I'm finally thinking seriously about having WLS - gastric sleeve in particular. Worry that I am too old to have this done - I'm 56. I'd love to hear from other 50 somethings who had surgery in their 50's. What was your experience like? Anyone use Medicare? Am I crazy to consider this at my age?

This is my first post on this site. I'm 61 and having my sleeve done tomorrow the 17th. I'm nervous but reading all these posts from all of us in the same age range makes it much easier. Thanks all.

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I am 67 now and had my surgery in Dec @66yrs old. I was worried about my age but I had no complications. When the endocrinologist told me I didn't need to take my pre diabetes mess any longer when I left the hospital Iwas thrilled. I no longer take cholesterol mess and am down to one BP med. This is possibly the best decision I have made for ME!!!!

Where in Belgium did you have your op?

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Hi everyone! Queen of Crop here....most of you don't even know me but I was on this forum daily for at least 2-3 years in the beginning. I am almost 6 years out now and decided I needed to check in again. I was 58 at surgery (am now almost 64). I lost all my weight at exactly one year (83 lbs) and kept a weekly blog about it which I turned into a book called Queen of Crop. It completely changed my life as it will all of yours. But now, 6 years out I have gained 10 lbs back and realize , like so many, that you have to be diligent....the first 6 months to a year is your honeymoon period so lose as much as you can and learn new skills and exercise! It's like your youth; it will go by fast! Good luck to all of you.

Great to see you again Queen!
Some of us are still here... others have moved on for many reasons .
I'm 10 years plus bander and still trying!
Hope your book did well. Do tell!
Ps you look healthy and younger!!

Hello dearest Queen. Lovely to see a post from you. You were my greatest inspiration when I was a newbie and I devoured your book with great gusto so that I could have a hint of what my weight loss journey could be like. It should be required reading for all the newly sleeved as it is just simple common sense from front cover to back. Oh yes, and humour, which always makes things that much more enjoyable.
I'm now in the maintaining camp having had my surgery 18 months ago at the age of 58. I reckon that the really hard work starts once the main bulk has left your frame and the maintenance has to become part of every day life. It's hard sometimes. Worth it though.
I walk 6-7 miles with my dogs every day, loving every step of it. I do two ballet classes every week with a teacher who taught me when I was a professional dancer. Although I take it a lot easier and don't have the ability (or the suppleness or strength) to get my legs up around my ears I can quite happily move my normal weight body around the moves. The thought of even trying to do that with all the pre-sleeve excess weight just doesn't bear thinking about! I couldn't have done it.
As far as I'm concerned, it's never too late to start an active life so bariatric surgery in later life is one of the most wonderful options open to those of us who wake up one day and find, to our horror, that all those random extra ounces that were slowly creeping onto our frames have turned into serious poundage!

I will have sleeve surgery on July 18th 2017 my 56th birthday is August10th i see my surgeon on August 9th one month after surgery wow am I really looking forward to this I'm not really sure I'm not nervous or concerned about the surgery what I'm concerned about is whether I will be able to hold down any of the protein shakes I did buy the protein water expensive as hell 12 bottles $19.99 at Sams a total rip-off but a girl got to do what a girl got to do so yes I bought it and I like the Premier Protein Waters very tasty too 20 grams of protein per bottle and it's a 16 oz bottle well 16.9 Oz and as it comes in one flavor tropical punch has 90 calories though and of course zero grams of sugar and it says one serving per container so one whole bottle is one serving we'll see keep me uplifted in your players this journey is real and I ready to get it rolling my weight now is 274 as I haven't been on the scale at 4 weeks after all my classes were done and I went to see my surgeon I just don't want to get on it but I will and do time expressly before I start this liquid diet and after oh great I'm looking forward to that not really but I was trying to psych myself up anywho I've been on a sweet binge for last two and a half weeks and I vowed that I would not touch another one my grandson's came and it has been Dairy Queen Dairy Queen Dairy Queen I don't want to see a damn Dairy Queen I bought some sugar free popsicles if they want one feel free I also bought sugar free fudgesicles sugar-free this is sugar free that they don't care long as they get something sweet it sweet enough but granny has got to get it together I'm too young for this mess overweight I know the weight I have lost which I went from a size 24 to a size 16 already what 16/18 more of 18 side let me put a w in front of that 18 women has anyone noticed that all the way drop down to the hips by the butt in the back I got saddle bags I hate it

