Did FOREVER scare you?

I know having my lap band has really altered my perception of pre op. When I was pre op for band, I was full of optimism. I am very excited about the sleeve also, but I am unable to grasp the same amount of enthuism I had pre band. Having horrible complications with the band caused me to suffer as much emotionally as much as it did physically (If not more). I guess my biggest fear is that the sleeve is FOREVER, and if I suffer, I will have no reprieve. Has anyone else had this fear? If so, how are you post op? I know I am needy, but I want to leave no stone unturned!

Thanks,

CJ

I am so sorry to hear you had such a hard time with the lap band. I have heard many horror stories of the lap band, and scar tissue, and slipping, and inconsistency from one day to the next. I have heard only a very few stories of people with the sleeve having a hard time.

I am 2.5 years post op, and I've lost 225 pounds, going from 385 to 160, a BMI of 60 to 24. I've been maintaining within a few pounds of goal for over a year. I love my sleeve and I have had zero complications. My surgery was uneventful. I had little pain, no nausea (thanks to the strong anti-nausea meds I requested) and went home from the hospital a day early because I was doing so well.

The process of getting accustomed to my new tummy was not fun, but not terrible. It took me 6 or 7 months until I felt like I had reached a "new normal" such that I could imagine eating this way for the rest of my life. but I did get there, and I am delighted with my sleeve.

Of course there are no guarantees, but I encourage you to be hopeful. My sleeve saved my life!

I like to emphasize that it doesn't make it easy. I could easily over-eat my sleeve and gain weight fast. It takes a long-term commitment to careful eating. But the sleeve makes it possible - not easy, but possible.

best of luck in your weight loss journey.

Carol

One of the things that everyone seems to like about the band, or at least the theory behind the band, is that it's reversible. That turned out to be a good thing, because it seems like a huge number of people needed to have them reverses.

Permanent is good. There is no going back. Permanent surgery. Permanent lifestyle changes. Permanent is your friend.

It never really scared me because I figured that I'd suffer permanently being SMO without the surgery. But that my "forever" without the surgery was going to be significantly shorter than my "forever" with the surgery.

Petrified.

I just converted from the lap band to the sleeve 5 days ago. I am still concerned about its permanency, but there is no going back now. I am excited about the weight loss and excited/nervous about the lifestyle change. Obviously what I was doing before wasn't working, so a drastic change was needed. Good luck.

EJ

Having a Lap Band changes a person...not for the good!!!! I know you know what I am talking about. I would starve, but food would get stuck. I could only eat slider foods, and they didn't fill me up. I can't stand the thought of that being my permanent situation. I want satiety and hunger control without pain and anxiety.

CJ

I meant to add one more thing to my post. While I was nervous about the permanency of the sleeve, it wasn't like I was making a new decision about bariatric surgery. I had already made that decision in 2007. I was going to need another surgery regardless. The band had to come out. So the question was, do I want to take the band out and try to do it on my own, which I had proven did not work. Where maybe I would have some success and then keep going on that yoyo as I got older and the comorbidities set in. Or, did I want to do this conversion which seems to be so successful for so many. It really ended up being an easy decision. But still scary.

EJ

I hear you on that! It's hard to explain to someone that you can't eat and they look at you and wonder, then why are you still fat? Exactly what you said...the slider foods usually go down without problems. I think my sweet addiction got worse with the band because I can't eat fruit or anything healthier without gagging on it.

I'm with you on the sleeve and it being forever. It's scary, but I have to do something. The band isn't my friend anymore.

Good Luck...we'll be OK!

YES we will be better than okay!!!!!! I know the sleeve will take some getting used to, but I think the consistency that it appears to have will make the transition fairly easy. My band almost caused me to have a nervous breakdown. I mean that 100%.....it was a horrible decision!

CJ

YES YES YES!!!