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Hi guys, Saw my surgeon yesterday and he said I was ready to make the transition to soft foods. YEAY!! He was adamant as I found I could tolerate the less slippery foods, I should cut back on the slippery stuff until I'm just eating proper food - no more shakes, juices, etc - no liquid calories. Today, I made prawns (shrimp) with zucchini in an italian sauce base and it all went down ok (I chewed and chewed - I felt like Lucy in that episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel go on the diet where they are told to chew everything 50 times before they swallow!). I asked him about head hunger and he said I'd learn with time. I also asked how I should deal with feeling full (because my pouch is full) but having my big stomach rumbling 'cause it isn't full. He said this would pass too and said that just 'cause the stomach is rumbling does not mean you should stick food in it. He suggested that eventually there should be some sort of synchronicity between my pouch feeling full and ME feeling full. I don't know if others feel this distinction between my pouch being full and ME being full (maybe the latter is just head hunger) but I was very glad to hear that I would soon enough feel full when my pouch was full (like something gets reset about when you feel full). Also, yesterday, Lisa saw the nutritionist (and I went along for the ride) and she said some stuff that really helped us so I thought I would share. Lisa has been saying she wants a fill asap as she feels she is eating way more than she thought she should and she is not dropping weight like she was on the pre-op diet. Lisa keeps saying she has no restriction but in actual fact she is eating a lot less at meal times than we did before. The nutritionist asked what she meant by not losing enough weight and Lisa said well the scales haven't changed for the last 4 days! When asked how much weight she has lost since surgery 3 weeks ago, she answered about 8-10lb. The nutritionist told us to put the scales out of reach and to only weigh ourselves once every week or, even better, once every two weeks. She also said it was unreasonable to be expecting to never be hungry or to be eating extremely small amounts of food. The nutritionist said that the sort of weight loss experienced on the pre-op diet was not what she should be aiming for with the lap band as it was not good for her in the long term and was stressful on the body and didn't give the body enough time to make adjustments. If she kept up that weight loss she was told she could expect to lose hair, and that she was likely to see more "sagginess" around her body than she would if she lost weight more slowly. She told Lisa that she should revise her expectations about what constitutes a reasonable and healthy weight loss. She recommended that weight loss be no more than 1-2lb per week (0.5-1kg). We were amazed (maybe that should be delighted!!) at how much food she recommended we should consume in a day. It added up to around 1200-1400 cals/day. What she recommended was pretty much in line with the typical Weight Watchers program but snacking between meals is not encouraged. Also, she emphasised the need to drink before meals and then not drink after meals for 1-2 hours (for 2 reasons - potential of overstretching the pouch and potential for washing things through the band faster than is desirable). I liken the way I see we should be eating now as "eat like a french woman - a little bit of everything good and high quality". She pretty much reinforced what this dude says HERE. Essentially, the message is you may stop losing weight if you restrict your caloric intake too far. So that you don't have to follow the link, she essentially told us that when caloric intake drops down to around 1100-1200 calories per day, human metabolism will slow down. When humans had to scavenge for food that was not always readily available, bodies became very efficient at storing energy in the form of fat to tide them through times when they might not be able to eat much for a few days. When food became scarce, metabolism would slow down in order to conserve energy, at least until food became plentiful again. Typically bodies go into this energy-conserving mode when caloric intake is dropped to around 1100-1200 calories per day. Since a Lap-Band can take a person down to around this amount, bodies may want to go into "starvation" mode. Our job is to keep this from happening by doing two things: Making sure you are eating enough (1200 cals/day for the 5'7 - 5'8 average woman - cals/day varies depending on how tall you are, how active you are and is more for males) and getting the best nutrition you can. This means eating real food, avoiding empty calories, preparing fresh meals so that your body gets all of the micronutrients and building blocks it needs to perform its normal daily chemical reactions and functions. Exercising. This keeps your metabolism going. In terms of when is the right time to get filled, she said if you are eating so that you are satisfied most of the time (ideally getting hungry just before meal times) and you are still losing 1-2lb per week - you DO NOT need a fill yet. If you're eating but do not feel satisfied most of the time, are finding you need to snack to get you through between meals, and your weight loss drops to less than 1lb per week, then it is time to schedule a fill. Hope others find this is interesting as we did. Cheers!

