I've been obese for most of my adult life and morbidly/super morbidly obese after age 35 or so. I'd tried a million diets. On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50 or 60 lbs, hit a brick wall, and then gradually put it all back on. Most of my attempts wouldn't even get me that far - maybe 10 or 20 lbs tops. I had over 200 lbs to lose, so I knew I was never going to get there if I couldn't even keep 50 lbs off.
I'd considered WLS for at least 10 years before I actually had it, but I was afraid of it and also, I'd have to change to a much more expensive insurance policy to get it covered. I thought I'd just wait until I turned 65 since Medicare covers it. But then I'd lie awake at night worried that I was going to have a heart attack, and I'd be in the ER and they wouldn't be able to do anything for me because of my weight. And at one point it occurred to me that waiting for Medicare to cover it was a bad idea, because at the rate I was going, I might not have even lived to see 60, let alone 65. How many super morbidly obese seniors do you see running around? Very few.
I can't remember what the last straw was (I had the surgery six years ago and started the process seven years ago), but it was probably the thought that I wouldn't live to see my 60th birthday if I didn't do something about my weight. And since I was 55 at the time, that day was coming up fast...
so- I did it. I have never been so grateful for a decision in my life. I should have done this YEARS ago. My life is a million times better now - and of course, my 60th birthday came and went without incident. Now I think I may be able to make it to 80+ !