libertysuzanne

Congratulations Bella on the date for your surgery. I have just come back from Chimay with a lovely addition, my lapband! I was treated so well, it was fantastic! I suspect if I had paid the extra to have it done in England, I would not have received the same kid of service. That is what is so amazing, the price of surgery in Belgium compared to England. The surgery and stay in hospital was 3700 euros and other expenditure such as hotel. transport came to about 450 euros! This included a present for our Liasion officer (posh title, couldn't think of a better way to describe it lol) Deirdre, she was absolutely fantastic and what was so nice, you never felt alone, which was one of my biggest fears. A group of us from England and Ireland were having the procedure done at the same time, so there was a lot of support. Not so good when you are trying not to laugh after having the surgery :heh: . I am already losing wei ght which is amazing, I wasn;t expecting to lose so quickly. I guess my body was also a bit peed off with the weight it was carrying around lol. I just hope it keeps going that way, I'm still terrified that I will put that lost weight back on again! I haven;t h ad time to trust the band yet! Let us know how you are doing. Kind regards Suzanne

Hey LJ, That is a fantastic USV. When you manage to ignore something ..or infact PUT IT BACK! That is (as we brits would say in slang) Well Good! Or absolutely Splendifirous!!! I is chuffed for you It shows your band is doing it's job, and you are recognising when you are hungry or not, who could ask for anything more? Sx

Good Morning to you to H I don't currently work at the moment. There is no job I can do due to my disability. That is hopefully going to change in a couple of years as i am training to be a speech and drama teacher, if I ever get my butt into gear lol. That was actually one of the main reasons why I got a loan to get the op done. I have something called Hypermobility Syndrome, which can mean severe painin the jooints. I suppose you could say it's a bit like arthritis except we have a problem of dislocating joints....ouch. Hence why getting this bothersome Fat (urrgggh I still hate saying that word, the girls having the op with me, told me it was important to recognise it was fat and not to be ashamed.) off my body would make life a lot more pain free! Huzzah! Mind you have to do the school run today...ho hum. I may be imagining things but I think that my glasses are starting to look a bit to large for my face, odd thing to notice I know lol.:clap2:

Hi Sarah, The Op took all of 45 minutes! Seems such a short of time! The anaesthetic tends to react differently with different people. I was lucky that I seemed to recover quite quickly from it. The other girls took a lot longer, but we all went home on the Thursday. Travelling was exhausting but considering the surgery that isn't suprising at all. They advise you to take a couple of days off work and only start back when you feel ready. All I can say is whatever you do don't rush! It seems to come nad go in waves, one minute you feel as fit as a fiddle, then you can feel completely knackered. I'm 5 days out of the surgery and things feel as if they are starting to return to normal. More awake than asleep. Oh and another thing, to help your recovery while they are preparing you for your surgery, make a concerted effort to think positive thoughts. My last thought was of 'Pink Elephants' (don't ask ). But, I came out of it feeling happy, I think it helps you to recover from the general. Sx

It's certailnly an amusing experiment, but the difference betweem the bottle and the band is that the band also has the help of stomach acids to break down the food. So if you look at it that way, it may suggest that eating mushed up tuna and green Beans may take longer to go through meaning that you may be saited for longer? I'm no scientist but that is a different look on it. I don't know if I can eat babyfoods, the thought is not an entirely pleasent one. I know when I was feeding my son, I wouldn't be nicking spoonfuls of his food like some of my friends did. Maybe I'm missing out lol. Let me know what conclusions you come up with, with your experiments Suzanne x

HI ya girls! I'M BACK!!!! I can truthfully say you arre not making the wrong decision! The whole trip went really well. I was fortunate in the fact that I seemed to recuperate from the anaesthetic (sp?) really quickly! Also the fact that I had other people to share the experience with was an enormous benefit! Deidrie(sp?) was brilliant, she is actually Irish and if there are any language difficulties then she can translate for you, which was really helpful. She did everything to make our stay as stress free as humanly possible. I could not fault the care we received, I do have to say there hospitals are far cleaner than any I've been to in England and many of the staff are learning to speak English. I shall say the only thing I hated was the bariatric Fluid you have to drink with your Xray, it made me feel icky! Thankfully didn't throw up and it was brilliant to see the band in position and working! I'm feeling a bit bushwhacked now, having travelled 230 miles to get home today...cheese crackered would be an understament. But, guess what girls! I have not yet felt as if I am starving, even hungry goes a bit OTT to desccribe my appetite 'Peckish' I think would be the best word to use! I'm also amazed at the amount of weight I have already lost, it's like the band opened up a flood gate for my fat to be finally burned off! I think this has been the best money I have ever spent! Any questions feel free to PM. Thank you H for your text, sorry I did not answer all of them, I was having technical issues with my phones! Chat soon Suzannexxxx