Janette, I assure you, you will not regret revising from the band to the sleeve. It is the best thing that ever happened to me and I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to revise. The difference is like night and day. I am not dissing the band, for many, many people it works wonderfully. But, there are those of us who have nothing but problems with it and it completely ruins our quality of life as a result. Once you get the sleeve, you will be amazed at just how much the band occupied your thoughts and choices. Best of luck to you.

HI, Im scheduled Feb 1st for a revision from a sleeve I had just shy of a year ago! I am so excited!

I am also having a revision from sleeve to RNY. my diet and stay in hospital for both surgery's is the same 2 day pre op diet and 2 day hospital

RAAinNH, did you already get approved for revision? We are going down that path with my daughter now and I am curious how easy it will be to get approved.

I had revision from band to sleeve on 7/1/15 and couldn't be more happy. They are such different in how they have worked. I was banded in 2012 and lost 25lbs and gained 75 when they had to take almost all Fluid out as I was not hitting "sweet spot" and getting food stuck. Since revision 2 months ago I have lost just over 40lbs and feel so much better!! Port area for me was always sore and doctor said that tends to be normal as well.

I am heading this way as well - band out and getting sleeve. I have to wait until next next year, but I'll be sure to start the process in January at the latest!! I'm over not being able to even keep down liquids one day to being able to eat everything under the sun the next. The port pain. The reflux. I have to pay about $350 up front to go through the program before insurance will cover revision...this is why I can't do it this year - too much going on that requires my money and is important/necessary.

Hi there! THere are a lot of us band to sleeve revision folks here on the board, of al different ages. You might want to check out the Band To Sleeve Revision topic on the main page, scroll down about halfway. THere are specific band revision stories and experiences there. Welcome to the board and feel free to ask any questions - this is a very supportive place. Happily revised! Lara

Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend we on the same boat.. Same surgery date and preop date......that means we need to eat an amazing meal today and tomorrow lolz Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend

Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend Hey! Are you having bypass in February? We are starting a closed/secret group on Facebook and would LOVE to have you join us. 2 years ago I had a sleeve done, but due to complications they are revising me from sleeve to bypass. I had an AMAZING group on Facebook that all had the same surgery that month. We were going through the same things whether it was venting one day, sharing milestones, and made lasting friendships! Since it's a secret group there is some hoops to go through to get added (sorry, Facebook makes it harder) The good thing is that it's completely secret meaning none of your friends can know see posts or ever know you're in it This makes it a safe place for us because I know for some it's not something they want to share. Here's how to join: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/lanaepetersen and send me a friend request 2. I will accept the friend request, then send you an invite to the group. 3. After you are added to the group I'll unfriend

Hello All! I wasn't able to find a thread that had this in it - or maybe I wasn't looking for the right things. I wanted to know what post op patients have been told is a good ration on foods when it comes to the Total Fat for the amount of Protein. For example; Calories - 160 / Total Fat - 13g / Protein - 11g I'm a 6-month post op DS patient (previously had Lapband - but this was tech not a revision). Only 15 lbs away from goal so now i'm looking for ways to maintain.

Alex, what made you choose the mini-bypass over regular gastric bypass? But back on topic: I had sleeve surgery in Tijuana with Dr. Garcia of Tijuana Bariatrics. I liked him, and had no complications, but I have not been wildly successful losing weight. I considering a revision surgery.

