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I’m self pay and am going on a short Mexican vacay. My ins sucks as far as Bariatric coverage. Contrary to popular belief, I had to jump through hoops as well, to get approved. Who knew, right? I just got approved after submitting my EKG. I am scheduled for 10/1/19 (my choice). I’m so excited! And I am excited for you. I can’t wait to hear about your experience and new life adventures!

I’ve been taking things in stride as best I can but am rather miffed at doctors and events today so I am just going to rant even though I need to be trying to sleep. Prior to my gastric bypass surgery and gallbladder removal My gastroenterologist insisted I have a colonoscopy due to the fact that previous ct scan had shown severe narrowing of my colon and a recent ct showed possible colitis. But the colonoscopy had to wait until after my surgery. I went through three days of clear liquids and hellish prep trying to swallow the required liquids. While the nurse was great I was literally the last patient and they were already starting to close down the facility before my procedure started. I had an unusually hard time waking up from the sedation and just wanted to close my eyes but they were in a hurry to get me out, I was barely awake and told to get dressed and get in the car to go even though I was stumbling and could hardly walk. I didn’t get answers from the colonoscopy. I don’t know if endometriosis can be confused for colitis. But why would a ct scan show something but not a colonoscopy. It showed melanosis in the colon usually caused by chronic laxative use which I refuse to use laxatives on a regular basis so rarely take it. Also diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon which has been there some years now and the last doctor just said well you have to wait until you end up in the Er with an emergency to even do anything. Like ok. But no biopsy was taken of the darkened spots of my colon. And no explanation of my symptoms. My bariatric surgeon said My gastroenterologist could do the endoscopy since he is closer to where I live, and he got all my information and everything. I had previously had a balloon dilation of a very narrow stricture. They saw the stricture during this procedure (so I guess the previous dilation didn’t do anything) but my endoscopy report reads: “ge junction with mucosal tear from hiccup during dilation” I didn’t speak to the doctor, I wasn’t alert enough. He made it out like nothing to my mom. They didn’t take any biopsy from either tests. And I have a mucosal tear but not what to do about all the pain? Im just tired and frustrated. I can only manage so much when I don’t have clear answers. I have to have another procedure this time a surgery in two weeks to do with the endometriosis. Not even sure the doctor will be able to find where it is since it can be anywhere and the main reason is my ovary has to come out. All my long rambling, sorry. Has anyone had a tear happen during a balloon dilation? From what I see dilation isn’t a cure just a treatment or temporary fix. I know you don’t want the stoma too big but too small is not good either. I’ve been having spasms in my left side, crushing chest pain, nausea and difficulty with purée and other symptoms. I’m the end I just shut up and deal with it. Im not regretting RNY because with my nonexistent metabolism I would not have lost nearly 63lbs. And I knew it would take its toll on my chronic illness but so much at once has me exhausted. end of rant.

I see it on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Bariatric-Advantage-Replacement-Chocolate-Servings/dp/B004WQJUCC?th=1

I just had my first appt with my NUT. or rather my up-sell specialist. I bought a bag of bariatric advantage protein powder for $75. It only has 30 servings in it. Is there a better priced one out there?

