gillian

:thumbup:hi TC!, feeling fine today, just bit of heart burn..but rennies etc do help..so get some of those in!..just been in shower and changed dressings..theres hardly owt there!.thought the port one would be the biggest but it only looks like one stitch...its the only one you have to have removed by nurse or doc, others dissolve and fall out within 14 days he says ..anyway..youll be off soon!, its good your going on the sunday as youll have all monday there, try and get into brussels, i wish i could but we only had a few hours to do owt in..there isnt much in vilvoorde..but when you come out of hotel..go under railway bridge, and dont bear left towards the train station..go across the crossings and go down the street ahead..it dont look like there is owt there but all the shops atc are at the bottom (inc a hand made belgian choc shop!) then if you cross road there is H&M, C&A and a Lidl shop.. anyway, good luck if i dont hear from you before, hope everything goes ok (it will!)..and cant wait to hear from you when your back!!:tongue: gillian x

aah..sorry i missed you on facebook!!.try again please..whats your first name then ill know to add you! just beentalking to tropical lagoon on instant chat there too..did you join the chris de bruyne patients page!?...(that goes for everyone else too,there is a chris de bruyne pre and post bandster page! just started up!) i sound just like you leaving hosp and hotel..no bra, no make up, no knickers even under my big baggy bottoms, hair like don kings!..and usually i wont even go to the bin if im not in full slap!..doesnt last long though does it, i was all made up the next day again!. hope your doing well anyway, and thanks for your advice!! gillian x

thankyou for that..its nice to know that its normal...i know bigsister is same too! did you feel sick or be sick a bit too?..at least you have put our minds at rest thankyou!..roll on 10 days then!..belly is a bit swollen and tight yes, but no bruising, and no pain really, bit hard to bend down still, but generally ok thanks x

Ha!...i wish it would pass that easily!..wont go up or down, feel very acidy too...stuck in my chest/neck... anyone have any tips?...is it advisable to take gaviscon or summat, or would it make it worse?..want an enormous burp but it wont come!...maybe ill stand on my head and see if it finds another way out!...how attractive!..love Gillian x

Hi and welcome..i was banded friday...you will be in great hands!..its exciting after you have made the decision and booked it isnt it!.read back thro the forum for all the stories...it will take you ages tho!, but we are all gratefull to the people who went before us for their info, and hope we can do the same for you too now. i hope your back round to your mothers this summer dragging those suitcases of clothes back and ebaying your old big clothes instead!...i have had one normal childbirth, one planned c section and one emergency c section (i like to taste a bit of everything!)...and its nothing like as painfull and draining as that!, plus you can at least get some rest after...Gillian x

freckles, i think i would prefer to be in uk if poss. i think its rough what you have been through though and would expect the band company to pay...its put you thro a lot of what you shouldnt have to go thro,because of their faulty band? if it was a pair of shoes that was faulty youd expect full refund..but if you had been put through distress,then youd get goodwill payment at least!..this company have a big responsibility, if you can prove it...go for gold!...like you say, the hosp and surgeon in uk has your trust, i think i would do it, then even if you do pay, after the band has been looked at and hopefully you will get a report on that...go for compensation?..dont worry about messing chris about...some other lucky patient will get your spot quickly! and i was told that there would be no prob if i wanted to cancel my op up to a week before too.let us know what you do and keep in touch even if you dont go with chris.Gillian x

thankyou freckles that really helped!...hope my wind passes then! gillian x

hi freckles...it was asparagus soup..not nice..and those dutch crispbreaks yes..they melt into nothing in your mouth chris says...i couldnt touch it..couldnt have even eaten a belgian choc at that moment,was still nauseus!..op takes about 40 mins he said before i went under.you will know what its like already freckles but the rest of you, dont expect to feel wonderfull for the first 18hrs or so,thing is you can just lay in bed and not get up..do it and dont forget to keep your pain relief topped up!..no medals for saying no to it...and we have paid in advance for it!..get your moneys worth!..staff are lovely,no shortage,and seem to enjoy helping you too..so make the most of them.you might wonder why you had it done for a bit but,it soon disappears..like having a baby!.i went to my doc this aft, she was very impressed with what they had done and the info they had sent back over about me..she wanted all the details and wants updates as she says she will be watching me like a hawk and may be sending her patients over in the droves soon. i made app for stitches taking out next tues with the nurse. today i think i have been having soup too fast as i feel like i have an airlock too like bigsister said..was chatting away (or more apt,gassing)while having it though so maybe took air in and thats why have got discomfort now...its a learning curve i suppose. I feel like i have got gillian mc kieth sat in my stomach and pulling a lassoo round it everytime i make a bad choice...saying "this is your punishment for that!" discomfort!..im going to go more slow now for a week or so, think im just getting carried away at doing well..but im only 3 days post op so stomach will be complaining a bit! it needs some tlc to heal....still got this gas pain in my left shoulder...anyone of you old bandsters know if thats normal??.also did you feel like you had airlock for a while just after surgery?.any tips on what to avoid having at first too?..any tips appreciated. thanks gillian x

