ellen

Hi Slimmy Ive been taking Lustral for a long time (I think that's sertraline). It can cause weight gain after the first few months because it causes carbohydrate cravings. Mind you the band restricts the quantity you can eat so that will take care of that. If your band is tight dont take the pill on an empty stomach at night as it can cause you to throw up (dangerous for your band). Instead take it several hours before you lie down and with food. Ellen

Marge Alternatively if you can get a reasonably priced flight thru AerLingus, it comes into Brussels International which is only 5-10 mins by car from Vilvoorde and costs probably about 15 euro . On the way home after your op, this might be an easier option and would cut down considerably on your travel time. Regards Ellen

Hi Every Great to meet you last week and Elsie thanks a mill for the lift. Lil, has the band settled down? Did you need a defill in the end or what happened? Nikki, well done I cant believe you managed to keep losing despite the pregnancy. You must be so pleased with yourself. Congrats on the arrival of baby Kai. I suspect running around after 5 children is also helping you keep your weight down. Terry, good luck to you in your decision making. I hope all goes well for you. Im dying to hear your impressions of her. She sounds like an interesting lady, had a baby in "Leaving Cert" and still went on to become a doctor. Then emigrated to Canada as as asylum seeker with the baby, started off working as a cleaner while she was waiting to get her medical degree accredited there and then got into plastics. I'm in better humour today, finally the swelling post-lipo seems to be shifting and I'm down 4-5 lbs, only 7 lbs to my (first ) goal of BMI 25 now, thank the Lord. All the best Ellen

Lil I had a 1 ml fill in England in January. They sent me off to eat something which I was able to eat away to my hearts content. I came back in and they inserted another 0.5. Drank my water happily, flew home and that night took a tablet which obviously didnt agree with my stomach so spent the night being sick. I learnt not to take the tablet again on an empty stomach and things settled a bit, but I would say for 4 weeks at least I was only able to take liquids or mushies and after that only the tiniest quantities of solid food. The weight came off nicely and I was rather desperate so I didnt bother going back to England for a defill. Plus the hassle involved in taking yet more time off work and trekking over there YET again made me stick it out for longer than if an easier solution were at hand. I'd say if it's only 0.5ml you got, stick it out taking liquids for a week and it may settle down. It would be no harm to talk to ACS however about what they plan to do for you if it doesnt settle down. All the best Ellen

Hi Everyone Looking forward to finally meeting up with some of you on Thursday. I'll let someone Dublin based decide where's best to meet. It doesnt matter to me where. Laura, you'll definitely get an appt cos I only rang up for mine on Friday evening and there was no issue. If you do a search for Julie Tosh on this thread you'll find the UK number.. Elsie or Ailbhe posted it some time ago. Julie is Dr C's UK based secretary. Gerri, Yep Dr Cerna's prices are even better that Belgium. For anything to do with the face I'd say she's certainly more experienced than Dr D. Her fans on other websites would say she's conservative if anything so I dont think safety is a worry with her. They are probably much of a muchness for post WLS plastics as they both seem to do a lot of it. She's probably a good 10 years older so maybe she is more experienced also, hard to know. What I regarded as her major disadvantage before I now, with hindsight, see as an advantage. She makes you stay there a few days longer (accommodation is way cheaper there than in Vilvoorde) but youre probably in much better shape to travel by the time you do leave. When I booked my return flight I was way too ambitious and ended up having to book an entirely new flight home at short notice ust b4 Easter - not cheap!. Also by changing my hotel arrangements I lost my good deal I had got over the intranet - they cancelled my remaining days and make an entirely new booking at 130 a night instead of 80. Plus there was 400 for the hospital. In Dr Cerna's set up, she has someone popping in every day to check up on you and they call her (she's in the same building I gather) if necessary. I have to say I am really sore still after the lipo (God, I real ray of sunshine today amn't I?), even though I am able to treadmill walk which Im doing a lot of to try and speed up healing and ward off clots. It was a way bigger deal than I expected. Not sure if inner thigh lipo on my 40 yr old skin was my brightest idea yet, it looks a tad droopy - i dont mind that much, the shape fully clothed is more important to me right now than catwalk modelling of sexy bikinis!! I have a few questions for the delicious one but he's not answering my emails - (that's what I was PMing yourself and Coco about earlier Laura b4 nipper intervened). I seem to have sutures in the lipo incisions and I dont know if they will dissolve or need to be removed, he didnt mention them. Ive a few other questions for him as well, such as when can I shower (before the neighbours en mass vote to have me removed from the locality). All the best Ellen

