Hi Guys

I have been told by my specialist that I need to have my band out and then a sleeve done.

I have had non stop problems with the band and lost almost 50kg which was great, but then started to put weight back on due to hunger and had severe reflux with restriction.....not to mention I have had 3 extra port replacements in the first 2 years of having the band.

My body just doesn't seem to like it and at this point, neither do I.

I do have a few questions that I am finding hard to find answers to (maybe I have been looking in the wrong places which is highly likely knowing me )

Anyway my main question is what are the foods that you can eat with the sleeve compared to the band and what is dumping syndrome??

Do you still need to take teeny bites like with the band??

I find that I have trouble eating breads and gluggy foods with the band but I am hopeless at trying to eat teeny tiny mouth-fulls which i know is wrong with the band but I am hungry with it and its hard.

Also do you find that your hunger is greatly reduced compared to the band??

I just hope that the revision works for me and its not a mental thing and the sleeve will fail too.....I know thats negative thinking but I am over being operated on. Oh I am getting the band removed end November and have to wait 3 or so months to heal before the sleeve surgery.......my surgeons have done trials on waiting and doing them all in one operation and have found them to be more successful waiting to heal first. Its a pain but its only 3 months to wait.

Any other info on going from sleeve to band that you think of would be fantastic as I am a bit nervous about the entire thing and it took me 8 years to decide to definately go ahead with the band and now this is sudden and unknown so scary

The hunger will most likely be a completely different experience then that of the band. I did not have the band, only VSG. the rule we all live by in the first few weeks after surgery is sip, sip, sip, to get your hydration in, and it's not so much the teeny mouthfuls, it is the overall teeny portions. Also, for a few weeks after surgery you *should* be on a liquids only diet, then a "mushies" for a few weeks, then soft foods, then regular. So, you won't be eating "regular" food until 3 months out and even then there is a list of foods to avoid because of danger of complications, and "slimes". You stay away from starches because they make you feel like a pidgeon about to pop, you stay away from obvious carbs to enhance your "honeymoon" phase, and certain vegetables like celery (the strings) can be dangerous while your internal stitches are still healing. Also, nothing acidic while healing and total healing will take 3 months. The food scale and an online tracker will become your friends, as will the recipe page in the "food & nutrition" thread here on VST.

Really, when it comes down to it, VSG and the band cannot be compared.

It's a mental thing! We as banders/sleevers/ WLS / over weight have eating issues. We have a disease, we have an over zealous nutritional goal, we have an eating disorder. We have an addiction to food. We eat for comfort, we eat for sad, we eat to Celebrate , we eat just because. We have a sick, strange relationship with food. Food is nutrition for our bodies and nothing more. We truly don't know what hunger is. We live in a country that hunger is seldom. When you wrap your head around the mental, you win! The WLS is not a fail, it's us. WLS is a tool, not a cure, not a miracle fix. You have to control your brain which feeds on sugar and carbs. It lies to you, tells you your hungry..... You are overweight and are not hungry. You are bored, feeding emotions, and 100 other things, but not hunger.

The foods are not limited as like band....... That's a problem sometimes. Still have to take tiny bites.

Get mentally ready or you will blame non loss on sleeve failure...... It's not WLS failure... It's us as humans! Sorry to burst your hope bubble, you have to prepare... It was the biggest mental screwing of my life to do both WLS..... Until I fixed my head...... Some days it breaks and I have to patch it! Good luck?

Edited November 7, 201312 yr by sleeveconvert

Get mentally ready or you will blame non loss on sleeve failure...... It's not WLS failure... It's us as humans! Sorry to burst your hope bubble, you have to prepare... It was the biggest mental screwing of my life to do both WLS..... Until I fixed my head...... Someways it breaks and I have to patch it! Good luck?

Maybe I should just stick with the band then and try to make it work again

I am a revision patient, and I can tell you that the sleeve is much much different. I was hungry a lot with the band, and did the slimes a ton. I was careful, but my band hated me. Now that I have my sleeve, I am almost never hungry, and when I am I can eat my tiny amount and I am satisfied. I wouldn't go back to a band for a million dollars.

I had my revision September 2012 and it was absolutely the best thing I could have done. Make your own decisions and don't base it on negative comments you read here. It was a very positive life changing surgery for me and I would do it 1000% times over.

i had my band removed a few years ago and im been researching the sleeve for the past 1 1/2 years. as you can see im not rushing into anything...lol. its a hard choice to make, as i question myself daily as to what I should do too. im afraid of leaks after surgery and thats what holds me back....fear!!! i want a guarantee this time around because I had issues with my band that I would have never thought would happen to me. so now im extra afraid!!!!

i had my band removed a few years ago and im been researching the sleeve for the past 1 1/2 years. as you can see im not rushing into anything...lol. its a hard choice to make, as i question myself daily as to what I should do too. im afraid of leaks after surgery and thats what holds me back....fear!!! i want a guarantee this time around because I had issues with my band that I would have never thought would happen to me. so now im extra afraid!!!!

