EnglishRose

Hi CarrieJess I had slimfast shakes but apparently they arent recommended due to the high calories, I have still lost 2 stone though since the beginning of August. You can have clear soups with no bits. I also had crispbake crackers with jam or cream cheese on as they melt in your mouth (they give you those for lunch at the hospital). Dont worry you will be given package which tells you what you can and cant eat. Re the band. They do different sizes. I had a 10cc band but I know someone at the hospital who had a 15cc band. They do not fill the band during surgery you have to wait about 6 weeks before you can have a fill. Good luck with your op. EnglishRose

Hi Naomi.J Try not to worry too much. A lot of people I met didnt do a pre-op diet, ate indian takeaways and drank like a fish. That said though, you must stick to the diet once you have been banded, otherwise you will damage your band and will be back to square one. Noone can answer what Dr Chris will do, only he can answer that one when he opens you up and looks inside. I hope everything goes well, let us know how you get on once your back. Im sure you will be fine. Goodluck EnglishRose

Hi Simmy The E-mail address for Dr chris is chris.debruyne@advalvas.be You can also E-mail his assistant Frederick frederik.serneels@ecfs.be If you are going to book the op, its best to do so through either Dr Chris or Frederick as it works out a lot cheaper by taking out their package. Good luck. EnglishRose

Hi Angie Yes getting banded was the best decision I have ever made. No regrets at all. I wish I had done it years ago! and yes would definately do it again without a second thought. Being banded has completely changed my life. I dont think about food as much as I used to. I enjoy my food more because I eat slower but I dont crave for more after having a small portion which is quite amazing for me as I have been a compulsive eater for years. Try not to worry about the op, you will be in great hands. Dr Chris and his team are very professional and will put you at ease. You will be home before you know it and will be able to watch the weight drop off. Best of luck for your op. EnglishRose x

Hi I lost 7lb on my pre-op diet and 21lb since the 13th August. Im really chuffed!!!! EnglishRose x

Hi Rebecca The mobile number I have for Miss Julie Tosh is 07872963503. Hope that helps EnglishRose

Hi Clarygrundy No I havent seen my GP since having the op. You do the injections yourself for 5 days after the op. They show you at the hospital how to do it. Dont worry its very easy and it doesnt hurt. EnglishRose

Hi Jiggy Frederick came to see me at the hotel the day I was discharged to see if I was okay and to give me an information pack on aftercare. It is not written in stone that you have to stay another night but they say it is adviseable. You mentioned before that you will be travelling alone, you may find it difficult with carrying luggage. Everyone is different with regard to how much pain they are in afterwards. The women I shared a room with at the hospital felt awful after they were discharged and went straight to bed, there is no way they could have jumped on a plane and gone home, but like I said everyone is different. If you take out the 4000 Euro package it wont be any more expensive to stay the extra night, it just means you will be away from your family for 1 extra night. EnglishRose

Hi Clarygrundy You can go home at any time on the Sunday. You dont have to go back to the hospital. I had a friend come with me too. She stayed with me until I went down to theatre and then came back in my room after Id come out of recovery. She then stayed until early evening. The nurses were okay with her being there. There is a restaurant on the fourth floor where your companion can get something to eat. The food isnt too bad apparently and its very reasonably priced (a lot cheaper than eating at the hotel). EnglishRose

Hi Aminaqc Just to let you know that booking through Tulia Law is not a scam. The people I shared a room with at the hospital booked through this lady and had to send the money upfront. However, I would book direct with Dr Chris himself as it is cheaper. They do a package for 4000 Euros which includes Op, hotel and taxis. You will save a lot of money by booking direct with Dr Chris or his assistant Frederick. Feel free to ask any questions. EnglishRose

Hi Mrs J.J How much did Dr Chris put in for each fill? Have a nice time in Belgium. EnglishRose

Hi Ursula Pleased to hear your back and doing so well. I felt tired after the op too but you will soon go back to normal. Happy losing! EnglishRose x

Hi Flirtylass Just a quick note to say good luck for your op on Friday. I bet your dead excited. I know I was! We ate at the hotel the day before the op. I had steak, chips and salad with a glass of wine. The steak was delicious. You wont be able to have anything to eat or drink after the surgery until the next day. They give you a sponge on a stick to rinse your mouth with. Let us know how you get on when you get back. Take care EnglishRose

Hi Mrs JJ No offense taken re your reply to Angie. Your probably right, honesty is the best policy. It really is difficult replying to questions like that when I have no medical experience. I just felt the majority of us would have some form of fatty liver otherwise we wouldnt be getting this band done in the first place. EnglishRose

