Lyn2481

I'll ring the Fitzwilliam clinic next week like I said I was going to and see what news they have for me. I hope and pray it is good news. The people of NI are not aware they can have WLS here and that's because noone wants them to be aware. I think people's GP's should be able to refer them to England for WLS, it would save the NHS thousands in the long run. I am on about 6 different tablets a day due to my excess weight and this will probably double in the next ten years as I develop God-knows-what else.:wink2: I feel I have no real support from my GP. He doesn't seem to care whether I have the op or not.

Well I got quite a shock when I went along to my second appointment. It seems not only will I not get my op done on the NHS (which was a non-starter from the off) I may not even have the 'priveledge' of paying for it. The comissioners may not let my surgeon do any further operations in the hospital (I think the Royal). There was a big meeting and presentation on Mon to try and convince them to let him continue operating and if they say no he can refer me to another surgeon in Liverpool. I dunno what to think now, if I'd gone to my consultation with Shaw Somers before I knew about this, I'd probably be recovering from surgery by now. As usual it's all about money. :party:

Hi again Glenda. As far as I am aware from what Dr Kennedy said it's him performing my operation and he recommended bypass over lapband. He said bypass costs £8,000 and lapband costs about £6,000. He told me the band would be too easy to cheat with plus you have better losses with bypass. I have another appt on 28th April and I will be asking him about dr clements and all that. Can I ask why you would travel to England and pay to have op when you can have it here and pay? I was hoping to be able to speak to other patients of his and was told he has noone's contact numbers. :tongue_smilie: Hmm, it's interesting you were also recommended the bypass, I wonder are they pushing people to have the more expensive op? I more or less asked him that and he said he would rather fit a band cos it's quicker. Also I don't think he does the bypass through keyhole surgery which I would prefer because wounds heal quicker though the op can take about 5 hours as opposed to 90 mins.

Hi Glenda. Your post confused me a bit which isn't difficult.:biggrin2: Have you already had a band put in that slipped or something or no band and that's what your consultation was for? Were you going in believing it was NHS funded and then suddenly found out it's not anymore? See, I didn't even know there was funding here and dr K told me it'd stopped 6 months ago and I thought 'how convenient it was only 6 months ago' but I am prepared to pay for the op as I beleieve there's no point in trying to do anything, it's like flogging a dead horse. :crying: I wish we had a choice of surgeon.

Hi all. The doctor I had a consultation with recommended the bypass rather than the band due to my eating biscuits and cake which would just slip through the band. I was all prepared with qs about the band cause I wasn't aware he provided gastric bypass so it kinda threw me a little. He said I could have a band if I insisted upon it. The idea of the bypass freaks me a little, plus a big scar. I'm not afraid of the op it's more the after affects. What was it about the band that clinched it for you? Thanks in advance for any replies. :rolleyes2:

Thanks for new replies. Kat I am sorry about your cancer and I really hope it does not come back. Wow your weightloss is excellent. If I could lose that with a band I would be happy enough.

Yeah that's right. Actually the biscuits and cake aren't my biggest problem, it's Chinese food and generally eating too much. I'm gonna contact my doc Mon and tell him I want the band. I hate the idea of my insides being rearranged. :laugh:

Thanks again for the replies. Most of the time I am eating when I am not even hungry, I am bored or upset or whatever. I'd really love to not be able to do that. I really need to practice listening to my full signals, or at least learn to recognise them again. :w00t:

Hey thanks for your replies folks. :confused: You've just confirmed my reasons for preferring the band. I asked the dr something similar about isn't there people who've been banded who ate cake and biscuits too? He said something about the band being for 'volume eaters' and I thought 'yeah I'm that too' lol. Unfortunately there is only one dr in N. Ireland and I didn't even know about him til a week before my consultation. I could get a ferry to England but it's not that convenient really with needing fills etc. I in a roundabout way asked him if he was pushing the RnY because he was more confident about doing that op and he said he'd actually prefer the band cos it's only 1 hour compared to 1.5 for bypass. So, I'm decided. I need to find out about fills and aftercare now. Thanks everyone. :hurray:

I understand how yous feel. We should have more choices in Ireland than just one clinic. I wasn't critisizing the surgeons as I know little about them, it was the attitude of the people meant to be providing the aftercare.

Hi again. Only this week I booked an appt for a consultation and they gave me 8th January. I then spent last night and today reading the other 18 posts and after being told today by a snooty woman on the phone that ACS have decided to no longer provide WLS I think it's been a blessing in disguise. From what I have read ACS are incompetent. You'd expect that with the NHS but not when you're paying hard-earned money. Just stating my opinion here, I respect other's. Penny: The Royal Victoria in Belfast used to do WLS but don't anymore. :cry I am considering Dr Marc Focquet in Belgium, he consults in London or Mr Tulloh or De Beaux in Spires (formerly Bupa) in Edinburgh. I think you all are great for doing your very best and working with your bands despite setbacks, yous deserve every pound lost.

Hi Sadie, thanks very much for your reply. Will one of the 2 docs be doing your op? I have been trying to eat less and even joined WW but knew by the second day I'd wasted both time and money. :cry

<p>Thanks very much Coco. I'd actually googled and got basically the same info as you gave me and thought as I read it wasn't as scandlous as I thought it was gonna be. <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="" smilieid="57" class="inlineimg" /></p> <p> </p> <p>I cancelled my consultation on Fri because I still haven't made up my mind what to do. Paris is too far to travel back and forth for fills. Hopefully he'll be back in Dublin soon and then I can decide once and for all.</p> BTW congrats on your weightloss! Fantastic.

Hi everyone. I have only read up to page ten of this thread and was wondering why Dr Jerome no longer practices in Dublin? I have actually booked a consultation with him in Belfast this Fri (eek!) and was told he worked in Paris but I was pleased to see he worked in Dub as this would be handier for me. Anyhow in case noone saw my introduction on the other board, I'm Lyn, 26 and have been fat most of my life. Been seriously trying to get the weight off since last year (lost 3.5st on Lighterlife) but didnt 'refeed' properly and piled it back on. Been thinking of surgery for about 18 mos and I really think it's my only option now. Really enjoyed reading your posts. :clap2:

I'm Lyn, 26 from Ireland. I have at least 8st (112lbs) to lose. I keep trying and failing to lose a significant amount. Managed to lost 4st (56lbs) last year on a Liquid vitamins diet, didn't reintroduce food properly and went a little crazy, piling it all back on bar about 10lbs. Had considered lapband surgery about two years ago, then found the diet and decided to give that a shot, now I'm back to square one. Have given myself til 7th Jan to lose some weight if not will make an appointment for a consultation, just not sure where yet! It'll either be Ireland or Belgium/Prague.

Hi, thanks for getting back to me. I thought I read in another post that the doctor is no good and is the only one, is that right? I am in Tyrone so the Belfast clinic would be really convenient for me, though I could still travel to Dublin.

Hi Penny, can't answer your question but you and I seem to be in the same boat . I didn't know anywhere in Ireland performed surgery til your other post made me google it. I'd considered Belgium or Prague but found Advanced Cosmtic Surgery group with 4 clinics in Ireland. Did you contact them too? I've given myself til 7th Jan to lose some weight if not will book a consultation, just not sure where lol.