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I think it depends on the policy your employer agreed to. I have BCBS PPO and live in Texas. I worked 1:1 with the doctor's office staff whose job it is to check your coverage and handle the prior authorization part. I found it easy. My advice: If you're in the research phase, check your policy. It can seem intimidating, but you may find what you're looking for by doing a word search for bariatric or weight-loss. Also, a lot of bariatric surgeons offer a free consult. Find one, and get a consult. I can guarantee that they'll have staff on hand to decipher your policy so that you can make a better informed decision.

I've been a nurse for 25 years and yes, if you focus on all the dark side issues of surgery and healthcare, you could freak yourself out. I spent almost 2 years deciding if the sleeve was right for me, not in the sense of "what could go wrong", but more along the lines of "can I live with the fact that most of my stomach will be gone" and all that comes with that condition. As someone said above, in this circumstance, you are the patient not a nurse. A patient with a little extra insight, but a patient just the same. Do your due diligence and make the best decision for you. Once you do, you'll be more equipped to ask questions and prepare yourself.

The gas you're experiencing is probably not in your gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, there's nothing to burp. The gas is likely surgical gas that was used to inflate your abdominal cavity in order to perform the surgery. Walking and incentive spirometry help your body dissipate this gas. Tums will not help. Gas-x will not help. Only time and activity. Other things that help: heating pad and massage. This is kind of the process. It will pass.

Totally normal to have some of these questions and fears. I remember crying as they were strapping me to the surgical table and putting the mask over my face! I just kept reminding myself that I did not make this decision lightly. Most of the concerns you're mentioning can be prevented, are temporary if they can't be prevented, or can be managed. And I certainly wouldn't consider reduced stomach size a disability.

My hair loss really picked up at the 3 month mark and slowed down at just a little over 6 months. But really, everyone is different.

When I was right about the same number of weeks/months as you, I had something exactly like you describe. If I ate too fast, at too much, didn't chew well enough, it felt like my food was stuck. The best way I can describe it was that it felt like I needed to burp, but couldn't. If I managed to burp, it had chunks in it or slimy foam (sorry for the graphic visual). I had 1 VERY embarrassing episode of this when I was visiting friends. I was miserable and nothing helped resolve the discomfort. I kept a tissue to help catch the slime and even considered just getting it over with by vomiting. I didn't, but just when I thought it was gone, I got a mouthful of foam mid-sentence. The good news is, at nearly 7 months post op, I don't get it too much anymore. Aside from learning how to eat slowly and chew well, I have learned to know my body's "stop" signals. I know when it's time not to eat anymore or risk the consequences. I also theorize that not only is this related to my behavior, but my anatomy is now healed. Post op swelling is gone and my body is settling into it's new "norm". So, be patient. This will likely pass. (PS-I'd say that I usually finish my meals before my husband or my friends. There's no 2 or 3 bites then them sitting there waiting for me to finish. It's usually the opposite.)

I can't say that I had a full on regret, even in the immediate post-op recovery period that was nothing like anybody else's descriptions. However, I do have occasional flashes where I kind of mourn the loss of eating as my coping mechanism/source of joy. That's not to say that I regret by any means and honestly, isn't that what I signed up for? Someone else quoted that remorse comes from indecision. I agree and I believe that's at the very heart of this. This isn't my first rodeo into bariatric surgery. I had lap band in 2005, which was for the most part successful, but had to have it out due to complications. I lived without the band until I returned to some pretty bad habits and gained all of my weight back. It took me almost 2 years to decide if I wanted to go with another bariatric surgery, but once I decided, that was it. I reached a point where I admitted that I just didn't have the tools to go it alone. I committed to the surgery and I no longer considered alternatives. That's my story, but it is very common for bariatric surgery patients to experience regret. And I can't say it any better than @Missouri-Lee's Summit. She totally hit the nail on the head.

In my first few weeks, I took Milk of Magnesia to get things moving. Since that time, I regularly take a fiber supplement and that seems to keep me regular, but if I find that my body needs a little help, I just take a bisacodyl (dulcolax). I've tried the smooth move tea and it's quite effective. However, I hate the taste and it makes the BM smell (really bad). *As this is my 2nd time around with bariatric surgery, I used Miralax a lot when I was banded and it helped, but I haven't really needed it much with the sleeve.

I can eat about half of a restaurant sized cheese enchilada with a couple bites of rice and beans. I just pack it up and take the rest home to enjoy later. Just a tip on other enchiladas: we make a lot of Tex-Mex at our house and I can eat about a half of just about any type of enchilada. I always try to leave some room for the sides because I love them, even though I might only get a couple bites in.

I guess I'll come back at you with the question, "why wouldn't you be able to do that?" Protein shakes can get quite boring if you don't do something to jazz them up now and again. And I totally get you about the texture thing. That's why I stopped drinking Premier Protein Shakes. I just couldn't take that artificially thickened quality. I'm not routinely drinking protein shakes at this point, but I always keep some on hand. A staple in my pantry is Unjury Vanilla. I can do so much with it. My favorites: vanilla with a half a banana for a banana shake or Vanilla, half banana, and a tbsp peanut butter (I call it the Elvis Shake).

