Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Band-to-sleevies, do you like the sleeve better?



Recommended Posts

Hi. I was banded in 2008. I went from 191 to 117 pounds and now I'm back up to about 160. I started having pain and my EGD showed a bad slip. My doc wants to remove the band and sleeve me. If you've had both, will you compare them for me? With my band, over the years, I got to where I could eat anything I wanted-even with good restriction (I was uncomfortable a lot). I assume I'd still be able to do that with the sleeve, though I hope I won't. When you're too full with the sleeve, does it feel as bad as with band (I hope so, to discourage)?

I realize this must be a very common question on these forums, but I'd sure appreciate any input.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was revised to the sleeve about a month ago. Got banded 2009. I immediately have noticed a tremendous difference between the two. I have immediately began losing weight. You literally can't hardly eat and don't really want to......AFTER THE POST OP liquids PHASE OF STARVATION HELL.........but that's only about 2 weeks. As soon as you hit puree or soft foods it is crazy how little fills you up. With the band you had to guess if you were in the green zone and get 50 adjustments just to hopefully get full. The sleeve IS the green zone. So much easier and you're not a slave to those damn fill appointments. Soooo much better. Oh, if you eat too much or too fast you can get sick and feel a little "stuck" but not like you are being strangled by your food like the band. Others have thrown up....not me....and you CAN get dumping syndrome if you eat something too fatty or sweet. I have experienced that a couple of times. Sweaty, flushed,rapid heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea. No fun. But that's rare and STILL better than fearing each bite will choke you and slime. This is just what I have experienced so far. Hope it was useful to you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you Christina!! My surgery is in about two weeks!! Thanks for the information. That's encouraging.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Did you have the band removed and the sleeve put in at the same time? I'm so afraid to lose the only control i've ever had over my weight but I know my band is eroding. Is it even possibly to have it done at the same time? Does insurance cover it?


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Marisa! My surgery was 3 days ago and yes, he removed the band and did the sleeve at the same time. I know how scary it is to think about losing the restriction the band gives you. I wouldn't have removed the band if I didn't have the money for the sleeve. Insurance paid a portion because of the hiatal hernia part, but between my surgeon and the facility, it cost me 6,000 up front. Recovery from the sleeve is definitely harder for me than from the band. I've only been consuming 400-600 calories a day for a week, but I haven't lost weight. I was 164 pounds the day of surgery and the same today, but my belly is really swollen, so I'm sure that's the reason. Let me know how you're doing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That's such great news! Thank you for the feedback! I'm relieved to know that my weight loss won't stop them from a revision. I know I need it, I have all the willpower in the world but when it comes to food it's been a life long struggle. It's definitely and addiction i've been fighting all my life. Aside from the past 6yrs. Let me tell you, i've never been so happy with my weight not consuming my entire life. Thanks again!


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 4/30/2017 at 6:03 PM, rcm1216 said:

Hi Marisa! My surgery was 3 days ago and yes, he removed the band and did the sleeve at the same time. I know how scary it is to think about losing the restriction the band gives you. I wouldn't have removed the band if I didn't have the money for the sleeve. Insurance paid a portion because of the hiatal hernia part, but between my surgeon and the facility, it cost me 6,000 up front. Recovery from the sleeve is definitely harder for me than from the band. I've only been consuming 400-600 calories a day for a week, but I haven't lost weight. I was 164 pounds the day of surgery and the same today, but my belly is really swollen, so I'm sure that's the reason. Let me know how you're doing.

How are you feeling now? How was the port area after removal?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello everyone,

I'm five months out after 17 years of banding. I am SO GLAD I made the switch. I won't bore you with my band and band revision journey. I will focus on how amazing having a sleeve is. It's the surgery I hoped I was getting 17 years ago! With the sleeve, I can drink my Protein in the morning. No waiting hours for the mucus cap to dissolve. I can actually drink a good bit of Water. I do not throw up. I only did once and that's because I ate too fast. Like it was said above, I don't feel like I'm being choked with food sitting at my esophagus. I am able to eat healthy foods (meat, salad, veggies). My head is in a better place because I had a wonderful two months or so of having NO interest in food. It gave me a great start/ restart.

To answer some questions from above, I had my band removed first and then was sleeved 7 weeks later. I did gain weight in that time, but it wasn't a ton- five pounds? I thought it would be more, but I hadn't been feeling much restriction for years so... At first I was upset about the two procedures and thought about going with RNY because my surgeon would have done that it one. But, I found the waiting time fine and I'm glad I didn't do so much at once. I have no pain in the port area. The band removal surgery was very easy. I was in and out of the hospital in four hours with very little pain.

If you have questions, just ask!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Sara! I'm doing well. Tomorrow will be two weeks since my revision. I've lost 7 pounds, but I'm still retaining some Fluid and swollen. I weigh 157 today. I'm not hungry. The soreness was pretty much gone after 6-7 days, and the part that seemed to linger the longest was the place where my port used to be.

I'm having Gatorade Low Cal and creamed Soups mostly, and I notice a difference than with the band. At two weeks with the band, I felt huge restriction, and I vomited quite a bit-slime and all. I feel full with the sleeve, but no urge to vomit-not "stuck" or over-full. I hope this doesn't mean I won't feel any kind of restriction when I graduate to regular foods. Any advice on that hermione53?

My doctor recommended a Protein Powder, and I'm liking it so far. I can't get 60-80 grams any other way. It's called GENEPRO. There's some debate about it online because they claim to use some science to pack 30g of Protein into 1 tbsp. My doctor says it's good. I add it to creamed soups, and I can't taste it. And only 1 small tbsp!

How are you all doing?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Sara! I'm doing well. Tomorrow will be two weeks since my revision. I've lost 7 pounds, but I'm still retaining some Fluid and swollen. I weigh 157 today. I'm not hungry. The soreness was pretty much gone after 6-7 days, and the part that seemed to linger the longest was the place where my port used to be.
I'm having Gatorade Low Cal and creamed Soups mostly, and I notice a difference than with the band. At two weeks with the band, I felt huge restriction, and I vomited quite a bit-slime and all. I feel full with the sleeve, but no urge to vomit-not "stuck" or over-full. I hope this doesn't mean I won't feel any kind of restriction when I graduate to regular foods. Any advice on that hermione53?
My doctor recommended a Protein powder, and I'm liking it so far. I can't get 60-80 grams any other way. It's called GENEPRO. There's some debate about it online because they claim to use some science to pack 30g of protein into 1 tbsp. My doctor says it's good. I add it to creamed soups, and I can't taste it. And only 1 small tbsp!
How are you all doing?

So great to hear of this progress!!! I cannot wait to be in your shoes, I feel like I'll finally have my chance to truly use a tool for weight loss!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×