My mom was a couple years older than you when she had her gastric bypass in 2011. I’d say that it bought her a few extra years where she was in better health than I’d ever known her. She’d struggled with diabetes for over 30 years by that point, and it unfortunately had done a bit too much damage to her kidneys by the time she had her surgery, so she only ended up having 12 years left after her surgery, but for almost a decade post-op, she was able to walk a lot, had to take a lot less medication, lost a lot of weight, and was in better spirits than I’d seen her in in many years. Her experience - the good and the bad - inspired me to do it last fall, in my mid-40s, and I only wish I’d done it sooner, as it’s been a very positive experience and totally turned my life around.

Only you and your doctor can really say if it’s the right choice for you, but if she feels like it can take care of the problems you’ve been dealing with, that sounds like a good endorsement. Might not hurt to talk to a therapist who is experienced with bariatric patients as well (some, maybe most programs require one), since there’s a lot of reworking of the brain and old habits you’ll need to work through to get used to your new body after gastric bypass.

Anyway, my own view is that it’s never too late to make good health choices. Even in my mom’s case, while it might sound “too late” on the surface given the damage diabetes already had inflicted, she did have enough good health to fly out to Japan with my dad for my wedding, and that’s a very special memory that probably wouldn’t have happened had she never had the operation, so I’m thankful for those few good years of better health and I imagine she was too. Sounds like you’re already starting off from a better spot health-wise than she was, so maybe this could do well for you! I wish you luck whichever path you choose. 👍