Age WANT the Sleeve - but is it worth it for 60 lbs at age 60?

[TxCalico 69]

I WANT to do the sleeve, I've carried around excess pounds for 30 years, and I want to,be healthier as I grow older... but even tho I haven't lost the weight in all that time, I find myself saying "You should just watch what you eat and exercise more!" My husband thinks I'm crazy for considering this at this point in my life.

Would love to hear from Sleevers age 60+ and/or those who weren't over 35 BMI when they started. Is it worth it at my age, my size?

[jbrown 5]

Hello Texas Calico, I am 63 and scheduled for surgery 09/04. I think it is so worth it!!!

[C_TimesThree 64]

I have to say no. Knowing what a leak REALLY means there is no way in hell I'd have this surgery again if it wasn't literally life or death. You can put your mind to it and lose 60lbs.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I am 60. Its one of the best things I have ever done for my health. I did it at 57 1/2, but close enough. It is not a miracle cure, but with some hard work into the future, you can have a new lease on life. The chances of a leak are VERY small, but real, the chances of other co-morbidities are much higher if you stay overweight. Your hubby is worried for you, but seriously, he should be worried for you if you don't do it. The chances of losing the weight and keeping it off are much worse without the sleeve. Good luck!

[cindymg 629]

I am 60. Its one of the best things I have ever done for my health. I did it at 57 1/2' date=' but close enough. It is not a miracle cure, but with some hard work into the future, you can have a new lease on life. The chances of a leak are VERY small, but real, the chances of other co-morbidities are much higher if you stay overweight. Your hubby is worried for you, but seriously, he should be worried for you if you don't do it. The chances of losing the weight and keeping it off are much worse without the sleeve. Good luck![/quote']

Exactly! Risks of co morbidities are much higher than the complications of the surgery, I am 59, and I wanted to live to see 60, 70, 80. Sleeved 3.5 months ago, down 52 lbs, diabetes, high blood pressure controlled, medications cut to 1/4, coronary artery disease risk greatly reduced.

I feel fabulous and I have my life back. No problems after surgery, no complications, no pain. If I didn't have 5 funny little scars on my belly and an inability to eat very much, I might think the surgery ever happened.

Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

[Uniqbtrfly 27]

I WANT to do the sleeve, I've carried around excess pounds for 30 years, and I want to,be healthier as I grow older... but even tho I haven't lost the weight in all that time, I find myself saying "You should just watch what you eat and exercise more!" My husband thinks I'm crazy for considering this at this point in my life.

Would love to hear from Sleevers age 60+ and/or those who weren't over 35 BMI when they started. Is it worth it at my age, my size?

I had the sleeve at age 59....best decision I ever made and with NO regrets. Have lost 75 -lbs with 50 to go..I had lost 100 lbs but some inherited health issues required meds that gaining weight is a side effect. Now that I no longer take those meds I can get back on tract. I had my sleeve done Jan. 16, 2011.

Edited December 15, 2013 by uniqbtrfly

[Tizzielish 21]

My doc is pushing hard for the RnY, which she says is the gold standard, and so does my primary care doc. I am undecided, have a surgery date on jan 16.

But I have been scheduled for this surgery 2X before. The first time i weighed 330 and the surgery was cancelled in 2006 only postponed for some insurance snafus but then I lost a lot of weight, got down to 240.

Then I was scheduled again for surgery two years ago cause i couldn't get below 240 and I got down to 210 but bumped back to 240 without changing how I eat.

Then I turned 60 in August and I've been pressuringmyself, telling myself "I could do it". I'm 60. If I was going to do it, I would have done it by now.

I say have the surgery. But read some forums about folks who get the RnY after the sleeve. It would be awful to have it and not lose the 60 you want to lose and you are at an age where they won't keep doing such surgeries much longer.

Have the surgery, esp. the sleeve, which does not alter the whole digestive track the way RnY does. How old is the person who argued against it? By age 60, if you were going to slim down, I think you would have.

You know what convinced me? My knees. They hurt more as time passes, grow more and more stiff. I want to be a spry walking 70 year old in ten years.

