if you're having trouble affording your vitamins

We all know it's really important to take our vitamins after RNY and that we should have a plan for how we're going to pay for them before we have surgery.  But sometimes unexpected things happen and money is short.

The other day I talked to a firend who told me she thought she was dealing with some vitamin deficiencies.  I asked her if she'd been having trouble getting her vitamins in lately and she said well, yeah, she hadn't had them in several months because she was having trouble paying for them.  I really wished she'd said something sooner because I would have been willing to help.

So, if you are having trouble affording your vitamins:

1.  talk to your surgeon and/or dietician - they may have samples they can give you
2.  Bariatric Advantage has a program where they give free vitamins to people that can't afford them.  Your doc has to fill out a form for them.  It may not include all the vitamins you need, but includes the basics.
3.  Ask people to tell you where they get cheap vitamins.  If you post here on OH, someone will probably be able to tell you which store has calcium citrate on sale this week or where to buy the cheapest iron.
4.  Tell people that you're having trouble.  I mean, you don't have to tell the whole world you're having financial trouble, but if you let people at your support group know, for instance, someone there might have half a bottle of chewables they don't like anymore that they'd be happy to give you.  

Wish there was a "like" button ... AGAIN!

Thats a good idea Kelly... It made me think... it wonder if there is a way people could donate vitamins... I bet there are a lot of people that would be willing to buy an extra bottle or two each month and donate them to others who have a hard time affording them... I totally would do that...

Omg, I had so, so many bottles of miscellaneous different vitamins I used maybe once or twice that I donated to a women's shelter. But in the future, if I have something I no longer like or use, I'd be happy to participate in a vitamin swap or giveaway to someone who needs it.

Also, two mini hijacks, sorry -

- At my support group, we were given a sample bag and in it were a handful of little square Bariatric Advantage chewables in foil wrappers- brown (chocolate), red (some kind of berry), and yellow (lemon). They taste a little like taffy. I no longer have the little leaflet that went with them, but man, those are amazing. Anyone have any idea what they were? I checked the website, but they have so many different chewables.

Also, does anyone use Emergen-C for their vitamin C? I figured because it's so easy dissolvable and high potency, it might be a good option, but wanted to check first.

It was the BA calcium citrate chews.  They come in chocolate, raspberry (the red ones), lemon and caramel.  I love the caramel ones.

Ahh, thank you!  I really wanted to order some, but as they're fairly expensive, I didn't want to get the wrong thing. 

Thanks much! :)

I just got this email on the 2nd from bariatric advantage. You have to CALL to get the deal. Mine are sitting on my counter already as we speak...


Pick 3 Calcium Chewy Bites, Get 1 Free! Call 1.800.898.6888

For a limited-time, call-in customers who order 3 bags of Chewy Bites will get one more bag FREE! Each individually wrapped chew provides a sugar-free boost of Calcium and Vitamin D. Chewy Bites are available in Chocolate, Lemon, Raspberry and Caramel.

Each serving of Chewy Bites provides: • 250 mg of elemental calcium as calcium citrate • 125 IU of vitamin D3 • Sugar-free

Buy 3 bags of Chewy Bites, Get 1 FREE
by calling 1.800.898.6888
Retail customers only.

how much is one bag, and how many in the bag? how much is shipping? do you know? some places have a flat rate shipping rate, thats why i am asking...
debby

They are $11.95 for a bag of 60. Shipping is around $8 for the 4 bags if I remember correctly. Seems steep but I take 4 a day (each is 250mg of Calcium) and another calcium pill or milk for the rest of my needed Calcium and they are like little treats. The lemon taste like Starburst and Chocolate taste like tootsie rolls.

 Not sure if this is still ongoing, but I received an email from them for a buy 3 get one free offer.  Just remember that they are 250mg, so you are looking at 6 per day for 1500mg when you take the cost into account.  Here is the link they sent me.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ca9w8kbab &v=001dsGnuBrFqEHGC0puzhaNXXAU-rcAwyyBuJ65i6fIW2peET123mjgix UvPcjZeMOq4sLIkI-ecNhLB43Z0c0a92pxU7NlU31KTGZyl8C8T_2QMBUSta SJKK-gsCRxgnOmykbGr2RtMw8%3D