Need the honest truth, what are the negatives about the sleeve that you wish would have known beforehand.

[asherje 81]

Omg it's so much better, even laying in pain in the hospital 24hr after surgery I could feel the difference! No more port pain (other than the incision to remove it lol) weird tight pressure in my chest was gone. Turned out that the band sutures came undone and the band had shifted causing lower esophageal dilation. Made it easier for him to remove it lol, unfortunately for me cause more extreme esophageal spasms for the first week and 1/2 which was debilitating.

I feel great now! I still chew chew chew to a liquid because I had to with the band but nothing gets stuck, I'm already used to drinking small amounts at a time. Difference with the band was it would funnel into the stomach, here it hurts like a b***h lol. Don't have PBing, don't have the disgusting feeling/sound/pain when I throw up. (I've been sick twice) yeah I slime every now and then, yeah I have dumping syndrome from certain food reactions. Know what I'll take it over the band hell.

[mmc720 2]

My only regret is not getting the sleeve in the first place! Not that it was an option in 2007 when I got the band.

I don't miss worrying every time I ate that it wouldn't "work" and I'd end up sliming and vomiting for hours after eating just a few bites. Or going out to eat with friends and worrying that I'd have to rush to the restroom to vomit.

I don't know if I'm just lucky or what but I haven't found anything that I can't eat or that my sleeve won't tolerate. I eat normal foods, just a lot less. If I feel like having a Peanut Butter sandwich, I can have it. It will only be half of one or less but I don't have to worry that I'll be sick.

I have only vomited once and it was from eating too much and too fast. And it wasn't hours and hours of vomiting like with the band. I vomited a tiny bit once and it was done. Lesson learned.

I can't guzzle Water but then again I couldn't with the band either. So no difference there for me.

I LOVE that I am able to take pills now and not worry they'll get stuck. I take huge Vitamins and they go down with no problem. I had become Vitamin deficient with the band from all the vomiting not being able to eat a normal diet. I just went yesterday for my 3 month checkup after sleeve surgery and my doctor said my bloodwork came back "perfect". It was a huge relief.

I didn't realize how "normal" I would feel now. I can't eat much at all and yeah, sometimes that gets attention I don't really want, but I eat normal foods without getting stuck and I can just sit through a meal with friends or family and enjoy the conversation and not worry or have everybody freak out if I have to quickly head to the restroom to vomit like I used to. My stomach doesn't make the crazy noises anymore like it did with the band. All the gurgling and loud noises it made as the food slowly drained into my stomach.

I'm happy and better yet, healthy now.

[mmc720 2]

Oh and I forgot one more thing. No more fills and unfills. I went for a one week checkup, a 1 month checkup and now a 3 month checkup. I don't go back until one year. I'm not in and out of the doctor's office getting fills put in and getting too tight and going back to get some out. I'm not having to have a fluoroscope done. I'm living my life and eating better and besides eating a way smaller amount, I'm forgetting I even had surgery. I feel like a better version of myself and I'm getting better (and slimmer!) each day.