damienne

Hi Mimi, My upper arms are quite flabby but I am not considering surgery for them...would Fraxel help? Is it expensive? I'm wondering what age you are? If you want any more information about the Minifacelift just ask? Damienne

Hi ALL, I had the gastric band surgery in with Dr Chris De Bruyne, Belgium three years ago(when I was 62yrs old!!) and was very pleased....except that my face(my cheeks really) became more and more wrinkled as the weight fell off. Every time I looked in the mirror these wrinkles bothered me and I started researching Mini Facelifts as a possible solution. I could find NO forum similar to this with any information relevant to us in Ireland. Anyway, I went ahead with great trepidation and had a Mini Facelift in Belgium a week ago and (fingers n toes crossed) I'm pretty delighted with the results...even this early. So I decided to put this little bit of information on this site in the hope that it might be helpful to someone else in the same 'boat' as I found myself in. I had a consultation with Frederik Serneels when I was having a slight unfill and from there made contact with Dr Patrick De Donker etc,etc. I was VERY worried because I couldn't get in contact with any satisfied/unsatisfied patients but went ahead anyway....think he's done a lovely job for me ,anyway. Damienne

Thanks, Slinky, Did you have a consultation in Dublin with Dr Debruyne? If so,where did you go?...it used to be in pembroke st. All the best with your 'holiday' and afterwards. Damienne:thumbup:

Hi All,Hello Brenners, I haven't had a fill for about 12months..in fact I'm considering a little bit of an unfill!! I would also like to have the band checked...as reccomended I managed to have a Barium X Ray done in my local hosp. but would like Dr Debruyne to look at it. I have tried to call Julie Tosh and the numbers I have for Dr Debruyne and Frederick with no success. Can anyone tell me how to contact them and where/when they come to Dublin these days. For newbies here who may be interested...I had the band fitted in Belgium in June 2008 and have had no problems with it. I was nervous, especially since I was 62yrs OLD at the time!!! I am VERY HAPPY with the results. At my heaviest I was over 19st....now I am 12 and a half st. My skin is a 'bit' loose in places, but not bad considering how long I have been 'MORBIDLY OBESE'. My face looks better, if more wrinkled...it was much fatter before. Anyone here had a mini Facelift??? I probably almost take for granted that (for the first time in my adult life) I don't have to worry about my weight. I feel so much more NORMAL. I can go to parties etc without feeling auful....in fact now, I look forward to having somewhere to go. Good Luck to you all, Damienne:thumbup:

Hi Joss, I recognise your name from a couple of years back. I think I met you at a meeting in Jury's,Belfast ....shortly before you had surgery?? I didn't go ahead with the op at the time but finally had d band fitted in June 08 in Belgium. I'm doing o.k. I have lost nearly 2 stone but don't think I really have much restriction yet. How have you been getting on? What does it cost to have a fill and where exactly?:thumbs_up:

Hi Everyone, I haven't beeen on the forum for a while...my hubby has been sick and I have been doing fairly ok bandwise. I got my first fill last week but didn't have time to meet up with anyone in Larry Murphy's. I actually feel more hungry and have less restriction after the 2ml fill than I did before!!!! (I suppose I was just at the point of loosing all restriction anyway) I was too hungry to stay on fluids for 3 days..bit dissappointing! Anyway,I guess it's time for me to book the next fill in September. I'll be VERY surprised if I loose any weight this month. Good luck to everyone. Skinnyirishbabe, sorry about your leak problem...hope its e2,000 not e4,000

Hi Suzpat, I was on this topic before I finally went ahead and had the surgery on June 6th 2008.....swinging with indecision right to the last minute. One point I would like to make is that the band in place ia supposed to press on the Vagus nerve which is situated near the top of the stomach. I read somewhere that a sense of fullness comes from the pressure of food on this nerve....or the pressure of the band on this nerve!! I have some restriction even though i have not had a fill yet(maybe this week) but I have MUCH LESS hunger than befor I had the band and THAT means that I'm not thinking about food nearly as much as before. That is PRICELESS!! I am very relieved at how normally I can eat ....I was afraid that I would be very limited in what I could eat. For the first few weeks post op my diet was mostly liquids and only gradually eating more normally. At the moment I eat a Breakfast of porridge or muesli, something like some salad and a piece of wheatmeal bread at lunch and chicken/beefburger veg and a small potato. I think I may have lost about 20lbs since the op. eight weeks ago. I am not in a major rush...it's great to be loosing,even slowly,rather than gaining and I want to look after my (good) health. I suppose that I will need to return to the liquids/mushies when/if I have a fill but that will probably only be for a few days and then real food again. The question that I have now is 'DO I REALLY NEED A FILL OR SHOULD I CONTINUE AS I AM ....JUST EATING HEALTHILY AND LOOSING SLOWLY??? MOST OF THE TIME I FEEL SO NORMAL THAT I FORGET THAT I HAVE EVEN HAD THE SURGERY!!!!!(except for the weight loss and the little scars on my tum:thumbup::thumbup:) Good luck with your decision

