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Up until 3 weeks ago I was convinced I wanted the lap band. I met the HAPPIEST lady ever when I went for my consultation and she had the sleeve. She was so happy and had her 2 small grand kids with her. I know that I was looking for the least evasive but now I am thinking the sleeve looks better because of the maintenance of the lap band.

How painful and how long is the sleeve recovery?

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I was all for the least evasive and shortest time in the hospital when I first started my journey the beginning of last year. When I went in I found out that they were doing the band anymore and that the sleeve or by pass were my only options, so I put everything on hold because I did not have the time to be down for any amount of time. Jump to Jan of this year, I was diagnosed with PCOS as well as high cholesterol and was told by my dr that I should really consider it because I have 3 small kids and I need to take care of myself to see them on to graduate, marriage, babies ect... So I started my research on everything and found a lot of things are going wrong with the lap band. As hard a choice as it was I decided to start my journey for the sleeve and now I've decided it was the best decision I could have made. Recovery really was not at all as bad as even the hospital made it seem and the pain was nothing that I couldn't control with my pain pump. I am 3 weeks out and I can do just about everything that I could do before. I had surgery on Tuesday morning and came home Thursday afternoon and was out walking around my apt complex Friday morning. I took my pain meds for the first 2 or 3 days home and was able to go off of them except occasionally at night to help with the pain because unfortunately I am a stomach sleeper and found myself rolling onto it in my sleep! Feel free to message me if you have any questions :)

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Up until 3 weeks ago I was convinced I wanted the lap band. I met the HAPPIEST lady ever when I went for my consultation and she had the sleeve. She was so happy and had her 2 small grand kids with her. I know that I was looking for the least evasive but now I am thinking the sleeve looks better because of the maintenance of the lap band.

How painful and how long is the sleeve recovery?

That's a hard decision to make! I know I went into my first consultation thinking I wanted the band also... I left unsure, it took me a week (only) of research on both procedures side by side to make me realize how little I knew!!

Truthfully I had never heard of the sleeve before my first consult with the bariatric surgeon.

I would say go to the band forums and read their experiences....and most definitely read the band to sleeve revisions here!

Good luck to you.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/13-band-to-gastric-sleeve-revisions/

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First day or 2 was a little painful, but nothing the pain meds couldn't handle. I didn't need pain meds after first few days. Then week 2, I felt like I was hit by a truck but that lasted only for 2 days. By the end of week 2 I had no pain, but didn't have too much energy & wasn't sleeping much. Week 4 & 5 I started feeling really good & more like myself. Been smooth sailing since.

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 0 replies
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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