This is my first post, and I am like the rest of you, lol. I went to the meeting 2 years ago thinking I was doing the band, then chickened out, thought I could do it on my own, went back and forth on the South Beach Diet, then now here I am, 15 lbs heavier. I really am glad that I didn't go through with it with the band. The same sugeon did the initial talk both times, and the one I went to recenly, he was MUCH less favorable about the band. The talk two years ago, he was doing almost all bypass and sleeve was just kind of a "throw in" in his talk... this time he said the sleeve and the bypass operations he performed was about 50/50. A big change, which encouraged me that my decision on the sleeve was the right choice.
I still worry about the long term safetey for which the sleeve doesn't really have much data, and I'm scared to death about the regain issue after 2 years. I have made changes in my diet based on the South Beach so I think I am capable of the long term dietary changes that will keep the regain off, but it really scares me.