So today I was told by my insurance coordinator that my insurance will not cover the sleeve (which is what I have been planning to get for the past 6 months). Surgery is scheduled 10 days from now. However, she said that my insurance WILL cover the band. I have heard a lot more horror stories about the band than the sleeve. Also, the idea of having a foreign object inside of me for the rest of my life, gives me the heebie jeebies. Even my doctors tend to push the sleeve and is actually where I heard most of the horror stories from. I told my coordinator that I will get the band instead. I could do a member appeal, but it's been such a long road already, I don't want to drag it out even longer. So basically, I need some encouragement. I've been crying my eyes out and I'm extremely scared of the band now. I hope I made the right decision. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!

The band is the safest, most complication free surgery you can have. If you want scientific proof,

I have it in my files. If a doctor told you anything else, he has an agenda of some sort, because

that is the truth. There are a few clinics that were in WLS for a quick buck that have given the band

a bad name in some groups, but who would get their surgery in a storefront clinic in a mini mall?

This is a life altering surgery and deserves a lot of research on your part. Talk to people who have

had the surgery wherever you're contemplating having it. Call a bariatric Center of Excellence, at

least talk to a competent surgeon and see what your options are. Read a little reliable literature

that will give you some straight information on whatever surgery you're interested in. Here is a quick link to an article on band

safety. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/63973.php

The reason you have heard more stories about the band is that it has been around a lot longer and a lot more people have it. It is simply a numbers thing.

There is quite a high surgical risk with having the sleeve which there isn't with the band and also a high risk of developing a life threatening leak for a period afterwards.

If you follow the rules, treat your band with care and don't have it too tight the risk of anything going wrong is actually very low. If something does go wrong such as a slip it is an easy fix.

I am happy with my band and don't know if I would have been game to have a sleeve as my first WLS. To me it sounded too drastic.

I know it is disappointing once you have made your mind up to have this happen. I will tell you though that from my personal experience I have a freind had the sleeve and while he lost an amazing amount of weight in a very short time,, he has had sooooo many problems. He has been sick a lot as opposed to my experience with the band w/plication. I have not been sick at all or had any problems whatsoever and have been losing weight at a very good pace. I have another friend who had the band surgery over a year ago and she has had the same experience.

I wish you all the best!!

Do plenty of your own research into the band. While you are obviously and naturally disappointed that you are not able to get the sleeve as you had planned, you need to get fully informed before going ahead with the band. From what I have read on these forums, it is the people who are least informed who have the least success/most trouble living with the band. I would hate to see you going into surgery to get the band just because it is the only WLS you can get. Please become informed and then make an educated decision.

On a personal note, I prefer the band because it wasn't physically cutting any of my internal organs. It can be removed if necessary and it is working for me - down 106lb in 7 months.

Best of luck.

Thanks for responding! I actually started the process wanting the lap band. That was before I learned about the sleeve. Now I've spent the last 6 months researching the sleeve, and the last 3 months on the verticalsleevetalk.com board. Now all of a sudden I have to flip back to my original choice. I'm glad to hear that it's worked for all of you. I just have to believe this happened for a reason! I'm glad that now I will be losing weight more slowly with the band...that's a good thing at least. Do you still experience hunger after getting the lap band? Just curious. Thanks!

From what I understand after they cut away most of your stomach, with the sleeve the weight loss tapers down too and you can still make bad choices and gain weight back. Just think with the band if you are falling off the wagon you can fill it and get right back on. You will do fine. Good Luck! PS my surgeon says if you absolutely hate the band since it is a foreign object insurance has to remove it.

From what I understand after they cut away most of your stomach, with the sleeve the weight loss tapers down too and you can still make bad choices and gain weight back. Just think with the band if you are falling off the wagon you can fill it and get right back on. You will do fine. Good Luck! PS my surgeon says if you absolutely hate the band since it is a foreign object insurance has to remove it.

Thank you! I'm really praying that this is the right thing for me.

Everything happens for a reason - maybe this is what God has in store for you. I LOVE my band - and have lost 67 pounds in just over 4 months - it's been like a dream. BUT, you WILL likely be hungry the first few months until you get enough fills to actually feel restriction. I had my 4th fill this week and am JUST NOW at a point where i have any restriction and have to eat slow and chew well. Before then it was pure will power. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!