PART III
I made a post about my one year surgeon follow up appointment, and if you saw that you understand the type of education I have received - I feel like for the first time in my life I understand better why I was so obese and couldn't solve it on my own and more importantly, what I need to do to continue to "manage" the disease of obesity. All my life I was told my eating was due to emotional issues - turns out I was pretty much just hungry all the time.

PART II: I had two consultations and spent a lot more time thinking about it.... but then the main thing was to get that band out before it caused further damage. When that band came out, my hunger went sky high through the roof - which is hard to believe it could get worse! I gained weight ... I felt even more horrible... I almost felt like I didn't have a choice, I needed to be sleeved since I wouldn't do the rny. Anyway, bottom line sleeve has been like a miracle for me, but my dedication to success is beyond normal. My misery with being fat, unhealthy, unattractive and watching life go by me... well it was just off the charts. I was "over" food for any emotional reasons. My 10 years with the band really taught me alot of lessons, one of them being I do NOT want to fail again!

Anyway, I know this doesn't add much info. There have been a couple of amazingly successful revisionistas and they inspired and motivated me. None of them post anymore and now there is a newer batch of us - but you should know that not everyone is wildly successful. I have more advice about that, but bottom line is to start with an outstanding "program" - pi ck a surgeon on results!!! They are not all the same. I think it is more then the surgery, it is the whole program and follow up that they had that made the difference for me. I learned so much and more importantly, when I started to drift, I had a l ifeline. I never had any of that with the band, and it really really helps.

PART 1: Hi!
I have done GREAT with the sleeve. I am just over a year out, have lost 138 pounds (8 of that preop diet) and nearly at my goal. I should say that according to my doc, my results have been better then expected for a revision.

I was scared of a lot of things, but in the end, my fear was perma-reflux. That was hellish with the band and I too could not tolerate ANY fill after the first 18 months of being banded. That was the subject that end the end made me think the longest and hardest about whether I should be sleeved. So far has not been a problem AT ALL.

There are studies that show that reflux issues increase after 3 years of being sleeved, so I am aware that this is one of the possible long term complications.

The first surgeon I saw ruled out the sleeve for me because I had failed so miserably with the band AND because my BMI was over 50; not because of reflux concerns. I just couldn't wrap my head around the rny so had decided to not do surgery until I was educated by someone who told me that there was NO WAY any program could give me permanent results without a revision surgery. She sent me to surgeons who used to do a lot of bands and some Rny and now do a lot of sleeves - zero bands and few rny.