hi mmm, chris puts the ports on the left,just above the waist. i know some surgeons put em inbetween the boobs but was told that your bra can irritate it there. yes you get loads of oxygen, dont worry!.someone asked that question..also you get those lovely white op stockings to wear for 5 days..lovely! just washing mine now! another good idea i can tell you is buy some calpol 6+..its easier to take than the horrible dissolving paracetamol they give you. i took some lucozade tablets too just to give me some energy after,esp when getting up at 3,30am to go to airport! just let em dissolve on your tongue. the injections you get are little disposable syringes for 5 days...they are so easy and painless...no probs..just nip yourself a lump of fat hard and you wont feel it, they are tiny...it really scared me when i found out about those, but they are nothing, important though esp when your flying back as are the lovely stockings!..people asking about bigsister!...she is fine and did great...she is much too busy shopping today with my other sister though, so that shows shes ok! shell prob check in here later...i will honestly say though that when i woke up from op i was groggy and said i would rather be fat!...but that feeling only lasted that day..and now im really pleased i had it done..i have been on scales and have lost 4lb like wishfull too, but thats not surprising after surgery..only about 76 more to go!...im not going to be over enthusiastic though and hope it is at least 2 lbs a week for...a long time!..as long as it goes, it can take 2 years for me. booked our fills for manchester on 12th feb.. TC27..youll be going this weekend!...hope it all goes well for you..oh yes, take a soft bra thats comfy and big baggy old women knickers for after!..also pull on stretchy trousers and pref slip on shoes, its hard to fasten em...i looked gorgeous i did! gillian x

best wishes tamisue! x

:smile:HI EVERYONE, IM BACK!!. came out the other side and we all did well..you know i was nervous, i didnt hide that!!..well i went down at 8am as soon as i got to hospital i was prepared and out of it...so that was good i suppose as no waiting around .the hospital and all the staff are A1..no worries about that...very proffesional. chris and frederick are lovely too. the hotel was comfortable..clean. food in restaurant was ok..i had the steak and chips, and took creme eggs to have after as it will be a no no soon!. went for a walk into vilvoorde the day before found a C&A!..just like the old ones a H&M, etam and bought some drinks from lidl.its a bit dismal there tho. the hosp is only a 15 min walk from hotel. but dont wear yourselves out getting there and def get taxi back. we hired car..had tom tom europe so found it easily. I would have loved to have gone into brussels, so if your planning that go another day in advance.you wont feel like it after..train station into brussels is few mins to side of hotel. I wasnt in a room with big sister or wishfull, at first i was all alone.and ended up in a room with 2 other women, one from dublin and one from belgium. I wasnt in a mood for talking and joking at the time so it wasnt bad being out of it!. your husband partner can stay as much as they want i think...mine even walked down to op theatre with me..and was back straight after, they never told him to leave...he got a meal in hosp canteen...6euros for 3 courses..not wonderful gourmet food, but worth it...anyway, im just sitting here a bit uncomfortable with the gas pain mainly (there is nothing you can do except wait for it to go sorry) so im going to have a bit of soup and a sit down...ill be back tomorrow(by the way there were seven people in total being banded that day)....thanks to everyone for their good wishes.x

:tt2::eek:..OMG...ITS TOMORROW IM GOING!!!..DUNNO HOW IM FEELING..AARGHHH!...THIS IS MY LAST POST...THANKYOU ALL FOR YOUR GOOD WISHES....AND ILL BE BACK ON HERE ON MONDAY IF IM UP TO IT!!!..ILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!....OMG!..I KEPT WISHING IT WOULD COME ROUND AND NOW IT HAS I WISH IT WAS NEXT WEEK!....SEE YOU WHEN IM OUT THE OTHER SIDE EVERYONE, LOVE FROM GILLIAN X

oh yeah! isnt that good of her!...gillian(littlesister)

