Dr Mignon Belgium

[libertysuzanne 1]

I know exactly what tyou mean H and really you hear enough horror stories from surgery here, so it makes no real difference where as long as it is done in a safe way. As you say, knowing they take an x-ray afterwards is reassuring.

I often wonder what are the extra overheads in the UK that pushes the price so far up!!??

I had a final big meal with my friends and dad tonight, feel completely stuffed! It was a nice thing to do as CM, my son was feeling rather dejected about the concept of me having surgery, he's 9 bless him, so this was a treat for him as well. He wanted to make a big thing of my making a change for the better, once he had come to terms with it himself. He really is a bright cookie, wish I could take him with me but there would be no one to look after him while I was staying at the hospital, c'est la vie!

[anon 1]

I'm told that private hospital rates in the UK are exthortionate! Apparently the surgeon's costs are about the same. Sometimes in Europe you can pay less for the surgical instruments, lap band etc....

Do you know which band you're having?

[libertysuzanne 1]

He did say but I can;t for the life of me remember what it was called. It was white light and kind of pretty in a bizarre way! Perhaps associating it with that wonderful goal of 'weight loss'

Inramed I think he called it. He showed me how it worked by placing it on my thumb and filling it with saline, he really was very thorough. Having just read Anne's story I know that I can be very confident in his hands. He infact probably over compensated with information which is better than what Anne recieved. Also he assured me that they would try and have another english speaking person in the hospital room with me - they put you in a double room not a private so you dont feel so alone either. He admitted some of the nurses do find it difficult speaking in English, but they do try.

It will be intersting to see how you feel after speaking to him.

[anon 1]

http://www.allerganandinamed.com/products/obesity/us/clinician/lapband/prodinfo.html

Being a bit of an anorak, I've researched the bands and I think that you mean an Inamed LAP-BAND. The come in 3 sizes, you can look at them again if you click on the link above ( don't feel obliged to though, if you're feeling a bit squeemish!!!

Hx

[libertysuzanne 1]

I think I am having the smaller one, I am just on the BMI of 40. Although he may have just been using the small one as an example, it certainly looked like the inamed on the website.

Nothing wrong with being an anorak, you help the slightly ditzy, impulsive ones keep their feet firmly on the ground! I appreciate that :girl_hug:

[anon 1]

Yeah, but I'm not without my own probs.... Still haven't worked out how to tell OH that this is what I really want.

Still deciding who else needs to know.... Thinking about a holiday that we've booked for 23/11 and I really don't want to miss that..... so might just wait until after Christmas to have the procedure....

Dunno, having a real strange day today... eaten for England, can't seem to stop myself, feeling really fat and nothing fits me at the moment.

(OK moaning now)

Part of me really wants to have it done sooner rather than later, but then the other part of me is thinking.... If I can't get it done like NOW,then I should wait until after Christmas.....

I dunno what's your take on it?

[libertysuzanne 1]

I know exactly how you are feeling! It was so hard wiating for the initial consultation and then knowing that there was going to be another 3 week wait before I got the Op done. I was so impatient and yet now I'm like 'Yeah all is well and I shall be having it done sooner rather than later!' I knwo that it can be hard to make a decision, this has been silently lurking in the back of my head virtually since the birht of my son, well a few months after, when my stomach did not miraculously disappear after giving birth! I can't tell you how disappointing that was! Especially when there was a woman in the smoking room, there to support her friend and she had had only triplets 2 month before and she was stick thin. It hought it was going to be a walk in a park. Hence the yo yo dieting, the constant struggle to behave and do all the right things. for little or no reward!

Anyway I digress :eek: . Lets get back to the present.

I am fortunate that I have no one to answer to except my son and I am the boss there (although he did make me falter just a little). What you need to do is list down the reasons why you want to go for the lap band, over load him with all the information you have, explain how it makes you feel being the size you are now. Try to listen to their point of view and you never know they may be really happy to support you, at least I hope they will!

There is an interesting dynamic change in my best friends relationship with her hubby. He used to be 'cuddly' as she would describe it but due to his work and depression he has lost a shed load of weight lucky SOB! I wish I knew how he managed it all he seems to eat is junk!! Anyway my friend now is feeling a wee bit threatened at this change in him, doesn't help she is also 7 months pregnant. Yet, I know for a fact no matter how much weight he may lose or how good he may look (hhmmm) he will never cheat on her, I think he would rather be run over by a train than do anything to hurt her. But, it may be wise to say to partner that you won't change.

Actually it was quite funny best friends daughter asked 'will I change when I've lost all the weight?'

