Band removed and thinking about having sleeve

Hi, I currently still have my band on,i have lost 39 kg and feel good about that BUT have had loads of trouble from end of August last year until start of Nov i had three ops endoscomy to see wot was going on i had a sac form so in they go again and put a new band on then i went 2 get a fill and my port had slipped over so in again to get that fixed grrr so only just getting fill put in now as he is taking it slow with me atm but the vomiting has started reflux again heart burn and the list goes on ,so my GP has refferered me to this top guy in Perth, all up last year i probably had 4 months of actually having any fill in and its really getting me down i havent put any weight on for 6 months BUT i havent lost anything either so my doc saiz in hind sight i should have had the sleeve done at the start !!!! Why Me im nervous about this op but i dont want to be fat either ,has any one else had this trouble???????I just want to get on with my life and be happy again...

loula wrote:

Hi All,

I am 6 days post op from having my band removed as it had eroded, i am thinking about having the sleeve done and wondered if anybody who is or has been in the same boat has any comments on this i am a little dubious about having more surgery but know i wont be able to get the weight off by myself, my surgern said that there is a 1/300 chance of something going wrong with a band but a 1/50 chance of something going wrong with the sleeve, please be honest i want to know if anybody has had any problems big or small with having a sleeve done after the band.

Thank you i look forward to hearing from you.

Hi there
Go and find some of my old posts....my band eroded last oct after 5 years of success. I had my sleeve done last wednesday with absolutely no regrets. After my removal which was far from pleasant I was really hesitant to go back for yet another Weight Loss Surgery, however after sharing my experience on here and reading stories etc and my realisation that I was going to head back where I started I decided to have the sleeve...I have had no problems so far...my doctor done thorough testing before surgery date to ensure my stomach was healed and give me the best chance of success...Something I have noticed since joining this forum in Oct or Nov I think I posted who out there had an eroded band...little reponses, I found a couple of old posts but tonight alone you are the second I have read about...it is obviously becoming more common.
I plan on starting my diary in the next couple of days and plan to start it from the very begining to now and the future beyond.
Feel free to message me or ask anything cause I know exactly what you are going through.....and one of the other reasons that I decided to have surgery was to stop the mental mind games....for 5 years I had not had that obession with the scales etc but those old ways were creeping back quickly I can tell you....I feel so much happier already knowing I have something to help me with the life long struggle....

Hi Huggybear,

thank you for your post the more i hear about the sleeve the more i am wanting it done.

Thanks again for replying

Loula
xxxxx

Hi Loula,

I had a band first (only for 6 months) and had it removed because I just hated it so, so, so much. I did lose weight but only because I became a full on vomiting machine. I had endless fills and unfills and I was always overfilled or had nothing in the band. It was vile.

So it was with much trepidation that I even THOUGHT about another weight loss surgery procedure. Particular one that is permanent. In the back of my mind I kept thinking 'what if it is as bad as the band and I'm stuck with it for life?'......it terrified me. But I was more scared of continuing to gain weight and my husband and little baby children having to bury me young.

All I can say is the sleeve rocks. It is absolutely everything I could have hoped for. I was sleeved 8 months ago and I have lost almost 20kg since I was sleeved (I wasn't all that big when I was sleeved - 105kg) as I had lost about 20kg through my bulimic inducing band! But it has been close to effortless so far. I guess I have tried to make healthier choices and I have exercise somewhat but there is no way I have put in the level of work that would normally be required to lose that amount of weight. I have only 9kg left to lose to hit my goal.

I eat absolutley anything but in small portions and I mean anything. I have consistently enjoyed small portions of chocolate, glasses of wine and champagne and anything else I feel like along the way.

My recovery from surgery was textbook perfect and the pain was minimal. And as soon as I woke up from the anesthetic after having the band removed I sobbed with relief that it was gone. I truly take my hat off to people who manage to perservere and live with a horrific band for years and years. And I do know that the band does seem to work for some people - just not me and I wouldn't reccommend it to ANYONE.

I wish you all the best and hope your sleeve surgery is as successful for you and it has been for me. Just keep reading, keep asking questions and one of us will always chime in!!!

xxxHuggyBear

Hi Jiggly,

Thank you sooooo much for replying to my post it is nice i am not alone in this and that others have been through the same thing as i am going through 33kgs hey that is fantastic i only ever lost 25 kg ith the band and that was all in the first 4-5 months then it stopped which is how tests came about and that it had eroded.

I have already found my surgeon he was the one who put my band in he is a fabulous surgeon just the stupid band went wrong nothing he did that made it go wrong.

Thanks again for your feedback it is much appreciated.

Loula
xx

Hi Loula,
I bet you are relieved to have the eroded band removed! I was in the same boat, had a band and now have a sleeve. The sleeve (to me) is everything the band wasn't. From what I have read, most issues post-band are when the sleeve is done at the same time the band is removed (in the same operation).

My advice is to research a good surgeon (check out the Surgeons thread on this board), take the time to think about your decision, read, read and read this forum and if you are ready.....go for it. The sleeve is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself, I lived in misery with a faulty band for 5 long years...what an idiot! I'm so glad I have a sleeve...33kg down so far (Sept 2010) and still losing.

The surgery may be statistically more 'risky' but living with a band is far more problematic that a properly done sleeve ever will be. I feel totally normal now, no protruding port, PB'ing or avoiding certain (most) foods. I went to dinner last night at a restaurant and ate whatever I wanted, just smaller amounts.

Ok, Im rambling now... I'm sure the others on here will mirror my story.

Best of luck with your decision.

Jiggly xx

Hi All,

I am 6 days post op from having my band removed as it had eroded, i am thinking about having the sleeve done and wondered if anybody who is or has been in the same boat has any comments on this i am a little dubious about having more surgery but know i wont be able to get the weight off by myself, my surgern said that there is a 1/300 chance of something going wrong with a band but a 1/50 chance of something going wrong with the sleeve, please be honest i want to know if anybody has had any problems big or small with having a sleeve done after the band.

Thank you i look forward to hearing from you.