William 2010

I was sleeved on June 2nd, the best decision ever. I have lost 50+ pounds since then. I am a band to sleeve conversion so total over the past four years I am down 85+ lbs.
I started 375 four years ago, was 340 at surgery and am now at my lowest of 289. I hiked 14 miles last Tuesday, 9 miles on Wednesday, and 8 miles on Friday when we stayed at a camp up north. I feel amazing. Best I have ever felt. Here's the thing...my scale hasen't moved below 289 (fluctuates between 292 and 290) since about August. No matter what, I am not moving below 290. I was losing when I was eating 800-1000 calories, as soon as they jumped me up to 1200-1400 it completely stopped. The funny thing is that this happened to me when I had the band about 2 years ago. I went hardcore with the working out and dieting and dropped down to 291 with the band before complications. But no matter what I did, as soon as I hit 290 my scale would not move. Solid three months of working out/eating right and no movement in the scale.
I'm really at a loss for what to do next. Obviously I am going to meet with my nutritionist/exercise physiologist, but anyone ever experience this? It almost seems like my body just does not want to move from this 290 area even though I definitely have more to lose. My diet is healthy, high in Protein, low in carb. 2-4 ounces at a time. Let's put it this way, I am doing exactly what my nutritionist wants me to do.
Frustrated, but staying strong. Let me give you a little more detail. My wife and I had twins (mostly my wife had the twins on July 17th. So as you can imagine I live and sleep 3-4 hours at a time during the day and at night. I am tired, but coffee keeps me going. No stress in my life.
Thoughts?

Hello everyone,
I am having my sleeve surgery this Monday, June 2nd. Really looking forward to it. If you have not seen my other posts, I am going from the band to sleeve. I'm actually more excited to get the band removed than the sleeve but both are very exciting.
I have done soooo much research and am 100% confident with my decision. However, one thing I am interested in is hearing from people who have had the sleeve for 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years plus. I am 31 and will have the sleeve for a the rest of my life, but I seem to hear very little from people who have had the sleeve for a long period. Most are from people who have had the sleeve 2 years and under.
My main concern is this, are there any long term complications that come about with the sleeve that doctors and other medical providers don't like to share? Let's face it, they run a business and bad news is bad business. We all know the issues with the band. I can speek for that, and this is one of the reasons I am asking. The problem with the band is that you could be fine for a year, but then suddenly you have sever discomfort whether its while your sleeping, at work, or on vacation in some remote location. As long as I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing with the sleeve, will there be any unexpected complications with the sleeve like experienced with the band?

Quick Note: please don't post stuff like "you can't predict what will happen", "everyone's different." That's not what I'm asking. I want to know of any known issues or long term side effects of the sleeve surgery that people are often blinded to because of the euphoria of weightloss and being thin.

Hello everyone,
I am having my sleeve surgery this Monday, June 2nd. Really looking forward to it. If you have not seen my other posts, I am going from the band to sleeve. I'm actually more excited to get the band removed than the sleeve but both are very exciting.
I have done soooo much research and am 100% confident with my decision. However, one thing I am interested in is hearing from people who have had the sleeve for 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years plus. I am 31 and will have the sleeve for a the rest of my life, but I seem to hear very little from people who have had the sleeve for a long period. Most are from people who have had the sleeve 2 years and under.
My main concern is this, are there any long term complications that come about with the sleeve that doctors and other medical providers don't like to share? Let's face it, they run a business and bad news is bad business. We all know the issues with the band. I can speek for that, and this is one of the reasons I am asking. The problem with the band is that you could be fine for a year, but then suddenly you have sever discomfort whether its while your sleeping, at work, or on vacation in some remote location. As long as I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing with the sleeve, will there be any unexpected complications with the sleeve like experienced with the band?

I can relate to a lot of these issues. I never had an issue with the port (sounds like sloppy surgery on the doctors side), but I have definitely had some issues.
Got the lap band about 4 years ago at 375lbs. Lost maybe 35lbs from the band and another 50lbs from hard work, dedication, and about 1 ½ hours in the gym daily bringing me to 290. A lady in my doctor’s office (she is no longer working there) was giving me blind fills (they normally place us under the xray to see how we swallow and if we are too tight). Obviously I was too tight, had bad acid reflux one night, some went into my lungs. My doctor unfilled me a bit, I then went to NY for a month (I live in NC). Stomach was irritated and band slipped, went to ER in NY where they took all Fluid out. Went back home to my doctor, they had me unfilled for 4 months. Ravenous hunger and a little depression ensued and I gained weight back and plateaued at 324. Had a few other issues similar to the above where the band would get irritated causing pain/discomfort. The take away is that the band stopped working, I am still at 324 and about to have my info submitted to insurance for a revision to the sleeve.
A more recent complication is where I said enough was enough with the band. The band can often cause pressure in the stomach/esophagus area causing acid reflux. I never have heartburn, but one night it appears I had “silent” acid reflux which cause swelling in the back of my tongue and voice box. The swelling was very weird, at times I would be sleeping and how I was breathing would irritate it and I would wake up with that area quivering/shaking (this has since gone away). I get the lump in my throat feeling ever so often. Doctor put me on protonix temporarily to reduce acid and allow stomach irritation to go down. I went to a throat doctor who looked at the swelling in my throat and said to stay on the protonix and allow about three months for the swelling in my throat to go down (it takes some time for it to heal I guess), but the swelling was consistent with acid reflux flare up’s that get into the throat.
I said above that I will be submitting to insurance for the sleeve, but I am still considering gastric bypass. Just not sure which is the better option for me.