Not sure about this

Hi everyone, I'm new here and have been reading all the inspirational posts but have not seen a question like I have yet.  I have yoyo'd most of my life like most here and I can proudly say I lost 100 lbs 15 years ago (divorce weight).  Needless to say gained it all back. I'm 58 and it's so much harder to lose now. Menopause etc.  My question is this, I am 5'2" and weigh 200 lbs.   Everyone who I have told about my wanting bypass thinks I'm Nuts. They think its to radical saying 50 or 60 lbs I would be great.  I don't have any real medical conditions other than Reflux (would love to lose that) and pre diabetic. I'm just so tired of the fight that I'm losing ever year now.  Opinions please!  Thank you

I was 239 when I got my surgery five weeks ago and I'm down to 213 as of today.. As long as you BMI is a 40 or above you will be able to get the surgery. I am also 5'2. As I am not extremely heavy, many people told me that this was A drastic decision as im "not that big" or they didn't think I was a candidate.

this is why I barely told anyone about my surgery. I knew this was for the long haul. This wasn't just about weight loss this is to better myself for when I have children and for my health so that I don't develop diabetes and sleep apnea etc.

you do what's best for you but this is tough stuff and your relationship with food will totally change. Consider all of your options and disregard people's opinions as they are a dime a dozen

It does sound radical but aged 58 you are probably going to find other problems do start to develop. So you could argue it was preventative. I think the answer has to be how you feel about it. You could draw up a list of pros and cons. Surgery is far from risk-free and so IMO has to be a last resort and the benefits have to very clearly outweigh the risks. 

The other issue, of course, is paying for it. If you are paying yourself no problem but insurance companies have a big say if they are paying! 

If you did not have Reflux - i would suggest VSG. Not RNY.... 

BTW.-  most people get rid of reflux.-  but i did not have it (or have controlled with diet- avoiding some foods ) before my RNY- but got it after and had to take PPI for 4-5 years post op.  I don't take it now..unless my pouch get "pissy"..

Have in mind - we can't take NSAIDs (like aspirin, ibuprofen, alleeve, etc) after RNY...sho if you take any now - they are no-no post op. I miss my advil and aleve (back issues, support injuries, headache..)

At 5'2", 200 lb you are still considered obese and therefore likely to continue adding co-morbidities to the list. RNY would likely cure your reflux and stop the progression to diabetes. Not to mention probable hbp and arthritis later on. Best thing I've ever done for myself. Let's face it, we're the youngest we'll ever be again. Why not give yourself every opportunity to have a healthy, long life?!

It is a personal decision and everyone will have an opinion, LOL but true.  Being pre-diabetic alone would be a big factor in wanting to have the surgery to lose weight and not become a diabetic.  Check with your insurance to find out about your benefits.  Go to a couple of new patient informational seminars with a bariatric surgeon to get more info.

As a FYI, using the OH BMI calculator, your height and weight are:

You have a BMI of 36.5.
This indicates that you are Obese.
Your BMI is generally high enough to qualify you for bariatric surgery if you have comorbid conditions such as diabetes (type II), hypertension, sleep apnea or other potentially life-threatening diseases.

The table below shows value ranges and what they mean.

Thank you all for your replies, they mean so much to me as I truly have no one to talk about this with other than my husband so any opinion is much appreciated.  I guess it really come down to this, if I lose 40-50 lbs on my own (which I think I can do) it will alleviate the possiblilty of co morbidity developing.  But, and here's the thing, will I keep it off?  My track record proves I will Not.  I'm just damn tired of the fight.

Losing the weight is the easy part keeping it off is the hard part.

My girlfriend just had sleeve surgery 2 weeks ago and she was in that under 40 BMI group. I know it was a hard decision for her because she got a lot of that "your not that big, you can lose the weight" She is around 55, just crossing over from pre-diabetic to diabetic and had mild sleep apnea. She has a history of diabetes in her family and knows how devastating it can be. It is easy for others to say lose the weight, but if you haven't been able to, it is not going to get better health-wise. If you have insurance, maybe consider starting the process, talking to the surgeon etc. At any point you can change your mind.

Thanks so much for your input.  I'm so glad I wrote in because I knew I couldn't be the only one here with this situation. Some of my issues with the under 40 BMI with no Medical issues to qualify me is that I can only have a Gastric Bypass (reflux)which I think is the more aggressive of the 3 most commonly chosen.  I'm toying with the idea of gaining weight to fit into the miracle number of 40. I'm not far from that number as it is.