Thanks @wanda247! I'm sure I'll eventually get there, but right now it feels like the salad fills me up and takes away room from my protein.

This blows my mind! I can only eat about 3 or 4 bites of salad, so I've stayed away from them unless I'm really craving salad.

It's unlikely that any amount of supplements or dietary measures would prevent Tellogen Effluvium. It's caused by a sort of shock to the body (surgery can cause alone, plus you've had a big nutritional shift). I started losing hair at about 3 months out. It got so bad last month that you could see my scalp through the thinning hair and I had to cut most of my length off (think, medium bob). At a little over 6 months out, I'm noticing that the hairloss has significantly slowed and I have some new growth around my hairline. It's not thick or full by any means, but the worst seems to be over. Everyone is a little different, but there's hope. It will stop.

And this is exactly why I was very selective in who I have told about my surgery. I didn't need negative, judgmental people in my life. I have enough trouble dealing with my own, negative self-talk.

I also had a history of reflux before sleeve surgery. At about 3 weeks, I started getting heartburn and I noticed that I was waking up with sore throat all the time (sign of nighttime reflux). I started taking Nexium (or generic equivalent) and most symptoms went away. Biggest intervention for me was that I started sleeping on an inclined bed. Google Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT). It made a HUGE difference to the point where I will likely try to wean off of the Nexium. Highly recommend IBT.

I've tried some of the flavor enhancers, like: Mio, Stir, and crystal light. But, I found them to either be too strong or have a weird sugar substitute after-taste. Right now, I'm totally hooked on Hint water. It's a little pricey, but I can usually re-fill the bottle 2 or 3 times and still have a "hint" of flavor (pardon the pun). My favorites are cherry and apple, but they also have watermelon, pineapple, blackberry. I buy them at Target only because they have the most variety, but I've also seen them at some of our local grocery stores. Here's a website www.drinkhint.com If I'm out and about or out of Hint, I'll make my own water infusions. I just slice up lemon or orange. I've also sliced up strawberries or cucumbers and had that. I've never been one to like flavored drinks like Kool-aid or Crystal Light, so these lighter versions of infused water are more to my taste. I tend to drink a lot of tea, but not black tea (Lipton is black tea). I drink green teas, herbal teas, specialty teas, and blends. I NEVER sweeten them unless I'm sick an need some honey for medicinal purposes.

Totally with you there @Seahawks Fan I've been at or around 230 now for about 6 weeks. It's frustrating. I have a theory, not sure if it's founded in any scientific fact, but here goes. In my pre-op period where I was putting things together for insurance approval, I noticed a trend. I have a "set-point". Any time I've dieted and gained, 230 seems to be where I land. I've been below 230 and I've certainly had my fair share above 230, but 230 is documented everywhere in my weight struggles. So, I believe that we all have a kind of set-point where the body tends towards. I have a friend who has also noticed this about herself. When I approached 230 in my journey this time around, I knew that I would have to work harder to get past it. It makes the stall a little easier to accept, but no less frustrating. Hang in there! Eventually you're body will get the hint and move along. Oh, and congrats on weight loss so far. Quite an accomplishment!

I LOVE this visual! It's a great reality check. When I saw my doctor after having lost 50 lbs, he said "you just lost a 50lb bag of dog food. How do you feel?" It was not to compare my fat to dog food, but rather to give me a visual to consider how far I'd come. I keep that visual in my head whenever I worry that I'm not making any progress and it helps, A LOT.

Not to make your decision any more confusing, but there are actually recent studies (I saw it posted on BariatricPal, but can't find it now) that say there is no direct correlation between sleeve and increased incidence of GERD. Whether or not someone develops or experienced increased GERD from sleeve seems entirely on a case by case basis. Example: My friend who encouraged me to have sleeve had GERD so bad she developed Barrett's esophagus. Hasn't had one instance of GERD since sleeve surgery. Me, I had what my doctor felt was "situational" GERD, which means that I had it because of my diet and overall obesity. I had sleeve, but about 3 weeks in I started getting heartburn and nighttime reflux. It is managed now, but I suppose it could easily be a problem if I wasn't pretty diligent with management and prevention (medications and lifestyle). In terms of dumping, not all bypass patients experience dumping AND there are some recent mentions of dumping in a sleeved patient. I've had dumping because I ate something very out of the norm for my diet and my body just decided it didn't like the extreme. That can happen to ANYONE, regardless of whether they're a bariatric patient or not. Plus, while we like to tout dumping syndrome as a deterrent to specific behaviors, I'm not sure I'd agree that it will stop you from eating things you shouldn't. That's entirely up to you. Then, there are the statistics with how much weight you can expect to lose. On average a bypass patient can expect to lose about 70% of their excess weight, whereas a sleeved patient will lose about 60% of their excess weight. For me, the primary determinant was that I absolutely did not want to deal with the malabsorption of the bypass procedure. I did not feel that the additional weight loss I could expect with bypass was worth the malabsorption, so I went with the sleeve. While the possibility of intractable GERD was considered, I truly felt that my risk was low. In all honesty, even though I developed GERD, it's not worse than any exacerbation of the condition that I experienced before surgery. In fact, I'd say I feel better than I did before surgery all around and specifically in terms of the GERD. I would do sleeve again, no hesitation. Advice: have a heart to heart with your doctor, consider the risks and benefits, and make the best decision for YOU