There's this great great SUPPORT GROUP on Facebook.. go in there, it will help a lot, still helping me, and I had my surgery done a couple of months ago...there's a lot of real patients, but it is a really active group, even surgeon answer your questions..it's call Dr Carlos Altamirano Support Group, he's not my doctor, but he also works for bariatricpal, but even though I didn't use him, they left me in. And here is my experience... I will like to share my experience after 9 months because now I'm closer to my goal, but first of all because I know I made the best decision ever, it's not just how I look, but how I feel inside, I'm a healthier and happier person now, I have improved my relationship with family and friends. My self esteem was in the ground, therefore I wasn't too friendly, now people like to be close to me, and it's only been 9 months like a I said, Im doing all kinds of outdoor activities, I'm going to the gym, I have a new wonderful wardrobe, I'm dating, I love myself more than ever.... and everything started like this…I tried all kind of diets and diet pills before going to surgery, they helped, but only for a short period of time, and if I dropped 10 pounds, after a couple of months I gained 15, I kept going like this FOR YEARS, I just couldn't keep that weight away FOR GOOD, I went into depression, the worse year of my life, but yet the better, in January of 2014, I wasn't getting out of my house or job, obviously my family was a bit worried, I even went to therapy, I felt petty about myself, then I signed up in forums of people with the same issue I had... OUR WEIGHT, met this girl that was doing the same thing as I'm doing right now...sharing her story and helping people, I had made my own research, I looked up for doctors in Tijuana, and this girl told me about Bariatric Pal, they were so helpful, I started with them from nothing.... and they guided me in every decision I was taking, first, they gave me my options, I visited the doctors they recommend, and I stayed with Dr. Lopez,I felt really comfortable with him, It felt like he knew me, well to make the story short, Bariatric Pal made all the arrangements for me, the day of my surgery, they picked me up in San Diego, they took us (my brother and I) to the clinic, as I hoped, they made me feel so welcome, I signed up, a few papers, they explained to me everything I was signing and they gave me my room, they did all kinds of pre-op tests, EKG, etc.. they gave me a pill to calm me down, since I was really nervous,I had Dr. Lopez visited me before surgery, I liked that, because sometimes you never get to see your surgeon, I think he gave the attention every patient deserves, we deserve to be treated as humans, if it is not too much to ask, well SURGERY went great, no complications, afterwards a Lil bit of dizziness, nauseated, but that's just normal, I stayed two days in there, then Mike from Bariatric pal drove us to the recovery house where my brother stayed while I was at the hospital, they didn't have a room for him, but the guys from BP take great care of him as they did for me the two extra day we decided to stay at their RH, then they drove me back to San Diego the day Dr. Lopez discharges me...I will be in debt with all the staff the rest of my life. My recuperation, had its ups and downs, but I did a lot of reading, about what I could eat, which is one of the hardest parts of it, I learned my vegetables, my Protein, and I learned to eat, I would cheer myself up every time I felt this was too much to handle, my family and friends helped a lot also, but now I know it was the BEST DECISION EVER, I'm proud of myself, and telling my story because I want people to feel the same way I do, I'm still dropping weight, and I will keep telling my stories, my progress and my humble advice in case you need support.

Hello. I had surgery at Blossom Bariatrics in August. I too, flew across the country. I have also been an OR nurse for a long time. Blossom is TOP notch. You will be given absolutely the best care beyond every single person you meet. Do not cheat with smoking. I have read in their literature that your surgery will be cancelled if nicotine positive. Also nicotine impairs healing. I chewed nicotine gum for years. Try wearing a patch and taper off. If I can do it u can! They saved my life. They r there for you. Lean on your fast track coordinator when u feel weak or down. [emoji4] Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I do the 42gr protein shots. I like the grape best. I take 1/2 at a time. I'm also using the bariatric advantage orange cream and celebrate vanilla cake batter protein powders mixed with lactose free fat free milk. I just do 4 oz at a time.

I think the bariatric advantage whey protein shakes are good too but they seemed a little bit too sweet for my liking for some reason..... the one I hate is Optisource and Isopure...... the liquid proteins are made from collagen protein and are horrible and is a much infrerior protein.

Thank you. Actually, I recovered faster from the bypass than the band. I felt it took longer on the recovery with the band. I am tired, but then I have a dog that will start getting me up early in the mornings like 5 AM, an I am a night owl, still up till about 3 AM (I work nights). So the interrupted sleep doesn't help. So far I am finding more energy than I had before this surgery. I do take four Bariatric fusion complete Vitamin and mineral supplements per day. But if I don't get enough Protein my energy level goes down and I do notice it. I will sleep longer on one of my days off, but then I also work a 10 hour shift the day before and only get, at the most, 5 hours of sleep before I have to go back into work that day. So overall, any tiredness isn't actually caused by the bypass but from my life style. For my age, which is only a number, I feel I'm doing quite well. Time will tell though. Recently had complete set of labs and nothing was said except for my blood sugars (I'm a diabetic) and they had come down but the surgeon would rather see them normal with no insulin. So he only wants me to have protein, nothing else . So to answer your question I would have to say "no" but I only had bypass 2 1/2 months ago, it could happen later. I'm actually more fearful of the lack of Iron from this procedure than anything else. I have read where people have to take iron supplements either orally, injection, and some even infusion (which is painful and long). But I wouldn't change anything, I had researched this procedure out and not sorry abit that I made this decision.

