The cost of being overweight has weighed (no pun intended) on my mind for a few weeks now. This is because I went on the journey almost three years ago to be in better health. That did happen. I lost most of the weight. Was no longer on High Blood Pressure meds. Looked better, felt better and could more things! Loved life and was able to to be in it! My food cost, health costs was way down! Life was great! Then the pain hit!
Pain I never felt before. Well not like this anyway. I have always had knee pain off and on. It would come and go. Had an auto accident a few years ago that show my left knee was not the best. Some therapy for it and a injection shot of two and it was better. Fast forward to now and laying in bed one night with such pain in the same knee that brought tears to my eyes!
This was the Sunday night after TPC. I worked TPC Sawgrass and was on my feet for five long 12 plus hour days. Sunday night I was done. Went to bed feeling accomplished. I was able to work this past five days and I could do it! I might not have been able to a few short years ago weight in at almost 150lbs heaver. Then the pain hit! I had a little knee pain at TPC while I was working but not like this.
Waking up in pain is never fun. Not knowing why is the worst too! Pain in my left knee like never before. I was scared, cried and my husband said get to the Dr. So I did. My Dr. order a MRI of my knee and I waited for the results. I have major arthritis in my left knee.
Wait! What? I have major arthritis in my knee? I am to young. I am in much better health now. This can't be happening! I now have to see an Orthopedic Doctor?
I decided, ok this can't be good. I gain a little weight back and need to focus on that. Call up my Lab-band doctor only to find out he is leaving the area! More bad news for me. He talks to me for a little bit. Give me a small fill in the band and wished me luck as I did him. I felt alone at that moment in my weight loss journey as I was told he would always be there. I felt like I was having a pity party for one. Bad knee, gain weight, loosing my Dr. whats next?!?!
The next was the referral to the Orthopedic Doctor is not the one that was sent in. Due to budget cuts in the government, I now have to go Jacksonville Naval Hospital. I swore years ago I would not go back there! I don't have a choice in this. I have to go. So I went, met with an Orthopedic Doctor and took more xrays. These showed that yes, I don't have much knee left. I now will meet with a joint replacement surgeon at the end of the month. I have to start down the road to having knee replacement surgery.
So the cost of being over weight is BIG! Being overweight all those years did not do my knee any good. The stress of the weight caused this. Plus while loosing it, I ran more then I ever had in my whole lifetime. I found a love in running. This did not help the knee.
The cost of being over weight is only to increase for me. I now have to pay for more doctor visits (cost of travel) a surgery, a hospital stay, physical therapy not able to work, walking aids, pain meds for a while and I am sure other costs that I am not even thinking of at this time. Shame, I didn't do something years ago when I was younger. Might not have this issue now.
So I can only stress to those that might read this. Get yourself healthy! You never know what the future my bring. If this happen while I was weighing 150 some pounds more, I may not be able to have the surgery until I loose some weight. Then, I would have to live with this pain even longer.
Stay tune to this new chapter in my life. I am going to make the best of it and work towards helping people make the changes in their lives if the like the help. This is my new goal once again. So I am back!
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