There are none

Edited November 7, 201312 yr by sleeveconvert

!! i want a guarantee this time around.......

There are no guarantees!! Life doesn't come with a guarantee... The only guarantee is it takes work, dedication, determination, blood sweat and tears..... There is no easy way to thin and no guarantee. You can do this..... Set your mind to do it and take the leap !!!

Your right Sleeve master......there are a few negative comments which doesnt help when you are trying your best to do the right thing. Its not like you can undo it if you make the wrong choice.

I was hoping to compare the 2 with people who have had the band before or know of people who have had the band before to see what it will be like with the sleeve.

I trust my surgeon and he says it is the best thing for me so I do believe that.

I have struggled with the band and its problems for 4 years and also never feeling satisfied with what I was eating (or very rarely was i satisfied)

I was told that by removing the hormone that creates the hunger sensation it will make it a lot easier for me which I am looking forward to.

If anyone thinks that I think that I am taking the easy way out then they dont know what I have been through....in and out of hospital for constant revisions not to mention the discomfort with the band.

I know I can't live with the band but I know I can't live without some form of restriction......that was proven when they let my band out for 6 months and I gained a stack of weight as my hunger was out of control.

The more I research the more I know that I have to get the sleeve.....I just want to know what to expect when I have it done.

I didn't know about all the things getting stuck etc before I got the band (something I wish I had have known before hand) and also how hard it would be to eat a good variety of foods and healthy foods.

I hope the sleeve is different, I just don't know anyone with the sleeve that I can ask about it.

Junior Guru that is what I hope will happen with me

Garliegirl my surgeon told me that they will keep me is hospital for 5 days and if a leak was to happen it would happen in the first few days and they would be monitoring me closely to fix the problem IF it happened......he also said if it doesn't leak at the start it will NEVER leak. That put my mind at rest.

He also said that they trialed doing band to sleeve revision surgery in one operation for 6 months and they have decided that it is more successful and less complications letting the stomach heal in between taking the band out and then doing the sleeve. I have also heard from people that it can be more successful but every surgeon has different ideas so its best to check with yours.

I have been very happy with the group that I go through even with all of my problems with my body rejecting the foreign body of the band

The other thing that i loved the sound of is that there is no dumping syndrome as there is with bypass......I love the sound of the sleeve and not to have this stupid port in me anymore. Its under my bra line (as they were running out of new places to put each new port) and so uncomfortable!!!!

Maybe I should just stick with the band then and try to make it work again

The sleeve is a better tool. I wouldn't trade, but its a tool. Having a sleeve doesn't take the work out. There are multitudes of people here that think having a sleeve makes it all better. YOU still have to invest the time and work to utilize your sleeve to be the tool to get you to thin. There is no magic. It helps with hunger in most, but not all. I have sleeved friends who still fight the hunger battle, some days I fight it.... It's not physical hunger, it's mental I'm hungry and want to eat. You can do anything you decide you really really want.

Maybe I should just stick with the band then and try to make it work again

I have a band, no sleeve, but had thought about revising to a sleeve. My reasoning was due to the fact that I was banded in 2009 and lost 47 pounds BUT didn't have any follow up care or fills (I moved out of state and no one wanted to touch some other surgeons work....in my case) so I gained it back. I was angry at my band so in 2013 I wanted a sleeve. I then moved back to California and before I went all gung ho sleeve, I decided to at least TRY to get some fills and see how it went. After all, I never really put my band to work or really committed to my own hard work to meet my band requirements to achieve results. I finally am losing weight....30 pounds in around 3 months now....and feel like I finally unleashed my secret weapon against fat! Lol. I suggest you make every attempt to utilize the band first ( if you are not having seriously sh*tty complications that some banders get) because you already had a surgery and traumatic experience on your body. All I am saying from my experience, is it isn't too late to restart. Good luck! Don't let defeating thoughts ruin your chances.

Thanks Christina.Rose I am so pleased for you that its started to work again....that's fantastic news!!!!

For me I have had no end of frustrations and complications and I am now getting severe reflux when my band is filled to a semi restrictive level. I have had "3" port revisions and I still have trouble eating with my bra on as the port is now under my bra line (4th spot they had put the port and only successful spot too)

I had lost a lot of weight but then I think I have had a slip as I started to get really hungry all of a sudden and started gaining weight slowly but surely. Not long after that my reflux got to a point where it was so bad prescription meds couldnt help me so I had to have it let out and am almost back to square 1.

My specialist wants me to have it out to prevent any or any further damage.

I just dont think that the band likes me haha

In all seriousness I think that my body is not agreeing with the foreign bodies (band and port) and is rejecting them.

I have given it 4 years but now there seems to be a better option for me I think.

SleeveConvert.......I know that the band and sleeve are only a tool and are not an easy answer.

Anyone who has gone through what I have gone through to try to lose weight can not say I am taking the easy road.