I also have ran into the same problem with United Health Care. I work at a hospital that does the LB and the RNY. However, our insurance has an exclusion. We have appealed to our HR dept with no avail. It seems so unfair that a hospital will do the surgeries but not include them in our policy. We were told in May that it would be included by October. I sat in surgery today watching a RNY be done and was told by the Drs. and the bariatric coordinator that the hospital has decided that it will not be included in October and that so far 60 people have appealed the HR dept. All with no luck. They also stated that it will more then likely not be an inclusion when the insurance is renewed with the next renewal date. So I can feel your pain. If you come up with anything exciting please pass it my way! I will do the same! Good luck to everyone with their insurance endeavors.

I see Dr. Lara in El Paso at the Las Palmas & Del Sol Bariatric Center. His phone number is 877-335-7657. He didnt perform my surgery, but has been my doc for every fill since (2 yrs ago). I really like him. He is kind, but gets straight to the point. His nurse, Deborah and dietician, Blanca are terrific! Very supportive and full of information.

Hi Steve, It is unlikely you would have a consultation appointment if the doc didn't think you qualified. I can give you the criteria for my insurance, and I think for the most part it is the same in general with others. You need a BMI of 40 or more and be at least 100 lbs overweight. If your BMI is between 30 and 39 (as is mine--about 37) you must have one or more co-morbidities (ailments adversely affected by excess weight) such as: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, acid reflux, arthritis in weight bearing joints, and there may be another one or two I can't remember. I have all of the above except diabetes (sweets are not my problem--too much quantity is). If you want to know for sure, I would call your insurance company and see if you can get them to send you the criteria. If your insurance is through work, you should check with your benefits person who can possibly copy the section of the manual spelling out the criteria. That is what I had to do. I was trying not to tell them what I wanted other than a copy but they said the manual was too large so I told them weight loss surgery and they send me the pages covering the info. Hope this helps. I have had my consultation, psych eval, and just finished up a 6 month diet attempt required by my insurance. Hopefully yours won't require that, but many do want a documented weight loss attempt. My personal feeling is the diet if too succesful makes the insurance company think you can do it on your own and don't therefore need surgery, because the nutritionist I went to who is part of the bariatric team told me she didn't care if I lost any, just not to gain any more. They want to do the procedure so they don't want you to do too well during the 6 months. Catch 22! Good luck on your journey

i called the 3 er in my area and all of them said that they wouldnt do a unfill. they would have to transfer me to my surgeon's hospital which is 2.5 hours away. thats why i hesitated at first. still not sure if i don't need a unfill. i see my doctor on the 31st. i will just eat fish and salad. both of those things go down without problem. so i know what you are talking about that most emergency rooms are not set up to do a unfill. one of the hospitals i called even do bariatric surgeries but said they couldnt unfill my band.

I have gotten Medicare to reconsider accepting the Sleeve Gastrectomy. you need to view the psoting. They are soliciting public comments. http://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-details.aspx?NCAld+=258&ver=2&NcaName=Bariatric+Surgery+for+the+treatment+of+Morbid+Obesity+(2nd+Recon)&bc=ACAAAAAAAAAA Please visit this site and post any information in favor. Thanks. Marcia name='likasulema' timestamp='1318798760' post='219248'] i have medicare as my primary coverage, but empire blue cross as my secondary. MEDICARE does NOT cover the sleeve yet because its relatively new (few years or something. ) Medicare DOES cover the lapband and gastric bypass. (but i want the sleeve) My surgery for the sleeve is 12/7 - medicare will send the "official" denial for the sleeve after hospital sends bill, empire needs to see the "official" denial first, and then empire looks at my qualifications in having the sleeve. I have all the qual.. (BMI, diabetes, high chlolesteral, and high blood pressure, and sleep apnea (aren't I lucky???!!!) The insurance companies know that Medicare doesn't cover the sleeve, but they need the official denial after the surgery. Then the other insurance company can proceed. I know this sounds weird, its the beurocracy (msp) but thats how it was explained to me. Empire does cover the sleeve - so they told me after all the paperwork is sent in I will be 99% positive I will be approved. They can't officially guarantee it for obvious reasons. But they did tell me unofficially of course that everything looks fine. so the bottom line is MEDICARE doesn't cover the sleeve, no if ands or butts, but your secondary might cover it, like my empire blue cross. hope i've helped - without confusing you too much - write back w/any more questions )

@@OKCPirate you said "Everyone's experience seems to vary. If you don't deal with the issues which got you to where you are, transference can be an issue. Look up the book, "The Emotional First Aid Kit for Bariatric Surgery." While I'm not against it, I do always say "get to your goal weight first, and then have that discussion." Post surgery you have a limited window of time where you can really lose weight quickly. Don't pee on that gift." I 100% agree with you!!! I didn't follow that advice and I'm kicking myself now. Get to your goal weight first!! I can't stress that enough! I pee'd on the gift! lol. I hadn't heard of that book but I will order it now. I'm trying to find a good therapist to deal with food addiction as well.

