Yana

Yes Penni,you should! It is better to visit between Novenber and April when the weather is perfect,between 25-28C and no humidity.During the other months it is too hot...up to 50c! and very humid but then absolutely everywhere and everything is air-conditioned and they do good deals during summer due to it being low season. Christmas and New Year are already almost fully booked ahead in most hotels. I am off myself soon as usual in the summer to cooler climes!

Hi Penni, No Dubai is not in Saudi Arabia. It is in the Emirate of Dubai,one of the seven United Arab Emirates in the Arabian Gulf,it borders Saudi Arabia but is very different. I think the whole world is coming here for holidays now,tourism is huge and facilities are second to none. It is in every magazine and TV programme except perhaps inAmerica but we have a lot of American expats living and working here and lots of American companies setting up their regional headquarters in our Free Zones such as Internet City where we have Microsoft etc,or in our Media city where we have CNN etc. Everyone loves it here but it is quite a unique place as we have over 170 different nationalities living and working here in total harmony. There is virtually no crime,which is why everyone likes it so much as it is so safe and we have state of the art medical facilities etc. There are quite a lot of American Doctors and Dentisits as well as business people. The Golf courses also attract a lot of people as they are so good. We have excellent hotels and restaurants etc. A lot of young people from U.A.E. go to the States for further education,in fact I have 2 nephews studying in Boston at present. You very seldom find U.A.E. nationals emigrating or living elsewhere permanently though as htey all love their country because it is peaceful and the population are well provided for,the locals have free education,healthcare and housing if they need it. It is a city developed and still growing out of the desert where it sometimes doesn't rain for 4 years but it is green and verdant thanks to the far sightedness of the ruling family and the generation before this too. I am from London but my husband is from here and I have been marrried 30 years. What a long reply to a short question! Sorry if it's too much information!

Penni,thank you for sharing that. It is definitely not right is it and I think you are very patient in waiting to see the Dr about it. As you're losing weight though and feling well it can't be anything too bad can it. You being a nurse must mean you can reassure yourself somewhat too as you know more than the average lay person... My surgeon has done over 1000 band ops now so I have every faith in his competence but it just doesn't feel right. I will see the Dr tomorrow for stitches out and ask him to examine it and tell me his opinion but my surgeon isn't back here until 20th July. Today,my 7th,I'm afraid I skipped the pureed stage and had solid food which I chewed until it was "pureed"! I haven't been sick so I'm hopeful as I really wanted solid food after a week of liquids. No patience!

Dear New Hope, Try this link and it should give you all the information you need on the wonderful city of Dubai! Be sure to look at the pictures too. www.dubaicityguide.com Yana

You don't realise how lucky you are having so much choice for clothing in large sizes!!! Outside of America it is a very different story! I am fortunate in not being short of clothes but only because I spend a lot of time in London and frequent Harrods "fat ladies" dept! I get into trouble for calling it that but as I'm a fat lady I just call it what it is. They have a reasonable selection but at a price. Also we have Marina Rinaldi,the Italian brand which is my favourite but doesn't always suit my shape even if they have my size(English 26 which I think is American 30). In Dubai we have a few shops but not much choice so it is either tailor made or wait till I'm in Europe. Even all the American clothes sites on the net are no good to us as they don't deliver or take payment from ouside the U.S. My daughter loves New York and is always trying to persuade me to go there with her for shopping. Hopefully now I have the lap band I will be able to shop anywhere again soon. It is particularly difficult for evening gowns or formal wear if there is a function to attend which requires such outfits. I have had some deliveries from American sites but the clothes rarely fit as the sizing is different and seems often to be 1,2 or 3. Often it is too large too as I naturally order a "3",so I have stopped that now. 2 years ago I was in Minneapolis and visited the Mall of America. I bought so many lovely clothes in Bloomingdales or Saks,don't remember but there was so much choice of really good quality and stylish clothing. Sorry.....probably ranted too long,but you do have an advantage over the rest of us!

Penni,thanks,yours sounds just like what I am feeling..what is your protrusion you are going to have checked out? Is it also the port or something else?Hope you don't mind me asking. I do wonder if it's in the wrong place as so many people say they don't feel anything...

Thanks Alex. I am sure they did satisfy themselves it's in place.It is difficult when the surgeon is only visiting.He will come back in 3 weeks time. Meanwhile there is the American qualified team here but it isn't the same as having your surgeon oln hand. However they've had no problems to date with surgeries of this sort. I just ate some mashed potato and some yoghourt and feel a bit better...first solid food and only a little indigestion,no vomiting so feel more positive!

Thank you for your replies..they are very reassuring. I spoke to the dietitian about the "popping" feeling at my appointment with her and she said no-one had complained of that before so I am relieved to know it is not indicative of something wrong! I had been calling the Dr nearly every day since surgery about one thing or another and decided I'd better stop before I became the patient from hell! I am having my stitches out Sunday so can wait till then. Also when I was reading through others' experiences many of you said you'd had x-rays after surgery to check everything was in place but I didn't have anything like that. I feel full but want food at the same time..if that makes sense..I was O.K. until yesterday but then started yearning for solid food. I hope I have the patience to stick with it and adhere to the rules etc. It isn't easy is it? I have had several operations before,the most recent in February for prolapsed bowel and bladder but feel I heal quicker usually and have less discomfort,but as you say now I have something implanted in my abdomen which I haven't had before!