Laura and Coco The website for Dr Cerna is Cosmetic Surgery | Breast Enlargement, Reduction | Breast Augmentation | Tummy Tuck. Did you receive the PM I send earlier? I had it all typed up and mini-mouse aged 18 mts came up , poked the screen and it disappeared. Dont kow if he had the foresight to save a draft.... Ellen

Hi Girls I'm on for meeting. have an appt with Dr C for either 3 or 3.30 , havent got the piece of paper to hand right now. Let me know when and where ye are meeting. Ailbhe, I had assumed you were Dublin based, what part of the country are you in? Elsie, I'll see what I can dig out in terms of photos - although in my fattest days I was expert at destroying unflattering photos of me and only "acceptable" ones were shown to anyone or made their way into the album! Arms will definitely be coming. Am waiting for Dr Delicious to reply to my email asking when I can take the bandages off. Sure he told me but I cant recall. Ellen Ellie

Hi Everyone, Great to see so many new "faces" on the board. Lunasa, I'm Ellen and I remember you back when I was a lurker. You mentioned in one of your posts that you had gone to HWC in Manchester because they specialised in weightloss surgery. I went there too in September. Again the weight fell off for a couple of weeks (say a stone) and not an ounce after that. Like you, I was kindof waiting for it to happen magically for me, I continued eating mushies and soup, continued having my half bottle (sometimes two thirds) of wine in front of the TV every night... and forgot to exervise. I was waiting to get more fills and assuming that the restriction would finally make things happen. Went over in Nov for a small fill, no real change, went over again in Dec, no real change. At this point I was convinced I 'd been sold a pup. On 1st January I dusted down the treadmill and I must say that has made all the difference. Nearly every night since then I have promised myself that if I walk for 15-20 minutes I can stop. But once Ive walked the 20 minutes Im enjoying it and I keep going until 50 - 60 minutes. That made a massive difference. Then I went back in early January for a fill and got a double fill (1ml first I think and a further .5 a few hours later). Oh my God, that was the first time I really realised I had a band. If anything its been a bit too tight and as a result Ive been fairly reliant on protein shakes etc but the weight has just dropped off. I do believe though that without the exercise it would have been much much slower and I'd have been so dispirited and reluctant to live wit the discomfort of a tight band that I'd probably have gone back for a defill and reverted to my old habits. The other change Ive made is that before once kids gone to bed I'd sit in front of the TV from 8-12pm munching titbits and drinking. I found it really enjoyable. Somewhere along the line, since new year, I've changed my habits almost without knowing it. I still sit in front of the TV, that's not changed. But now I have the laptop in front of me and I'm not really concentrating on Fair City or Prime Time, as I'm finding weightloss / cosmetic surgery websites / forums/ thighlifts etc far too interesting. Also, the glass of wine has been replaced by 2 pint glasses of hot water with lemon juice. At maybe 10pm, I go out to the treadmill for my walk (unwillingly but I do it), and then come back for another 2 pints of water. They say it takes 21 days to change a habit. Almost against my will my habit in the evening has changed. I still allow myself the glass of wine or G&T if I want it but mostly there's no room after the water. I had an armlift and some lipo a couple of weeks ago in Belgium and am recovering from that now. I am so happy I had the band as Im no longer terrified that this weightloss is just temporary and its only a metter of time before it starts piling back on. Hopefully if nothing bad happens to my band, you know I feel for the first time ever I can actually keep the weight off. Not quite there yet of course! Any way, rant over, Best of luck to you all. Ellen

