Dr Mignon Belgium

[anon 1]

Hi Sara!

As far as I know most of the European Docs use either the Heliogast (Dr Mignon, Dr De Bruyne, Dr Dillemans) or the midband(Vincent Frering)

However I have not researched this fully. My UK doc is using the Midband and it is used extensively in the UK, as is the Inamed band.

I understand your concern if you are from the US as only the inamed band is licenced over there, however the principles of the band and the fill methods are the same regardless of which band you use. You shouldn't have any problems getting a fill back home.

I hope that this helps.

Hx

[anon 1]

OMG!!!

Well in our household I'm currently experiencing 'picture, no sound'!

Not funny really. I put off telling him on holiday because I knew that this was the reaction I was going to get....

All he said was.... £6000, after we've got ourselves straight with no debt.... and left it hanging. He's sulked since Saturday morning and has hardly said two words to me. :phanvan

After being horrid to me on holiday about my weight. Now he just looks at me as if he can't believe that I think that I'm worth spending that money on.... MY MONEY incidentally, it's not like I'm even asking him to pay.... :cry

If he really wanted to persuade me then there are better ways of doing so, like saying he would help me conquer my weight problem, or

that he loved me no matter what size I am, which incidentally I do already know, but a repeat wouldn't go a miss.

Feeling devastated by his attitude, but he should know that I'm not going to give in on this one.... whether or not he supports me.

Arrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

I'm really angry at him, but until he talks to me I'm not making mega effort with him, I just hate it that he gives me the silent treatment. B*gger him!!!

Ok , calm, calm, deep breaths, and..... relax!

Hx

[libertysuzanne 1]

God! Men are such idiots!!!

Considering he was griping about your weight on holiday, he should be pleased that you are taking some positive action!

Sends you a great big hug:girl_hug: :uwelcome: :success1: :girl_hug: :girl_hug: :girl_hug: :girl_hug:

You know you are doing the right thing and your right in not pushing the issue with him. I guess he's got to deal with it himself first. Is that a common male trait? Acting like a spoilt 5 year old?

Although I do not have a partner myself, there was someone who I was pretty close to, but since I have had the op I haven't heard from him. He disapproved and wouldn't give me a valid reason why. So I suspect it may be a permanent silent treatment. His loss not mine.

Is it that men can't stand the idea that we are making decisions on our own? It shows we are not completely reliant on them! I know that is quite an old fashioned view, but I know a good few men are threatened by a strong woman!

Ho hum, here's me wondering why I am single lol. I like my independence too much.

You are right that money is yours and you have every right to do with it what you wish!

I'm sure your repationship is strong enough to get through this and I bet when he see's the results he will be eating humble pie.

Feel free to vent any time H, there is no better place to do it!

Huge support

Sx

[libertysuzanne 1]

Ooops Forgot. Hi Sarah

The band that they use in Chimay is the Heliogast. H is the clever one I had to look at the card, but now you know for certain what type of band it is.

H is also correct, in the fact that the mechanics of the gastric band, are exactly the same. It may be worth looking Heliogast up on the internet, may give you some more information. I know it looks the same as the inamed.

Hope this info helps you with your decision.

Kind regards

Suzanne

[anon 1]

Just a note to update, you. H the decisive has given in to marital pressure and decided to postpone my op until the new year.

OH was sooo unhappy. He said that in principle he thought it would be a good idea for me, but that he didn't know enough about it all to be comfortable with me having it done on Friday :cry

After 20 years of marriage, I know now why I left it until the last moment to tell him about it. I knew that he would worry about it. I knew that he would get mardi about the financial side of it, and I knew that I didn't want to deal with the conflict. :paranoid

I, perhaps wish that I'd told him sooner about it, but I would still have the probs that I have with him now. However, I would be further down the road now and, perhaps, I would be having my op on Friday:confused:

The band counsellor we went to see today was brilliant! She explained to OH all the advantages and disadvantages of the op. Even the merits of all the different bands that are available. How many operations Mr Hewin has performed. what the success rate of all the patients they have treated to date is over all (better than published data! with 87%EWL achieved at 2 years)

He was really worried that I wouldn't be able to eat anything ever again.... ( Oh dear, he thought that I'd have to survive on liquids for the rest of my life! )

Sharon, who was banded herself 7 years ago told him what she had eaten in a restaurant the last two nights..... he seemed much happier after that. She even have him a CD Rom with a video of the op on it!

