Is it Possible To Avoid Surgery AND Live A Pain-Free Lifestyle After 60?

The short answer is yes...90% of the time. According to research, 5–10% of all heart disease and cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in lifestyle factors such as diet, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol, sun exposure, and smoking cigarettes. In other words, 1 out of 10 times it’s in our DNA, and we can’t change that (yet). However, 9 out of 10 times, cancer and heart disease are attributed to things we do in our everyday lives, and we can change those things, even after we turn 60.

Looking back, my health records confirm those statistics. Over the past twelve years, I have been told on five occasions that surgery, medication for the rest of my life, or living with the pain were my only options. Once, I was told that even with surgery, I would live a very restricted lifestyle, walking no more than a quarter mile without needing to stop and rest.

The bad news is that if I had not made some lifestyle changes, the doctors would have been right every time. The good news is that, through making some changes to my diet AND adding focused exercise, 4 out of 5 diagnoses did not occur. And even when surgery was required, the doctors were amazed by my rate and time of recovery.

In 2008, I had my first heart attack. Ten years later, I had another heart attack that revealed congestive heart failure, with only about 60% of my heart working properly and requiring two stents. Two years later, I had another cardio event, which required three more stents and revealed that my heart had dropped to 55% fully functioning.

I am almost ashamed to say that it was 12 years after my first heart attack, in 2020, after being diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, also known as heart valve failure, that I began to make some serious lifestyle changes having to do with my diet, cardio exercising, and strength building.

Even with making significant changes in my diet and exercise, about this time last year, I had to have my aortic valve replaced, which could only be done with open-heart surgery. However, because of the changes I made to my diet and exercise just 6 years earlier, within 2 weeks of surgery, I was attending Church, and within 3 months, I was back to hiking and working out 3-4 days a week in the gym.

In 2018, I was on eleven different medications for heart-related issues. Today, with a recommendation from my heart doctor, I only take a blood thinner because of my stents. My blood pressure is 110/70, and my total cholesterol is 160.

Six years ago, after several years of on-and-off pain in both knees, I went to a specialist, and he told me that my right knee was "bone on bone. I would need immediate surgery, and the left knee would need to be replaced within a year.

Well, I had the right knee replaced, and although the surgery was a great success, it was a painful and long recovery requiring several hours of rehab. However, as I did the required exercises for my right knee, my left knee became stronger and experienced much less pain. After rehab, I continued doing similar exercises, and within 1 year, I was able to hike an 8-mile trail. And now, 6 years later, with focused leg and torso exercises, I am walking or hiking without pain and without surgery in the foreseeable future.

About three years ago, I began to have back pain. Long story short, it turned out my right hip was worn out because I had been giving in to the knee pain, which led me to walk in a way that caused excessive wear on my hip. The good news was that because of the exercises I had been doing for my knees and torso, I had a complete hip replacement at 10 AM and attended my grandson’s basketball game at 6 PM. In less than a month, the doctor was amazed that I was almost back to full strength.

I was told that after dealing with a nagging right shoulder for years, it could only be fixed with surgery. After talking with my family doctor and a physical therapist, I became intentional about doing specific shoulder exercises, and now I work out in the gym 3-4 times a week using machines and dumbbells, with no pain. My strength has increased 3-fold.

In the past 7 days, I have averaged 15000 steps per day, hitting 24000 steps in one day. I've been to the gym four times, each time for an hour. I have helped my kids move into their new house, breaking down and hauling off two truckloads of boxes, all the while helping Jean take care of our one and 4-year-old grandsons. On top of all that, we had a party at our house with 20 people attending, and we have two more Christmas celebrations in the next two days.

When you are told that lifelong medication or surgery is the only option, here are three things you might want to think about...

Over the years, I have learned, and research has shown that health care professionals, like all humans, can develop a "specialty bias," a tendency to favor treatments within their own field. A surgeon, for example, is more likely to recommend surgery. A general practitioner will prescribe medication, while a chiropractor says an adjustment will get the job done. A nutrishnalist will tell you... You get the idea.

1. With that in mind, if surgery or taking a long-term prescription medication has been prescribed, it is always best to get a second or even a third opinion from specialists in different areas of health care.

2. Talk with a nutritionist. They will help you with a good tasting, low-carb, high-protein, fiber-filled, lower-sodium, lower-sugar, supplement-added diet, which is essential if you are going to live an active life.

3. Daily exercise and make it fun. After 60, you need at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) 5 days a week, PLUS strength training at least twice a week, and you should incorporate balance/flexibility exercises daily.

It comes down to making a choice. According to the doctors, if I hadn’t made a choice to change my diet and exercise routine, at best, I would be sitting on a sofa with an oxygen tank, watching TV most of my days. BUT NOW I am blessed to savor every day of my last best bite of life!

Really, it’s not rocket science. You can do this. Six years from now, you could look back and, with a thankful heart, be glad that you chose to start today to live differently.