Molly3

Hi All, have been reading all your inspirational stories on here and decided to contribute myself! Even my husband doesn't have a clue what I weigh,I have to say I really admire someone who can openly say what they weigh and share their problems,faults and hopes for the future. MY WEIGHT TODAY IS 98 KILOS (216 LBS). WOW WHO SAID THAT!Only my close family know I'm actually having this surgery and a few can't understand my motive in having major surgery rather than go on another diet.
I've had various health issues over the past ten years,with blood pressure,migraines, depression, diverticulitis and irregular insulin levels,which means that diabetes is around the corner. I am 43 yrs old with two young daughters and about two years ago I finally realised that unless I drop the weight, these health issues will shorten my life and in turn reduce the time I have left with my girls. After several failed diets and much soul searching I have arrived here along with you guys on the verge of having this surgery.
The information I've got from reading blogs and watching videos has done a great job in preparing me for the next part of my adventure. God bless the internet!!
I would REALLY like to make friends with some of you guys, the people who really understand what it's like to be me.
Karen x

These were taken 4 months Post Op, I started my journey in May @ 670, lost 20 pounds before surgery, and on July 2nd, I was 650. Today, I'm 535. Which means I've lost 135 pounds since Memorial day -- not too shabby!

Hi Molly,
I'm two weeks out and down 21 lbs. already! I feel great ...still on liquid only diet, though. No vomiting and NO HUNGER!!!
It does hurt if I drink too quickly, but I think in time I'll learn my limits better.
My biggest comment would be that the sleeve removes the part of the stomach that produces hungry (ghrelin hormone) vs. the band that does not.

Just tossing in my 2 cents as well. When I started this adventure, I wanted to read as many people's experiences had as I could find. And the more recent the better.
Can you please tell me what it's like having the sleeve? Does it feel weird or do you feel pretty much like you did before the surgery, except the eating?
I feel the same physically, don't even notice it. If I had lost my memory and woke up today, I'd be like, "Did I get shot? What are these scars on my belly?" :-)
I don't have the same warning signs that I'm getting full, unlike pre-surgery. There's no, "Okay, I'm starting to feel full." It's more, take a bite, feel fine, take a bite, feel fine, take a bit, opps too much. So I have to eat slowly and take smaller bites. But I quickly learned how much I can comfortably eat (about 3 - 4oz.) and how long I need to wait between meals.
Do you slime or get stuck like the band?
Never had anything get stuck, I have almost slimed, but since I was taking very small bites, it was more like a burp. I've been very careful about how much I eat and how fast, since surgery.
Do you vomit because the food doesn't agree with you or you've eaten way too much?
I haven't over eaten to that extent, but I have felt uncomfortable, like gas trapped in my stomach.
Do you get pains when you eat too much?
No pain, just pressure. I take a very small sip of Water and burp - pressure gone.
Are you starving or does the sleeve really curb your appetite?
I can say I have not had an appetite since the surgery (30 plus days now). I do feel my stomach growling, letting me know it's empty. But no feelings of hunger anymore.
Can you stretch your new stomach?
My doc said I can stretch my stomach, but only a little, never to it's original size. But that doesn't mean I won't gain the weight back. I can eat lots of things, like ice cream, that will easily pass through my stomach and take in extra calories. If I let myself, I could overeat on Peanut Butter every day. And it has 100 calories per tablespoon. I could easily eat 4 to 6 tablespoons 3 to 4 times a day and overeat. So I have to make better food choices.
The sleeve is a tool to help you lose weight. It is not a magic fix, as much as I wish it were.
I really would like to know as much as possible, i've been searching this site for a while. I still can't decide if I should do the band or the sleeve!?
I have a friend who had the band and has had several complications since. He lost about 150lbs, but is still very overweight, and he has found ways to eat almost the same volume/bad foods. So it put me off of band surgery, seeing his experience. The main negative thing, in my case, was learning from my doc that I would still have the same obession to eat - caused by a hormone produced by the stomach (Ghrelin): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin
With sleeve surgery, the stomach is removed and with it, the much of the production of Ghrelin. I am sure that is why, even though I can feel my stomach growling, I don't feel the need to eat. Whereas before, I knew that no matter how big a meal I ate, about 2 hours later, I'd be raiding the fridge.
But in making such a life changing decision band/sleeve/RYN, it is best to talk with your doctor. He is the best person to evaluate your situation.