Edited June 20, 20179 yr by Cynthia powellholmes

Hi Julie....better late than never! You sent this to me months and months ago...to be honest, I stopped going onto BP because I couldn't type anything...it kept stalling on me...so I just changed browsers and now it's working. But thank you so much for touching base!

I was just interviewed on the radio podcast wieghtlosssurgery.com with Reeger Cortell. She asked me to be on the show because of the book and because I was a veteran. (6 years this October). And there aren't that many of us really.

I am still struggling with these 10 lbs...I sure wish I knew of a Sleeve Retreat I could go to to get back on track. Am almost tempted to start one myself, but I doubt people would come to Europe. Thoughts?

HI Jintycb!!!

Better late than never! You sent this to me months and months ago...to be honest, I stopped going onto BP because I couldn't type anything...it kept stalling on me...so I just changed browsers and now it's working. But thank you so much for touching base and your lovely compliments...I remember when you were first starting and that we started at the same exact weight! Are you still at 137# Wish I was!

I was just interviewed on the radio podcast wieghtlosssurgery.com with Reeger Cortell. She asked me to be on the show because of the book and because I was a veteran. (6 years this October). And there aren't that many of us really.

I am still struggling with these 10 lbs...I sure wish I knew of a Sleeve Retreat I could go to to get back on track. Am almost tempted to start one myself, but I doubt people would come to Europe. Your'e the closest I know. Thoughts?

Hi Julie....better late than never! You sent this to me months and months ago...to be honest, I stopped going onto BP because I couldn't type anything...it kept stalling on me...so I just changed browsers and now it's working. But thank you so much for touching base!
I was just interviewed on the radio podcast wieghtlosssurgery.com with Reeger Cortell. She asked me to be on the show because of the book and because I was a veteran. (6 years this October). And there aren't that many of us really.
I am still struggling with these 10 lbs...I sure wish I knew of a Sleeve Retreat I could go to to get back on track. Am almost tempted to start one myself, but I doubt people would come to Europe. Thoughts?

Nice to see you on the boards
Reeger is an awesome podcaster... I will look for your interview. Lovely to see some veterans still around! 11 years in December for me ... seems like a lifetime ago.

to my fellow "oldies, but goodies"!!

i was one month shy of 58 years OLD when i was sleeved 12/15/11.
now i am 63 years YOUNG!!

DOS weighed 235 DOS

present - GOAL 130 lbs

you're never too old to have WLS

life is good.

I'm/we are not getting older, i'm/we're getting better

kathy

HI proudgrammy! I remember you! We were so similar! I turned 58 a few days before my surgery, am 63 now. Weighed 223 lbs, lost 90 lbs (but I have gained back 7 in the past year...but am working on it). But I agree....YOU ARE NEVER TOO LATE TO GET HEALTHY AND LEAD THE LIFE YOU WERE MEANT TO LIVE!!!!!

Author of Queen of Crop

25 minutes ago, Queen of Crop said:

I remember you!

@Queen of Crop

back at ya

i remember you traveled the world while you were

losing weight. i was always amazed how you could be

successful with so many different foods at your fingertips!!

but you did it!! (always knew you could!)

where is your new home/country? like i said above, "you are not

getting older, you are getting better!"

As @Julie norton said " Lovely to see some veterans still around! "

pop in more often if you can. always nice to see you and

your pretty smile

take care

kathy

Yes, we traveled for 14 months....had my surgery in the middle of it all! A weird time for sure...never even had a blender to use after my surgery but I made it work some how. It was a very exciting time. I moved from Hawaii to Amsterdam almost 5 years ago...and we love it here!!!