Hi Everyone, Elsie, I have booked a fill with Frederick 16/07. I am doing fine at present,not hungry really and full after a small amount of solid food. I may be feeling the hunger more in three weeks so I booked to be on the safe side. Think this may have been exactly what I have needed to help me manage my weight/eating. Siepie, my appointment is for 9.10 on the 16th, so we will probably meet there? Ailbhe, I am amazed at how well you are negotiating everything that is happening in your life...I hope you find somewhere really nice to live. Jellybabe(spelling?), Good luck in Belgium, I had surgery three weeks ago there. To be honest, I felt dreadful for about 24 hours...when they took out the drip and I started to drink. After that I was a bit weak for a few days.... like I had a touch of 'flu but better every day.

Hi Everyone, Thanks for your good wishes. I am managing ok I think with mushies and recognising when I'm full. I had the surgery on 09/06 and I suppose I should get a fill with Frederick when he's over on 15/07? To be honest, I would prefer to have it done with Dr Debruyne but he won't be back 'til Sept. Have any of you had fills with Frederick? I am a bit nervous about having a fill. How do you know if you need a fill? I suppose I could book an appointment for the 15th and cancel if I feel that I don't need it when the time comes? About the hair loss,I spoke to Brenners at some point and she told me that she has been taking a protein supplement every day and hasn't lost any hair. I got some, so I must make a point of taking it and see if it makes any difference to the 'three month' hair loss problem. Sepie,I would love to have a regular support meeting...I suppose Larry Murphy's is a mini version of what it could be like. I'ts really great to meet everyone in person. Bye for now.:ohmy:

Hi Ailbhe, You're an inspiration. I love your feistiness. Maybe this is the beginning of something better for you....sounds like the relationship was taking a lot out of you that that you can begin to get back. Still,I'm sure what is happening must be dreadful for you as well...it's unbelieveable that he's got a date already!!??!! About me; Yes,(as elsie knows) I went ahead and had the op. 11days ago in Belgium. The first couple of days were auful.I felt very unwell,a bit like a 'flu and I was afraid i had picked up an infection. Anyway, I'm doing fine now and beginning to get the hang of what I can and can't eat,my 'new' signals for hunger and fullness etc.etc. I'll write more when i have time. Regards to all.

Thanks Doddie for your words of encouragement. I know that I am quite an indecisive person.....I have to check out EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE before I make any decision and I certainly have with this one. The only angle I can't check out in advance, is how the experience of having the op. and living with the band will be for me ....and it's wrecking my head!! I'll let you know how I get on?????

Hi Bjane, I just want to say Hi as I am almost your age(62) and due to have surgery on Friday 6th. I am fluctuating wildly between having the op. and pulling out. I am all over the place...maybe it's nerves, but it's more in my head than my stomach. Good luck to you on thursday and afterwards.:lol::tongue:

Hi All, Ailbhe,I'm sorry to hear that you are going through such a huge upheaval at the moment.I hope that things get easier for you soon around your relationship....you are already dealing with more than enough with the surgery etc. Cocoo I wonder if you were referring to a vein op. in your post? I could do with having it done if/when I loose weight. Did you have to have a defill before and a refill after? i would like to know how that went. I am due to have surgery with C.De.B in three days(06/06) but am swinging frantically between Yes and No. My decision shifts two or three times a day and I HONESTLY don't know what I will do......HELP!!!!! I want to thank Elsie SOOOOO much for meeting me last week and giving me so much information and support. I backed away from having this op.two years ago. This time I have come further ...had the consultation, booked the op. flight,hotel;bag almost packed. Don't know if this fear or a genuine problem that I have with surgery as a way to tackle my weight. Any advice????