eliptical and with weights for toning.
My dilemma: I have a torn meniscus in my knee. The osteo Dr wants me to have surgery in about 3 weeks. The more I exercise and the more weight I lose, the less my knee pops and I just noticed this morning that it is hardly stiff anymore and I have at least 90% mobility in my knee. I am afraid that if I have the surgery I will lose my motivation and all the progress I have made in the last 6 weeks.
My Question: Since I am "in a zone", so to speak with my weight loss and my knee seems to be getting better. Should I postpone the surgery.
i think ultimately the decision has to be based on health....
what is the likely hood of the knee playing up again if you stop exercising....
what about waiting lists if you postpone how long will you have to wait next time around....
great job with the loss in 6 weeks!....
I don't know if the exercising is what is causing the relief I am feeling, but I am sure the weight loss is part of it. There is no waiting time for the surgery, he does surgery every monday and thursday.
I am just worried about losing ground. When I started on the eliptical 3 weeks ago, I was only able to do 8 mins, now I am up to 22 mins and I feel great. I love the weight loss and I feel the goal of 30 more lbs lost before the new year is acheivable, but not if I am unable to exercise for 2 - 3 weeks. With my knee feeling so much better, I am apt to think that post poning the surgury would be more benificial than not.
I am just curious what opinions are out there. I am on a fence and am having a hard time deciding.
If I were you, I would wait and see if the problem abates as you continue to lose weight - especially since it's already helping. Why operate unless it's absolutely necessary?
I don't know much about these things, just my two cents...
I would get a second opinion -- not that there is anything wrong with your Ortho, but some of them are a lot more invasive with the options they provide. If it is getting better and not very painful and you are now getting thinner which will take a lot of the pressure off the knee, why turn to surgery unless you are quietly making it worse in there by choosing to do nothing at this point? I would either have a serious discussion with your doctor about it again -- now that you have taken off some weight. Or I would go ask someone else...
Get a second opinion! Always get a second opinion when dealing with knee surgery (or any surgery!) Always! I would say this especially important since it's not bothering you as much.
I'm concerned that your doc does surgery every Monday and Tuesday. That is a red flag for me. Does he really have that many patients that NEED surgery? My FIL had knee surgery that was completely unnecessary and didn't help him. We think that particular doctor does it just for the money. After going to another doctor my FIL found out that the other doctor didn't even do what he said he had done.
IMO doctors should try physical therapy and other things before deciding on surgery. Losing weight can help tremendously with joint issues, so I'd take a wait and see approach.
I'm in favor of waiting. Seeing if there are supplements that would be helpful, if there are exercises you should be doing and ones you should be avoiding, etc.
Remember that surgeons will always recommend surgery. It's what they do.
I want to wait. I agree that losing weight is only going to benefit my joint health. My stamina is growing daily. I was able to complete 30 mins on the eliptical on Sunday and I could have gone longer, but I had to pick up my kids from Sunday School. The most have have ever been able to do is 21 mins, so this is a huge accomplishment to me. Getting that surgery now would help my knee, but it would not help my weight loss.
Definitely take the wait and see approach. If weight loss and exercise are 'fixing' your popping knee you won't need surgery. The ortho doc may still recommend surgery -- because he's a surgeon and that's his method. 2nd opinions are great but . . . I'd wait a bit before even doing that. Keep doing what you're doing and give yourself another month or so -- say by Halloween or mid-November and reassess. If your knee feels good I'd say keep up the good work! Reassess every 4-6 weeks and see how your knee feels.
In your opinion....
