So as of today i was going to get the Lapband...Today was my first clinical visit at the hospital and we were talking and decided the lapband probally wasnt the best bet for me...so she decided the sleeve was starting to get popular and there is a faster weight loss compared to the Lapband..which i want. So I guess im kinda new..i did all my infomation on the lapband now have to learn this surgury...

I did the same thing more than two years ago. I was researching the band and started seeing a trend of unhappy patients and surgery for complications. Too many people weren't getting to goal and a lot of folks experienced a swift regain if they had an unfill.

I noticed a lot of people doing revisions to sleeves and I opted to research this option.

I researched for better than a year before finally having my surgery and I am incredibly thankful I opted for the VSG over any of the other surgeries.

Some advice while researching: be realistic. Don't only read the perfect tales of folks that get to goal in nine months and have zero complications. I think most of us tend to do that when researching surgery. We want to be in the minority that reaches goal with no problems within the first year. Be realistic with your expectations before surgery. Stalls are normal. You will not lose your weight overnight. You will not have surgery and wake up a size two tomorrow. You might not reach goal in your first year. You might lose your hunger but some people do not. Read the complications and struggling sleevers boards and know the whole story before making this choice.

With the sleeve you can reach your goal. You can maintain your loss for life. You can and will lose weight with this surgery, and it will most likely be easier than anything you've ever done before to shed the weight. You can eat like a normal person and finally put whatever food issues you have to rest if you're willing to focus on yourself and be a healthier person.

I do not regret my surgery. The sleeve finally got me to goal and life is fantastic here. It's a long journey, so be prepared before starting out.

Best of luck,

~Cheri

Thanks So much, Yea im doing a lot of research. It takes time.... guess you just pray for the best.

i actually started out on Lap Band Talk a year ago too... i thought the band was what I wanted, but then i realized all the complications that banders were having, and how most of them didnt lose much weight...plus the thought of constantly having to get filled/unfilled... i also noticed a large percentage of banders saying they wish they had went with the sleeve instead, and lots who actually did revise to the sleeve...

I decided that i would skip all the drama and just get the sleeve instead. I was a little scared because of it being non-reversible like the band is and being more invasive but so far i am 3 weeks out and im doing well... its hard adjusting to this new life, no doubt about that but i am happy with my decision so far. My advice is to do as much research as you can before deciding if the sleeve is right for you.

i actually started out on Lap Band Talk a year ago too... i thought the band was what I wanted' date=' but then i realized all the complications that banders were having, and how most of them didnt lose much weight...plus the thought of constantly having to get filled/unfilled... i also noticed a large percentage of banders saying they wish they had went with the sleeve instead, and lots who actually did revise to the sleeve...[/quote']

I could have written this word-for-word... I was researching on LapBand Talk and came across VSG Talk. The simple difference in happiness of banders and sleevers made a huge impact on my decision