I am a 45 year old male who is 5'10/270- I had a lap band put in in 2010. My lowest weight has been 230 and I balloon back and forth . I want the band OUT it is almost completely filled with no restriction. If I weighed anything under 200 I would be pretty fit.

Here are my concerns

1. Do I just get the band taken out and go to normal anatomy and lose it my on own?

2. I was positive for H. Pylori and I am worried about complications even though I have had 5 knee surgeries and band surgery with no complications, and I am fairly healthy.

3. I personally know 2 people that have lost about 100 pounds a piece with sleeve that highly recommend it. I need the weight off my right knee because of 4 surgeries and arthritis as I am a coach and need to get around.

I am at the phase where I schedule the surgery Monday. I would appreciate an of your stories, ideas and feedback - Thanks

I am sorry that you are having such problems. It must be very frustrating. I haven't had a conversion, however, I have had friends with problems with their band. Admittedly, they weren't following good diet protocol, and hadn't changed their eating habits. I don't know if this is part of your issue. If it is, a sleeve won't help. It will help in the short run, but, eventually it will catch up with you. Also, overeating with the sleeve early on will have serious health complications. Assuming that this isn't your problem, I would recommend the sleeve. It is not easy, as I am sure you are aware. After surgery you will go three weeks without any solid food. That, in itself, is a difficult hurdle to overcome. Now, 4 weeks out, I am able to eat very little food. On a positive note, I have lost 32 lbs. in a very short time. Keep doing your research, if you need to get more feedback. Good luck!

I was told that once a band is removed, you will be RAVENOUS! So may be VERY difficult to lose on your own.

They should treat the H. Pylori, prior to surgery, as that can greatly affect healing. They treated mine, then re-tested to make sure.

I LOVE my sleeve and highly recommend it. As long as you follow your doc/NUT guidelines, it is a wonderful tool.

I went from 275-ish (HW), 230 (SW) to 115 and have maintained for over 2 years.

I have heard a lot of nightmare stories regarding the lapband, which is why I chose the sleeve. I also chose it so I could continue taking my n-saids for my arthritis, without the ulcer-type problems associated with the other gastric surgeries. Since you have issues with your knee(s), you, too, may have arthritis over time, and the n-saids really help my pain, so maybe your's, as well. It is definitely a lifestyle change, but is worth it for all the benefits that come with it (if you follow the rules), such as better diabetes management (if not, like me, diabetes is now gone), lower cholesterol and blood pressure. And of course, reduced arthritis pain from the lesser weight upon those joints. Both ways (doing it yourself or using the sleeve as a tool) to lose weight will work, if you stick to all the rules for each, but for me getting the weight off as quickly as I could was the way to go since my diabetes was getting out of control. Good luck to you!

Here is an article about What THings Weigh that is posted on SparkPeople's forums. It will help give you some perspective on how much better you will feel as your excess weight starts coming off. After I lost the first thirty pounds, my knees felt remarkably better. I have 14 pounds to goal. By the time I finish my 100 pound weight loss, I can ride a pony rather than wear one for belt.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

I have been giving quite a bit of thought to this lately, as I lose more and more weight than ever before. I know this has been discussed elsewhere, but I was hoping to put together a more extensive search of my own. I remember years ago, at a Weight Watchers meeting when the leader brought in a pound of fat for visualization. It was something to see. And who can forget when Oprah years ago, after she first successfully (momentarily) lost 67 pounds, pulled that weight equivalent onstage in a little red wagon? That was a sight to behold. So let's consider, starting small, and especially for those who don't think a pound is all that much to lose (a side effect, I'm afraid of unreality shows like "The Biggest Loser"):

Things that weigh one pound:

1. A package of butter (with four sticks)
2. A football
3. A package of bacon
4. A box of brown sugar
5. Three medium-sized bananas
6. A guinea pig (not everything listed is edible)
7. A salami
8. A shoe

Things that weigh two pounds:

1. A pineapple
2. A rack of baby back ribs (hopefully, this list doesn't lead people to
temptation)
3. A Malayan Flying Fox (I like this one)

Things that weight three pounds:

1. World's smallest cat, Mr. Peebles (I like this one, too, even if not good
enough to eat)
2. A human brain
3. A two-slice toaster (that'll get you thinking)
4. A steam Iron (not to be outdone by the two-slice toaster, I imagine)
5. A box of wine
6. A can of Crisco shortening

Things that weigh five pounds:

1. Mr. coffee 12-cup Coffee Maker
2. A bag of sugar (we knew this)
3. A two-liter bottle of soda (now this should give you pause - it did me)

Things that weigh ten pounds:

1. A large bag of potatoes
2. A six-foot aluminum step ladder (now that's a lot to swallow!)
3. An adult Maltese dog

Things that weigh fifteen pounds (and here it gets really interesting):

1. A 19-inch flat screen TV (now tell me that didn't give you pause? Imagine
carrying that around all day.)
2. A bowling ball
3. 2,000 paint balls
4. Medium bag of dog food

Things that weigh twenty pounds:

1. A car tire (whoa! Now I know what they mean by carrying an extra tire around
your middle.)
2. A karaoke machine (oo la la! That is really something!)

