mojaleski

I can't wait...9/12/13 sleeve date...and I will be looking forward to one egg filling me up!

hahahah...typo or auto correct and I am unsure which... I do have to admit I look pretty good for being 170 years old though. Glad you picked up the error. Now if I can correct it I will be doing well. :-)

Ready to go! Very exciting!

I don't like the chocolate muscle milk or the ESA vanilla or the Atkins caramel. They can be doctored up... I think to be at least somewhat palatable...but they are all really chalky..to me. And I bought the ready to drink liquid ones. I am searching for Premier Protein which I have read the most positive reviews on.

Still searching for Premier shakes...RTD... and no luck yet...but recalled reading many people think chocolate muscle milk very good... I don't like it...another chalky taste. I have to find something to put in these to make them better.

I recall when I did 90 days of all liquid diet Cambridge food for Life powder mix I used to just add all sorts of flavorings (a few drops of peppermint or other flavors and they were DELICIOUS. My skinny husband at that time used to ask me to make a shake for him...as good as a thick shake at a fast food place and no one would guess it was a diet drink.

So I think these can be salvaged with some sugar free flavors...but I hate drinking anything that my description of it is "NOT TOO BAD". lol

Where do you get Premier RTD? I would get some and try them. Which is your favorite flavor? Did you ever try the ones I bought today? I want to get something that is DELICIOUS and not just simply "not too bad" ... lol. Thanks.

So today I decided to buy a blender and some "ready to drink" (RTD) shakes, thinking that a can of powder is going to turn me off immediately (vivid memories of Carnation Instant Milk in a box and other powdered Protein Drinks I had years ago). I found the cafe caramel, came home and poured half of it in the blender, added ice and tasted it in a few minutes...drinkable, not terrible...or particularly flavorful but CHALKY...so I added 3 packets of Splenda, a couple TB of fat free Greek Fage yogurt and a splash of sugar free caramel Syrup from Starbucks...quite an improvement. Next time I will throw in some instant coffee as well. I also bought a 4-pack of the Atkins mocha flavor.

The Atkins RTD 11 oz. shakes have 15 g Protein, 160 cal. and 2 net carbs.

I also bought two 4-packs of EAS AdvantEDGE...11oz French vanilla and a Dark Choc. RTD shakes...and they have17 g protein, 100 cal. and 2.5 net carbs. I will try one tomorrow.

One thing I liked about the Atkins is it has a twist off cap like a bottle of soda...so I could seal off half to make another frosty concoction later. The EAS brand has just a fold down container like a cardboard milk container....could spill in a cooler.

By the way, I drank some in the glass after blending but poured the rest in my Bodum insulated stainless container I always used for coffee. When I went to pour some more into my glass it wouldn't pour...it had gotten COLDER in the container and I could eat it with a spoon...much improved!!! I will be getting some more Bodum insulated containers...shorter ones to eat my drinks!

Anybody have any suggestions for doctoring up some of these RTD shakes?

mojaleski

Hoping to have my sleeve surgery in September at Lahey Clinic Hospital in Burlington, Ma. with Dr. David Brams if all goes well with my pre-op testing.

I am excited! 70 years old, retired RN and ready to be done with this weight and how it gets in my way. Had thought I would only consider the band, since it is reversible, I thought...but after lots of research I found myself thinking I wanted to do this only once, that is have surgery only once and read myself into believing the gastric sleeve was the best option for me. The nurse practitioner, who went over my particular family history, agreed and so here I am...waiting...but not so nervous as I was a week ago. I am excited to have it and move forward.

mojaleski from NH

I am a 70 year old woman with no comorbidities and a BMI of 41.8. Medicare is my primary insurance now but BCBS has to approve to pay what is not covered by medicare. I have my fingers crossed.

Anyone have any personal stories with BCBS of NH?

Good morning and thank you for the personal email. I did get your number and will give you a call. When is a good time for you? I am in Eastern time and don't want to call you at 0-dark-30 your time!

I am really happy to find you, someone my own age, who has had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy so recently.