Hi Angie I have just read the letter which you give to your doctor afterwards which explains his findings during the operation and the proceduce itself. Dr Chris said I had a rather large omentum (inevitable really) and a mild steatotic liver. So I guess I was in the same boat as you liver wise so stop worrying! I have adjusted to the band really well. The weight loss has slowed down to about 3lb a week which I am happy with. I had cottage pie yesterday and had the same size portion as my 2 year old. I do feel hungrier in the evenings around 9pm so I normally have crackers with cream cheese on. I am eating well under 1,000 calories a day and loving my band. I had a bit of a bad experience the other day when something got stuck or I ate too quickly and started purbing (heaving flem) sorry to be so discriptive but it soon cleared and the rest of my lunch went in the bin, too bloody scared to eat it. Still think its the best decision I have ever made. Ive never lost 22lb in 1 month before, I am so chuffed!!!. Feel free to ask anything and I will answer as best I can. English Rose x

Hi Angie Im sure your liver will be okay as you still have another 2 weeks to go. The lady I shared a room with was eating Indian takeaway 4 days a week so her liver must have been far worse than yours and he still operated. I wouldnt say anything to him but the decision is yours of course. I wouldnt want to advise you wrongly but I dont think you will have anything to worry about. EnglishRose x

Hi Angie Dr Chris usually suggests having a fill after 6 weeks because you need to heal before having a fill. Im not going to Dr Chris for my first fill as he was fully booked up until October and I felt 2 months was too long to wait for a fill. I think the amount he puts in depends on how much weight you have lost and how much you are able to eat. I dont think there is a set amount he puts in, I think everyone is different. EnglishRose x

Hi Everhopeful Blimey 31lbs, thats absolutely fantastic, well done!!! Im booked for a fill on the 23rd September at my local private hospital as Dr Chris was totally booked up until October. Let me know how you get on with your first fill, also how much they put in. EnglishRose xxx

Hi Angie I lost 7lb on a pre-op diet which consisted of slim fast and everthing low fat for dinner (fresh fish & veg or stirfry). I have lost 14lb since being banded. I have slimfast for breakfast. 3 crackers with cream cheese on for lunch. Salmon, mash potatoe, cauli, Broccoli for dinner or a home made vegetable soup. The evening meal may sound a lot but it all fits into a small pudding bowl. I have also had scrambled egg without any problems. Im quite lucky I havent suffered with any headaches or been light headed since ive been banded. I do have 2 or 3 hard boiled sweets in the evening to take away the sugar craving. EnglishRose

Hi Angie I know its an expensive decision but after you have been banded you will wish you had done it years ago. I am almost 3 weeks post op and I think its one of the best decisions I have ever made. Think of all that money you will be saving on your shopping bill. Put the money aside and you will be able to buy a new wardrobe. Im looking forward to being a lot slimmer. I hate ironing and it takes ages to Iron my clothes as they are the size of a tent! EnglishRose

Hi everyone Just to let you know you will need to buy some big waterproof plaster dressings for when you get home. They change them at the hospital on the day you are discharged but they dont give you any to take home. EnglishRose

Hi Angie Really pleased you got your ticker working. Unfortunately I cannot take the credit for the detail as I copied and pasted from another post but I am pleased you were able to get it working. Good luck with the op, you will be fine Dr Chris is a brilliant surgeon. EnglishRose

Sorry the diagrams dont englarge.

Using TickerFactory as an example: 1. Go to www.tickerfactory.com 2. Click on Weightloss 3. Select a ticker ruler. Veiw all available by clicking on the page numbers. Once you have selected the one you want to use, click Next. 4. Select a ticker slider. Veiw all available by clicking on the page numbers. Once you have selected the one you want to use, click Next. 5. Select the measure of weight that you use. (pounds or kilograms) 6.If you wish the ticker to show your current weight and count down to your goal weight, select Weight. 7. If you wish the ticker to show only the amount of weight you wish to lose and how much you've lost, (not your current or goal weight) select Weight Change. 8. Enter your starting, current and goal weights, and then click Next. 9. You will now be on the final page with the codes to copy for pasting into your signature line on LBT. There are a couple of ways put the code into your signature line on LBT. Here is one option... 1. Highlight the text in the bbCode box, leaving off the URL codes. See diagram below: 2. Go to LBT and click on the Quick Links button at the top of the page, select Edit Signature. 3. Click in your signature box and type Ctrl+V to paste it in. (Ctrl+V or Ctrl+A or Ctrl+C all mean to hold down the Ctrl and specified letter key at the same time) Another option for pasting the ticker code into your signature line: 1. Highlight and copy all of the text in the url box like this: 2. Go to LBT and click on the Quick Links button at the top of the page, select Edit Signature. 3. Select Edit Signature. 4. Click on the Insert Image icon like this: 5. Before clicking in the box below "Please enter the URL for your image:" hit your delete or backspace button on your keyboard to clear the box. 6. Click inside the box and type Ctrl+V to paste in the copied url. Then click Ok. This will place the ticker into the signature line. Now click on Preview Signature to see if everything is how you want it. If it is, click on Save Signature. Last edited by PhotoNut; 03-17-2006 at 03:53 PM.

Hi No I didnt take anything for the gas pain and they dont give you anything for that. At the hospital they give you pain med and anti sickness medication. To be honest I was quite lucky my gas pain wasnt too bad. Walking helps though. There is a really nice park not far from the hotel/train station. We did a few laps of that and felt much better. EnglishRose EnglishRose