Hi everyone, I would really welcome your thoughts and experience on this.

Following v successful band, unfortunately it had to come out due to erosion and I have piled the weight back on.

My sleeve is booked for the 11 th April which I can't wait for but I'm worried that the restriction on the sleeve will not be sufficient as my band was tight. I was 22 stone and got down to 8 st 13 lb, I am now 16 st.......

How much food can you actually eat in one sitting? I'm reasonably good at not nibbling and have researched the types of food that I will be eating which are similar to the band.

Would love to hear from you and your experiences will help me decide whether I keep the sleeve op or change to the bypass.

Thanks , Peachy

I encourage you to do your research on both. Neither are perfect and neither will be perfect for everyone. If you have things like GERD, diabetes, or if you prefer sugary or carby foods or if you need to lose a lot of weight really fast then likely you'd do a lot better with Bypass. If you do not have GERD, if you do not have an addiction to carbs or sugar or if you'd like to be able to eat just about anything but have wonderful restriction then get the Sleeve.

Make a list of pros and cons of both and which surgery works best with each scenario and see which one ends up the better choice then by all means choose the better one for you. You've already had 2 surgeries on your stomach, let this last one truly be the last by making the best one.

I won't say judge upon "invasiveness" because all surgeries run some kind of risk as you found out with the lap band.

Explain to me the "work" part you refer to??? Both surgeries are only designed to do one thing. Limit you intake at a single meal. Basically to keep you from endlessly stuffing yourself with too much food. The "work" part is all yours. You must choose what type of foods to eat and stick to a low calorie diet and exercise. Not try to circumvent the benefits of the meal restrictions, or sit around eating only junk food.

The two surgeries just go about accomplishing those meal limits in different ways. So both surgeries will work for what they are designed to do, but having success with either one will depend on you.

Hi

Only you can decide. I think I understand what you're going through. I had a band for 10 years, got to normal healthy BMI and it was great. Then had to have band removed due to serious complication. Now my BMI is obese again

I am waiting for a surgery date (sleeve for me personally). Very nervous about having more surgery. Scared waiting for a date. Scared about not having surgery too, if that makes sense.

Wishing you all the best with your decision . Do lots of research and maybe see different doctors.

I hope it goes well for you.

Band2sleever thanks for the advice. I am 99% sure I am going to have a sleeve. I've done lots of research on the amount of food that you can eat and feel much happier that I will not go overboard on the bingeing.

Having had a band I found that food very quickly stopped being an issue because I couldn't eat loads. Some days I actually forgot to eat until tea time. May be not ideal but this wasn't everyday.

To be back to not thinking about what I can eat next following a large meal will be fabulous.

I wish you lots of luck and will enjoy hearing about your journey.

X

I had a revision, band to sleeve. My situation was similar to many stories, and yet somewhat different.

I lost like 90 pds with the band but had a partial slip in Dec that eventually caused pain & the inability to eat & keep anything down. It was removed & replaced all in 1 surgery on Jan 16th of this year. I weighed 156 the day of surgery & now weigh 138 pds.

I have no regrets. I fill up with 1 cup of food & do not feel hungry at all. Mind you, I can eat 1 cup of crappy food OR healthy food. YOU still have to make the right choices, which isn't always easy. YOU are in control.

Good luck!

Great progress @@Domika03

Thanks for posting ... really inspiring, and I so want it get back to that blissful feeling of CONTROL. I had this with the band for 10 years and I'm hoping that I can get to to same place with the sleeve.

I have no regrets. I fill up with 1 cup of food & do not feel hungry at all. Mind you, I can eat 1 cup of crappy food OR healthy food. YOU still have to make the right choices, which isn't always easy. YOU are in control.

Good luck!

My experience with the band was so similar to yours @@PeachyDexter

I really identify with your point that "Having had a band I found that food very quickly stopped being an issue"... that's just how I felt with the band for 10 years. I loved that sense of FREEDOM. I truly found it liberating.

When I had the band removed (2nd surgery to fix it, both unwanted!) I tried so hard to follow the exact same lifestyle, with the intention if seeing if I could get away without having more surgery. I religiously went to the gym, continued my weekend running as I had done for years with the band in place. In terms if diet I vowed that I would keep to small portions.., I'd had 10years of experience and learning with the band, how hard would it be to just carry on eating the same way? Just carry on doing EXACTLY the same, it should be straightforward, right??? However, I truly struggled with portion sizes, soon they were back up to what I would call a normal adult plateful (meat/veg/rice) which was triple the amount that I used to eat with the band in place. When I had the band I became completely used to having small child-sized portions at home or eating out. I didn't feel deprived and I used to just take far smaller servings than other adults (padding my plate out with some lettuce so it wasn't noticeable and eating of the children's menu in restaurants).

What I found the strangest was that after I had the band removed my taste for CARBS and the devil's food (SUGAR) came back. Gradually at first, and then with a vengeance. What started as a one-off slice of toast and marmalade (which I never ate when I had the band in!), turned into 4 rounds of toast and marmelade most days for Breakfast, or alternatively two pain au chocolats. My lunch with the band in used to be a tuna salad ONLY, but somehow that turned into a tuna baguette, and a packet of crisps (USA: potato chips) too ... . I almost never ate Pasta with the band in, but afterwards I suddenly for the taste for it again. I'm sure you get the picture by now.

So, I most heartfeltly echo you in saying "be back to not thinking about what I can eat next following a large meal will be fabulous."... too right, it will be FABULOUS

To be back to not thinking about what I can eat next following a large meal will be fabulous.

Edited April 14, 201412 yr by Band2Sleever

Hi, Reading your post was like reading my story. I too thought I would be able to maintain my weight after the band was removed. Looking back I don't know why I thought that as I always struggled with hunger and carbs pre-band. The hunger returned day one after the band was removed! I have sleeve surgery on 22nd April and cannot wait! This time I will have a tool for life

Jess Xx

Edited April 6, 201412 yr by JessUK

My doctor told me the people who have revised surgery lap to gastric sleeve lose weight very slowly. It's been 14 months since my surgery and I haven't lost any weight. I recommend your dr take the lap band first then wait a couple months before they attempt the gastric bypass. the wait will help the stomach get back it's shape. My physician said my stomach was so misshapen after band came off that he eyeball how much to take off - he doesn't use a bugie. I believe the reason that I haven't lost weight is that dr left my pouch big - I was able to drink 14 oz Protein with no problem after surgery

luckily I have good restriction.though weight loss is slow. I had a band for 2 yrs. didnt loose much weight. But part of it was my problem. I didnt try enough.

This time I am determined to be more successful.more Water more exercise and more Protein.