After 10 years with the band, I finally had the revision to by-pass on December 9th, 2016. Being the holiday month and going through all of the holiday parties, this was a pretty difficult month for me as I was mainly on liquids. I was surprised about the initial depression I experienced. However, I have lost about 28 pounds in a month+ (from 205 to 177), my diabetes is virtually gone, my blood pressure is 117/70, and I am now getting my energy. I feel great. I have had no problems with eating correctly, getting my liquid and Protein in, etc. Have periods of feeling very tired, but those are resolving, as well. All in all, I am very happy that I made this decision. I have joined a gym for weight lifting to build muscle mass, joined a support group, taking my supplements, walking, and tracking what I eat. Again, I feel great. Weight loss is slower than I thought, but it is coming off and that is good enough. I do not look forward to some hair loss, but it comes back, so what? I had scar tissue from the band (lots of it) so the sleeve was not recommended. Best of luck, Gail

Hi. You've done a great job! I had my sleeve surgery last July. Then in September due to complications, I had an emergency revision to rny. I'm doing well (have lost 123 lbs-20 away from my goal) but I have trouble remembering not only to take my vitamins but also to eat & drink! My dr actually told me that my one job is to eat!! I'm hoping that maybe we can help each other. Feel free to pm me (just not on facebook as most people don't know I had surgery). Looking forward to helping each other!

I am having band revision to bypass in June 8!! Super excited!!

Mostly I stopped posting because I work 45hrs a week and go to school, so I just haven't had the time! I also stopped because I was getting a lot of negative feedback for being anti-band and scaremongering when I pointed out that not everybody has a happy ever after ending. We all want to lose weight so much that we can sometimes be willfully blind to the potential side effects. It's the truth, but people don't want to hear it. I'm on my way to getting my band out. It cost me $18K to put in, but it will be free to revise to an RNY as long as I'm willing to be patient and jump through the hoops for the government. If all goes on schedule, I should have surgery August or September. Now I'm just concerned about the damage my band may have done. I've had the x-ray done and it doesn't look like it has slipped but there may be something else going on which is causing the heartburn.

Ohhh you will ALL love your sleeves!! I had my revision on Sept 15 2010 and so far I'm down 80 Lbs since then. Nearly 90 from my pre op diet and working on 140 Lbs total. Best thing I've ever done for myself!!! For ME the sleeve has been a far better surgery. I'm rarely hungry (VERY RARELY), the weight comes off much faster, the restriction is superb and no more of the monthly surgeon visits... can't beat that at all. All the best to all of you getting sleeved or revised! Keep us updated.

Hi there I had my band revised to RNY 6 weeks ago. I do wonder if the band has made me not so good at portion control - I seem to be lousy at recognising when I am full. So I take my lunch every day. A can of tuna or salmon or pack of shredded chicken, and a bit of fruit or veggie. I think lunch is my easiest “go off the rails” meal, so I prepare each evening - hope that helps. 40lbs! What a fantastic thing, you must be so pleased! Inspirational...

Did u go through this? How do u feel. Are you able to eat? I'm so scared of hairloss too... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No, I haven't but I have seen and talked to a lot of people who has gone through it. When I went to my check up at my bariatric center, I spoke to one girl who said she cried every day since her revision, poor thing . Yeah, I'm worried about hairloss too. I didn't go through it with my band because the weightloss wasn't as drastic, a normal 2-3 lbs a week or slower... So I'm a little worried this time around because our calories are sooo much lower.I have only loss 15 pounds in six weeks so my weightloss is not to drastic but they said it would happen because of the stomach hormones loss. Yea I cry alot and I don't know what to do to make it better. How far was the girl in the group post op? I don't know why this is so hard. Thanks for listening Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No problem at all. Anytime. I didn't know about the hormones and hair, I only knew about the Vitamin deficiency and too fast weight loss by being anorexic when I was young. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Neon anorexia?? Yea they say at 2 yrs a person with a sleeve should be able to get enough Vitamins through there food. Yea I try really hard with vitamins .. I even take extra Biotin for my hair 20,000 mcg a day plus b12 plus zinc.. zinc is a hair vitamin... but u have to be careful if u get to much u could get sick. I even bought nioxion shampoos to help with the loss. I am blonde and don't have tons of hair so who knows how much I will have.. they say it starts at 3 to 4 months. I myself am already shedding a little more than normal.. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App Neon was because my stupid autocorrect, which is never correct lol. I edited it... Hehe I'm on biotin too and you're right, too much is often not a good thing. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App I had bulimia for years.. I think I'm scared to because I want another baby and im worried how much this is all taking a toll on my body with my first son I had gestational diabetes and other things so I wanted to be healthy Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App