Hi mmm looked at the link you gave me!..i can hire a picasso or similar from hertz..pick up from the airport and drop off on return..for just £117. im glad you told me about that in time! it will solve a lot of problems..and i imagine driving there will be similar to france and spain...had no problems driving there anyway. and my friend is lending us europe tom tom maps..so well be sorted! thanks Gillian x

thankyou for that mmm!..i will look at the ryanair link for hertz like you said. I wouldnt drive though i would leave it to the men...i dont like driving over here let alone over there!..thanks for info! gillian x

oh right! thanks for that boboboldy! gillian x

hi. yes some of the names have dissappeared havent they?....where are you!? anyway, thanks for your good wishes, im still aprehensive though...just want it all over and done with now!..ill be posting my last message tomorrow...and hope to be back with you prob monday, reporting on my experience..x

Hi TC, not sure about the high blood pressure problem.perhaps theyll just need to monitor you a bit more carefully. lets hope its ok,enough people have high blood pressure and still have ops dont they.. thankyou for your messages of good luck..im feeling a bit agitated now, that everything is gonna fall into place ok..my car went dead yesterday out of the blue, imagine if that happened thurs morning, i would die!..also im really worried about transport to and from hotel..was booking charleroi transfer, but they seem to be messing me about and now i have lost some faith in them as went on trip advisor and there were people saying that they didnt turn up etc..prob is its early sun morn we travel back, leave hotel about 4.15am and there are no taxis operating that early, and trains dont start for couple of hours after that...so if they dont turn up....we have no transport and will miss flight...so thinking about car hire now....has anyone hired a car there...any tips? i looked on avis website and prices to pick it up and drop off at airport were good..anyone else done this?...Gillian x

:confused:Hi freckles Im stupid too cos i dunno what a pm is either, but would like to see your pics, Gillian x

thanks, Im glad your starting to lose more now..must be disappointing when you dont lose, let alone put weight on!!..i hope you reach your sweet spot soon and it starts melting off.I am preparing myself for it not to work as fast as i thought, or was hoping.it will work...eventually ,maybe after a few fills..think everyone is different arent they..when was your band fitted flirty?, gillian x

thanks flirty!..i think i am just about to book the charleroi transfer mini bus..this runs that early as it is a link for the flights..dunno what id do otherwise thanks anyway...but that was good of frederick to do that for you wasnt it! Gillian x

Hi tropical...your doing well now...back on track!..it is best to lose it slower particularly at first though isnt it?..I know we all want a big change to start off with but,we have that 2 years to do it in! I know its frustrating, and i know ill feel dissappointed too,if i dont lose the whole 6 stone in the first month!..but 2lb a week is good and sensible cos in a year that would be 104lbs!! thats about 6.5-7 stone isnt it?! (not great at maths!)so im gonna have to be patient!!. keep it up at the gym, i think thats important to help with sagging skin that you can get from losing weight quickly and no exercise...Ill have to be there 24/7 cos im starting to sag already without losing the weight!.. thankyou for your good wishes..I hope i have the same experience as you,and will say its all been worth it. I will be posting my experience next week, as im sure bigsister and wishfull will be too. I think you have all given such fantastic info already, and anyone reading the forum for the first time is lucky to be reading your posts..i dont know if ill be able to add anything as you have covered it all just about! Gillian x

thankyou BTS!..thats good cos its a bit cheaper than brussels city!..hope everything is going well for you!? gillian x

thanks for that BTS!..i have just looked at the charlerio transfer website and it looks very good, think we will go with that, thanks for info!..but the options are...brussels city, or brussels suburbs, and its a different price for each place..so do you know which it is? i thought it was suburbs, what did you put in? x

:tongue2: anyone help me out with taxi prices from charlerio? i have read anything from 90 euros to 150 euros..but not to get ripped off and ask around outside airport for prices, and agree one first...also, Taxi back early sunday morning..prob have to leave hotel about 4.30am...anyone had any probs with early taxis?..also train, is that easy enough to transfer to your hotel, and how much?...thankyou!..Gillian x