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I'll be honest with you, I won't sugar coat a thing..... Your what I call a big loser.... What I mean by that is you have over 150 lbs to lose. I'm a super loser with over 230 lbs to lose........ Now I loved my band at first but once I had good a fill with restriction I lost weight nice but not fast..... Then pop, wham had my first set of problems with the first bite attach is what I called it..... When I ate the first small bite of anything even chewed up and was a very small bite it would get stuck at the very top of my band...... The meal was over for me until it passed after hours.... I was hungry and could not eat a thing.... Went in for an unfill and that's when it all started... fill, unfill and so on until the weight started to come back on lsow but sure. We never could correct the problem........ I never got back to that perfect fill after 8 months of trying.... The sleeve does remove 85% of your stomach but I'm eating. I can eat just like a normal person with out over doing it anymore.... This was everything the band was suppose to do with out all the drama.... If I had the option back when the Band was placed I would have gone with the Sleeve the first time around...... Without blinking an eye...... I say that with all my heart.... I do not for a second regret doing the sleeve...I'm free of the food over load I lived with my whole life....... Take a look on ObesityHelp.com and go into the vertical sleeve section and read some of the results and the revision stories..... You have the power to choose....... Don't be afraid to remove your large unneeded extra stomach........ We big losers have created such large tummies we need to eat so much to fill them to be happy......Now I'm happy eating my small portions and don't feel I'm missing out on anything. The sleeve gives you room to eat yet not to over eat like we did to stay obese........... You ever want to talk I'll be more than happy to help in any way I can...... Cynthia Support meeting this month Thurs. 3/17/11 in the doctors cafe. @ 6:30 I'll be there and so will others who can help......

I know what you mean..... I had my troubles too..... Were you offered the Sleeve? If so jump at this chance to to revised...... Insurance paid for my revistion I have Independent Health and only amount out of pocket was $250.00 for hospital stay...... I'm telling you this is the most troubless way to go and the weight is just melting off..... Even tho we had the band and we had our so called honey moon phase this jump starts the loss and all you need to do is measure your portions out and eat....... No more first bit stuck, fill, unfill... and you know the drill of what can happen with the band.... I loved my band for the first 18 months with over 100 lost but once I had my first probelm it was hell ever since......... quote name='RAINWI' timestamp='1299787552' post='1584536'] Cynthia, Glad to hear you doing great. Im jealous :wink3:. This band is so fickle and hard to manage. I cant seem to drop any weight!

Hey yeah were all doing great.... I'm down over 50 in just five months so I'm doing awesome. This sleeve is the best thing I've ever done...... It's so much different feeling than the Band. You should come to this months support meeting - It's going to be on Thurs. March 17th A bunch of us Sleevers get together and go out, trying to do it once a month, you're welcome to join us. Cynthia

Hi All just wanted to hop in.... I'm such a in and out girl on this board so just wanted to chime in a bit. I'm 5 weeks out from my Sleeve and have lost 36 lbs. I'm just in shock at how easy and wonderful I feel and doing since my new surgery. Yes, the sleeve is everyting the band was suppose to be after 2 years. I did good with the band but some how it just turned on me after the two year mark. I started to get that first bite shock, you know you take a bite and it just stays on the top on the ring and stays there blocking not allowing anything else for atleast 20 minutes (fustrating knowing everyone else is eatting and your starving). Others problems too. I was a good band mate too.. Did everything the way I was directed. Lost 113 lbs.... So now I'm at 149 lbs lost total as of today. Now I have alot more to go since I started in the 400 range.... But I should be there by summer time... I'm a non bullsh!t type person...... I will not sugar coat anything about it but the best thing ever was the doctor suggesting the sleeve so don't let this opertunity to pass. Take the offer and GO FOR IT...... You will not reget it....... Knowing that my restriction won't change, have to wait for fills to give me restriction, having that stuck feeling, panic if I need to be unfilled for the 100th time after hours, is so worth it...... I have not had one moment of hunger since I was 10 days post OP once you start mushies and all the Grelin is out of your system it's like a huge demon off my fat back......... This is like not going as huge as RNY and the awesome benefits of the band with out all the extra visits and maintence. I have no worries anymore of what's going to happen anytime the time bomb the band was going to throw at me...... This is just my own feelings so everyone should take a deep breath and weigh out the pros and cons and make the best choice for them selfs. Anyone wanting to talk to me are so very much welcome to do so..... I will answer any questions. Help in any way I can. If you want even ask Dr. Hoffman about me he has me talking to some of his patients about my new found love (the Sleeve).

