Vixon

That's ace!!! Can't wait to get into next jeans! I'm a 22 in Evans lol and while Next do some size 22 items, their idea of 22 and Evan's is rather different. I am actually thinking of applying for one of the stupid Evan's cards they try to make you take every single time you buy anything there just so I can ceremonially burn it once I'm banded and making progress!

Good Luck on the 24th Arrangirl!! Steve could I trouble you for a copy of the spreadsheet please, I'm very numbers obsessed and that would provide a focus :smile: Thanks in advance :frown: Vicki

That's the problem with food "issues" we really do need food to survive. With any other type of addiction you can take yourself out of the environment most likely to cause you trouble - i.e I have an elderly uncle that has been a recovering alcoholic for 30 plus years and in that time he has never attended a family wedding r funeral as the alcohol flows far too freely and there is always one idiot offers him a drink "one wont kill you". Sure we can avoid eating out, but at least in my case I do my worst overeating in the privacy of my own home. Anyway I wish you the best in facing the issues you need to confront in your own head/heart to get the best from your band and hope I can do so to when December and my band finally arrive.

Brilliant Kev, buffets are murder for me, love getting my moneys worth. And only 19lb from target you will be there soon I think. 14st your new target I see, I agree, I really think you can do it!! Oh for deeper pockets for me so get my band sooner. Ah well patience is character building.

Good Luck today Whoooooosh, thinking about ya!! Hope all goes well. X

Thanks everyone for well wishes and gl everyone on their first steps or their last steps and everything in between.

I'm only holding tight cos I'm scared I'll fall :thumbup:

Gives you great confidence in Dr Chris that he can diagnose something accurately that he has never seen phyically on you or another patient yet the nhs can't even get it right when you are standing in front of them :s

No you didn't Steve looks to me like you took the rough end of someones angry and frustrations at someone else :s I thought this site was to encourage, support and help people not to have a go at well intentioned advice.

Coff coff, patiently waiting for your weekly weigh in Kev you are my inspiration

[quote name=rockchick;942892 One bit of good news is that I'm down 2 sizes in jeans! I ordered a pair of Next Jeans (Size 20) & they were TOO BIG!! :cursing: Waheeey! Looks like I'll soon be shopping in normal shops' date=' not just Evans, etc!![/quote] I'm seriously jealous now :scared2:

I'm Scottish and I also live within the North Ayrshire and Arran health board area - they dont currently have a bariatric service but are in the process of setting on up and they hope to be operational (pardon the pun) in about 3 years from what I've been told. So yes, private is your only option but Glasgow is expensive :s I'm also going to Dr Chris de Bruyne, gl flirty and let me know how you get on :cursing:

Nuffield was one of the first places I considered as I live half an hour from Glasgow, I also considered Ross Hall Hospital in Glasgow as I have been a patient there previously (when I had BUPA cover from an old employer) and found them excellent. However Nuffield costs £7,500 or there abouts and Ross Hall are £8,000 approx and I just cannot afford that. I don't want to go to one of the cheaper UK groups and have decided upon Dr Chris De Bruyne in Brussels for my surgeon. 2 weeks until my first consult I can't wait :biggrin: Having researched as much as possible I feel Dr Chris is an inexpensive choice of an experienced and skilled surgeon. Some of the other "cheap" deals seemed just that, cheap and didn't inspire any confidence in me.

wd kev woohoooo :biggrin:

Glad you are getting somewhere, sorry I forgot to post numbers, I was working :s

In Glasgow there are a few fill Dr, I would personally suggest one of the following as they are both NHS and Private surgeons not just some Dr in a clinic. David Galloway (NHS Garnaval) or Ross Carter (NHS Glasgow Royal Infirmary). Both Dr's have private practice at Glasgow Nuffield Hospital Now I could be wrong but if it is an emergency treatment you need not just that you want a top up fill you should be entitled to it from the NHS if they have a bariatric service in the area. If not then contacting them via Nuffield is probably best.

I have type 2 diabetes so I was extra careful about when and what I ate whilst pregnant and I lost 2 and a half stone (35lb) when I had my son last year (gained about 7lb last month and lost right after delivery). In the year since then I've put it all back on :teeth_smile: and that has been one of the deciding factors in getting my band. Still 5 months til I can afford the op but I'd rather delay a second baby and have a healthier pregnancy than have a second soon and have to endure 8 months of insulin injections and the worry that everytime I fall off the wagon my baby is at risk. But the point of my ramble - u can safely lost a lot of weight when pregnant without harming your baby, or yourself.