One of the things that contributed to my stress about this surgery was not knowing what was going to happen. (What can I say, I'm a control freak.) So here is the play-by-play as it pertains to me of my surgery. Your mileage may vary! I'll try to come back and update it. Hopefully it'll be of use to someone—"and knowing is half the battle." Day before surgery Liquid-only diet; two bowls of phở broth, some Protein2O, apple juice, and sugar-free lemon jello. Got about 830 calories in. Had to take a shower with a special CHG (chlorhexidine gluconate) anti-septic body wash. It made my skin a bit "slippery". Packed my bag with my CPAP hose, a book, a spare shirt, some chanclas for walking, my cell phone charger, and my reading glasses. Put out the two pills I was supposed to take (no losartan because it interferes with anesthesia). Day of surgery Took another shower with CHG as required. Reported to the hospital at 0630 as requested. Was checked in and taken to pre-surgery holding. My fiancé was allowed to go with me as an exception, because I'm hard of hearing and rely on lip-reading which is impossible with so many masks and partitions in the way. A surgical RN came and told me to wipe my abdomen with CHG wipes, then put on my surgical gown (which was HUGE on me—I understand I'm a bariatric patient but I literally couldn't keep it on my shoulders). Then he put an IV in the back of my hand, took my vitals (I lost 10 lbs in the two weeks between my surgeon's consultation and surgery day), went through all my medications, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear, and gave me a blood thinner in my IV. My surgeon came in and asked if I was ready, went over a few things, then went to scrub up. My anesthesiologist came in and asked if I had had anesthesia before (yes), and if I had any questions. I asked him to give me a TAP block at the end of surgery, which is a localized nerve block, like an epidural for your abdomen. It lasts 12-18 hours. I was whisked away and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room, where I was given cognitive tests (what is your name, what hospital are you at, who's the president, etc.) and given ice chips. Once that all proved satisfactory, I was wheeled to my room. I don't remember it, because I fell asleep. Once in the room they put leg compression stockings on me and gave me water, Crystal Light made way too sweet, chicken broth that tasted like a salt lick, and a thicker vegetable purée soup. I couldn't get the vegetable soup down. I forced the chicken broth, Crystal Light, and water. I felt very, very hungry and it was frustrating not to be able to just eat something. I took 3 or 4 laps of the surgical unit floor in my fetching anti-slip socks, and kept falling asleep. The pain from the gas was pretty bad and I spent a good 30 minutes just burping, much to the chagrin of the man in the other bed in the room (though he was moaning so he doesn't get to say anything). Around 1730 the nurse came in, saw that I had drunk what I could and had peed sufficiently (you pee into a graduated container), and that I could walk. She asked my surgeon's permission to discharge me, and I was in the wheelchair going out the door at 1830, exactly 12 hours after I arrived. When we got home, I pretty much washed my hands and face and went straight to bed. I got up probably every 2 hours or so, would have a couple of sips of protein shake or water, along with Gas-X (simethicone) or, as needed, Tylenol. I did get about 7 hours of sleep, in various chunks. I was able to lie, carefully, on my side, which is how I prefer to sleep. My CPAP did increase the gas pressure inside a bit but it was tolerable. Day 1 post-op My first bout of the 'foamies'. I tried to drink a CorePower protein milk way too fast and spent an hour and a half wandering around whimpering. It was actively painful and it felt enough like I needed to vomit that I had a lined bucket at the ready. Eventually, though, it subsided. Gas pain is still here and very real, but better. We went for a walk which absolutely tired me out—and it was barely 500 meters! Right now I am using the timer on my cell phone to remind me to drink 1/3 oz. of fluid every 5 minutes, and I feel full but it's manageable. I am alternating full ounces of regular water and protein water. I also made some Jell-O with extra protein powder but the thought of eating it leaves me cold. If I can get these bottles down plus the shake I had earlier, I'll be pretty close to 48 oz. of fluid which is my surgeon's requirement for the first week (bumps up to 64 oz. after that) and 41 g of protein which will have to do for the first day unless I manage to get some of the Jell-O down me. I have been taking Tylenol, Gas-X, and my ondansetron—the nausea is there but it's in the background, like when you step off a ship onto land at the end of a cruise. I haven't had enough pain to necessitate anything stronger than Extra Strength Tylenol. My incisions are clean (I took a shower).