Hi Guys sorry I have not been on for awhile..... Just wanted to talk I had a Sleeve done Oct. 4th and I'm down 4 weeks later 28lbs..... Loving this new surgery. I went in Sept. for another unfill due to too tight once more after weeks of small fills. I battled the fill Bull@$*! too long and Dr. H looked at me and said let's do a Sleeve on you ASAP. I looked at him and said how soon can it be done.... With-in two days my ins approved me and I set the date two weeks later.... How's that for service... LOL...... Now you all know I was banded 12/17/07 and lost over 100lbs. Now that I'm Sleeved it's so much easier than the band was. So if anyone is out longer than two years and have stalled or having any trouble I so recommend the Sleeve to fix the problems. I found my recovery much easier than my band...... I feel great and have such control what I eat...... I'm so happy I did it.

Hey Guys, Yeah the symptoms I'm having now is at times I get this little twinkle of pain at the band site (upper) it's not when I eat or drink just all the time. I'm eating food and it does goes through but I'm eating light and softer foods. No gain but I fear that yet I know healing right now is the best thought process at this time. I guess everyone is different and and a good fill for one is an over fill for another. I know I could eat less yet I was eating a varity of foods yet at about three days before my unfill I noticed food just didn't settle right I dropped some solid proteins and just thought I had a tight band and it would settle - I could drink fine, eat softer foods so being to tight never entered my mind. I belive I caught it just in the nic of time when it first started - So I'll just heal it up and start over again...... So fingers crossed at this point.

Hey guys I'm back - Was out on vacation and doing all the stuff for my son's high school graduation & Party. Well I had to have an emergency complete unfill Friday June 25th the morning of my son's graduation - I was told I have a prolapsed band - I was really in great pain the morning I woke up on June 25th. It was right in the middle of my breat bone right at the top of where my band ring starts - it to me felt like labor pains I would breath and get a sharp slow releasing pain, after a minute or two start all over again with no releaf until I was unfilled. Kim was a sweetheart in the office - I called and they took me as soon as I walked in the door. I'm still having some pain and other complications I go in Tue. for more testing etc..... So here we go the start of my troubles now. I was filled two weeks before this happened to return just two hours later for an unfill - yet I was told I must have been over filled and it caused by prolapsed situation. Val- Help!!what should I expect and what was your signs and others pains when you had this happen to you?

Don't worry all I wanted to do was relax and get healed. I just took small doses of pain meds and sipped what I could take in as directed by my doctors diet plan. I never needed gas-x or anything else. Just as long as you have someone with you to help -your going to be fine in a short time. Perhaps a few days. I took very little with me to the hospital - I wore the same large loose clothes there as the same as I went home. I used the hospital gown. Take a change of underwear, slip on shoes/slippers, something to read, hair brush, tooth brush/paste, lip balm. I didn't need make-up or any other crap. Just very simple basics since it's only over night. Oh if you have a C-Pap machine for sleep apnea make sure to bring it - My hospital required it for the over night stay even though I never used it. I was on oxygen after surgery (not sure why - no problems). Check with your surgeons office staff to be sure what is required for tis machine.

No way..... I had a few things to drink, eat and oh course Protein shakes. You should have your pain meds on hand - get a script before surgery and have it filled ahead of time. I really didn't need a whole lot. If you have someone wh can run for you I wouldn't get that much since they can get it for you in case it's needed at the drug store. Don't waste your money and time. I did have sugar free Jello, crystal light, Protein Shakes, pudding cups, pain meds..... I could hardly eat or drink anything the first 3-4 days home - only small sips every few minutes after awhile you get bored - it's slow going and I really didn't want anything. Just rest and planning the future skinny me in mind. Oh don't forget a few bandage supplies don't need anything but gause, tape and larger bandages.

I know..... It's really working and I'm so darn happy. Yippee.... Your stats look awesome we have about the same amount to go to our goals..... Were gonna do it gurl....

Oh yeah and holly crab.. LOL I'm now in the 200's hit another milestone - So now I'm just about half way to my goal of losing 240 + lbs...... Yipee!!