Questions?

I am still not telling!! Lol. . While I was just getting started with my nutritionist per-op. a distant relative had just publicly announced she had had the surgery and was down a good 80 pounds at a baby shower.everyone at the table I was sitting at were talking about how old she looked, her loose skin, how she took the easy way out, they think she has developed an eating disorder. Those people were my family!!

I was wrong on death rate, best leak fix, and most common location of leak.

I lost 70# with the band in about a year. I felt like a failure, that is for sure. I got down to about 200# through dieting and alot of exercise.
I lost about 100# with the sleeve in 6 months. I started out heavier this time, so still, am around 200#, but still losing.
They are completely different experiences - night and day. The band was a nightmare, living with the sleeve feels pretty normal, pretty good.
I don't think being sleeved is a guarantee of success, and I read on forums about people who seem to have poor results. I am not there with them, I don't know why, but I am guessing that they either didn't get good instructions or don't follow the "rules." I met some ladies in a face to face support group who had lost about 50# in 6 months, still had a lot to lose and I guess i felt that was not great results, but they talked about all the crap they eat... and well.... WLS is no guarantee of excellent results. You still have to work it! You could say the same thing of the band I guess, but, it is much easier to "comply" when you are NOT starving and in pain - which was pretty much my experiences with the band anyway.