Has anyone been able to get approved for assistance from the hospital? I was told by both Kasier and the facility where my surgery will be that bariatric is considered elective so would not be eligible. Just curious.....

Dr. Matthew Weiner has a lot of informational videos on YouTube. He covers a wide range of topics, I’ve learned a lot by watching him. This first video on metabolic thermostat/set point was a lightbulb moment for me. How bariatric surgery changes your hunger, metabolism and even your tastes for certain foods. Metabolic Thermostat This one is titled: Bariatric revisions, Will they help or not? Bariatric revision As always, listen to your own Doctor

Chunky all my life, most of my excessive weight piled on after the birth of my second child. After several failed attempts at losing the weight with Weight Watchers, Slim Fast and other programs, I decided to see a bariatric doc & a nutritionist. Under their care (and diet pills) I was able to lose 60lbs thru self control and exercise. I started at 260 and got down to 200, never getting into blessed Onderland. I fell off the wagon as far as exercise goes last June and the weight started creeping back up when the diet pills lost their effectiveness. By last October, I had gained back 40 of the 60lbs I had lost and was disgusted with myself. I knew I needed more help in controlling what I ate than I could give myself so I started exploring WLS. At the end of January 2011 I went to a local seminar and begun researching my options. I decided I wanted VSG because it was the best fit for me. Discovered that insurance wouldn't pay and even if I appealed the decision, they only covered 50% of the allowable charges anyway. Hubby & I talked it over and decided that we wanted to avoid the wait, hassle and expense of the appeal, nut and psych visits, etc. and made plans for me to go to Mexico as soon as possible. There is quite a bit of heart disease in my family - my oldest brother dropped dead at 44 from a massive heart attack, my dad died of complications of open heart surgery and he had congestive heart failure and suffered his first heart attack at 56, both my other brothers are over 300lbs, cousins weigh in at 400 and just last month another cousin dropped dead of a heart attack at 52. The writing on the wall couldn't have been any clearer for me. I turned 40 this year and I'll be damned if I spend the second half of my life trapped in an unhealthy and gross body.

Hi hi I was soooo excited to see a San Antonio group on this site! I'm hoping to connect with other local "sleevers" to create something of a real-life support network for us all... A little about me: I recently had my knee 'scoped to try & figure out why my torn meniscus wasn't healing (after 5 months) --- once inside, my knee doc saw that the cartilage was completely shredded (the pictures looked like cotton candy) & gave me the news that I needed total knee replacement. He also let me know that he wouldn't be able to do the surgery until I lost a significant amount of weight & referred me to Dr. Ramiro "Sonny" Cavazos, a bariatric surgeon at The Texas Center for Medical & Surgical Weight Loss . I saw him a few days later on 5/27 & had my Nutrition/Psychological consult. My insurance will cover WLS after I complete 3 months of medically supervised weight loss --- so that's where I am in the process. So far I'm down 23 lbs. It's been fairly easy -- had a few episodes of extreme hunger, but nothing I couldn't handle -- the hardest part has been making good choices when I'm around my extended family, especially when we're out at a restaurant -- but the more I do it, the more comfortable I am. I think the shock of being told I needed knee replacement surgery definitely helped me wrap my brain around the necessity of WLS... I've been a somewhat militant fat person (!) for a while now & always told myself I'd NEVER EVER EVER do WLS -- I insisted for the longest time that my weight had NO impact on my health & that the doctors that told me how bad it was for me were just being fat-phobic. I always took pride in the fact that I really never let my size slow me down or keep me from doing the things I wanted to do. Then...my blood pressure became an issue...then diabetes... and now, my knees -- which is making mobility an issue... and I've HAD to accept that those doctors were right all along! I'm sorry that it's come to this --- but I'm also sooooo grateful! I had a doctor that cared enough about me as a human being to be honest with me, even though it was uncomfortable. I have a fiance & a few close friends that are totally supportive of my choice to have WLS. I'm lucky that my insurance will even consider covering WLS! Anyway -- I guess that's enough of an introduction for now.... I look forward to the possibility of getting to know other San Antonio folks!