I had to reassure her that I would still be the same person just slimmer and happier!

As for timing, it is a rather awkward time of year to be going for the band, but me being Miss impetous and wanting to 'do it like yesterday.' has decided that dealing wiht xmas shouldn;t be to tough and then at least I know it is done and dusted, no more waiting. You may be right in waiting, as you do have a holiday and then xmas as well. There is no reall rush the surgery will still be there, be it this year or next year. Do it when you feel right that is all I can say.

Sorry if I have gone on but hope it makes sense in some shape or form :girl_hug:

Chat later

sx

Off to bed now, eyes drooping...........:faint:

[anon 1]

Thanks for that! It's really good to for me to hear some guidance on how to handle it, I'm just feeling a bit depressed about being sooo big again so soon after losing loads.

I did Lighter Life last year and lost my 100lb in 100 days, but I have to say that I have gained by 50 of them already. So disappointing. I know that the diet works buy I'm just so hungry by the end of the day, I end up binging on dinner.

I think I need to make OH understand how hard it is for me. After all he knows that I struggle with my weight, we've been together for 19years (I met him just after I'd lost a shed load of weight, only to start gaining when we started going out for meals and staying in.... with food and drink!) At the moment I've no clothes to wear, because foolishly, I threw out most of my 'big' clothes when I lost weight last year.... Size 16 is just NOT even touching me.

OK will stop moaning now and get on with it!

Hope you have a good day!

Hx

[libertysuzanne 1]

Big hugs for you! I know how you feel about the clothes! I have some stunning clothes that I bought only recently that just won't fit. I still can't believe I am a size 20/22! I keep saying it is the clothes, that they are very badly cut and ungenerous in their sizing.

Sometimes that is the case but most of the time it is just me with the wrong mentality. I feel a horrible sense of shame when I have to buy clothes that have a label of 20 attached. Which is silly, considering my best friend is a size 24, but she looks so beautiful. I don't know how she does it, maybe she has had time to adjust where as mine hasn't been a slow expanding of a waistline, it's been as quick as a waterfall, after the dam wall has been removed. I so envy Tish.

Mind you, I do also have a little gripe about her as well, she supports me in her own way I know that but I am forever reassuring her that she looks fantastic, that her husband loves her etc etc. She never does the same for me, she is always ready with a negative comment and I try to hide the fact that it hurts but it certainly hasn't helped me deal with the weight issue. I'm probably being childish and blowing it all out of proportion but is it wrong of me to expect to at least find a positive to cheer me up with?

As for your OH tell him what you have just told me, he will have seen your determination with the lighter diet and how it has creeped back on and I suspect he will probably also be noticing a kind of sadness, which he probably doesn't understand and won't ask you about it, just in case it is something he doesn't want to hear. That is just a supposition don't quote me on that one:kiss .

I'd never heard of the lighter diet till I came on this site, I'm not suprised you gained the weight back though! Losing that amount so quickly tends to have a high rate of failure. The concept sounds good though, I think you would have to stay on it forever to maintain that weight loss. WHich probably wouldn;t be very healthy!

At least with the lapband eventually you will be able to eat 'virtually' normally just in majorly smaller protions! And if it creeps back on again you just have to fill that band :girl_hug:

It is great having you to talk to!

Kind regards

Sx

[anon 1]

Thanks for your support Suzanne. I feel that you just confirmed that I'm not completely mad! As for the diet.... well I'm going back on it tomorrow, I can't stay like this, even though I know that as soon as I start eating again it'll go straight back on, I have to make some sort of effort at least not gain any more weight.

I still haven't managed to broach to subject with OH, but it will happen. I'm looking forward to Friday and meeting Dr Mignon, and organising a date based on his advice.

[libertysuzanne 1]

It's not suprising that the lighterlife diet doesn't work. It's like being on the pre op diet for 100 days, that is a horrible thing to do and to lose weight so dramatically! No wonder it's not widely known, the doctors would have a field day tearing it to shreds!

I did have a look at their website, they didn't mention how much it would cost. I hate it when sites are like that, I prefer it when they are open and honest. The way they do it is get you to phone a 'counseller' who will give you the hard sell and take advantage of what they know is your weakness. Looking at the diet, as much as they would show on the site, it is basically slimfast for every meal? Would I be wrong in assuming this?

I must admit I am dreading the pre-op diet, Dr Mignon wanted me to have only natural yoghurt for a week before surgery, as I can't stand yoghurt he agreed I could have slimfast instead! That is much more easier to deal with, as I already have a slimfast for Breakfast shouldn't be too much of a transition. At least I only have to cook for my son then.