I am a lap band revision and post op sleeve 6 weeks . I am having a little of a hard time emotionally Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App

This is a long post, but it details my gastric sleeve experience in Mexico, and I feel like it's important to share it. I'm sure there are great results from this clinic and others in Mexico, but here are some of the pitfalls: I had a sleeve gastrectomy in April in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Dr. Juan Francisco Hidalgo (Weight Loss Team), and I have had extreme complications since then. I had to undergo a revision surgery to a full gastric bypass because the multiple strictures in my stomach were so bad that surgeons at the Mayo Clinic (arguably one of the best groups of bariatric surgeons in the world), after five procedures, couldn't fix them. They say it was most likely Dr. Hidalgo's technique that created the stricture - he uses a much smaller bougie (tube to shape the stomach) than is typically used in the United States, and it is more likely to create complications. I know loads of people have a good outcome from Mexico surgeries, but I share my experience because I owe it to anyone contemplating this. I did a lot of research before going there and thought I had chosen well. The website of Dr. Hidalgo is very sophisticated, and there are no language issues when asking questions in advance because of the English-speaking administrator, Gerald. The website gives reams of information in perfect English -- all very comforting. Plus, as I was considering the surgery, they offered me access to the support group on Facebook for patients of Dr. Hidalgo -- something that seemed so authentic and convincing since I could read posts from all kinds of real people. However, after they recently found out about my complications, Gerald, the administrator, removed me from the group even though I was not all over it bashing Hidalgo but had just posted a couple of times about my situation. I suddenly felt so duped -- I believed all the great testimonials and was too gullible to understand that only people with positive outcomes were allowed to be in that community. So since I can't share it with people allowed to join that private group, I feel it is my responsibility to share my experience here: My experience in the Puerto Vallarta hospital was very hairy - I woke up after surgery in some kind of lounge with no one around me and in extreme pain - sobbing and begging for help, and after that at one point my blood pressure was so dangerously low that they wouldn't let me lay down anymore - forcing me into a sitting position, and I think it was possibly because the nurses gave me pain medicine twice at one point. Dr. Hidalgo was summoned to the room, and actually suggested perhaps my condition was because I hadn't taken my Wellbutrin for a couple of days. Um, what? I sincerely thought for a little while that I might die. Promises that the medical staff would check in on me at my hotel regularly after discharge from the hospital didn't materialize, and a bellboy had to track down Dr. Hidalgo to remove my staples because I was due to fly home. And then when I required intervention a couple of weeks later because I couldn't eat or drink anything due to the stricture, I was told by Dr. Hidalgo that I just needed a shot of cortisone (Seriously? Where?), and when they sent my "surgery report" to share with the U.S. doctor, it was actually just a generic report with my name at the top - not my report. It didn't even include my actual surgical information because it talked about the port they had installed, which I never had. When I asked for full records, including the swallow study/leak test done with X-Ray at the hospital before discharge, I was told that Dr. Hidalgo didn't have any of the records, and that it could be three or four months before he got it from the hospital. My diagnosis was that I had a severe stricture in my gastric sleeve in several places, and the five additional surgeries were to try to stretch and stent the stomach open, but nothing worked and I had to have a complete revision to a roux en Y gastric bypass because my stomach was unsavable. The Mayo surgeon's professional opinion based on my situation and the generic "surgery report" Hidalgo's team sent is that this stricture was caused by Dr. Hidalgo because he uses a bougie that is far too narrow. This is the tool used to size your new sleeve stomach, and Hidalgo uses size 18, while the medical standard in the U.S. is more like 28. Though I asked several times, Dr. Hidalgo would never provide my actual medical records or X-Rays from after the surgery, but the Mayo doctors believe the X-Ray immediately following the surgery shows the stricture, which left just a 1/4 inch opening and was slowly killing me. I didn't eat a solid piece of food for 140 days, I was anemic and malnourished and needing fluid IVs just to stay hydrated because I couldn't even force enough water down the narrow stricture. Half of my hair has fallen out, I was confused and exhausted for months due to malnutrition, and I could hardly function. I lost 75 pounds in four months, but I only had 100 pounds total to lose so that was a dangerous pace for someone my size . Yes, I lost weight, but this was not a safe way to do it and I was desperately sick the whole time. Besides, my procedures to fix my $4,200 gastric sleeve from Mexico cost more than $125,000 - thank GOD I have good health insurance because just the co-pays alone have caused me significant hardship. I'm sorry to share such a terrible story. I understand how hopeful it feels to finally have the opportunity to lose weight because I was desperate to do so. But I made bad choices, it seems, based on a fake Facebook "support group," and English-speaking staff, and a charming doctor. My advice is to choose slowly and well and to comb forums looking for posts from people who may not have had the best experiences with the clinic you choose. I have a network now of a couple of other people with an experience similar to mine from surgeries with Hidalgo's Weight Loss Team, and none of us ever saw anything negative ahead of our visits. People with complications need to share them for the benefit of people in the future. I would also recommend that you ask a surgeon for the technical aspects of their procedure and then compare them to the vast volumes of research available from doctors who practice in the U.S. The bougie size is a big deal, and so are the exact kind of staples used. And above all else, DO NOT leave Mexico without a copy of every medical record generated about your care, from the films of the leak test to hospital logs. Even in Spanish, they can be invaluable later to a team of doctors trying to help you if you have complications. I have learned these things the hard way, and it's been a rough road. If I could do it over, I would still have the gastric sleeve, maybe, but I would have been much more cautious in the process. I wish you all the best.

