Hello, I'm Maria, I've moved to Bourbonnais, IL, an hour south of Chicago for a job in the new year. I don't know anyone here and I've already researched lapband. Thought it was decided til a friend mentioned she had a friend who got a sleeve. So, I decided to start looking into it! All stories, suggestions and advice welcome!! Having problems finding a doctor close by too, if anyone knows any it'd be much appreciated! Thanks & look forward to talking with all of you soon! ~Maria

This is totally my opinion. I love my sleeve. I had wanted a bypass but do to a Vitamin D Deficiency my doc recommended the sleeve. As an ED Nurse. I see several Lap band patients in the ED every week with issues, mostly pain and vomiting.I have not seen a 'sleever'. I know there are many factors involved. But based on what I saw it helped my decision to get the sleeve.

Hi Maria, I just had my sleeve done on tuesday the 17th of April. I am doing great. I have known some people who have had the band and have had nothing but issues. I didnt like the idea of somethin being inside me like that either and the weekly fills etc didnt appeal to me. so I decided on the sleeve. Less invasive than the bypass. I didnt want to be re routed.

I had my surgery at Alexian Brothers in Elk Grove. I see Dr. James Kane at the Kane center for Bariatric surgery. Great place, every one is so nice and they are well known. If you just google the Kane center you will see the web site. You first start out by going to an informational seminar where they talk about all three surgeries and show you a video of each surgery and then you can ask questions to the dr. Feel free to ask me any thing you want. I know its only been just two weeks buT ill do my best,

Thank you so much for the replies, I'm going Monday to have a my 1st Dr. visit with Dr. Sidney P. Rohrscheib of Illinois Bariatric Center. Going to try and soak in as much info as possible and see what would be best for me. I'm leaning towards the sleeve, as long as I can get it mostly covered by my BCBSIL, we shall see...more to come! Happy Cinco de Mayo! :-)