But as I said, I am really struggling to keep the weight off now...as you know, at this stage you can eat and drink anything and some of those old habits are creeping in. Does anyone know of a Veteran sleeve retreat to get those of us back on track? I am thinking of putting one together myself, but would rather just pay the money and have someone else organize it! Still, I am so happy to have done this!!! Any other veterans still around????

www.queenofcrop.com

Hello...
I am 55 and just getting started so I will be 56 by the time I have surgery. The common sentiment I hear from everyone here is that they are sorry they waited so long and they'd do it again in a minute. I don't think we're too old at all. 1. We deserve a good life and 2. We will be extending our life.
I'm still learning my way around this site and look forward to meeting new friends. The journey is better with support. [emoji4]
PS: How can I get a ticker like so many others on here?

Ticker....I'm on my phone app right now and I don't see that here but if you're on the computer go to your profile settings where you add your stats and you should see the ticker section there...I kind of stumbled into it but it's there.

Hi Everyone-

I am trying to find myself once again after completely losing myself post goal. I had the surgery in December 2011 and honestly it was too easy. The weight just came off and I had to remind myself to eat. I actually got "too" ambitious and made myself gain weight to a place that felt healthier to me. I did really well for the first 3 years. I had some weight creep on but these past 3 years I became full on menopause and it has not been pretty. The hot flashes and the metabolism changes were rough. I was so religious about the food intake and I think that is when my small caloric intake had a huge collision with menopause. My metabolism was non-existent. I played tennis 4 times a week for 90 minute sessions and the weight started creeping up. Long story short, between not making myself a priority (zero self care) and no metabolism and allowing sugar back into my life (never again! I was like a druggie when I detoxed this time) I was a wreck and 45 pounds over goal.

I tried to find support groups but the 30-somethings didn't have the same problems that I did in the face to face meetings. I was too far away from my original surgeon to talk to him and my new surgeon just said to stop eating and move more. That was so unhelpful. It actually gave me a sense of shame that I just felt was failure and it caused me to curl up in a ball and I didn't try to do anything else.

Still not sure if I have done the right thing but I have a new ob/gyn that is marvelous. He didn't say "just deal with it" when I talked about what seemed like never ending hot flashes. He actually took a look at me as a whole person-not just a pair of ovaries. We did gallons of blood work but he was able to get me on a hormone regimen where I don't live in a perpetual sweat. Then I asked him about the weight gain and metabolism issue post menopause AND the fact that I was post-WLS. He stuck with me and is helping me find the answer.

I am his first WLS patient on this serotonin weight program that a colleague came up with and it appears to be doing the trick. While others on this program have a hard time with the protein and veggies ONLY diet, it was easy because it was like remembering what it was like post-surgery all those years ago. It is easy to follow. It does have a phentermine component but he explained the chemistry between the serotonin and phentermine and how it helps boost my metabolism. I did have to face the sugar and wheat demon...I am winning the fight so far but it is a big demon so I am on high alert. 10 pounds down after 2 weeks and 35 to go until goal. The number is so much smaller than before surgery but I imagine it will be just as hard to reach. Those last 10 are nasty boogers.

So my question is...I needed a RX to wake up my metabolism. Is this going to a chronic issue because we can only eat small amounts of food? My doc has composed a suggestion of food pairings that I alternate every 2 weeks to keep the metabolism going now that is has woke up. I play tennis at least 4 times per week for 90 minutes at a time. I am not a sedentary person and yet my whole body turned on itself at menopause.

Anyone else have issues with weight regain after full onset of menopause? Did you struggle with your body thinking it was in starvation mode all the time? What did you do? I might be crazy for going to this extent, but the weight gain was bringing previously extinguished co-morbidities back. I had to do something to get my health back. This was my answer.

Would love to hear if you are in the same boat. I like the scale going down again but i have to admit that I was more than a little sad that I had to find a way to give my Gastric Sleeve a boost to start the train rolling down the track again. I thought it would be a lifetime tool and it needed a boost for sure.

Thanks!

Teachkdz0507