She was really careful to say that I as the patient should be left to eat what I pleased and that he shouldn't critisize my diet before during or after the op. She confirmed that 'last supper syndrome' was completely normal in the circumstances and that this is not only a farewell to overeating it's a type of mourning, a fond fairwell to our old, fat selves.

I haven't booked a date yet, but we'll talk about it tonight and look for a time that is good to do this. We are also going to attend the support group at the local hospital so that he can meet more bansters, who manage to go out and enjoy themselves.....at a restaurant .... with food!!!

OK very long post and I lost the first one yesterday and the will to write it again, just left me!!

Hx

[libertysuzanne 1]

Aww Hermione, big hugs to you! I'm sure you must be feeling pretty low at the oment. But, there are a lot of positives to. Your OH isn't completely against it. So you do have a good place to start from. I know you were so looking forward to having the op done, but putting it on hold is best for the sake of your relationship.

It's good that he is open to learning the whole facts about the banding and I'm glad your counsellor made the point about not criticising your diet! I wonder if it clicked with him that was what he was doing on your holiday? I think he should apologise for his criticisms. But, if you don't get that, let's just hope that he curbs his tonuge!

I am sure you will get it done.

All my love

Suzannexxx

[donatella 0]

dear hermione,

I am really gutted for you and hope you do eventually get your band. Its the best thing I have ever done for myself ever! Im 15 days post op now and have lost 15lbs, happy is an understatement! I cant criticise your OH but I will say life is too damn short to be unhappy you have to do whats right for you.

lots of love, D x.

[anon 1]

Hi Suz and D

Strangely, I don't feel half as gutted as I thought I would... but Friday isn't here yet. Just had news from work that our national conference has been cancelled (hurray!) which means that I don't have to go and face all these people judging my latest weight gain. That's taken the pressure off as well.

I think that everything happens for a reason so as they say in the song Que sera sera.... I know that I am going to have it done and I really want to book a date for January, and that will probably happen sooner rather than later. He's still being a bit funny about me borrowing the money but I feel that I'm worth the expense of the credit as in the longer term I will only benefit from it.

Just a case of waiting for it. Yes I feel desperate. Yes, I am disappointed, but I am no longer despairing at what the future holds for me. I've made a decision. I've got the old man on side and I know that it will happen and it will happen sooner rather than later. Make no bones girls, I am a woman on a mission!

[donatella 0]

Hi Hermione,

Thats fantastic, you sound very determined!

You are definitely worth the expense of the credit.

Have a blow out over Christmas and roll on the new year and new you!

love Donna x.

[hbjanet 0]

Hi Sara!

As far as I know most of the European Docs use either the Heliogast (Dr Mignon, Dr De Bruyne, Dr Dillemans) or the midband(Vincent Frering)

However I have not researched this fully. My UK doc is using the Midband and it is used extensively in the UK, as is the Inamed band.

I understand your concern if you are from the US as only the inamed band is licenced over there, however the principles of the band and the fill methods are the same regardless of which band you use. You shouldn't have any problems getting a fill back home.

I hope that this helps.

Hx

Hi Girls,

I also live in the US and work for an airline and had my band done in Belgium. (Dr. Dillemans) I have the Heliogast band, that was the only option he gave me. He said I should be able to get filled with any Dr. who is doing the band. Not so! The Dr.'s here are very paranoid about "liability" and only want to fill their own patients, or only people with the Inamed band. Bunch of sissys! I could not find any Dr. to fill my band in So. California. So I have to drive to Tijuana, Mexico to get my fills. Not too terrible, about 2 and 1/2 hours drive, but would have been nice to be able to get care locally.