good golly Ms Molly so many questions, so little time
I'll try and give brief explanations - i'm sure others will jump in with more info -
and correct me if i said something incorrect, or not clear
since you are on the sleeve board - people (me too) will be biased against the band - so many problems - erosion, slippage
there is a site here for people that have gone from band to sleeve. in other words ALLLL those people had mannny manny problems with the band - so they made the wise decision to convert to the sleeve
this site would not be necessary if the band was great
with the band - I "think" you have some "foreign object" in your body, and you are required to have "fills" which can be problematic
when you have the sleeve - 85% of your tummy is gone
i don't feel any weirder than i used to before i had the sleeve - you won't feel a difference!!!
you (I) do/will get pains in your tummy if/when you eat too much - so don't eat too much!!!
the sleeve will tell your tummy when you are full, and will not let you eat more
my surgeon told me to "eat until i was full" - then "stop 2 bites earlier!!
your NUT will guide you - tell you your proper small portion over the course of time - when i started ie - i was told to eat 1/3 C no more, amount (portions) gradually increase
many people have "sliming" vomitting, gas " they can explain that situation better than i can
i NEVER had any of those problems !!!!!
the only "major" problem i had (this is common though) i was dehydrated once having to go to hospital getting IV fluids
My surgeon & NUT told me you can not stretch your sleeve
after surgery, i was not hungry - for a while i had to "remind, push" myself to eat - my appetite was curbed
buttttt, in all honesty some people go through different experience - and might be hungry
they will need to explain that
"for me" after about 5-6 months - i did start to get my hunger/appetite back "to a point"
never starving!!!!
eating correct small portions to fill my/your small new tummy -tummy and i are happy campers
good luck with your wise decision to get the sleeve
continue to research, read, ask questions here - look on utube
take care

Can you please tell me what it's like having the sleeve? Does it feel weird or do you feel pretty much like you did before the surgery, except the eating?
My experience was different than most. I had severe complications and have some issues because of those. I am pretty close energy wise to where I was, but my lungs were damaged and I have to be very careful not to get sick for a few years (if possible). If I do I have to go on antibiotics right away to avoid further lung issues.
Do you slime or get stuck like the band?
I have had just one issue with slime when eating a Protein bar that didn't agree with me. It was too sweet. I'm careful about what I eat and haven't had any other issues.
Do you vomit because the food doesn't agree with you or you've eaten way too much?
I don't eat too much. I follow my doc's recommendations and listen to my body and have never had an issue with vomiting.
Do you get pains when you eat too much?
I get the hiccups No actual pain because I never go over what I was told to eat. I feel no need to push it.
Are you starving or does the sleeve really curb your appetite?
No, but I never was. I ate cuz I was bored or something. But even with these tiny amounts I'm never starving.
Can you stretch your new stomach?
This is a medically debatable question. The easy answer is really, not much. They are leaving hard muscle which does not stretch easily. Typically you have early restriction due to swelling, etc, but by the end of a year your stomach will tolerate quite a bit more than it does initially (like 8 oz or so).
Personally I should have gotten a band. I had no comorbidities, do not eat to excess, and would have followed the rules to a T without risking my life to lose weight. I wish I'd have given that a try prior to taking this step.

I know very few people having the band nowdays and most Bariatric surgeons don't recommend it. My husband had the sleeve in October and is doing very well. I had the sleeve on Monday and so far no regrets. At this point I have not felt hunger at all. My only challenge is getting enough liquid down in a day.

Hi Molly!
I was sleeved 6 1/2 weeks ago- I am on the regular diet which means I can have anything except fruits or vegetables with skin, nuts, popcorn, salads or raw vegetables- I will be able to add those things in mid-February.
In answer to your questions, it doesnt feel weird, really, but 1) obviously you can't eat as much (and your new tummy will tell you), 2) you can't gulp liquids like before (this may change over time, although I'm not sure) 3) the feeling of fullness is NOTHING like it was before surgery- this was a surprise to me because no one told me this before surgery. The fullness feeling is hard to describe because it's different for everyone. Just before I'm full up, I feel like I need to push my plate away. If it's something I really like and I take one bite too many, I feel a lump in my throat, like it's backed up in there.
I have never slimed- don't even really know what that is.
I have become nauseated/vomited twice since surgery, but I honestly have no idea why, I can't pinpoint it, but it went away quickly.
Yes, the sleeve has radically decreased my hunger. I don't feel hunger at all like I used to. For me, it's more of an "empty" feeling, something that is easily powered through and doesn't send you to the fridge eating everything in sight.
The sleeve most likely won't stretch unless you go crazy and stuff yourself beyond what it can handle on a regular basis. I don't see how this could happen because you would vomit well before then. People who gain weight back often are making bad choices and eating a lot of slider foods, which the sleeve won't hold onto effectively, they aren't exercising, etc., bascially falling back into unhealthy habits.
I would highly recommend the sleeve over the band. My experience has been stellar. I'm not a super-fast loser, but pretty happy with my results.
I would say IN MY OPINION maybe one of the things you might want to consider is that the sleeve is permanent, and they are removing a body part, unlike the band. Some people I'm sure are really turned off by that. I for one wasn't sorry to see most of my stomach go- it's caused me too many issues. LOL
Good luck to you, whatever you choose. This is a very personal decision, and you are doing the right thing by being as informed as possible.
-Kendra

You, my dear, are on the right road. No reason to be sad! Sad would be if you just lived life without trying to improve your situation! Time will fly.
Keep your chin up and smile!
Hey the Laura's can't be wrong!!

Thank you so much! I will look for that post now.

Hi if you go to the pre-op forum you will see a thread from just a little while ago about band or sleeve
It called "being encouraged to get the band over the sleeve"

I personally chose the sleeve because of the complications of the band and also not having the best results. If you read a lot of posts here you will find several people who had their band removed and opted for the sleeve instead. Good luck