Hi folks I'm back and Banded! Dare I say I had a great time, I know that may sound bizarre. Especially going to a foreign country where they speak a completely different language. I could not praise the service I received enough it was FANTASTIC. Plus the fellow bandees that I met having the op on the same day really helped. It was almost like a holiday. I am now 5 days after surgery still dealing with a little pain but that is to be expected, I'm still healing after all. The day after was exhausting but we were all well looked after by the nursing staff, which I'm sure helped our recovery. I have already lost just under a stone and a half......can you believe it. I know I am not expecting to keep on like that but it is just nice to know that I finally have something where I actually do lose weight! So anyone in the UK who is considering weightloss surgery with Elyzea GO FOR IT. They are stupidly cheap for the service you do receive and all the surgeons and anaethetists are absolutely gorgeous!!! Something to do with being Belgium maybe he he. Well I am a little bushwhacked so I shall write more later, glad to be back home. Kind Regards Suzanne

Managed to borrow my sisters OH internet connection! Thank you for the wishes of luck! Great to hear that you are tackling your OH in typical female fashion, slowly bur surely....he doesn't stand a chance C you all later Sxxx

In 4 days time I shall be under the surgeons knife! Heading down to my sisters for the weekend before heading to Belgium had to put my little munchkin somewhere he wouldn't get into too much trouble and get spoilt rotten if I know my sister! So next time I shall be treading these boards is probably going to be the end of next week, if all goes well! Regards Suzannex

Well folks it's time for me to say adieu. I'm going down to my sisters for the weekend, I will be leaving to belgium from there. Not likely to go on the internet again until I get back home. So good luck H with your other half, seriously the sooner you tell him the better it will be for you ! Don't worry I'll keep in touch by text All the best Suzannex:notagree :biggrin1:

Hi Ya Pilko, I read the Anne Diamond article as well, it certainly doesn't sound like the same company. For one thing we do get an xray the next day to make sure it is all positioned correctly. That was the thing Anne didn't have done, which would have more than likely saved her all the heartache. Mind you at least the issue of the lapband is more out in the open with a celebrity involved. makes things a lot easier for us normal folk We can learn from her mistakes, I am really pleased I read her story. It made it clear that I was doing the right thing and that the Elyzea are doing things correctly. It sounded like Anne had been in and out in one day! It does make sense going a day early, I hadn't thought of that little gem! Never mind too late now. I shall be tellign you both how it all went, so at least you will have a 'heads up' before going, which I hope will be useful! Not long for me to go now!!!! If you ahve any questions, feel free to ask, we are all in the same boot and heading in the same direction!!! Welcome on board:biggrin1:

Hi ya Pilko, Welcome to the Dr Mignon appreciation society You have no reason to feel ashamed about crying. The weight issue is a toughie and it is better to show how it is affecting you instead of trying to hold back. I am sure he won't of thought you were a nutter! I am going to be staying at Hôtel de Franc-Bois, it seemed a nice quaint place, You only need to pay for the nights you will be staying there, as long as you are able to take your stuff to the hospital, unless of course you are bringing your partner along. For eurostar I paid £80. If you can book early I think you can get it cheaper, but sometimes you cang et really cheap flights through BA or BMI, but you do have to book well in advance. Which would be more suitable for you H! I hope you have finally managed to fess up to your OH, the more time he has to adjust to the idea the better, especially if he is a worrier, which can be a blessing and a curse I am on my 3rd or 4th day of the liquid diet. It was tough going yesterday, I nearly succame to a scotch egg, which is wrong in oh so many ways. Thankfully I resisted! One draw back is that I am weeing for britain I'm sure my wee is almost drinkable as well lol. A gross thought I know!

Thanks H, It is really good to have you to talk to. Yesterday was really tough, had a bad parents evening, not my son's fault just an inconsiderate teacher thatmade my blood boil. So it took all my will power to stop me hitting the food to comfort myself. Funny how when your eally focus on what you have to eat you realise where those extra calories came from! I can understand you going through all the 'what ifs' before telling your OH. You want to make sure all bases are covered so when you do tell him, you can answer all his questions and concerns and be confident in persuading him if he is going to protest! I'm lucky I really only have me to answer to he he. I received an email from Deidre today! Less than a week to go! I will be taking my laptop with me, but I don't thinkI will be able to get online, so I may be inncomunnicado, which I hate lol! Going to get a europe bolt on ofr my mobile!

