WASaBubbleButt

It feels exactly like it did before I ever had WLS to begin with, I just get full faster now. I was one that "full" felt different with a band. I think most experience the same, banded folks complain that they don't get full yet they PB because they ate too much. They are looking for the old full feeling and it's gone. They do feel something, it just feels different with a band. I was starting to forget what full used to feel like until I was sleeved. Now it's back to the same way it used to be. I can eat one egg or 1/4 sandwich. I can eat 4-5oz of soft Proteins like refried Beans, lentils, etc. One thing I like about the sleeve, there is no stoma. Things don't get stuck. I like that.

There is a lot of camaraderie between sleeve sisters and brothers when you meet at the hospital. I still keep in touch with my sleeve sister. She's in AZ too. My sleeve brother... well, he was kinda weird. Kept picking imaginary things out of the fingers of staff and patients. He was cleaning our auras. I'm telling you, the dude was weird. But my sleeve sister, she's great. We are pretty close today.

I think one of the things that you will find is that when people have been newly banded they love it, the scale is moving. After they have been banded 1-2 years the thrill of losing weight is not as intense and the problems are kicking in.

Don't forget to have him unlock your band (vs. cutting it off) and save it for you. We can all have a band burning party. ;o) Okay, so they don't burn, I tried. But we can still find a way to kill them so they don't spread their evil to others!

That guy has a few videos up but I haven't watched any others.

4 down, a few more to go! LOL

Yes, kinda. It did a real job on my esophagus and I may have that damage forever. I think the sleeve is a safer option.

I was able to take capsules (small) about 2 weeks after surgery, others can't take them for a couple of months or so. Fiber... I eat a ton of veggies so fiber is not a problem at all. The only tablets that I have found that I don't care for are Calcium tablets. I can take the capsules with no problem but calcium tablets are harder, they feel like little rocks in my stomach.

Not sure, it's Easter weekend and that's going to make it rough but we can try.

You probably will only be able to eat 3 bites when you start on solids but eventually you'll be able to eat your whole 2oz of solid protein! HA

I agree with you. I think the cycle of banding is coming to an end. First they tried the mesh band and that didn't work. Then they tried a non adjustable band and that didn't work. Then they tried the small adjustable band and problems such as erosion, slips, reflux, spasms, esophageal damage continued to increase. Now they are trying the larger adjustable band and problems are still on the rise, it didn't work. A few years ago people wanted bands and bypass. Today they want sleeves and DS. I agree that bands will be a thing of the past. I'm still trying to find just 5 people banded 10 years or longer with an adjustable band. In 2.5 years I haven't met one yet. ( We hear about all these people, we are told about them, Inamed has been selling adjustable bands for 18 years now. So where are all these old timer banded people?

I'm sorry you are having so many problems with your band, it sounds all too familiar. I really think you'll like the sleeve. Great restriction, no maintenance, the works. I also like your choice of surgeons. ;o) I think you'll find that Dr. Aceves makes small, tight sleeves. I can eat 2oz of solid Protein - tops. I can eat about 4-5oz of soft foods. You already eat a quality diet so now you'll just eat less. I like bread too, that's what got me fat. You just can't eat much bread with a sleeve but unlike a band if you do eat it you don't get stuck. You are merely limited in quantity. Severely limited! I LOVE having a sleeve, HATED being banded. I think you'll find yourself saying the same thing in a year.

Congrats on getting sleeved! I hope you continue to like it. I sure do. I am sitting here sharing my burger with the dog. Isn't it weird? A 12# Shih Tzu eats more than I do! ;o)

We already do that, we just haven't done it in awhile. We have about 50 people on the list. I've been getting emails lately asking when we will meet again so I need to get started on it. It never hurts to have more than one group.

I had no health issues, it was pure vanity. I was tired of being fat and I couldn't do it on my own.

Right, it's a conspiracy against all of Inamed and that is why I post. ;o) Now com'on.. you have to admit your question is odd. I offer a lot of band information, not sure why you suggest that I some weird intentions. I've been here for two years or so, I'm not likely leaving anytime soon as I have a lot of friends here. I don't go into a lot of detail about sleeves on regular band threads unless someone asks or if there is a person that already knows aftercare if going to be an issue. If you'll notice there is a sleeve section in this forum as well as a bypass section.. The forum is not limited to banded folks only. This board is not for bands only. This is an erosion thread. Usually after an erosion the doctors will not reband those folks. They are likely to erode again. Should I not tell them their options? Most people think they have a choice of band or bypass. Most people who get banded do so because they don't want bypass. Are you suggesting that those of us revising to a sleeve not tell anyone? There are quite a few of us, more and more daily. Why shouldn't I have it in my sig? Should I pretend I'm still banded? You really are picking here looking for any little thing you can jump on. If I just post and people know I am at goal should I let them assume I am banded? Is that something you believe is a better option? Yeah, my real intention is to gain converts. I get brownie points from God for gaining converts. Are you reading what you are writing? Why don't you explain how it benefits me if someone gets a sleeve, band, or revises from a band to sleeve? How does this improve the quality of my life? Since I wasn't aware that letting people know their options was a plus for me personally, perhaps you can explain this to me? How do I know I will stay at goal with a sleeve? How do you know you'll stay at goal with a band? I know that odds are I stand a better chance than banded people do just from stats. I know that I do not struggle to maintain my current weight. I know that I have completely and totally changed my eating habits. None of us regardless of surgery type has a written guarantee that we will reach goal or stay there. We all have to find the right surgery type for us. I find value in people knowing ALL their options, don't you? Nope, the sleeve is not adjustable like banding. But I am not sure you understand why this is not necessary. There is a valve at the bottom of your stomach and that valve controls how fast your stomach empties. The lap band basically attempts to do what the valve does naturally, just higher up in your stomach. Your use a band for this, I use my pyloric valve for this, thus I don't need adjustable. When you get adjustments you are basically trying to make the band do what your pyloric valve does anyway thus, I have no need to adjust my pyloric valve. If for some reason I fail the sleeve, and I don't see that as a problem today but none of us knows what tomorrow will bring, I can revise to bypass or DS. If someone feels restriction alone is not working sleeved people have the same options for revision as banded folks. When I was banded there were no long term US stats on banding or sleeves. Those came out recently. Had I known then what I know now I would never have gotten a band. If I can prevent someone else from getting revision surgery... damn straight I'm going to. It's riskier to have a revision, it is expensive, and the more options people have the better. I will continue telling people of their options and that is just something that isn't going to change, sorry but it's not.