Hi Everyone Hope ye get sorted soon on the fill-front. Am desperately trying to stay away from the Lindt bunnies (and chickens and lambs - yum yum)etc myself at the moment. Coco this isolagen sounds great (my God 7 years, there are going to be queues down the street for it) - let me know how you get on if you do decide to go for it. Laura, in answer to your question. Once I agreed to the date with Dr D i paid 500 Euro to the hospitals account and a further 350 the morning of the op. The balance I paid in cash directly to Dr D. By the way, while youre making up your mind, you might like to look at another website - (just google Dr Cerna Laderma Clinic in Prague. She seems to have a very good reputation too (check out www.lookyourbestUK.com - the thread on "surgery abroad") - I havent seen a bad word about her. I originally planned to go to her but I think she requires you to stay a couple of days longer locally which didnt suit me - mind you in the end I felt awful and had to prolong my stay in Brussels by a couple of days anyway. The other reason I didnt go to her was because I think she does lipo by Gen anaesthetic and I wanted sedation only .... but because of the amount to be taken out dr D had to us a gen anaesthetic anyway. Dr Cerna provides really nice appartments next to the clinic at a cheap rate and her prices are really good too. Elsie and Ailbhe, I think I'll try and get a fill from Dr C on the 3rd. Maybe see you there if I get an appointment. All the best Ellen

Hi Laura Does he supply the lipo garment even tho you pay for it? I wasnt aware that he did. He just told me to buy and bring over a "good quality lipopanty" . I bought mine over the web from a crowd called holistic garments (just google the name) in the UK but he said it was slightly looser that he'd have liked (lost some weight between ordering it and the op). It cost just over 100 euro and is like a whale-boned corset. Whales are featuring prominently in my posts of late..... Are you going to book him for June? Ellen

Laura Normally he answers within a day or 2. I emailed him last Tursday and have not had a reply yet so maybe he had to take to his bed after the trauma of my lipo job or something. Of course he may also have taken the long weekend off. Give it a few days and i'm sure you'll hear back. Ellen

Hi Everyone Hope all is going well and that the eggs are now just a bad dream! Elsie, re the coughing , I wasnt warned specifically about it so I cant help Im afraid. Coco, thanks for the kind words. Was delighted with myself all along but getting a little dejected now as I' ve swollen to whale-like proportions over the weekend even tho I'm back doing loads of walking again. Its only a week tomorrow since my lipo but it seems like an eternity and am beginning to wonder will I ever return to normal. The fillers sound interesting. Hadnt heard of isolagen before. Expensive? I tried Restylane coming up to my 40th and was happy with the result. I needed a lot of it though (naso-labial lines and I have some acne scars )and it worked out quite expensive (certainly over a €1000) and the result lasted only 5-6 mts. Didnt feel like spending that so often but I might be interested in a longer lasting fill. Are you getting it done in London or Dublin? Dr Delicious also has something on his website about permanent fillers but cant recall what he does exactly. All the best Ellen of the whale-like legs (er... do whales have legs?)

Hi Everyone Im back again.. the devil making work for idle hands. Am looking for feedback as to what people have been using for pain relief since getting your bands in. Was anyone else told when you had your bands put in, NOT to take NSAIDs, asprin or ibuprofen?. I was told this when I got my band but when I had my lipo etc last week Dr D told me to take ibuprofen and paracetamol. I took Neurofen plus for the week thinking that it contained paracetamol when in fact it contains ibuprofen. Am a bit worried now in case ive done damage in the last week. Looking at the web though it doesnt seem clearcut as some band providers give ibuprofen for pain relief after putting in the band... and others say dont touch it with a barge pole as it can cause damage to the lining of the stomach and band erosion. Ive stopped taking Neurofen now but am still a bit worried. Elsie and Ailbhe what did Dr C give you for pain relief in the days after your ops? How about ACS? Thanks Ellen

Hi Laura I'm 5' 5 drawing my self up to the maximum. There have been ppl in the past who suggested that I was only 5'4 or 5'4.5 but obviously they have been eliminated mercilessly as if that were true it would change my target weight by a few pounds. Ellen

