sweetp

Hi there I had my surgery at Barix in Ypsilanti, MI (my fills will be done at their Holland, MI office, which is much closer for me) My Dr. is Dr. Shramm, and I am really happy with him and the whole Barix setup. Surgeries are also done in the town where I live, but the doctor doing them has only 1 year experience, and Dr Shramm was my friend's doctor 4 years ago. Also, bariatric/LB surgery is ALL they do at Barix (Ypsi is just outside Detroit) so I felt that any potential complication would be in good hands. My insurance requires an overnight stay, and I was glad they did (although I didn't get much rest with the respiratory therapist and nurses coming in every 2 hours!) I was on full liquids for 3 weeks after, then blended foods for 2 weeks, then go to "soft foods" (what you could chew without teeth :eyebrows: ) then regular food. I am supposed to not lift anything over 5 lbs for 3 - 4 weeks, stay out of the pool for 6 weeks, and walk 30 min a day or more from day 1 (I did my first "walk" at Kohls the day after surgery - probably not the best idea) I did go back to work on day 8 - I'm a massage therapist and saw just 1 client - and have had no pain, but did feel very tired for the first 2 weeks. I really had to look down and see the "ruffles" on my tummy (surgistrips, starting to come off) to remember I had something so major done. I'd love to hear your experience with fills, choices of food, and weight loss. I am down about 18 lbs 3 weeks after surgery, and back working pretty much full time (4 or so clients a day, up to 3 days a week) Also, if you had surgistrips, and they have come off - HOW do you get the adhesive off!?? :help:

Thanks, Alexandra - your words will help me stay on track. I hadn't tried cottage or string cheese yet but at night when I feel hungry I usually want something NOT sweet, and that sounds like a perfect thing to keep around. Between that and the milk in my Protein shakes, at least I know I'm getting all the Calcium I need! I see you were rebanded - may I ask, did something cause band slippage, or did it just happen on its own? How did you know it had slipped? Right now, every time I get a little pang in my side, I worry that I've slipped something. I do get a pain in my side if I eat or drink too fast, but it's really kind of good to have that "warning button". Congratulations on your continued weight loss, and thanks again for the wisdom of shared experience! Pam :clap2:

Thanks for the tip about removing the strip adhesive. I'll kind of miss the roadmap on my tummy!

I just got some reassurance from someone who is a bit ahead of me - my surgery was 7/24 so now I'm really not having any restriction at all in stomach size, and I've really been needing more volume to feel full. My "buddy" said this is very common, and after the first fill she felt back to the 1/2 c capacity for about 3 more weeks. I guess the trick is, when you're waiting for a fill, watch what you eat and do your Snacks and meals as recommended. I had lost about 18 lbs in 2 weeks and am kind of stuck there, but now my goal is to keep my weight there or lose a little more until the fill. I'm trying to use s/f popsicles at night when the cravings really hit - I don't relaly like them, so they keep me away from something I shouldn't have, and they're only 15 calories. Also, my Protein mix says to use morning and at bedtime - apparently protein helps you feel full and might let me sleep before I start grazing - si I'm jsut trying to stick to that. Any other tricks and tips would be much appreciated!