So if you are getting any band other than the US used Inamed, be sure you have a Dr. in your area willing to do the fills before getting the surgery. Or else get the Inamed band, then you shouldn't have a problem getting filled. :eek:

[hbjanet 0]

P.S.

The beer in Belgium really is great! I actually had a beer after surgery to help get rid of the excess gas. Worked great and tasted better!

[saraincincy 0]

Thanks Janet,

I have been getting stuck with the same thing in trying to find a surgeon that will even consider fills on anything but the Inamed. I also have not had any response from any of the surgeons in Belgium, so I will probably have to stick with the Mexico route. Did you have any problems traveling that distance after surgery? Any advice you have would be great. How did you like the Dr you used and the Hospital, any problems with language barrior?

Thanks again,

Sara

[hbjanet 0]

Hi Sara,

Dr. Dillemans was very nice and professional, cute too! Lovely green eyes....hmmm... and the whole hospital staff were very helpful and friendly. Most of them spoke english, only one nurse did not speak very much. But I had no problems communicating. The only complaint I have about my experience was the lack of pain meds. They give you Paracetamol, the European equivilant of Tylenol. That did not dull the pain very much. I found out later that the only other option was Morphine. (yikes) But if I knew that then, I probably would have asked for it. Lucky for me, I had some left over Vicodin from when I broke my toe last year, and I brought it with me just in case. That was a life saver! I don't think I could have flown home without it.

I stayed overnight in the hospital, and then 2 days in a nearby hotel. The nurse will come to the hotel to change your bandages and give you more pain meds. I arrived the day before and did all the pre-op stuff, then banded the next morning, overnight in hosp, 2 nights at hotel and flew home the 4 day. I did all this alone, and did not have any trouble. Since you will have the BF with you, it should be easier. The flight home was not as bad as I thought it would be. It's nice to work for an airline, I got first class all the way and was able to sleep. The flight attendants were great, I told them I could only have liquid and mushy things, and they went out of their way to make sure I had some nice things to eat and drink. (soup, mashed spuds, apple juice, yogart)

I used a service to book the surgery, it's called Direct Healthcare. The web address is: www.direct-healthcare.com The total cost to me was about $7000.00 USD. They usually book about 6 weeks out. I payed for the hotel and train myself. The hotel was about $80 per night and the train is $12 each way. (from Brussells to Brugges) They have an all inclusive package for quite a bit more, but I have been to Belgium before and figured I could figure it out for myself. No problems.

Sorry this is so long, hope it helps.

[libertysuzanne 1]

Strangely, I don't feel half as gutted as I thought I would... but Friday isn't here yet. Just had news from work that our national conference has been cancelled (hurray!) which means that I don't have to go and face all these people judging my latest weight gain. That's taken the pressure off as well.

I think that everything happens for a reason so as they say in the song Que sera sera.... I know that I am going to have it done and I really want to book a date for January, and that will probably happen sooner rather than later. He's still being a bit funny about me borrowing the money but I feel that I'm worth the expense of the credit as in the longer term I will only benefit from it.

Just a case of waiting for it. Yes I feel desperate. Yes, I am disappointed, but I am no longer despairing at what the future holds for me. I've made a decision. I've got the old man on side and I know that it will happen and it will happen sooner rather than later. Make no bones girls, I am a woman on a mission!

Let me do a merry jig for you Hermione! It is great that you can remain sopositive January is only a few weeks away and you get to enjoy a great xmas. Mind you I think you would have enjoyed it either way.

I've been a bad girl, I've been eating chocolate. Which is bizarre as normally I can take it or leave it. But, time of the month, first since the surgery. Think I may put a post out there to see if anyone else had the same experience of period stoppage?

The funny thing is though, I may have gained some weight back but I'm still shrinking! So not going to complain

Anyho have to go and housesit for a neighbouyr.

Glad to hear things are working out

Lots of love and xmas hugs

Suzannexxxxx:clap2:

[BigGalLosing 0]

Hi there, I am just considering seeing Dr Mignon via Elyzea

What advice now that you are further down the line?

Kind regards