On June 28th I will be saying goodbye to my lap band. It is very bittersweet for me. I got banded Dec 2007. I lost 150 pounds and wearing a size 5. I don’t think I had ever in my entire life been a size 5. I thought that the lap band was the best thing that ever happened to me. Then about a year ago I experienced my first slip. I had a complete unfill for three months. I gained 30 pounds in that time frame despite my efforts to eat right and exercise. Over the last year we tried to slowly add fluid back in. I never lost one pound the entire year, never felt restriction really again and then last month found out it had slipped again. Frustrated with the weight gain and tired of not losing weight I have decided to go ahead and go with the sleeve. I was not sure that my doctors would actually do it or that my insurance company would approve it. Being 170 pounds and 5'9 is not really considered super overweight. But much to my surprise, the insurance approved by removal and revision to sleeve within a matter of days. They are paying for it 100%. My doctor agreed to do the procedure without even giving it a second thought. To me I feel like the lap band was a start for me. It proved to me that I have what it takes to live the lifestyle of a bariatric patient. I have not had soda, bread or pasta in 5 years and I don’t even miss it. Even today as I wait for surgery with an empty band I could eat bread without problem but I won’t because I don’t even miss it anymore. I am ready to make this permanent commitment to have 65% of my stomach removed in an attempt to never have to worry about gaining weight again (as long as I stick to the rules). For me, now knowing what it was like to be thin for those couple of years, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for that feeling of accomplishment. So I am scared and nervous but excited and ready!!!!! So good bye lap band....thank you for changing my entire life and for allowing for me to prove to myself that a skinny me is possible.

I am wondering if a sleeve is in my future. I have not been on here for quite some time, and I need to try and get on track. I take Prednisone and other meds that make weight loss difficult. I live with this surreal thing inside of me, that makes me sick if I eat the wrong thing, even mostly innocuous things unrelated to problem weight-guilty food. Just for the crime of being hungry and needing to eat something more than pablum.

You did great with your band. That is saying alot for your candidacy to convert to sleeve. I wanted a sleeve out of the Gate, but it was not part of the repertoire in the states in 2009 and everyone was going to Mexico for theirs on their own dime then.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

On June 28th I will be saying goodbye to my lap band. It is very bittersweet for me. I got banded Dec 2007. I lost 150 pounds and wearing a size 5. I don't think I had ever in my entire life been a size 5. ...

... So good bye lap band....thank you for changing my entire life and for allowing for me to prove to myself that a skinny me is possible.

I was banded April 2009 and lost a total of 120 lbs and about 90 inches all over- I have not had any "problems" with the band per-say but I do have a lot of medical issues that because of the band are not going to get any better- I have very bad auto immune disease- I knew getting the band was a risk and myself and my physician were willing to take a chance and honestly I am not disappointed or regretting getting it done. But my body is now attacking itself and the band is not allowing it to respond/heal in a way that is "normal" because it is a foreign body- I have decided to have it removed and am going to get the sleeve and it is nice to know there are other's out there. I am nervous, scared, happy and all emotions in-between. I have been able to eat pretty much anything I used to (obviously in extreme moderation) but have limited my carbs and cannot cannot do rice. I have become gluten free and that has helped with the carb control- the bluten free products are not the best in the world.

I would love to keep up with you on your journey and be able to learn more from your experience....Good luck!