Things that weigh twenty-five pounds:

1. An average two-year old toddler

Beyond 25 pounds it starts to get really interesting:

30 pounds is equal to the amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds is equal to a cinder block (imagine building a house, and then thinking of what you weigh in cinder blocks - it's daunting)
36 pounds is equal to a mid-size microwave
40 pounds equals a 5-gallon bottle of Water or an average human leg
44 pounds equals an elephant's heart
50 pounds equals a small bale of hay
55 pounds equals a 5,000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds equals an elephant's penis 66 pounds equals the fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 pounds equals an Irish Setter 77 pounds equals a gold brick
90 pounds equals a newborn calf
100 pounds equals a two-month old horse (so that's what they mean by "I could eat a horse!" Never again!)
111 pounds equals the red meat an average American eats in one year
118 pounds equals the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica
120 pounds equals the amount of trash you throw away in a month on
average
130 pounds equals a newborn baby giraffe 138 pounds equals the amount of potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds equals the amount of refined sugar an average American eats in a year
150 pounds equals the complete Oxford English Dictionary

@@Miss Mac

Oh my. You have exhausted me! Great article!

There are lots of people here who love their sleeve and have done well revising from one to the other, I sadly am not one of them, but look at it this way, if you're not happy now and not losing then what do you have to lose by revising ?

I just had a revision on 2/20/15 and I feel great. My band slipped after about 8 months in, but I was almost at my goal. At my sleeve surgery I was 145 lbs and as of today, I'm 135 lbs. I feel good except for the pureed stage diet. I'm not hungry at all. I'm happy I made this choice and grateful to have a doctor who fought the insurance company since my bmi was normal already. I cannot imagine losing my tool after losing all this weight. Good luck to you.

If this doesn't help you make up your mind, I don't know what will. In the first pic, on the left, is my son at 5'7 1/2" and 288lbs. In the other pic, on the left, this time, at 170. He is now 3 years out and enjoying life to its fullest!!!

I've been banded, in 2002, and sleeved, last month. I certainly don't regret it!

You need to decide what's right for YOU!!! Anyone can show you pics and tell you "their" stories, but they can't decide for you. You're doing the right thing by getting as much info as you can before making such a huge decision. Good luck to you, whatever you decide!!!

I feel like my band to sleeve revision is giving me a 2nd chance. I had the band in 2008 and did really well the first year to 18 months until I got a fill that was too tight. From there I went downhill, eating slider foods and my bad habits all came back to where I gained almost all my weight back. I'm 4 weeks out and I'm back to the beginning eating healthy and small portions I know that I'm going to have to work hard but I feel like this gave me a second chance

I have heard a lot of nightmare stories regarding the lapband, which is why I chose the sleeve. I also chose it so I could continue taking my n-saids for my arthritis, without the ulcer-type problems associated with the other gastric surgeries. Since you have issues with your knee(s), you, too, may have arthritis over time, and the n-saids really help my pain, so maybe your's, as well. It is definitely a lifestyle change, but is worth it for all the benefits that come with it (if you follow the rules), such as better diabetes management (if not, like me, diabetes is now gone), lower cholesterol and blood pressure. And of course, reduced arthritis pain from the lesser weight upon those joints. Both ways (doing it yourself or using the sleeve as a tool) to lose weight will work, if you stick to all the rules for each, but for me getting the weight off as quickly as I could was the way to go since my diabetes was getting out of control. Good luck to you!

Actually, you aren't supposed to take NSAIDS after the sleeve as it can cause ulcers or thinning of the stomach. That's what I was told and it seems to be confirmed by others on here.

I know my band to sleeve revision has given me a second chance at LIFE! I wish i had done this sooner. I was banded 5 years ago and had the revision to sleeve on Oct 2014. Ive lost more weight with the sleeve than what i ever did with the terrible band!

I wish you all the best with your weight loss journey.

Thanks everyone there has been a lot of great insight from your responses! I love the share of information on here.

I had my band removed two months ago and I'm RAVENOUS...the hungry beast was unleased and I've completely outgown my "fat clothes" by another size ( I'm scheduled for the sleeve in less than a month and I can't wait to leash up the hungry monster. The band worked great for me...lost 50 lbs. then it slipped during pregnancy four years ago and it was downhill from there. I'm actually 25 lbs heavier than my lap band surgery day 7 years ago, I have a lot of work to do; Looking forward to getting help with regaining some control with the eatting.

I had about 2.5 months between band removal and sleeve. I had failed with the band, and was very obese... but those months I was ravenous - eat everything in sight I went low carb to avoid gaining like 50# but it was miserable. Just.plain.awful.

I am glad it happened though. It removed ANY crazy ideas that might have been lurking in my brain that I didn't need the sleeve. When you are 300# and gaining it is quite the wake up call.

I am having a revision on Mar. 18. I had my stomach stapled back in 1989. 25 years ago. I om having an open revision to gastric bypass. I am nervous about the recovery afterward. i had an open surgery the first time with a scar from just to the right of my breastbone, to below my belly button. I don't know how big the incision will be this time. I know it is worth it. I have a good idea of what life is like after surgery, since my first attempt was very successful for two years. Back then, I went from 265 to 155. I weigh much more this time, but I am older and wiser, so I hope I can maintain the weight loss this time. The surgeon said the procedure they did back then usually failed after a few years, so I don't feel quite as guilty about regaining the weight as I did for the past 23 years! I feel strong and ready for change. I am so glad I finally got the courage to pursue this surgery.