It's pretty normal to have a certain amount of fatigue in the first couple of weeks. #1-you had surgery and there's a certain amount of healing that needs to be done. Your body is expending energy to do that. #2-your caloric intake is significantly less, so you don't have the energy intake to help with the healing. I returned to work after 1 week. I was functional, but I needed more frequent breaks and even fell asleep on a lunch break! Even after that, I seemed to "crash" every Thursday. I'd look and feel up to normal, but on Thursday evening, as soon as I sat down in my living room chair, I'd fall asleep. This went on for a few weeks, but it does get better.

I started looking into Bento boxes to help with my lunches at work, but didn't buy because I had so many good alternatives at home. Here's the Bento boxes I looked at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076HHQMXS/?coliid=IHI7VIF8DREKJ&colid=ZHR6TOZNHV5S&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it Mostly, I use Rubbermaid Brilliance, 1/2 cup size. They're clear, they have little locking clamps to prevent leaks.http://www.rubbermaid.com/en-US/shop-products/food-storage/brilliance-food-storage/brilliance-food-storage-containers But, I also have 1/2 cup containers from Gladware and Tupperware. So, I have options and interchange them depending on what food I'm storing.

I had my sleeve about a week after you. My hair loss also started in July and there have been times when the clumps in my comb or in the shower made me want to cry a little. I'm still losing hair, but it has slowed down a bit. The problem is that I've gotten so thin on top that I can see my scalp. Others don't really notice as much as I do, but I had fine/thin hair before all this and it's truly upsetting. In my experience, no amount of vitamin/mineral or protein supplements has prevented this or stopped it. I even started all the hair, skin, and nail supplements BEFORE surgery. I've tried all sorts of "alternatives" like scalp massage, essential oils, specialty shampoos, keratin treatments. Heck, I even bought a silk pillow case to help prevent further breakage! My advice, ride it out. It will eventually stop. From other posts, length can vary from 3-6 months of hair loss. Look up: Tellogen Effluvium. It's the scientific explanation of why we are losing our hair.

While stalls are frustrating, they are out body's "time out" to adjust to the dramatic weight loss. 58 lbs in 2 months is a lot of weight in a rather short period of time. Give yourself and your body some credit! Start tracking your measurements. It's likely that your body is what I call "redistributing". My weight loss has been slow, but steady and on the weeks where I don't lose anything, I'm shrinking in size in other places. So, while you aren't seeing the scale change, look for other measurements of progress.

I'm 47 with 48 fast approaching. When I had my lap band out in 2009, my surgeon recommend converting to the sleeve. I didn't do it at that time. I'm not sure I'd say that I wish I'd gone ahead and done it back then. I've certainly learned a bit more about myself and matured since 2009. When I reached the point where I'd gained all my weight back, sleeve was brought up again. I dragged my feet for about 2 years before finally admitting that I needed help. So, I'd say that I only regret not having it a little sooner, like maybe 2 or 3 years ago, but not in 2009. I don't think I was quite ready then. With me being older, I'm more prepared to commit to the lifestyle changes. On the flip-side, I'm older and my body isn't snapping back like it did in my 30's with the lap band. My skin is a bit more saggy as I shrink from the same size I was at lap band time. And for the first time in my life, I'm seriously considering plastics.

I'm approaching 6 months out from surgery and have been fighting with hair loss since about 3 months out. I've been taking Hair, Skin and Nails vitamin supplements since before surgery. That included a healthy dose of biotin. Have also taken collagen supplements (active ingredient in gelatin that helps strengthen hair). No amount of vitamin/mineral supplements that I've taken has prevented or stopped the hair loss. Nutritionists also stress adequate protein intake. That also did not prevent or stop my hair loss. I've tried scalp massage, essential oils, keratin treatments, special shampoos. Nothing has really made enough of a difference for me to endorse any one product or method. I'm to the point where I can see my scalp and i have to be very strategic about hair styling. Last weekend, I had most of my length cut off to help and am now in a short bob versus shoulder-length hair. I even bought a "volumizing" wig at the recommendation of my hair stylist. Unfortunately, I think it only draws attention to my head and looks very fake. I believe some people are pre-disposed to it more than others. Look up Tellogen Effluvium. It's hair loss as a result of a shock to the body or a stressful experience. Surgery and nutritional changes are often directly correlated. Wish I had better news for you. I'm sure the supplements and protein don't hurt, but they did not stop my hair from falling out.