Hi Eugenia I read your original post the day after I had my own arm lift (in Belgium) and Ive been wondering the same thing about my own - he didnt do any lipo. He took off about 4 inches at the widest and according to my measurement they were 15" to start with. Still look a bit bulky to me with dressing on and have not seen them without the bandages yet. Its good to know that they are still likely to subside a bit even after a month. My procedure was surprisingly painfree I must admit. Im glad youre happier now than you were last week. Regards Ellen

Dini and Elsie Im hopeless for buying these things and sitting them on a shelf never to be tasted. Im currently toying with the notion of getting the herbalife tea (thermojetics). A friend of mine uses the herbalife stuff including the tea and says it 's good for keeping her metabolism "alert" and preventing constipation etc. Has anyone heard anything bad about it? Elsie, hand in there until you get your first fill. Weightloss does decline alright at this stage but youre doing well if you dont put on any (or even a small amount) whilst awaiting an effective fill. How soon is Dr C willing to fill you? Ellen

Hi Laura Happy to answer any questions. Do you mean how much i weighed b4 the lipo or b4 the band?. I weighed 14 st 5 last August before the band. A week ago I weighed 11 st 7 before armlift on Fri 14th and lipo to the stomach (this was the main part), hips and inner thighs and knees on Tues 18th. Arm lift was easy peasy. I'll have scars on the inner arm down to my elbow. They shd start to fade in 2-3 mts and just be silver in 12-18 mts to the extent that i shd be able to wear strappy tops. My caesaerian scar has faded so that I have to look carefully to find it so am not too worried about that. He took out about 3 ltrs of fat (at least half from the tummy I suspect) which is just under 6 lbs plus the bit off the arms was about a lb so hopefully by the time the swelling is gone (I'll give it a month before I weigh myself) hopefully I'll be down to close to my target weight. Target weight at the moment is 10 st 10 (BMI of 25) but I may shift that further downwards once I get there. Depends on how scrawny my neck is looking. Ideally i'd love to be at 10 st cos when I was last at that weight (some 23 years ago!) I was in first year of College and having a ball. It has happy memories for me! However, I may not get there cos I feel my neck is beginning to look its age recently. Its hard to judge either the arms or the lipo yet. He took about 3.5 to 4 inches off the arms at their widest. Im still covered in bandages and swollen so I dont see a vast change just yet. Lipo wise, its also hard to judge cos Im so swollen and very bruised in the treated areas. Tummy definitely flatter though. He told me to start moving asap as this will really speed up water retention issue and the recovery. Am back on treadmill today (Ive done an hour slowly so far) - not difficult or painful at all though moving from the couch / bed to standing is quite painful. Happy to recommend Dr D wholeheartedly. He's very good and his prices are excellent relative to the rip offs here. I enquired about getting a Tummy Tuck in Dublin a few months ago and was given a price of 10-12K. You'd get it for 1/4 of that in Belgium. Plus my big issue here (right or wrong) is that there is so little demand for cosmetic plastic surgery in Ireland here that the surgeons only get to do a little bit of everything burns, accidents, moles, cleft palates as a small proportion of cosmetic jobs). This leaves us with only ACS, Harley Medical clinics who may have the experience in cosmetic surgery but dont have the safety of a hospital setting. Plus, its the individual surgeon you need to research not just the agency ... cos its he who's got the knife in his hand. Personally I'd feel more comfortable knowing that my surgeon had done the same job serveral hundred times before wielding his knife on me. I had a nose job done in Ireland by a very well known and undoubtedly very safe surgeon (in that he's not going to let you die) years ago, but I learned later that he did nose jobs only a few times a year... mine was not a total disaster but it was certainly slightly worse afterwards than before ... and cost a fortune at the time. When you thinking of going to Belgium. If staying in the Campanile make sure you book online - much cheaper rate..... as I discovered when I needed to alter my booking whilst there this week. Regards Ellie