I'm 5'8" and 62 years old. My bariatric dr gave me a goal of 180. I think id like to go lower but we shall see. I've lost 106 lbs since my 12-1-15 RNY. I'm at 196. Can't believe I've come this far. So thankful. I'll just keep losing as long as my body cooperates.

One member asked the question: Is sleeve surgery “taking the easy way out”? This question really got my juices flowing and thinking. For all of us who endured the agony and anguish of bariatric surgery, we recognize there is nothing easy about this most important matter. Let see, how easy this is? 25 intelligent reasons for making our choice. 1. Exercising and working out with little or no results (life long) 2. Yo-yo dieting with little or no results (life long) 3. Heart disease 4. Respiratory problems 5. Stroke 6. High blood pressure 7. Elevated cholesterol 8. Diabetes 9. sleep disorders 10. Gout 11. Discrimination (on the job, in public, airline seats, etc) 12. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 13. Amenorrhea - absence of menstrual bleeding (gals) 14. Impotence (guys) 15. Cancer 16. Psychological problems 17. Kidney disease 18. Liver disorders 19. Economic factors (cost of associated illnesses, food, clothes etc) 20. Insurance issues 21. Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) 22. Social problems – (family, friends, dating etc) 23 Gallbladder disease 24. Pregnancy complications 25. DEATH The dictionary defines “easy” as: 1. Not hard or difficult; requiring no great labor or effort: 2. Free from pain, discomfort, worry, or care: Our lives have been anything but easy. As always, comments welcome. Lash

Well, I'm not sure where to start. I have been lurking for quite some time and now I am coming out of the shadows. I have known for over a year that I wanted WLS but never thought I would be able to do it. I thought I would be miserable for the rest of my life. I am at my highest lifetime weight and it is seriously impacting my quality of life. I can't walk for more than 5 minutes without my back screaming at me. My knees are constantly aching as is my left hip. I have a 2-year old daughter that I want to play with and take on walks, and I feel like I am only partly in the game. A dear friend of mine lost her mother earlier this year. After the funeral she sat me down and said that she had all these regrets for what could have been in her life and that I don't need to waste one more minute being unhappy. So I got off my keester and started making things happen. I am the HR Manager at my company, so I know quite well what is covered and not covered. We use BCBS of GA and our policy does not provide for WLS. I also have Tricare but that will be going away here shortly. I just finalized my divorce. Knowing all this helps a lot, because I decided I will have to do self-pay. There is a bariatric program (Center of Excellence) in my city, but I am not comfortable with it. I have been admitted to the hospital for several different things in the past so I know the level of care to expect. It stinks like hot garbage. So after a lot of research, I want to go with Dr. Aceves. For a lot of the reasons that have been listed before in the forums and the research I have done online, I feel like this is the place for me. I pressed the "contact me" button on his website and now I'm waiting to start my journey. I am a bundle of questions and most of them it seems everyone else has already had. I am a single mother but a dear friend has volunteered to stay with my daughter while I am "out of town". She is the only person that I am willing to tell about all this. She supports me regardless. My parents do not. Other people put a lot of fear in me by asking "what about your daughter? you are being reckless because something could happen to you." My thought behind that is that something could happen to me right now. I am already functioning well below capacity so I need to make things better. I have no intention of telling my job what I am doing. I will tell them that I need time off for "a personal surgery". I am hoping I will be able to go back to work when I return from Mexicali. This has gotten quite long so I will close it out and hope that everything goes well.

This is all my bariatric advantage shakes prior to surgery... I called my doctor and they didn't recommend I use pre made shakes... why is that????? So basically I can use powder milk ice water plus a fruit... I'm tryin to be very strict and not cheat but I feel like I'm drinking chalk... gotta find another way to like this.... 0_o

Every Dr does something different, but I haven't heard of one that won't recommend RTD shakes. Did they give you a reason? I don't do powders at all and never do anything put the Premier brand of RTDs. IMO Bariatric Advantage isn't one of the better brands, so you might want to think about switching to nectar or really any other one. Go to GNC or Vitamin Shoppe and see if they have samples. You can also get unflavored Protein from unjury (Google it). Isopure comes in bottles and has flavors other than chocolate and vanilla and can be mixed with Powerade zero. In the mean time, when making your shake, put the powder in the cup, put about 1/4 the liquid in it and stir really hard to make a paste. Then add the rest of your liquid. You can also try adding some dry milk powder to it as well. What ever you do don't stop trying. /