I'm not post-op sorry, still just lurking on the forums while I'm waiting on my first consultation and squirrling the pennies away. And yes they are bloody useless, like most places if someone doesn't know something instead of admitting it and trying to find the correct answer they just don't do what ever you need. Is making a bit of an effort for a customer a dying art?

Boots lied to you! Sorry but they do stock them as childrens Vitamins Bassets soft and chewable range, there are a few different version. You can also get Vitamin drops or syrup, again aimed at children but prefectly adequate for adults too. Boots.com - Shop That link to Boots website should have some of them on the page.

Hi guys, Does anyone know if Dr Chris operates at weekends at all? Hubby is low on holidays for this year and if we could be seen at a weekend this would save him from using all he has left from now to next April when we go for my op.

Thanks Tracey, Fri sounds good, I can get out sat morning and fly home sunday, that's only 2 days hubby has to use I know Dr Chris can answer these questions at my consult in a few weeks but it's good to have an idea in my head without having to nag the poor man lol

Ohhhh I have a small hiatial hernia, had an endosopy to confirm a few years back but was told it wasn't worth operating to fix it. from what I had read a small one shouldn't effect surgery so I wasn't too worried unless it had increased in size over last 2 years but this is helpful to know tyvm another minor worry allayed by this forum. BTW - was there an extra charge for the repair after the op?

It all comes down to funding doesnt it :s My trust doesn't have the service and wont pay for it out of area by another trust. Quite rightly other areas don't pay for out of area patients, I'm sure they have enough of their own to concentrate on. The ironic thing is the houses I lived in from 2001-2005 were in lanarkshire trust area and they have a single surgeon performing banding ops. He theoretically would take an out of area patient (if they came with their own trusts funding) but at the moment is so busy he isn't taking anymore referals until nearer the end of the year even in his own area. I live half an hour from Glasgow but from what I've heard they make u jump through hoops at the weight management service. I have already had a very negative response from my gp, ph surgery that's drastic surely talk to practice nurse about pills and I'll leave you a script from them. Talk to practice nurse and she says I can't have the pills. Say's I'm not trying hard enough - I lost 2 and a half stone last year, call that not trying? Unfortunately it's gone back on, that's the whole point of a band isnt it to help u get it off and keep it off. At one point I did consider trying to get the op done in England - a friend is currently under referal to Derby and we thought about trying it via her address but my husband was against the idea of messing around trying to "cheat" the system and having my medical records where they wouldnt be useful in an emergency. So at the moment my only choice is private and my budget can only wiggle it's way to Belgium and while I realise I wont get the after care I could here with a package I'm reasonably satisfied that the aftercare service Dr Chris has on a pay as u need basis will be more than enough for me. If it turns out getting to Edinburgh from Ayrshire is a bigger pain than I expect I may find someone in Glasgow for fills, but as far as I can tell Dr Chris has a good rep and I'd prefer to travel and stay with him if I can for continuity of care at least in the first year or so.

Grrrrr don't get me started on postcode lottery. I live in Scotland in general it's not something we have a problem with.... But for bariatrics there are only a few trusts that have the service, and across area referals are not permitted :s I can't actually fault my trust (I can fault my gp and practice nurse but that is a different story) as my diabetic nurse at the local hospital looked into it for me as she knows a surgeon very interested in getting it up and running in our area but as it is such a new service they are expecting it to be around 3 years before they are ready to have it operational (pardon the pun). From what I can gather it's something all trusts are looking into but really needs an interested surgeon in the area to champion it to get it moving faster. I can't/won't wait 3 years as I hope to have my band and a degree of success then hopefully have a second baby. So maybe in 3 years time I will br looking to start having my band refilled - and I've been told they see no reason why even going private why my after care cannot be transfered to the NHS once their service is up and running. But for me this is all sometime maybe. At the moment my main aim is to be able to save every spare penny from now until november and have my op done by Dr Chris De Bruyne late November so I might just manage 2 sprouts and half a spud for christmas dinner.

Wow, this thread gives me hope for not only the weight loss but the possibility of not being completely miserable food wise for the rest of my life. I really enjoy chinese, especially singapore rice lol. Sounds like u coped well with it and didn't go to town. Hope I can be the same. Your weigh loss is amazing and in the time you've managed it so far I think your target sounds really possible, although I don't know your height/bmi you certain seem a success story and I can't wait to see Dr Chris next month.