I have another "How to Research a Mexican SLEEVE Surgeon" that I sent to Alex, I don't know if he has posted it or not, if he has it's in the Mag section. Or, if you want to email me I'll forward you a copy. There are many different questions to ask for a sleeve vs. a band when researching. Even though it's for Mexican surgeons it will work quite well with US surgeons as well. Issues such as leak tests, barium vs. Gastrograffin, those things you need to know before surgery. Someone here who spells a LOT better than I do did the editing. ;o)

People are free to find those who have been banded 10+ years or longer. If they can find those people, all the power to them.

Sadly, I've never been able to find and contact anyone who has HAD a band for 10 years. :smile:(

In my heart I could never suggest the band to anyone except a failed bypass person. Their anatomy seems to work better with a band. Per Inamed people are keeping off about 55-60% of their excess weight at five years. Those are not great stats. Combine that with the 30-50% of people that have to have a reoperation before their first 5 years are up to fix ports, slips, remove the band due to erosion, etc., you'll have to figure in those costs as well. The sleeve has slightly more surgical risk but long term the potential risks and complications are 1/10th what they are with a band. The weight loss with a sleeve is better, it's faster, no aftercare, no maintenance, few long term risks, it's easier (I've had both, I know heh...) to lose weight, it's just 100x better all the way around.

Hey Elisabeth.... congrats on the decision! Sleeves are sooo much easier than banding, you'll see. If you have to switch teams, it's good to see you on this team! OregonDaisy: Thanks!

Wow, I am shocked at how many times in a 24 hour period of time you can be so wrong. You just don't give up. No, I do not work in Mexico, I work in home health in the US. No, my husband does not work in MX either, he is a psychiatrist. If you'd really like to look foolish one of the mods and I are friends in real time. She's met me, she's was aware of my band problems as they existed, she was aware of my revision to a sleeve before it was announced, she's seen my scars, she knows pretty much everything about me. I'll call her over. Heh... looking above she has already responded to you. OregonDaisy. Why don't you pose your questions to her regarding me. Are you familiar with internet privacy? People know me, my real time name, my personal contact info, etc. as I permit them to have that info. It's kinda stupid to give up internet privacy.

No, I am the one that has repeatedly written on various boards that people should be very careful about where they are going in MX. I have written countless times that certain parts of MX are quite dangerous and to be careful about location. Care to try again? Stating my experiences with the band is not defensive or abrasive, it's called honesty, a concept I do not believe you are familiar. Heh.. do you realize you are putting words in my mouth that I have never uttered and basing your opinions about me on your own words. ;o) Do you have the slightest idea how silly you appear right now? I'm sorry, I'm laughing right now, you flat out claim you are just sure how I will reply and based on THAT I am anti-American? Are you serious? I have stated the same thing for years. There are good and bad doctors in every country. Are you of the opinion if someone is Mexican they are a complete dolt? Some was the band, not much. I was unfilled or underfilled my banded life. I exercise my butt off, literally. I did 1-2 hours of hard cardio daily, I kept calories at 600 daily. I ran a minimum of 7 miles daily. How much of that is the band? I do post the same info, have you followed message boards much? The same questions are asked repeatedly. I have news for you. We ALL want tools. There is no surgery that is a quick fix. Sleeves are restrictive EXACTLY like a band is restrictive. No more and no less... other than sleeves have far better stats. A bypass is not a quick fix. There is no surgery type that allows you to eat processed carbs and you won't gain weight. Get off that high horse, we all struggle with the same weight issues. You are no exception or you wouldn't have had surgery. Do you have the slighest idea what section of LBT you are posting? Lady, you have guts to come to a section where people have band problems, erosions, slips, band intolerance and then sit there telling us we are angry. I'll bet you a cyberdollar you'll be here or somewhere within the next few years complaining of slips, erosion, something.

Hi Karey... I just responded to your PM with a novel. ;o) I'm sorry about your slip, it seems to happen a lot. :ohmy:( Get a sleeve, it's wonderful. If you are good to go with restriction only a sleeve is fantastic. Since you are at goal you obviously do well with restriction alone. I think from what you have told me that you will like the sleeve. It is 1000000x easier than banding!