There is no magic thing that will make it work I know, and there are a lot easier ways to lose weight than what I personally have been through with 5 surgeries (and counting) so far for weight loss. but......I need this or it will never stay off

This is because I am committed and by having to have my band unfilled for 6 months due to complications and gaining 30 kilos in that short time confirms to me that I can't do this forever without my tool for weight loss that is the band/sleeve.

I am taking the hardest road possible and trying my best with every effort and I do get upset when all that I have been through people comment that I am taking the 'easy way out' I wish some could see/feel what I have been through to know its been a nightmare and something that I have to do in order to live life normally.

I am morbidly obese and need help and this is my last resort.

Something that made me feel a little better and understand obesity a lot better and may help some of you:

I went to visit my surgeon after gaining back my 30 kilo's in 6 months.

I said to him "I am so dissapointed with myself and embarressed that I have allowed myself to gain so much weight so quickly......I don't know how I let myself get to this"

He quickly said

"Do not ever say that about yourself, I do not ever want to hear you speak like that again. Obesity is a DISEASE! Just like diabeties etc........its most often genetic and such a terrible disease.

There is no magic pill only help to control it. One day there might be but now and in the near future there is not so the best way we can help people with this disease it to give them as much control as possible.

Do not feel guilty or embarressed about it EVER.....this 'is a disease' and we will help you with that the best way we can."

Right then and there something clicked and I cried and understood my life long battle then and there.

I am trying not to beat myself up about my weight gain and rather focus on the success to come with lots of hard work and determination I know I will get there and they will help me through every step of the way.

Just to let you know he is not getting any money from me for this at all.

When I got the lapband, they guaranteed in writing that they would help me lose weight and that any other surgery, if ever needed, even years down the track is free. What I paid for the fist surgery is all I will ever have to pay with them and they will work with me and do whatever it takes to help me get to a healthy weight. They are committed to helping people with this Disease that is Obesity.

Gamblers can never gamble again, Alcoholics can never drink again but Obese people have to eat to survive...... and then we have some of the hardest obstacles to overcome

Ok, I'm jumping in with a few thoughts. First, I'm a revision from band to sleeve 5/20/13. I had my band for 6 yrs, suffering from band complications for 4 yrs. until I was able to get this revision (reason is a long story). Anyhoo, for me....the outcome I am having with my sleeve is what I had expected the band to do for me but did not. I have healed well, weight coming off slowly, but surely and eating items that used to stick in my band aren't a problem.

Now, all that said...I do look at this as a 2nd chance for me to be totally committed to a lifestyle change. I think that having the band prior to this allowed me to skip through the "food grieving" stage that happens after WLS. I have only experienced dumping as stomach cramping (and it has only happened 2x) and my sleeve helps me feel "full," which never truly happened w/ the band. And that feeling is difficult to explain, but seriously....full is full and lasts for a mighty long time. I am determined to make better eating choices but I am not giving up everything...just working on moderation. For example, I have love for dark chocolate and have been able to do a square about once a week. Well...recently a friend gave me a bag of dark chocolate salted caramels. I figured I would do a ball once in a while. WRONG! Those things are KRYPTONITE!!!! So, no caramels for me...no will power in relation to those. Making those type of decisions have been vital to my success.

So, the revision question....that's really up to you and how you want to live life. For me, as many say..."I'd do it all again." I love all the blessings it has brought to my life at this moment. I have not been this size/weight in 20+ yrs. My goal is to live a long, happy, healthy life.

Best of Luck

Thanks so much slikchick...this is what I was hoping to hear!!!!

I have never been truly FULL with the band except for duiring about a week after a fill, and due to all the complications I have had with my port I have had many fills.

The feeling that I get for that week after is what I expected the band to feel like all the time. During that time when I do feel that I can easily reject all foods that I shouldn't have as I do feel satisfied and genuinely NOT HUNGRY and that is what I thought the band would be like having MOST OF THE TIME.....instead I am constantly fighting hunger especially later in the day when my band loosens up and I can eat as much as I want and whatever I want and am not satisfied without eating large amounts.

I lost a lot of weight with the band in the first 2 years, about 45kg (100 pounds) and then was so hungry I couldn't help myself like before I had the band. My hunger was increasing all the time and it was so hard. My portion sizes are my biggest downfall, not the crappy foods but the amount of food and the constant hunger.

I want it to get back to feeling full and most importantly satisfied after a meal and to stop feeling hungry all the time.

I think that the sleeve will be the right thing for me and hopefully will do what I thought the band was supposed to do all the time.

If that happens and I can get that satisfied feeling, it will make eating smaller amounts a whole lot easier for me!!!!

I completely agree with slikchick10! I'm 5.5 weeks out from a revision and it's so much better. You truly feel full and I've only had the "slimes" twice because I didn't chew well enough. It is so weird to eat foods that used to get stuck like eggs. Your think it's gonna come back up but it doesn't LOL. I think it is worth it. Good luck with your decision.