Calling all Dr De Bruyne Patients - Uk - Belgium - Eruope

[juliatabor 0]

I'd be delighted!

I will post the info u tomorrow before I go .

Julia

[jiggy 0]

Hi Julia, I live quite near Manchester airport so would possibly look to fly over and would be travelling alone. I would hope to fly out on a Monday - op on a Tuesday and home on aWednesday - do you think this would be feasible.

Thanks:scared2:

[juliatabor 0]

Hi Jiggy

I'm not sure. The advice Dr Chris gave me was to stay an extra night in the hotel after being discharged from hospital.

If you were having the op on a tues you'd be discharged on the wed afternoon at 1pm, stay an extra night in the hotel wed night and then travel home thurs. He said if someone was travelling with you it would prob be ok to travel home the same day but not if you were on your own. You might be feeling rough after the op

I'm going with my husband and I,m staying an extra night aswell. I'm a big woos with pain, feel sick as a dog after anaesthetic so I'd rather err on the side of caution, but thats just me.

Here's the breakdown of costs

initial consultation = £ 100

Operation 3950 euro = £3120 at current exchange rate

hotel 3nights 182 euro = £144 at current exchange rate

eurostar to brussels = £75 per person

post op band fill in UK = £80 a time ( 4 is average I'm told)

yearly xray in Uk = £85

its a couple of euros to catch a train from the Brussels eurostar station into the town where the hosp/hotel is.

Also I've allowed extra money for taxiis to and from the hotel to hosp, hotel to train station etc.

I couldnt find flights cheaper than the eurostar. And actually if you book your eurostar ticket in plenty of time you could get it cheaper than the £75. If I'd have booked it a week earlier I could have got it for £48. pretty good! The sooner you book the better.

I hope that helps.

Please ask anything you want, I dont mind at all. I had pages and pages of questions so I know wot it's like!

Better go, got to catch the eurostar to brussels!!

Julia

x

[jiggy 0]

Thanks Julia, this has been extremely helpful. Good Luck with your band tomorrow, and as soon as you feel up to it, please post here and let us all know how you arr doing.

Thanks

jiggy

[Mrs J.J 2]

Hi Julia,

Just wanted to let you know I´m sending you lots of positive vibes. I was banded on Tuesday by Dr Chris, he is a very professional man. Hope all goes well.

[finnsmum 0]

What a lovely site. I signed your board. You're doing really well. Keep up the good work.

[juliatabor 0]

jiggy

Hi

If you want more specific info on price breakdown in brussels just ask ok. you might be interested to know that Dr Chris is offering a package for 4000 euro ( includes op, taxiis, hotel etc) the contact is his manager frederick serneels (vry nice guy) email is frederik.serneels@ecfs.be

If you dont mind me saying if I had any advice for someone going abroad for the band it would be this.. stay an extra 2 nights in the hotel after discharge from hospital and do not even consider travelling home that same day even if you have a companion. There is a lot of pain and you feel terrible afterwards from a very deep anaesthetic.I didnt think I'd be fit to travel today ( the day after discharge) but I did manage it in the end. It wasnt just me being a woos with the pain, all the other patients I went in with said the same.We were shocked at the level of pain afterwards. Happily though, 48hrs on it is much more bearable and I feel that I'm def over the worst.

I hope I havnt put you off,that's not my intention at all. I just wish I'd known what to expect immediately after the op, I think it's better to be prepared.

Julia

[juliatabor 0]

Hello Mrs J J

How are you doing post op now? I'm 3 days behind you, just got home from belgium. What i cant believe is how much pain I was in for the 1st 24hrs. I was so frightened, i thought something mustve gone wrong. How did you find it?

I'm experiencing frequent pain behind my breastbone actually in my stomach, it hurts after swallowing any liquid, a bad indigestiony pain.did you get that and if so is it getting any easier?

I hope you're doing well and making a good recovery. Any tips you can give me would be much appreciated! Thanks

julia x

[EnglishRose 1]

Hi Julia

I have just read on your posting that Dr Chris offers a packing for Surgery, Hotel, Taxis etc for 4000 Euros. Just out of interest do you know which hotel this is for?