Hi Laura He'll probably get back to you asking you to email him some photos and from that he shd be able to tell if you need a tummy tuck or just lipo. In my case, he suggested the lipo to shift the fat and then lots of exercises to strengthen the muschle behind. He didnt seem to feel id need a tuck now as there isnt too much loose skin. I'm back home now and my 3 lovelies are jumping on me wanting piggy backs - am kindof wishing my flight had been delayed for a week more or two! Sore and tired and waiting for my neurofen to work. Am currently swollen to about three times my former size!!! All of which is apparently normal. I like to go online regularly however to check what my symptoms are related to....... I was like a b...h last night when the internet didnt work in the house and all I wanted was to check back into a comfortable quiet hotel where no one demanded piggy backs of me..... All the best with it.

Did ye get the letters they were to send ye last week and what did they say?

Hi girls Just thought I'd hop online to let you know my friend Paddy has just been here in the hotel to check on me again. Na na na na na! One tip for you all for free, if youre offered sedation or General Anaesthetic, you smile, nod and quickly say please to sedation before they change their minds. You dont let notions of squamishness enter the equation. (After all, you dont HAVE to demand to see the bit he cuts off like I did, even though it was strangely interesting to see these massive fat cells that used be me). There's absolutely no comparison between how I felt after sedation and after the GA. I was a subdued little poor wretch alright yesterday. I vomited in the evening (as I usually do after a GA) and that set off a some bleeding from the tiny lipo incisions(well actually a mix of blood and the Fluid they inect in). Apparently it was quite normal and they were very reassuring but the gush of what looked like blood frightened me... so I stayed in the hospital for the night (I'd have gotten a long weekend in the Four Seasons for the price - €400). I was sharing a room with 2 elderly ladies (in Othopaedics ward as they had no bed free in Paddy's ward) and they snored and chatted all bloody night cos they couldn't sleep. Had I had more energy I'd definitely have had to smother them both with a pillow, but fortunately for all I was too weak even to do that. Feel a bit better today but fairly sore in the belly and couldnt face a flight this evening so rearranged a new one for the weekend. In the midst of my angst I even turned to God and rashly promised that if (a)I didnt die (which seemed like a distinct possibility to me at the time) and (:biggrin: got over the dizziness, I'd devote myself henceforth to charitable acts, prayer on a regular basis and would even start bringing the kids to mass. It appears I even told hubby that I wouldnt poke him in the back for snoring anymore. Oh yes, he was quick enough to remind me of that first thing this morning! Anyway, I'm sure God will understand if I reconsider my options in a couple of days .....ie delegate some prayer -related tasks to hubby. Re the lipo, he took out 3 litres from my tummy, hips thighs and knees. He could only have taken out 1.5 to 2 litres by sedation and local anaesthetic and it would have been way less painful. I must say that I will look at biscuits in a different light (food of Satan) from now on .... or so she sez now anyway with her sore tummy. I am wearing a ghastly corset type affair going from my knees to just under my boobs but I do notice a rather pleasing curve to my waist I must say. Gotta go folks and rest my new tum tum. When ye are all meeting out here this time next year, maybe I'll come too and bring ye all to meet my boy Paddy. After all, ye'll be sore and not up to much, t'would be a shame to let him go to waste, n'est ce pas????? Ellie-sore-belly

Hi DLC My goodness, 7 stone in 9 months is fantastic. I went to Healthier Weight centre in the UK myslef so I dont know as much about ACS as the other girls here... except that they love Jerome and he's sorely missed. Best of luck with the weightloss, how much more are you aiming for? Ellen

