A New Life with Weight Loss and Knee Replacement

Dan is 62 years old with three grown children and one four-year-old granddaughter. A few years ago, he and his doctors decided that knee replacement surgery in both knees would improve his quality of life. However, he also learned that he would have to lose a significant amount of weight before his surgeon would operate on him.

At the time, Dan weighed over 400 lbs. He was nervous about losing more than 100 lbs to get to the right BMI for surgery. He started working with Jenny Glasshagel, NP in the summer of 2022 to create a plan to lose the weight and get his new knees.

Developing a Personalized Strategy

Jenny started by running bloodwork for Dan, making sure that he was healthy enough to use weight loss drugs. He had previously tried semaglutide to lose weight but didn’t find it effective. Jenny recommended tirzepatide for Dan because the drug tended to be better tolerated by patients and have fewer side effects.

Using the new drug, Dan was able to shed nearly 125 lbs in a year. He also lowered his blood pressure and cholesterol and was able to reduce using other drugs to manage those conditions. Jenny continued to run tests and blood work on Dan throughout the process to ensure his health was improving and that he was on the right weight loss medication.

At one point, Dan said he was feeling good but that he was extremely tired. “Jenny listened to me and ran some more tests,” he says. “She discovered that my iron levels were very low so she prescribed some IV infusions.” Jenny was able to get five iron infusions approved through Dan’s insurance, which brought his levels back up. “We’re still managing it,” he says, “but now I use beef liver supplements.”

A New Life Thanks to Knee Surgery and Weight loss

Dan had both knees replaced in 2023 and after his recovery, found that his life was much better. He credits his newfound zest for life to Jenny’s ability to create a structure and find a way to maintain balance.

“If it hadn’t been for her getting me to lose the weight, I would never have had my knees replaced,” he shares. “It was a life-changing event for me. I went from not being able to do anything to doing everything – I can get on the floor and play with my granddaughter and play golf with my sons.”

Thanks to the weight loss, he says he’s more comfortable in other areas of life as well. “I can sit in a booth at restaurants,” he says, “or cross my legs when I’m sitting in a chair. It’s the little things that make a difference that you hadn’t thought about before.”

Ongoing Care at Restoration Health

Dan is still working on managing his weight loss as well as pain and other conditions as he ages. Jenny provides support through blood work and other testing as well as supplements and medication. Together they’re working to manage Dan’s thyroid, iron levels and other conditions. His life is completely changed.

For anyone who wants to lose weight for surgery, to reduce the risk of chronic conditions, or just to improve their quality of life, Dan recommends visiting Jenny and Restoration Health sooner rather than later.

“I truly wish I could have done it earlier,” he says. “I tried for years and years to lose weight and just never could. Jenny just said, ‘Let’s give tirzepatide a try!’ and the rest is history.”

Schedule a patient consultation today to learn how Restoration Health can help you change your life.