I know, discipline has never been my strongest asset he he Oh the soup are definitely low fat low cal. I know not to have chicken and sweetcorn when banded, it takes forever to chew the sweetcorn and the chicken soon gets dry! It is always easier when your busy n ot to eat. It's a two edge sword though. The one thing I have learned from years of dieting is, skipping meals is bad! A bad habit to break. Dr Mignon informingof th e routine of the band nearly had me give up. I am so used to eating at erratic times. The routine of Breakfast, snack, lunch, snach, dinner is something that is going to take some getting used to! It all seems very scarily real! I am suffering from bouts of doubt, the 'what ifs' tumbling over one another. My greatest fear is that I will be one of those 10% that it doesn;t work for. Not because I haven't follwed the regime religiously. Once i do set my mind to something and aware of the complications if I don't, I will be the holier than thou saint of eating . So all that will be left is a mechanical malfunction or surgeon error, chances small but still there. I have never allowed what ifs to put me off doing anything, but this is a gigantic step for me to take. Bizarrely all the 'virgo' star reports are pointing towards a mjor change and it is not just me who sees it, my best friend Trish has said the same. It's all somehow fated from the first appointment on mum birthday to the october surgery date, when we were supposed to scatter mums ashes. I think mum (which would be a very mum thing for her to do) is encouraging me to go on and do it. Both my sis and I are avoiding doing the ashes, we really don't want to go back to Rhonnda. We will though, eventually lol So the wheel is turning and I am definitely going wi tht he flow. I just hope the anxiety is going to ease off, quite frustrating! I have to say it is great to have others to talk to, who understand!

Hi ya H My first day is going OK! I am not exactly sticking to the presdcribed yoghurt and slimfast bit. I have just changed it a wee bit, after reading quite a few pre op diet threads. I am doing, slimfast, low cal Soup and another slimfast. In theory it should have the same effect. It's just i can't stand the cold and I would be drinking cold drinks all day!!! Bleurgh! It's still aliquid diet, based on the post op diet. Am I wicked??? Lets hope I haven't scuppered my chances lol! Fairly confident i haven't, but at least you will be able to know what not to do Had another bit of good news. I have found a clinic only 20 mins from me that will happily deal with my fills and nutrition etc. It is £150 a session but happy to pay the extra for somewhere closer to home. I also suspect i will get more dietary advice from this service as well. So I feel a lot more secure! How are you doing? Ah well I am now going to enjoy slow spoonfuls of chicken and sweetcorn soup! Bless Sainsburys for their fresh soup section! Sx

I have never been officially diagnosed as having a wheat allergy, so it is a wheat intolerance. I only discovered this intolernace when I went onto the Atkins diet, omitting all wheat sudden;y gave me a new lease of life, I didn't feel as exhausted all the time, my skin veritably glowed! Spots that had been the bane of my life started to disappear. Of course I had to experiment and have been doing so ever since, every so often, in the hope that wheat would sudden;y be acceptable, but everytime I try to eat it in some shap or form,th e reasction is obvious and strangely becoming more obvious as time goes on. So, basically I need to steer clear of it! THe wheat free apple crumble was fantastic! To be honest I couldn;t eat all of my serving, which is no bad thing. Mind you, it is hard to chew that into mulch lol. Tomorrow is the official start of the pre op diet. I must admit I am having mixed feelings. Some mention it as a mourning process, grieving for the loss of food. But, shouldn't I of already had a few days to feel this way? lol The prospect of the quickly advancing journey is making me a little nervous to, it feels like I am Ian Armstrong preparing to go to the moon! I'm sure I will be fine tomorrow. I just need to get some sleep. Nightx

Well, I am nervous about the pre op diet lol. Feeling relatively calm about the actual op now, there's no turning back now! I had the final farewell meal last Sunday at our local indian with my dad, best friend, her hubby, their kids and mine. A pleasent evening was had by all! I haven't attemtped the slow chewing as yet, I am at the moment eating most food that could be 'classed' as mussy lol. Not intentionally just happened that way. Mind you did try to chew some of my homemade wheat free pizza last night, I think it is going to take some getting used to! Daz, best friends hubby is going to cook me a wheat free apple crumble, which we are all going to enjoy on sunday. My last sweet treat before the diet lol. I am sure your other half will enjoy a trip to belgium are you going to go by ferry? I'm having my first trip on eurostar. Your right in having your hubby going with you, I am h aving to go on my own and that is the one thing I am not looking forward to, still if there is another english woman in my room it shouldn't be to bad! And don;t worry about feeling as if you should be doing something more than you already are! I am sure I read somewhere that the yo-yo dieting that both you and I suffer from is not an uncommon problem and it getsharder to shed the pounds with every diet you try. Also it's more than guaranteed that once you have stopped you put it ron and thensome, it isn't anything you could or couldn't have done, so don't blame yourself.

