Overweight?.

That really annoys me when people say things like that, from the age of 11 and weighing 7 st I was always told by my mother I was fat, so have forever worried about my weight, I  wore my cartlidge out on the inside of both knees, through hiking to much, so at 54 have had both knees pkr, and YES in the year or so while I was waiting to get them done I did gain weight, because all of a sudden I could not even walk 50 paces. Sometimes I guess it is caused by weight, but if you read on here you'll see , 9 X out of 10 it's over  exertion . 

Well I'm 58 always been on the heavier side but never obese and as I don't drive iv always walked a lot particularly when children young school and back in morn nursery n back dinner time then school n back 3.30 about a mile each way plus doing shopping and carrying bags I also used to do 5k runs for cancer having lost our young daughter to leukaemia the final straw came after doing 10 run and knees deteriorated badly from then I went from gym and classes 5 times week to eventually none my knees had worn away partially arthritis but I suspect also from overuse . I did put some weight on and had tkr in may I lost 13lb in 12 week after op and as my sicknote ran out half way through summer hols I had 15 week off work I used last 3 week going g to gym and went back work Sept I'm now 20 week post op and doing great no pain minimum stiffness occasional puffiness having other knee done next yr then hopefully back to 5k runs/fast walk xx

Before my unsuccessful knee arthroscopy 12 months ago, I told the scrub nurse that I'd love to be able torn again.

She said "running is the bane of the medical profession "

It gets the same shake of the head as being overweight.some professional sportsmen get chronic joint problems, some don't.

Some obese people suffer with their joints and others don't!!!!

If you run or take part in a sport where you have to run, hike etc etc then there'll be many times your own body weight of pressure on your knee or hip joints which isn't any different from being vastly overweight.

After years of running and not being overweight I just think it's the luck of the draw.......!!!

Hi psychonurse

He's wrong. I Can only speak for myself, but I am 5'6" tall and slim. In fact I lost 1 stone by the 2 wk PO stage due to the constant nausea and lack of appetite. Appetites back now so I'm sure the weight will slowly resume to normal levels.

I normally swim 1/2 mile every other day and fonpilates. Don't know if or when I will ever be able to get back 'to normal' but I live in hope.

I'm sure most people on this forum are not morbidly obese, but if any are, do something about it!!!

I am 54 and needed this op for several years but kept being told I was too young for it.  i used to walk miles and did lots of different sport including netball and tennis. Then my right knee became so bad I could barely walk.

Your friend's comment is how's that he/she is very uninformed about this condition.  Yes some are over weight but why make an extremely painful

ailment and operation about weight!! I think both you and your friend have gotten the response you were after by upsetting patients on this wonderful site that has helped so many of us.  I wouldn't wish the pain from this condition on anyone but in the case of your friend I might make an exception!!

I think that's a very broad statement for them to make...and presumably it's someone who has never had the Op?

It is quite usual to lose weight after the operation, which I have done both times, and I was not severely overweight anyway.

there are many different reasons for people having difficulties afterwards and every knee is different.  MUA's also sometimes work and sometimes don't, there is a risk of infection, and your physical state (e.g. If you have been suffering and therefore walking badly for several years) this can also impact your recovery.

I don't think that I'd want a friend as insensitive as yours sounds!

I'm overweight - just under the morbidly obese in the BMI chart, but to look at me you wouldn't think so. I have always been a lot heavier than I looked, even when I was a skinny girl I was always about a stone heavier than my dress size (if that makes sense).   The extra weight was put on in the years whilst I couldn't exercise due to the pain and stiffness and being told I was 'too young' for a TKR.  

Since my TKR I go to a pool to exercise and swim at least 3 times a week and will be trying the gym out in a couple of weeks time - everyone asks me if I've lost weight - I'm still exactly the same weight though have lost some inches.

Hi Psychonurse, I expect the reason you posted your friends unfair comments was to get a rise out of people on here. It is pretty obvious that people may put on weight, especially when waiting for their op, as they can't move around as much as they would like. I am still a bit overweight but have tried hard to lose 2 stone. My op has not been successful and I am still in a lot of pain 10 months post op. It is very easy to make a sweeping statement, especially if this person has not been through this themselves. Susan X.

i agree with all of the comments here today ive had terrible post op problems and still recovering after 3 major and 2 miner ops in a year and a half ,when i had the first op i weighed just over 9st now after my last op last august with all the rehab and not been able to do all i want i only put on a half a stone at most , i certainly would not class me as over weight i would go as far as saying your friend is very ignorant and i hope he never is put in our position .ive had simular conversations with people who think they know more than they do ,nobody needs friends like this

I am speechless at the insensitivity of this!

I agree with all other responses.

Agree with everyone else. What an insensitive thing to say about people struggling to recover from a traumatic operation.

I have been really overweight. However, before I had TKR 3 years ago I was advised to lose a bit of weight which I did.

It makes sense to me that if you are carrying extra weight all the time you are going to have problems with your joints, particularly knee hip and ankle.

Sarah

Sorry I obviously meant to say I have never been really overweight

Sarah

Yes, he is wrong.  I'm old - 79 - but not obese nor totally out of shape.  5'4" - 137.  My TKR was Jan 2014.  I have good range of motion and it is stable, but it has never stopped hurting and last month deep dark bruises from the inside showed up.  Doctor has never seen anything like it and called in another surgeon who also had not seen this.  Now having a bone scan next Friday.  I have now heard from many people who had compications.  Don't know where they were when I was thinking about having it done.  I suspect the percentage of problems is much higher than we are told. I did lose about 25 pounds after my right TKR and now have very little pain in left knee.  Both were the same at the time of surgery-bone on bone osteoarthritis.