I suppose the positive of going on the lighterlife diet jsut before your surgery guarnatees you will be doing the pre op diet without even trying!

Let me know how you are doing.

Kind regards

Sx

[anon 1]

Lighter life is a VLCD (very low carlorie diet) in fact only 500 calories a day. It is authorised and supervised by your GP and the cost is £66.00 per week. Cambridge diet is the same thing and is 32.55 per week so I'm on Cambridge now, but it's the same difference.

Once you get used to the 'not eating' because you're absolutely right, there are only 'shakes and bars' oh, and 4L of Water everyday. It stops bothering you.... However I did start obsessing about food, dreaming about it, cooking fabulous dishes for my family and watching 'food porn' You know, UKTV food...!!!

So by the time I go the the miaintenance phase I had developed an unhealthy obsession with food, that, I swear, I never had before. Suddenly I wanted to open the fridge door and empty the contents into myself! I have to say that this is the quickest I've ever regained weight following the most expensive 'successful' diet I've ever been on!

Still, it has to be done pre holiday as it's not a nudist colony so I HAVE to fit into my clothes and the airplane seat!

Hx

[libertysuzanne 1]

I can understand you getting food obsessed with a diet like that! You are being denied all the delight of texture in your mouth. That does make quite a difference. I know it's probably not proven science but the need to chew is just as important as drinking. Wouldn't it be even cheaper to go on slimfast? I know there vanilla and chocolate are scrum-diddly-umptious now. I had tried them a good few years ago and they were vile! Although I guess you are paying ot have that extra bit of support to help you through, still seems like a heck of a lot of money.

Which made me thunk! If you figure on how much you spend in a month on these excellent diets which start to fail after you've finished them, you would probably be able to pay for the op with no problem lol. I am no mathematician but here I go and try to work it out!

32.50 x 4 = 130.00

66.00 x 4 = 264.00

right thanks to my handy calculator that is how much you will be spending a month. Now I had to get a loan for my op, well dad did as my credit rating is dreadful lol but I have to pay 135.40 a month, so a little more than the cambridge and a lot lesss than the lighterlife! Plus the advantage (if things don't go wrong, touch wood!) Is that the result with the lapband is permanent!

It really is true though isn't it, there is no such thing as a quick fix diet. I have been a yo yo dieter for years, really ever since the birth of my son 9 years ago and for the past two years I had been eating like a saint only to gain and gain and gain!

Finally discovered that I had a underactive thyroid. Having been put on the medication, I may have my halted weight gain but it hasn't started weight loss. It was in deseration that I first looked at lapband surgery. I did the sensible thing and spoke to my doc about it and she agreed it would be a good move for me, as I am unable to do huge amounts of exercise especially with the extra weight on my joints.

At least I know my doc will be there as support afterwards, although she did moan about how many people they have had to look after, that have had surgery in europe and it's gone wrong. I could understand her point of view but I was not willing to risk the chance of doing permanent damage to my already weakened joints waiting 3/4 years for NHS gastric banding. So if Ia m able to jump the queue then I am all for it

OK did I just completely drift off the point of this email lol?

[anon 1]

Your date is coming around quickly now! I know what you mean about the cost of these diets, they are expensive, but when you consider what I spend on food when I'm in 'overeating mode' it's really cheap... consider this 3 bottles of wine per week (2 glasses per night) £15, 2 takeaways per week £16.00 chocolate from the garage, every weekday.... £5.00 and supermarket sandwiches everyday £10.00 it all adds up if you think about it... Not to mention all the stuff that gets bought at drive thru' maccy D's

So I guess that in addition to my weekly shopping bill I was probably spending that on food anyway!

So with Cambridge, I'm actually saving money!

( As lovely hubby just brings my nice glass of red wine! Not doing too well at all!)

Ho hum, I suppose I'd better start again tomorrow once I've seen Dr Mignon, thought about what date I'm going to go with , I need to settle down and lose a bit before my holiday.

H x

[libertysuzanne 1]

Oh how I envy you! Iw ish I could drink alcohol so freely lol, I have a rather diverse reaction to it! I go bright red and very hot, think it may have so omething to do with wheat allergy adn the various meds I take. I may try this Quinns they have brought out now.

Your probably right it working out cheaper for you in that way. It is quite hard gettinginto a sensible eating way again after the last yo yo! Tell your hubby to not be so generous with the wine lol.

Have you read Closer? Anne Diamond has an article about her lapband surgery!