More than a year after a knee injury, is surgery still an option?

Playing Ultimate Frisbee I tried to reverse my direction on a diagonal run from right to left. I put my weight on my knee and it gave out, feeling a very distinct pop in the process.
I had swelling over the area where the Vastus Lateralis (external quad muscle) meets the knee and the inability to bend my knee more than 45 degrees.
I regained the normal use of my knee over a course of about 6 months, I only had x-rays done, and all superficial inspections done by doctors revealed no lateral or forward/backward unnatural movement on my knee. I have no instability when walking. It is only when I snapped my leg down trying to block a pass with my leg, that I had pain again (now that I went back to playing) and two days ago, on a very similar move to when I first injured myself, again I felt a pop and slight pain, but this time there was no swelling and I could walk just fine and could have even continued to play. I didn’t, and I’ve iced it since just in case, but other wise from feeling very slightly numbed (like when you hit any part of your body hard enough) there is no discomfort or instability.
I know, I know… should have gotten an MRI, thing is, when I injured myself, I was working offshore and the injury was completely unrelated to what my travel insurance covered. And back home it was the same story. I would have to pay the MRI out of my own pocket, and here in Costa Rica, even though medical is extremely cheap to foreigners (USA), an MRI to me is almost half of a month’s salary, I just don’t have the money.
I suspect my injury is a ACL tear. Though the part that still feels more affected is where the external quad meets the knee. I also suspect MCL thrown in the mix. I don’t think Meniscus, though normally the Meniscus is affected on an ACL injury.
Even if I got my MRI, I’m not sure after letting so much time go by, that I would still be a good candidate for surgery. MRI + Surgery, out of my own pocket (cringes)… but then again, early arthritis, constant knee pain (cringes further).
I’m the classic weekend warrior athlete. 42 years old and 40 pounds overweight. Lot’s of things working against me hehe.
Should I consider stopping play of a sport a deeply love?