It sounds to me like you should really research the surgery from reputable websites. if you go on a sleeve forum or a band forum you will get a biased opinion. Also, you will see some not so good experiences. Each person is different and if weight loss surgery is something you have been told about as an option I would start by researching first. It had never crossed my mind until my doctor suggested it to me two years ago. I realize you have been to the seminars and may have been educated on it, but even those seminars have fact with biased opinion as they want to do your surgery. When researching the sleeve specifically I looked at the National Institute of Health's website, Mayo Clinic, etc. I even went to Dr. Oz's website as he had a simple video on there that gave statistics and I watched to see who sponsored it and if the information he presented slanted the information and I don't think it did. This is where I saw the breakdown of average weight loss success and sustainability. Sleeve is around 55-60% excess weight loss after 5 years if I remember correctly. As for the risks, there are always risks, but we are willing to take those risks as the benefits for us outweigh them. Some people on this forum had diabetes or couldn't have children due to their weight. Since having the surgery they are no longer on medications and are having children. Its definitely an individual decision and it has to be your own and not your doctors.

Thanks for the input. I have been researching the surgery for almost a year. I've talked to a couple of Universities who do research and they said since I am 100 pounds over weight, I would likely lose 65 pounds and probably only 50 long term. Those surgeons and my surgeon haven't done anyone under my circumstances and didn't know if my weight loss would be different. One of them suggested this forum to see if others in the same circumstances could tell me about their weight loss.