How old were you when you had your surgery and what made you wait as long as you did?



I’ll go first- i had it done on my 24th bday. Personally, i would have done it sooner, had i known it was even an option for me back then.

How old were you when you had your surgery and what made you wait as long as you did?



I’ll go first- i had it done on my 24th bday. Personally, i would have done it sooner, had i known it was even an option for me back then.

20, wanted to do it when I was 16 but had no support and wasn't really ready for it mentally. I tried naturally for a few years, got down about 50lbs then weight went back up. Finally got in the program and worked on slowly changing habits for about a year. Didn't have any support still so I did it secretly and told family once I had my surgery scheduled. They finally came around and now I'm 9 months out, have family support and my brothers actually going through the program. Wouldn't have changed anything [emoji4][emoji4]

I was 58. Have been overweight my entire life, a professional yo-yoer. Put on the last 50 pounds in the last 5 years when I became an accountant, so very sedentary at work. I've been fortunate that I didn't have any co-morbidities, so I wasn't eligible to do the surgery (insurance-wise) until the last year or so.

I am 42 just had mine 9 days ago. I have always been overweight and thought I could eventually lose it on my own. Then, about a year and a half to 2 yrs ago my thyroid went wacky and I piled on approx. another 75 lbs. and knew I had to do something.

I was 25 for my sleeeve & 32 for my revision to bypass. Wish I had the revision earlier but was embarrassed and lost.

34, never even considered it before I did it.

34. Had gained about 130lbs over the last 6 years and had been working at getting my weight under control through diet and exercise. Progress was pretty slow and the. I stalled for about 6 months. Never even considered surgery before because I smoked cigarettes and always figured I’d never be able to quit. But then my dearly beloved finally cajoled me into quitting and it then dawned on me that this was now an option.

@Bryn910 don’t feel bad. Stuff happens. Just keep going and you’ll get there, nothing to be embarrassed about. Best of luck to you.

I’m having one too, but to something else but everyone is different. Mine has to do with a complication, not losing weight.

I was 27. Contemplated for a year before committing.

55. It took me that long to grow the balls required to make the decision to change my relationship with food and to live rather than being RTD (ready to die). It for sure took 2 years of constant badgering by my onc to convince me. I was all like, "Badgers? We don't need no stinking badgers!"

And 1 was a late bloomer I waited until I was 69, kept hoping I could beat on my own. Surely they have a new one there I hadn't tried.
Finally realized I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. But my long trek is now over,buy am 2 days post, as of 7 am,waiting for them, to do my discharge, I feel ready to go home. My ride is here , waiting for Joann the care coordinator,to,give me my bye bye papers. Come on woman come on!

I was 33 when I got the band. 38 when I had the band removed and was revised to the bypass. Best thing I ever did, wish I went with the bypass back in 2011... but I was afraid of the commitment with the bypass, and that logic bit me in the ass. I didn't want a permanent change... so I didn't get permanent results.

I waited the time I did, because things progressed to the point where I needed to do something. I was heavy as a kid, lost weight through high school, joined the military, gained a bunch then from doing some very bad weight loss things. Got out and then just couldn't get my weight under control. When I hit 370, I knew it was time for SOMETHING. I was not going to allow myself to hit 400... EVER.

Edited September 7, 20188 yr by Matt Z

I am 34 and hope to get the sleeve before my 35th birthday. I had been borderline high BP for a long time (lifelong obesity since childhood). My weight went up since 2012 by about 70lbs. I was previously on a clinical trial for an appetite suppressant. I returned to my pre-clinical trial weight after coming off the meds in 2012 and was devastated and ashamed. In September 2017 I had what I now recognize was a panic attack, went to the ER and my blood pressure was sky high. I was put on blood pressure medicine and I was so sad for my future. I was looking at my insurance handbook for updates in coverage for the upcoming year and saw that bariatric surgery was covered! I have been working since December 2017 to get approved. I have a 1 year waiting period and requirements to meet before I can be approved but the time is FLYING!

I started the process to have bariatric surgery last year when I was 23, I’ll be 24 on surgery day. Surgery was my last option, I was sold on it after a younger friend who also has PCOS experienced success with the sleeve. Honestly I finally became fed up, I shouldn’t feel this bad at this age smh. Had I known how difficult losing weight would be for me I would have pursued surgery when I was 21/22.

Mid 20's when I considered a band but was only offered a referral for a bypass.

32-33 when I started to consider a sleeve. I went to a seminar but then I got pregnant with my son.

36 and starting to gain back a 60+ pound post-baby weight loss when I finally bit the bullet and saw a surgeon.

2.5 weeks past my 46th birthday. I was a typical yo-yo dieter and at my highest weight 280 when I was 27-28, I was able to lose the weight (120lbs) naturally. I kept the weight off mostly (+/- 20lbs) and then in the last three years weight has crept back up and losing it naturally hasn't work. I used to hear once you get into your 40's the weight is harder to come off. I never believed it until these last couple of years and the struggles I've had with trying to lose it. Best decision I ever made.