CarlsbadDS

I wish you the best of luck. I couldn't imagine having gone through all of this since 15!?! Also You lost a pretty good amount of weight after the sleeve-- I'm not sure what your starting weight was but when you say you were back up to 230 I assume it was around that??? -70lbs I'm guessing would've put you at about 160? Which is nothing to sneeze at!!!!
I'm sure you probably could have lost more if carb intake had been limited a bit more during your weight loss phase. My surgeon didn't banish it but with my PCOS-- my body doesn't process carbs well so other than whats naturally found in fruit and veggies and an occasional dressing or dip I try not to consume carbs if possible. Granted I may have a few mini pretzels with hummus or whole wheat crackers with tuna BUT it is very far and few between and far less than the serving size suggests.
How is your exercise? Again with PCOS I understand I have to work 3 times as hard to lose,burn off weight so as soon as I was able my goal was to workout 4-5 days a week 1 hour daily. Coupled with my new eating regimen and limited portions the combo has proven successful. But again it takes a consistent approach to all of those components-- all the time. Now it's quite natural. I'm only 4 1/2 months out but each day gives birth to my new lifestyle.
Sounds like you were diagnosed after your surgery but it's extremely helpful knowing how PCOS affects you. My mindset going into this was totally different than it would have been had I not known about my PCOS. Again I wish you the best in whatever decision you make towards a healthier new you.

Thanks for your reply, it made me feel so much better.
Hearing how much i've always been able to eat compared to his sleeve patients (a lot more, since the beginning), and the amount of pain i have in my esophagus specially with the new acid reflux i have been getting out of no where, he believes something was done wrong, i will find out on my next appointment in november.
i'm curious to know too! i felt like such a failure and a loser but my doctor really helped to pull me out of that black hole and wants to help with something that will permanently keep me on track, like the switch.
Also, i was extremely young getting the band, but even as i went to get the sleeve (which was brand new to my team of doctors st the time it was done to me) i still wasn't given the right information or guidance that i'm sure doctors are able to give now that the sleeve is more developed.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am also a Band-to-Sleeve failure - thank you homeesiick for starting this thread.
I got a band back in 2010 when I weighed 330 pounds. The band worked great, because I lost 85 pounds, but I was throwing up each time I ate anything. I would even have slime come out of my nose! All the vomiting put a lot of strain on my esophagus and the part of my stomach above the band, where the strain ended up tearing a hole in my stomach. I saw another doctor and he revised me to a sleeve in 2015. The sleeve worked for a while, but I slowly started regaining weight and I am now close to my pre-band weight. My doctor recommended I get duodenal switch, and I am now waiting for approval from my insurance company. My doctor thinks a contributing reason why my sleeve didn’t work is because of all the damage done to my esophagus by the band. I would be curious to know how many other people have had a Band-to-Sleeve failure. Thanks

I lost my double, started off at 220lbs and went down to 110lbs current weight 116lbs I was actually crying that I was too skinny at 110lbs.

I am so happy that people do well with the band. I unfortunately, was one that had every complication known to man with the thing. After 3 years of fighting to make it work, and an erosion/slip that made it necessary to remove the band I revised to the Duodenal Switch.
There is alot of misinformation about the DS going around, mostly from doctors that don't perform the surgery, or from people that just don't know what they are talking about, but once you find out the facts it is the most logical choice. If you are trying to decide what surgery to try if/when the band fails you please research ALL the things that are out there.
The DS has better long term results than any other surgery out there. Cures type II diabetes, reduces cardiac risk factors by 85%, and has little chance of regain 3 years out.
I love the way I can eat and the amount I can eat. I would not be happy with the Rny restrictions (some people like those) or dumping syndrome and since I do well on low carb, high Protein, high fat I am in heaven.
I can eat steak and eggs with no pain from the band, (I can only eat 4 oz steak and one egg, but that is ok) swallow pills whole, and drink liquids first thing in the morning. All these things are heaven to me after 3 years of living with the band telling me when I could eat/drink.
I eat small meals every 3 hours or so, and have still lost 68 lbs since November. This really is awesome! If I get hungry a few bites fill me up with no pain. I wish I would have known about this surgery before I had the band, and I am so thankful that I found out about it before I was stuck with the RnY.
Please check out www.dsfacts.com and www.obesityhelp.com to find out about your surgery options.
Find out the facts about each surgery before you get cut on. Find out about the lifestyle you will have to conform to after the surgery and choose the surgery that fits you best.
Research twice, cut once.

My recovery from surgery was very fast, so I think it might have been only a month after surgery when I had pizza. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I think I was drinking beer at about the same time.
I should emphasize the difference in the quantities of pizza I consumed before and after surgery: before surgery I would eat 3/4 of a large pizza, after surgery I only can handle about 2 slices.
I'm still enjoying the same amount of beer :-)

I've lost 133 pounds in 16 months with the band. Just typing that number makes me feel so good about my decision to have the LapBand. I just looked up "What weighs 130 pounds?" online and found out that I've lost a newborn giraffe. Crazy cool!