[TxCalico 69]

Tizzielish, I also did the self-talk of "You should be able to do this", but I finally realized that if I hadn't been able to keep it off for 30 years, I probably won't be able to in the next 30 years... so I went with the sleeve and am SOOOOO glad I did. In two months, I've lost 37 pounds that will never come back! I'm still in shock, it's just now becoming 'real'... and I'm starting to believe that I will actually lose another 20-30 lbs to reach my goals. (I have two: a good healthy goal and my dream-weight goal! LOL)

I'm not your doc, so I don't know which procedure is best for you, but I would definitely ask him/her to justify WHY he doesn't like the sleeve, since it doesn't require all the restructuring of your internal plumbing or risk future malnutrition. A friend compared it to when she got her eyes 'fixed' with radial keratotomy years ago, and asked her eye doc about doing the new lazer eye surgery... Oh no, the doc said, that's risky and could damage the eyes, yada yada. But she says that's because he didn't do the lazer surgery so he didn't support it!

Whichever is best for you, go for it and enjoy the years ahead with a slim, healthy body!

Wishing you luck & blessings!

[gamergirl 4,610]

My husband is 60 and had about 80 lbs to lose. I am quite sure he's increased both his life span as well as the quality of his life. No meds for BP, blood sugar, high cholesterol, etc. I think he has staved off a life that would have gotten smaller and smaller as he grew larger and larger.

We want to be active and spry, mentally and physically independent in our old age. And weight works against us on all those fronts. If you could have lost it on your own, you would have by now.

I'm not 60, but I don't want to die wondering what my life could have been like as a skinny, fit person. I intend to find out.

Good luck with your decision.

[loseitsoon 157]

I am 63 and have lost 80lbs since last January! This is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

My starting BMI was about 37.

[ribearty 544]

I am in my 50s, had the sleeve with 70 pounds to lose to my goal. If I went by my doctor's goal. I had the surgery with 50 pounds to lose and a starting BMI of 35.

I wanted this to be permanent and I knew I couldn't do it on my own with my past history. I also wanted a better quality of life and to enjoy the years I have left.

I truly believe it is worth it.

Good luck with your weight loss journey.

Edited December 15, 2013 by ribearty

[honib52 10]

I am 60. I weighed 197 at surgery with a BMI of 36. I would not have gotten the surgery in the states, I was self pay and went to Mexico. It was the best thing I have done for myself in over 25 years. I am off all Diabetes meds, no more cholesterol meds, and my knees are getting better every day. I am a new woman!!! I am also a woman of faith and believe God was in control so it was in His hands guiding a very capable Dr. Valenzuela in Tijuana. I have not lost as much as many but believe every little bit is a miracle at my age. God Bless and Merry Christmas to my fellow sleeve sisters and brothers.

[amayzme 15]

I felt the same way...why do this so late in life. I'm basicaly healthy..some "old. age" stiffness..all normal for what i figuref am old girl would feel.

but the extra 80 or do pounds snuck up through the years. i went out less. did less activities untill i wad doing none at all. had to hold my bresth to tie my shoes..avoided.stairs if i could.

i finally realized i had no life and never saw that coming! Do this year at.59 (i will ne 60 in February ) i decided i eant my life back. i eant to breath and walk and dance and maybe even date again...but mostly i want to be a healthy active 90 year old.

so 1/4/2014 i did it. i feel fine. i feel hopefull that the fat lady in the mirror will soon step aside.and i can take a.good look at ME.

so i say do it!! ..,,(60 is the new 40 you know.)

[barbmeow 92]

I am 62 , had my gastric sleeve surgery a week after my 62nd birthday. I wish this surgery was done when i was younger but so glad I did it. Leaks are fixable. Weight that you have carried around forever is so hard to lose, and really bad for your health. I would not hesitate to have this surgery again.I am currently down 75 pounds and feeling great about my weight loss. I love not obsessing about food either.

[peggy22 1]

I had my sleeve on my 60th bday 2010. I would do it again in a heart beat. I've lost abt 85 lbs and loving it. Yes go for it I say.