Thanks

[Honeyduen 0]

What a lovely site. I signed your board. You're doing really well. Keep up the good work.

I did see your little post on my site thanks sooo much it will build up one day.. I have been off line for 2 weeks as we changed providers sooo I am soo glad to be back online you have no idea. I had pc withdrawl -

Thanks again and I look forward to chatting to you sometime.

Big HUGS !

[juliatabor 0]

no idea which hotel I'm afraid.

Best thing to do is contact frederick

[jiggy 0]

HI julia, You have not put me off at all, but thanks for being so honest about the post op pain.

I am probably going to e flying over from Manchester, and have a provisional date of 9th September (aaaagh), but as we have two small children I will probably be flying over alone. I didn't fancy the idea of being over there for so long on my own, just wanted to get it done and get back to my own bed ASAp. Obviously with your post I may need to have a rethink about travel plans etc, but I will definitely contact Frederick re he package as that sounds ideal and cuts out a lot of the worrying too. Hope you are feeling better over the next couple of days, I have ben thinking of you over the weekend and wondering if you were OK. Keep me posted as to your progress and keep in touch

Love jiggy xx

[juliatabor 0]

HI julia, You have not put me off at all, but thanks for being so honest about the post op pain.

I am probably going to e flying over from Manchester, and have a provisional date of 9th September (aaaagh), but as we have two small children I will probably be flying over alone. I didn't fancy the idea of being over there for so long on my own, just wanted to get it done and get back to my own bed ASAp. Obviously with your post I may need to have a rethink about travel plans etc, but I will definitely contact Frederick re he package as that sounds ideal and cuts out a lot of the worrying too. Hope you are feeling better over the next couple of days, I have ben thinking of you over the weekend and wondering if you were OK. Keep me posted as to your progress and keep in touch

Love jiggy xx

Hi Jiggy

If there's any possible way you can take a companion over with you when you have your op my strong advice would be to do so. Like you ,I was considering going over on my own and was perfectly happy to do that but my husband insisted he go with me. If there was one thing I was grateful for it was that. Doing it alone would have been impossible.Travelling over to belgium was no problem but coming home there was NO WAY I could have carried my own bag, not even if it was a case on wheels. The other ladies who'd had the op at the same time as me and were travelling back the same day were also the same, so i know it's not just me being a baby. Apart from the practicalities of not being able to carry your bag, I found it a very frightening experience being in so much pain in a foreign hospital etc, I was so glad my husband came with me. I would have been in terrible state otherwise.

Saying that ,if it really is impossible for you to take a companion the only thing you could do to get round the bag carrying problem is to leave it there. Sounds mental but if you only took the bare minimum in a not very special hold all/case it's something to think about.

I really dont want to put you off in anyway at all becoz I am 100% glad Ive got the band and think its an amazing opportunity but I think it's only fair to be honest , and I wish I;d had more of an idea what to expect straight after the op. I asked Dr Chris would I be in much pain the next day and he said ' yes you will be, it is hell and you will say to yourself what have I done?' He went on to say that this is normal and evryone feel the same but it does get a little better each day and he's right. He is an honest man and tells you exactly as it is.

today is my 3rd day post op and I'm much better, still got pain ( it takes 3 weeks to heal he said) but feeling much more normal in myself.

All the best with your plans and preparations for 9th Sept. Find out as much as you can, it helps and please please try and get someone to go over with you.

Take care

Love Julia x

Edited July 7, 2008 by juliatabor

[jiggy 0]

Thanks Julia, I will have to see if we can sort something out with children for weekend - I was trying to keep the cost down by not taking the whole family with me. Can I ask when are you hoping to go back to work? And when will you see Dr Chris again?

[juliatabor 0]

Thanks Julia, I will have to see if we can sort something out with children for weekend - I was trying to keep the cost down by not taking the whole family with me. Can I ask when are you hoping to go back to work? And when will you see Dr Chris again?

I m seeing Dr Chris for my 1st fill in wks in london.

You asked about work, well I do a bit from home so I'm not going out to work as such. i think if i was I'd prob be looking at havinga week off, certainly no more, If I really had to push myself I could prob be out and about and pretty much back to normal in a few more days, but no heavy lifting for 3wks.

Hope that helps

love julia x