Hi...glad to find you here on this forum. Not so many of us in our age group. How long had you had the band and what caused you to be doing the conversion to sleeve? I had initially thought I wanted the band...but now am believing the sleeve is the right procedure for me. I have been to the info session and also my first appointment at Lahey Clinic in Ma... saw nutritionist, nurse practitioner (a wonderful woman) and a psychologist...came away feeling at ease and confident in the choice. If all goes well with the upper GI series next month and Medicare and NH Anthem BCBS approve I should be having the surgery in September. I am looking forward to it and getting my body back...it won't be how it looks nearly as much as how I feel.

Meanwhile I will join a gym for exercise and take off some weight!

Would love to hear about your experiences. Where did you have it done?

mojaleski from NH

Anyone else 70 years old and having had this surgery?

So I am new...have an appointment with surgeon at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Ma. next week. Fairly open mind as to which surgery would be best for me, which is a switch since only yesterday. I had thought lap band was what I would consider until I met with my friend who has been very successful since r n y surgery 5 years ago. I have known a couple people who love their bands...but now am worried if I do that if I might be one of the unfortunate people with complications...and since I am 70 I don't want to be facing that at 81 when I would be more of a surgical risk. My BMI is just 40 and I have no co-morbid conditions. Worried that insurance may not cover me since my BMI has not been consistently this high for past 5 years.

Thanks for any feedback, suggestions and your experiences with Medicare (assuming there might be at least a few of you old enough to have Medicare as your primary insurance) lol

Christine (mojaleski is my screen name nickname)

Sending you prayers at 10:08 for a very uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery. I will be meeting with my surgeon for my first visit a week from Thursday, and am thinking how I would love to be having my surgery at 10:30 this morning.

Met with my friend who had RNY 5 years ago...she is normal weight, feels and looks fabulous and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Post op was painful and she had 2nd thoughts...for first couple months...and then now can eat most everything and loves her life and vitality!

Let me know how it goes for you.

:-)

christine from NH

(mojaleski is my screen nickname)

Sending you prayers at 10:08 for a very uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery. I will be meeting with my surgeon for my first visit a week from Thursday, and am thinking how I would love to be having my surgery at 10:30 this morning.

Met with my friend who had RNY 5 years ago...she is normal weight, feels and looks fabulous and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Post op was painful and she had 2nd thoughts...for first couple months...and then now can eat most everything and loves her life and vitality!

Let me know how it goes for you.

:-)

christine from NH

(mojaleski is my screen nickname)

Hi...I am new. I attended info session Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Ma a week ago and thought I was heading toward lap band surgery option.

Worried about all the complications I have been reading about. I am 70 years old and wonder if I am not setting myself up for possible further surgery at a time in my life down the road where I might not be such a good surgical risk.

Today I met with an old friend who had her RNY gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago. I had actually tried to talk her out of it at the time. I was active in OA, struggling along...and she had been told by the team she needed to lose weight prior to surgery. I said "if you can lose 20-30 lb. prior to surgery, why do you need surgery? Why wouldn't you just keep going?"

Needless to say I have put just under 100 of the 140 lb. I lost back on this body...and I know I need help to get my vitality and my body back before I am having to have knee and back surgery!!!

My friend is thrilled with her choice of this surgery. She has lost more than 100 lb. and kept it off. She looks FABULOUS and says food and weight are no longer an issue. She loves how she feels and strongly recommended I reconsider thinking of the lap band and get the bypass. After talking with her I am thinking this is a better option.

I will be meeting with my surgeon next Thursday, the 27th...and will have my mind open to whatever he tells me I should do. My hunch, right now is that the by pass surgery will be what he recommends .

Looking forward to any comments and to reading more in this forum.

Thanks.

Christine (my user nickname is mojaleski)

Congratulations...very exciting!

I am going to an informational session at Lahey Clinic on Monday...I am hoping my insurance will cover the surgery... I have Medicare and Anthem BC/BS. Are there any tips as to how to get insurance to cover? I really don't have other health issues. mojaleski