Cost & Vitamins Pre-op
Hi Chelsea,
I had a comprehensive drug plan so I didn't have to pay for my Prevacid, blood thinners, pre-surgical vitamin-K, or pain meds, but optifast cost me about $80/week.
Be prepared to spend more on supplements then the centre advises you. The centres (other than Hamilton) do not yet routinely recommend iron post-op - but this is an absolute necessity for a menstruating female, or you are just waiting for anemia to happen, and the iron you will need as a post-op is expensive. I had the DS and spend about $50 on my vitamins/minerals each month (half of that cost is iron), but my upfront cost of getting everything initially was about $350 for between 3-6 months of everything. As for protein, I am very picky and only like the Whey Gourmet Chocolate PB, which runs about $45 for 30 servings, so I go through one of those per month. So in total, about $100. If I had to pay out of pocket for my Prevacid, it would be a lot more! So I hope you have a drug plan. A PPI is the only reliable thing you can do post-op to prevent an ulcer, so it is very important that you are able to afford it.
I had a comprehensive drug plan so I didn't have to pay for my Prevacid, blood thinners, pre-surgical vitamin-K, or pain meds, but optifast cost me about $80/week.
Be prepared to spend more on supplements then the centre advises you. The centres (other than Hamilton) do not yet routinely recommend iron post-op - but this is an absolute necessity for a menstruating female, or you are just waiting for anemia to happen, and the iron you will need as a post-op is expensive. I had the DS and spend about $50 on my vitamins/minerals each month (half of that cost is iron), but my upfront cost of getting everything initially was about $350 for between 3-6 months of everything. As for protein, I am very picky and only like the Whey Gourmet Chocolate PB, which runs about $45 for 30 servings, so I go through one of those per month. So in total, about $100. If I had to pay out of pocket for my Prevacid, it would be a lot more! So I hope you have a drug plan. A PPI is the only reliable thing you can do post-op to prevent an ulcer, so it is very important that you are able to afford it.
I had OHIP approved Duodenal Switch surgery with Dr. Dennis Hong at St. Joseph's Hamilton on March 7th, 2012. Want more information on the DS in Ontario? Send me a private message!
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