Hi everyone getting all my pre op stuff done to get my lapband taken off and have my rny done . So I was wondering how everybodies insurance was with approval ? I have united health care ! Would love to here everyones stories ! Thanks all ! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using RNYTalk

I had no official slippage on my band or erosion or anything else. It just sucks and I haven't lost weight. I was denied revision. now trying to figure out what to do. BCBS.

I'm having my revision on Wednesday, and I can 100% relate to the issues faced after having fluid removed from the band, I had a harder time eating the proper sized portions and for lack of a better description, I ate like an *rhymes with Bass Hole*, you know all the things you really aren't supposed to do, I did and I gained 8 lbs before starting my pre-op diet. But, good news is, I've lost 14lbs in 2 weeks thus far as of this mornings weight check. Just do your best, keep yourself in check and keep thinking about the reasons why you wanted WLS in the first place. Keep those protein and water intakes good and high, you'll be fine!

I am new to this site and posted yesterday but can't remember which thread I was on (I know I posted on band to sleeve revision) but I can't find my other post. Oh, well. For those who have been in my shoes, maybe you can offer some help. I got the band more than 2 years ago. I got it because it was promoted as causing satiety and keeping hunger at bay. It has never caused me either at any fill level. I am now unfilled due to a severe stuck episode and plan to stay this way. I have followed all the rules and the 75 lbs I have lost was largely due to what I did, not the band. All the pre and post op dieting, especially the 2 week pre and post op liquid only diet (I was starving) plus a measly 15 pounds post band and that's it. Nothing since then. I am tired of struggling with hunger and thinking about food and feeling guilty about food. I got this so that I wouldn't have to struggle anymore. I eat healthy, exercise everyday but am hungry all the time. It is not head hunger. Anyway, at my age (60) I am not sure I could get the sleeve. Plus I know my insurance wouldn't pay for a revision. The way they would look at it is I lost 75 lbs. with the band. But I just know if I could get rid of that pesky lower stomach it would help. I can physically feel it asking for food to get to a point of satiety. When I was overfilled I physically could not eat much - eating caused pain, pressure, reflux and heartburn. But I was still hungry. Any insights or suggestion for where I can go from here. Thanks so much. Oh, and BTW, struggling bandsters get bashed by the defenders of the band regularly on LBT and when I come to their defense, I get criticized, too. So, I decided to come here and see how this forum was to strugglers.