i dont really consider my band a failure

hi i was banded in march 2008, i did pretty well, started out at 254 and when i developed a slip of my band i weighed 183 lbs. in june 2010 i was revised to a sleeve and today i weigh between 148 and 152 lbs. while i did develop a complication, i do not consider it a failure

 
I don't think I understand.  How do you figure that having a slip and needing to revise to another surgery type to get to goal and maintain isn't a failure?  Most people want to keep their surgery type forever.

yes i guess that is true, but i knew before surgery that was a potential complication and even with the sleeve im still not at a normal weight. i will agree that it is nice not to have a port inside me and i do admit that after having the band i think the sleeve was much easier. and the sleeve does help with the hunger better than the band.

saying all this i will admit had i been offered the sleeve initially, i would not have chosen that as i prob would not have wanted to take on the extra risk of developing a leak. I know of someone who did develop a leak and was very very ill. but now i am happy to have a sleeve

No, wait. With a band you stand a greater chance of erosion and a leak than you do with a sleeve. Your risk with a sleeve has fewer chances of a leak than with banding.

I think I still don't get it.

I believe Allergan's advertising is at work again. :o(

It's that pesky advertising again! I swear, I was brainwashed to think the band was some sort of  weight loss messiah for the longest time. Even when it was killing me, I was like, "Oh, I'm sorry. I must be doing something wrong to make you hurt me so badly." It was like a codependent relationship! I should have been on Jerry Springer! 

 
I want to sell a crappy product and I want Allergan's advertising company and I want to be protected against lawsuits and I want to make lottsa money, too!

I'll be onboard with that! 
It's really quite amazing, if you think about it. They sell a product that the public BELIEVES to be the "safest" option... in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary... and yet, they're allowed to keep on saying it's true... much to the detriment of the patient.

I guess it's one of those Buyer Beware kinds of things. Like hot dogs and compact cars.

well where i live they are just starting to do the sleeve, i was one of the first ones. for me, the sleeve just seemed more drastic, while i now admit i think the sleeve was much easier

I'm really happy for you that you were able to revise!

Please don't take my message to WasA as an insult to you. That's not what I meant... but in reading it, I can see how it might have looked that way. I was talking about myself only, of course!

Best of luck to you. I wish you great success!

I work with the pharma and medical sales reps and when I told a J&J rep that I was having my band removed and revising to the sleeve, he told me he was glad that i was and admitted that he has a hard time selling his Band because he believes that it's not a good product but he's expected to make the doctors and patients keep drinking the kool aid and thinking it's a miracle cure! I cannot wait to get my band out and get sleeved!