Cathy W.
I wish I'd known then what I know now
Nov 21, 2014
As I'm facing knee surgery from my many years of being morbidly obese, I have some regrets. Being morbidly obese, I didn't have any thoughts about the wear and tear the extra pounds had on my body. I wanted to lose weight to look better. Period. That was my only reason for wanting to lose weight.
When I had surgery, I had Type 2 diabetes which did scare me. Thankfully after my surgery, I haven't had any issues with my A1C so my diabetes has been in remission for 13 years. Whew, I escaped any medical concerns. Wrong!
From all those years of carrying another person (147 pounds I lost from WLS), I didn't escape health concerns because now my knees are shot. Really shot. Bone on bone. My ortho surgeon told me that I'm too young to have knee replacement surgery but I'm also too young not to be able to walk without pain so the knee replacement is just not an option.
I really wish I'd known all those years ago what I know now. Being morbidly obese isn't just back then but takes a toll on our body that can appear many years later which is what's happened with me.
If anyone is on the fence about whether to have WLS, please know that the impact of morbid obesity is a serious one and can have long-lasting benefits years later after you lose weight.