Awww hun big hugs. I know exactly how you feel, but I have got to the stage where I have to stop blaming myself because it has a reverse affect on my whole personality and well being. It's funny how you were saying about clothes, I have just been doing the laundry and I realised I wash more clothes for Christian than I do for myself! I think I have two jumpers and 3 trouser/skirts that expand enough to wear. I have stopped buying clothes for myself which was my favourite past time! I managed to negotiate on the pre-op diet, I get to drink slimfast. He told me the story of the enlarged liver as well, wonder if he tells all his patients to ensure that they stick to the pre-op diet. I shall not think like that as I end up being rebellious and doing exactly the opposite lol. But, I can't know if what he says is true lol so I shall behave! Don't want to go there and then not be able to have the op!!! I am sure you will manage to lose weight for your holiday, I shall keep all my fingers and toes crossed for you! Are you going to arrange the date for your op before or after you have spoken to hubby? Do you suffer from a sense of shame because your going for the op. I know there are timnes when I just feel so humiliated that I can't actually do it myself. But, then I look at the reality, I have been bouncing from one diet to another for almost 9 years. It's unfortunate that this yo-yoing is detrimental to mental and physical health, so it's not really my fault, I have tried everything and never experience the real rewards. Only for a week or two afterwards nad then it all creeps back on. So the band should be something to be proud of, you are taking control of your body back. I think so many people see it as the easy way out but it's not at all! Sx

You know what I felt that he hadn't taken my measurements properly! I had had my weight and height checked at the doctors and they worked out my BMI was 35.4. I know that is below the normal level for band surgery but I did have other medical conditions, to balance it out. Still I wasn't that fussed as long as I could have the operation done. Despite that little bug bear he was very informative about the whole procedure although he didn't mention the barium meal just the x-ray. I think he already guessed there were some flavours I couldn't stomach already so omitted it lol. Glad he did or I would have really been dreading it! I'm all booked now so it's tough cookie and I shall just have to hold my nose and swallow....bleurgh! Not long to go for me now eeek, another day and then it is the pre op diet. I have my son acting as my food conscience which is extremely useful! Have you told your partner yet? Glad to hear it went well for you though :confused:

Awwwww shucks and I thought I could indulge in starbucks everyday....you are such a spoilsport Ha Ha on a more serious note, I do love Starbucks, Caramel Macchiato when I'm extremely indulgent, but thankfully the nearest Starbucks is over 20 minutes away so I am only ever really close to it when shopping at Sainsburys once a week. By the time I have got around the supermarket, I'm ready for home. It's weird really I only feel like a Starbucks when I am a hundred percent!

Ooops I do make it sound as if I have just given up smoking. I gave up over a year ago now, I was quite quick with ridding myself of the nicottine patches and I really grew to hate the niccottine gum! So transfered to ordinary wrigleys spearmint gum, haven't been able to give it up though! I guess my smoking was an oral fixation more than the hand one lol.

Hope all has gone well with Dr Mignon, I can't wait to hear what you think about it! I have finally found somewhere th at offers aftercare for gastric band patients even when they have been done in a foreign country and it is only 11 miles away! Going to get in touch with them and see how much they charge.

Oh don't say that! Now that is making me more nervous lol. I don;t drink asmuch coffee as I used to but Iknow if I don;t have at least one coffee I get quite desperatre, it's worse than giving up the fags! At least I had a nicotine patch for that and chewing gum, which is another thing I can't give up now. It's the lesser of two evils really. Do you think you could chew yourself to death??

Aw Mary, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles! That really sucks and why should you pay if the band is faulty?? I am guessing your in the US, which is very different to the UK health service, but that still sounds wrong! I hope you get it sorted out and you will finally get the benefit of your surgery. Kind regards Suzannex

Phew I can relax then! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to have my friendly cup of java with my nieighbours. I have gotten so used to drinking black coffee that I think it would be the one thing I would miss the most! Although I think caffeine counteracts 'the full feeling' so I may have to suffer decaffeinated! I don't want to scuper my chances at losing wieght, not until I am completely confident that everything is going down and then I can test the theories lol