I know this might be a touchy subject, but I ask because I am overweight by about 40-50 lbs, 6 ft tall.

I read complications are worse for the overweight and obese--infections and poor outcomes. I was wondering (maybe an interesting poll idea?) for those that are success stories if you were of a normal weight, overweight, or obese? The same questions for those that did not have good outcomes?

I have been working on my weight and come a long way but that is part of my mentality I am stuck with, maybe you saw it in my other posts, thinking "If I just loose a more weight, maybe it will be tolerable" So far, the weight loss has not made a difference in the pain level going down. Both my "conservative" dr and the surgeon say even thin people suffer from this kind of problem.

I asked the surgeon in May if he was okay with my weight for the ADR and he said yes, no problem-- but I went into such a downward mental spiral over the Summer and Fall after my 3rd opinion from the insensitive clod who said I "could bleed to death on the table" that I gained 25 lbs http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_frown.gif I was in such a deep depression that I COULD NOT function. I went home from work and went to bed--barely cleaned, rarely cooked for my family, stopped swimming or walking--I WANTED to function but just couldn't--it is hard to describe--I am ashamed to say. Life became too overwhelming. I could not even face opening my mail (bills).

I hope not to offend anyone with this personal question, I am just trying to learn from you all so I can go into this being as informed as possible. I am trying real hard to get back to the weight the doctor was happy with in May but hard to do when you can't do much briskly enough to burn extra calories.

Lee K:

That's a great question. I've been wondering the same thing because I know that people are reluctanct to volunteer their weight situation.

I'm not overweight, but think this would be a great poll.

Or perhaps a more general poll asking about degree of success vs. preop. risk factors. This would be very subjective and unscientific, of course.

Tom

Ideally your weight and height should bring you to a BMI(Body Mass Index) of between 20-25. The reason for this is because the surgery is done anteriorly(from the front) hence the surgeon doesn`t want to be cutting through layers of fat to do your surgery.

Its a hard operation for the surgeon without much "Elbow room" so you only make things harder if you are overweight. There is help to assess your BMI in the FAQ`s.

http://www.adrsupport.org/private-cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cg...t_topic;f=6;t=000068

Yes you can have surgery overweight but usually it does not have a good outcome
Best
Alastair http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif

I carry my weight in my hips and butt My stomach is relatively flat comparitively speaking...think that helps? As long as he doesn't need to cut through my @$$ on a whim? http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...on_biggrin.gif

Just checked it. Thank you for that site. So if I lose what I gained this summer I am a "30" ("33" right now) I hate myself for letting myself slide and not staying in control. I was getting so close to my goal weight.

Lee,

I too am overweight. Ideally I need to lose 60 lbs to be at a good goal weight. I could lose more but that is the number the docs have given me. I've ALWAYS been overweight, and have come through several abdominal surgeries without any problems--that's just me. I am consulting with Dr. Zeegers and Dr. Bertagnoli. Dr. Z has said without question that even though I am overweight and have had surgeries, he still thinks I am a good candidate for the surgery. From my research, the docs in Europe are more inclined to handle "difficult" cases. My BMI is 34 right now. I am on a quest to lose as much weight as I can before I have surgery (I am shooting for June if I am approved), but I would have it either way.

I too thought losing weight was going to solve my back problem even though I was told unequivocally it would not make a difference in my pain level or disability level but would make me healthier. I found out what the doctor said was true. My quest now is to lose weight for my health because I've developed high cholesterol and high (sky) triglycerides. I stopped eating sugar in October and have just started a really strict diet. I'd love email you privately about this if you want. I have even started treadmilling--which is hard but I read on these boards that someone started treadmill for an hour a day prior to his surgery and he felt it helped his recovery. I can't do an hour yet without serious consequences, but I can handle 20 minutes and its better than nothing.

As for lying around and not getting up and cooking and taking care of stuff? It sounds like a bit of depression, par for the course in this lovely bind we're in. I've been there but mine lasted at least 3 years, even with meds. I'm better now but it was a dark time. And I'm not 100%. I still have days that I feel bad, but I can now remember on those days that it goes away by the end of the day.

Don't be afraid to voice your stuff here. I too have been afraid and when someone posts with my same issues, I get brave!

Guess I've been holding back so long, all my "dirty laundry" is flying!

Sure, you can email me privately. Think it would really help to talk each other through this!

I myself would benefit from losing a good 35 lbs. My Ortho said that it wasn't necessary for me to lose weight before having surgery but it wouldn't hurt to drop the weight. He did a 2 level Charite ADR on an obese patient not too long ago. He said it did make for a more difficult surgery but he felt that his patient would be a sucess.

I'm planning on joining weightwatchers and hope that I can stick to the plan & be sucessful in my weightloss. I think that along with the treadmill & exercise bike will be helpful for me both mentally & physically. As for "Nan's" post, it does sound like you are a bit depressed. When you are in pain on a daily or almost daily basis, it takes a toll on you mentally. I think that a lot of people on these boards can say that they have been down that road.

Hi Lee,

My weight has certainly increased since my injury on 9/24/04. Prior to my injury my BMI was 21, at the time of my surgery it was 24. While I was still in the healthy range, I noticed the added pounds on my petite frame. My recovery has been terrific, but the weight loss post-op is taking time. Having experienced 8 abdominal surgeries through the same incision site, it is definitely preferable to be in as good as health as possible. Best wishes in your journey!

Hi Lee,
I think your question is a good one and I think a poll would be a great idea. This is my first post but I thought it might help those looking to lose weight before surgery.

I was rear ended in August of 2004 and was diagnosed with DDD at L4-5 & L5-S1. Before the accident I had no pain, had no idea that I even had DDD. I have been waiting since May 2005 for my ADR @ L4-5 and Fusion at L5-S1. -Surgery delayed due to insurance denials.

At my last appointment, my Neurosurgeon said to me that if I could, I should try to lose 5-10 pounds if possible before surgery. The less I weigh, the better it would be for him during surgery and for my recovery. After that appointment I sat at home and thought "how am I going to be able to lose that weight." It wasn't that I ate bad food, I just didn't eat at the right times (if at all) and the correct portions. Also, because of my back, I CAN'T exercise. I thought losing weight was going to be impossible.

Then I saw a commerical for Nutrisystem, and I thought what the heck, I've tried everything else and nothing has worked. I figured I'd try it for a month, and if it didn't work that I wouldn't have lost anything. It was also a bonus because they ship all of the food right to your door. *Please keep in mind that every body's different and the results that I've had so far may not be the same as someone else's results.

I am 5 feet 6 inches tall and when I started Nutrisystem on June 18, 2005 I weighed 235 pounds. As of today I weigh 178.5 pounds. I have lost 56.5 pounds. The weight loss has not helped at all with my back pain but I'm told that it will help with my recovery. I am very proud of my weight loss, and that I can't exercise but I've been able to lose all of this weight... But I've gotta tell you, I can't wait until after my surgery when I will (hopefully) finally be able to exercise again.

I know that people generally don't like to reveal their weight, believe me it was not easy for me to do. It would be great to hear other's weight in relation to their surgical outcomes.

Good luck Lee in your quest for weight loss!

Andrea

There are a number of easy ways to lose about 10 lbs in weight in about six weeks and one of them is to eat all your carbohydrates together and all your proteins together at separate meals.

This was done some years ago with success and is known as the hay diet.

Remember ADR is not a surgery to be taken lightly and its for the rest of your life, so give yourself and the surgeon the best chance of success(see my story)
Best
Alastair http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif