CowgirlJane

That is a very good description of my experience as well. So, back in the day when I was trying to make the band work, I kept hearing that I wasn't losing well because I wasn't "compliant". Well, I was hungry all the time so I started drifting toward slider foods. That whole "compliance" thing made me terrified of the sleeve because I felt I had failed at that once. My experience so far with the sleeve is completely completely different. I have lost weight, not easily, but much much better then the band. What does concern me is that i do feel hunger returning and I suspect that over the long run that will increase. The hunger hormones are still produced, and once you are over the initial "honeymoon period" you might experience it too. so far it is different though, it is not an all consuming hunger. IT is more like, just being hungry. Time will tell.

What I looked at looked really good to me! The only thing that i thought was missing was the sublingual B12. Sleevers are prone to that deficiency, and it is a very cheap supplement to add.

She mentioned her surgeon in a previous post. The lesson for everyone is that while leaks can be just bad luck - they happen - but different surgeons have different stats and complications. Find out what your surgeon is claiming to be his experience and results! That in no way is a comment against this surgeon as I don't know his stats. It could happen anywhere, I am just saying why not choose a doc that has best results with low complications - I am thinking it improves the odds. I am so glad you are on the mend. It is a nightmare scenario, but the blessing is that you will recover and go on to losing weight and regaining your health. Thank you for sharing your story!

Most favorite: Not being so physically limited! I am riding horses, can easily climb in and out of things etc. - just have normal physical abilities again! Least favorite: I think facing the realities of long term / keeping the weight off.

Can she forecast stock market downturns, natural disasters and civil unrest? I believe she believes this - but I am pretty skeptical. I think she just has some fears and this is how she expresses them.

The follow up issue is probably a big deal for some practices. When I was banded, i believe one of the root cause issues for me is that after I moved home from Germany I couldn't find a band doctor to "take me in". Eventually, pretty much gave up.

So, what exactly do you consider head hunger? I am not always sure i know what that means exactly. I had alot of "drive" to eat with the band. Not the first month or two, but after that. I thought it was mental, but I believe it was physical know - I was hungry as my lower stomach was empty. It was awful - well the whole banded experience was awful. Post sleeve, I really lost that drive to eat and experienced no hunger for along time. I would say about 7-8 months post op I started to have a return of appetite. NOTHING like I had before, so I don't mean to scare you off, but many people have my same experience - a gradual return of hunger and desire to eat. The key then is to manage it well - small portions, Protein first yadda yadda yadda to keep it from turning into the whole "eat junky carbs->crave even more junky food" cycle. I am still losing,slower, even with a return of appetite because I eat alot less and I while I don't diet, I do try to mostly follow the guidelines. I am only 9 months out, but so far, the sleeve is about a million times better then the band EVER was.

I know lots of people who have had medical and dental procedures done outside the USA. There are very skilled and experienced surgeons in Mexico! I think just like anything else there is "variation" in experience and quality. I think anybody is wise to ask alot of questions before embarking - whether your surgeon is in the USA or Mexico. The point someone made about a SoCal surgeon who is dealing with a lot of "complications" - well, for all we know that is from one or two bad apples, does not taint the whole idea. Do your research! Pick a surgeon who has a track record of GREAT outcomes - why settle for less? I happily found one in my backyard and had insurance that would cover it. If I hadn't, I would have considered Mexico but only the best of em - but that is my feeling regardless of the country. I understand that money is very tight, but i would go into debt a few thousand bucks more to pay for a top rated surgeon over one that is "not" top rated because my very health is on the line.

I don't think this is normal for 8 weeks out. Please have it checked by your surgeon.

I would sure hate to have that kind of "time pressure" - reminds me of my many failed attempts at dieting.

I know you didn't ask this question - but you might want to read up on the risk of complications for a conversion from band to sleeve. Leaks and excessive bleeding are the two main ones and if you are unlucky enough to experience either of them - it will negatively impact your life for months. If you are not having any problems with the band, it is just something to think about if it is worth the risk. Having said that, I converted from band to sleeve (my BMI was over 50!) and had no complications. It is an individual decision if the risk is worth it.

I didn't have hairloss or Vitamin deficiency (although they didn't actually do bloodwork to check early on!). If she is not keeping anything down, even shakes, that is a sign of a band slippage. A year out, she should be able to eat food too, but the band is a fickle and harsh mistress, so much depends on how much fill etc. Oddly, weight gain often happens with a slippage too. She needs to get herself checked out - endoscopy for starters. It could be serious because what happens with a slip is it can slip so you can't consume anything - not even Water - and then you wind up with emergency surgery.

The links I posted was just what came up on an initial search. There is alot to read out there, it is worth spending some hours doing your own digging. I probably won't make any friends saying this, but alot of things are said on these forums that sound pretty authoritative. Alot of times they are simply repeating what they heard from someone else. That doesn't mean they are wrong, but doesn't mean they are right either. Alot of people who are preop or early in their journey (heck, myself included!) share advice and info but all we REALLY know is our own story. Everything else is just second hand or third hand "facts" or perhaps even our own opinions. Do your own true research, talk to surgeons and other professionals. Take what you read here as inspiration, advice etc - but take it with a grain of salt. You have no idea how much I wish I had done that before being banded.

My doctor told me the rate of complications is higher then a virgin sleeve, but he really didn't have a specific percentage. He thought it was probably in the general range of 5% but it sounded like there wasn't much published on it. This recent, but small study of revisions had a 25% complication rate - yikes! Complications were either leak or excessive bleeding. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21866377 If anyone wants a reason to bother with finding an experienced surgeon with a good track record - well, I guess those numbers might convince! I am curious how much variation there is between various centers or practices because I sure haven't felt that 25% of the people that post on this board had complications.

So, another idea is to continue using "small dishes" I think this encourages smaller portion sizes.

The way i researched was searching medline. I also went to the research and statistics forum and read various links that people posted - especially looking for clinical trial results. I googled something like "the gastric sleeve long term results" just now and got this: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20622654 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21359900

I am just over 9 months and have definately noticed the "desire to eat" returned sometime over the last few months. According to everything I have read, that sort of challenge happens to many people. The hard cold truth about weight loss surgery - everybody says "it is just a tool" and this is exactly what they mean. It does not permanently assure weight loss or even maintenance. So, I asked someone the same question - why bother then? The answer was this... the tool gives you a chance to catch yourself, get yourself back on track before you have gained a bunch of weight. It keeps you from rebounding UP so quickly. But the key is YOU still have to make that happen. Sucks, but at least I found that out before surgery. (I was a conversion from the lapband so of course i wanted to be sure this actually works over the long term!) In truth, you probably can't eat what you used to (volume at once) but it is easy to slide into eating too much. I talked to the dietician about my returning hunger and her main message was to keep portions small. That way, you don't get used to eating large amounts and you can keep a bit more of the restriction. I personally found that going back to basics: -8-10 glasses of fluids - check -60+Grams of Protein everyday - check -eat protein first, followed by veggies - check -limited fruit and whole grains - healthy carbs - check -follow Vitamin regimen - check Once I did all that, I felt that my desire to eat began to diminish. When I am hungry before i think I should be, I make myself consume about 16 ounces of Water and that always delays and reduces my eating. One of my challenges is staying away from the junk food that the rest of the family brings home. Simple carbs (white bread, Cookies, crackers etc) trigger my hunger big time.

I was banded in 2001, my "research" was similiar to this, looking for people to give their testimonials. What i realized later is that was not the best way to research. AT that time, the people who stayed on longer term and posted their stories were typically quite successful What i found out later is that there were private boards and list serves for "graduates" - people 2 years out and even "complications". This wasn't some evil plot, it is just that people who are having issues a few years out really don't want advice from people still in the initial excitement of success. Things seem more open now, but I realized that reading testimonials is inspiring, but it isn't really research. You do not get a balanced feedback - you get feedback based on the individuals who are still hanging around sharing their stories. Again, it is wonderful and inspiring, but it isn't really a good way to understand "stats" across a larger population. The way to find out the big picture, how do people do with this surgery you should read some of the published studies. If you based your decision based on reading forums you might come to the conclusion that most people lose 50 pounds in a month, quickly all get to goal, and dance off into the sunset....lol because those are amazing and memorable stories! Truth of the matter is that the 3+ year outcome is more that loss of 60-80% of excess weight, depending on several factors. It is normal for people to have a small rebound/regain and then stabilize at a weight that is slightly about the "by the charts" ideal weight. Now, we each control out own destiny and there are plenty of people (especially lower BMI) who do get down under 25 BMI - ie ideal weight post sleeve. My goal is set such that i want to lose 90% of my excess weight (as defined by the charts) which I feel is achievable and a great goal for me personally. I may adjust that as it gets closer, but right now i feel quite successful even though I am still "obese." Anyway, in case you haven't seen it yet, according to the studies, the most troubling long term side effect is reflux that seems to get worse after 3+ years out. I don't recall ANY of the long term sleevers who post here ever mentioning reflux as a big issue long term - as it does not happen to most people, but does happen to some.

I too am 9 months out and notice some habits slipping... summertime too relaxed and fun I guess! I think the boot camp is a great idea. I notice that by doing 3 simple things I get back on track: 1. count Protein grams and make sure you always hit your daily target 2. Count Fluid intake and 3. Monitor portion size (ie measure). I am not counting calories or carbs, but just doing protein first and getting enough fluid seems have helped me get on track and be less "desiring of food". I think those dang carbs just start enticing you over time....

I have lost alot of weight since my surgery, and I have actually achieved most of the things I wanted to achieve. I have to warn people that I have days that I feel just as obese as I ever was (completely irrational) so I suggest that you focus on alot of things besides your looks. Rationally, I do look alot better - everybody tells me that and I can see it in photos, but sometimes I don't "feel" it. -reduction in health risks/co morbidities like: high blood pressure - GONE pre diabetes blood surgar - GONE sleep apnea - significantly reduced -ability to enjoy life improved: Became a much more confident rider and have had chances to ride other people's horses and try new things No worries about me keeping up with the guys on a family outing. We spent a day walking the hills of Seattle recently and I was good - even the big hillclimb from the waterfront to downtown. I still have body pain, but my knees are oh so much better I can do all sorts of things I need to on my little farm that I just couldn't do before. I can easily climb in and out of the bed of my truck - all that stuff I can even run now! I no longer feel like I am made of glass and ready to just shatter should I take a fall or something Looks/Clothes: I am out of plus sizes and into normal sizes I can actually wear coats or something that are just around the house - I am no longer the "special" size. I am finally smaller then my husband (he helped me out by gaining weight over the last 5 years too) Oh, and here is a big one, I no longer stand out in a crowd as so much bigger then the average. Even though I am still obese, in a group photo, I blend in much better as being sorta normal looking. I know I look a lot better and every once in awhile I catch a reflection and am surprised it is me! As I mentioned before, this is probably the hardest area because when I was stuffed into a 26W - being a 14 or 16 sounded like a dream come true. Now that I am in the 14/16 range, and especially since it seems like so many people get weight loss surgery at that size, I guess it still seems pretty big. I don't let it get me down because I am loving life so much, but if I used that "feeling thin" or "looking great" as my primary motivator, I would probably not be as joyful about the weight loss as I am. I have had the funnest summer in many many years - galloping the beach on my horse, going camping with friends, meeting new people and having new adventures. Much of that would not have been possible without the weight loss! I am looking forward to getting another 35-40# off and we'll see where that leads me!

I was banded in 2001 by a world renowned surgeon in Germany. He had me sign a letter saying that I knew that it was a temporary device and would most likely need to be removed. I also have a "brochure" from BioEnterics, the company that manufactured the "LapBand" at that time that states that the band is a temporary device and would likely need to be removed. One of these days I need to scan the brochure, but people who don't want to be believe, won't believe me so I haven't bothered yet. I lived with that thing for 10 years and even with all the Fluid out I still had problems. The band sometimes mecanically fails (ie leak develops in the port or tubing), the port flips so it cannot be filled or unfilled - that sort of thing. What I experienced was more the terrible reflux, not being able to tolerate any fill after awhile, pouch dilation and eventually slippage. Since I was still fiercely hungry with the band, it was very very very difficult to eat the tiny portions needed to keep the pouch small and mine definately dialated. I have no idea why they no longer tell people that the device is temporary because history is proving my doc and the band manufacturer statements to be right. Of the people I knew 10 years ago that were banded (I was a full on Bandster, went to gatherings etc so I knew a big circle of banded people) - most of them have had some sort of complication that required band removal or replacement. And here is my snippy comment, the few that don't have problems seem to blame the issues on the patient, I feel that it helps them imagine it won't happen to them - at least that was how the Bandster culture was back when I was immersed in it.

You posted on the band to sleeve revision forum - I am thinking you will find alot more Oct sleevers on the main board.

Yeah! Congrats on that wonderful new body you have to match those brains!

Welcome to the site! So, I think this timing thing is tough. I had a lot of preop anxiety and once I decided to "do it" I just needed to make it happen soon. I had other reasons that I did it mid December. However, my "christmas brunch" was a cup of warm chocolate Protein drink...woo hoo. I was also very tired the first few months post op. Once you decide when to do the surgery, you need to realistically plan for several weeks (even a month or two) of being not quite yourself... and adjust your expectations about your daily life accordingly. Summer is my favorite season and must say I am really glad that I was 100 pounds lighter by summer!!!! Part of me would advise you to just DO IT and you will be glad, but I would have felt sad missing out on my summer pleasures recovering from surgery. January-February were great months for me to be feeling a little blah.

Great article, and I feel it is very applicable to "my sleeve experience" So, at about 7 months or so post op, I noticed my appetite returning. so lets me clear, sometime a few months post op when I got over the "head hunger" until that moment, I had very little interest in food. I could have probably not eaten all day and felt fine. I was fine with whatever because food didn't taste that great and I just didn't have "interest". I ate small quantities, several times aday but would forget meals too. What started changing about 7 or so months post op is that food started becoming more appealing. Like, my interest in it piped up, my taste buds decideded they liked food again. My surgeon's office and nutrtionalist both said - just keep portions small - whatever you do, keep portions small so you retain that feeling of restriction. I have tried very hard to comply with that, and am still losing weight, albeit slower. I do find tempting food, more tempting, I do find the urge to snack returning, that sort of thing. I don't diet and if I really did that I could probably get going faster