Hi Girlies Ye all sound like model mothers unlike me, who has abandoned my poor hungry miserable little critters on Paddys weekend in order to be nipped and tucked (oh lord, I was going to say something meaning (lipo)suctioned but rhyming with 'tucked' ..........only I stopped myself in time in the interests of decency). Anyway, this country is so efficient. Mary Harney should be forcibly sent out here for a stint. I had an appt with Dr Chris deBruyne at 3 today for my 2 cl defill (not the whole lot interestingly) before my General anaesthetic tomorrow. Did some shopping in Brussels itself in the morning then took a cab out to Melsbroek where Dr C's home surgery is. First of all, there were plenty taxis to be had, there was hardly any traffic delay even though it was lunchtime. Arrived at Dr C's, was seen straight away (one patient leaving as I arrived, another arriving as I left). Took my medical history, found the port first time, whipped out 2 cl, plaster on, made appt for refill on Wednesday evening, offered me a band x-ray if I want one, told me Dedonckers was a fine surgeon, had a general chat about lapbanding in Ireland, paid him his 50 Euro, he called a taxi and off I go - all in 10 minutes. Taxi arrived 2 mins later. By the way, he's going to be in Dublin on the 3rd or 4th of April and will do fills for anyone that wants them. Now, he's seems a really nice man but wouldn't be quite as decorative now as my 'ladeen'. I think I'll call my boy Paddy anymore (Dr Yummy's first name is Patrick in case I'm confusing anyone).. in honour of St Patrick and all. As regards future 'interventions', I'm here making a list of what I'll get done assuming (a) I survive tomorrow (:thumbup: I win the lotto. Alternatively, I suppose, I could sell a couple of the kids... or send them out sweeping chimneys or something. Arms progressing nicely - havent seen them yet cos of bandages - but incredibly itchy and I'm constantly scratching (as my friend living in Belgium said to me earlier "like a dog with mange". ) Hope ye're all well EllieBellie soon to be EllieBellieGone

Paws off, you lot. The delicious one is mine and , mine alone. Elsie, many thanks for your helpful suggestion of exercise as I recouperate. As you know I will be going under the knife again on Tuesday. Must remember to stock up on candles / champagne /Chanel 5 etc tomorrow.......... Ellie

Hey folks, ACS up for sale? Presumably the buyer inherits the duty of care which the seller had towqrds you all. Am dying to find out whats in the papers tomorrow. Does anyone know a website for the Mail on Sunday, couldnt find it last week. Re the arms, no real pain at all, even managed to go shopping today. I must share with you all that the delicious doctor visited me in my hotel bedroom today. Sadly, however, he was not harbouring any wicked intentions towards my newly renovated body. Was just checking up on another patient in the hotel and thought he'd save me the trouble of going into the hospital for my checkup. He dampened my ardour for him considerably by again mentioning the notion of intense muscle exercises in the context of my soon to be flattened tummy. I assured him that this was not a difficulty as I had purchased a slendertone in Boots for this very purpose prior to my trip. Cutiepie was unimpressed. It appears that he had the more laborious type of exercise in mind. Situps and such like. His exact words were 'it wut aff bin cheaper and equally effectiff for you to go to church and light a candle'. I wonder would anyone be interested in the purchase of a 2nd hand slendertone by any chance? Oh yes, the ACS property in Galway is in the centre of town and if I recall correctly on its own grounds so I suppose it would be fairly valuable. All the best to you all.

Hi All I'm so pretty, so pretty as pretty could be!!! (little danse) Well my arms were carved nicely today at midday. The doctor was ridiculously goodlooking and I pray that he is older than he looks ( I think he probably is, I dectected a gray hair or 2. Not too sore. Curious as hell but canget my top off for a look. Going back tomoro for a check up so may get a glimpse then. He took photos of my "very prominent" tummy and thighs for my upcoming lipo job next week and assured me that it was indeed a big job as there was a lot of fat. This was anid poking poor old jelly-belly a few times Thanks kind sir. It was not poor Ellie-Jelly-Belly's finest hour. Viewing my legs, he looked grave and told me I must accept that my legs would always be robust but he would improve certain areas (from that I take it that even the miracles of modern science are facing too great a challenge when it comes to my legs). He can only safely take out about 3 litres so I suspect i still wont be twiggy when they're out. Pity they dont sell these yokes in Argos and I could take out a pint or 2 every evening while Im watchin TV............................ Hope all well with the ACS people and Ailbhe and Elsie, my belgian friends.