Hi there, I am new to this forum. I have my first consultation with the surgeon next Friday March 30th:) . I am so excited but also nervous.

I have been reading through a few posts and it is so good to see that the majority of the feedback is positive.

I will be having my surgery done in Dublin and I was wondering if any of you have any advice as to questions I should be asking the surgeon next week.

Thanks so much. Brenners x

hi guys great to hear you are all in good form and working at it. Got mt 3rd fill last wed and I feel more restricted. Managed to losae a couple of pounds that I had gained up to that point.

Coco - hope the recovery is going really well and the driving is manageable - Congrats to Skinny and Alesha for great results!

Sorry to be away so long but have been bed ridden for a few days - back problems.

Good news about possible fills by Belgian docs for the future - was worrying if ACS would continue to offer them after the year was up.

G'luck guys.

Last few days I have been feeling really unwell, my stomach is very swollen, quite a large red hot patch and a large dint over my port. My stretch marks have become raised and I feel something is really wrong inside cause to feel my stomach it is so different. My friend who Nikki who was banded in dec '06 was very concerned and she rang ACS as did my daughter yesterday. Anyway I had an appointment with Yan today and he perscribed antibiotics and tomorrow I go for an ultrasound in a private clinic in Santry. I am very worrried about what I have done, SO I decided I would investigate follow up treatment in Irish Hospitals. I spoke with Mr. Paddy Broe's Secretary in Beaumont Hosp and they will be more than happy to see me with a GP referral letter asap. This Doctor specialises in Bypass and Gastric Sleeve but has a lot of knowledge of gastric band. However, his Secretary also told me of Loughlinstown Hospital and I spoke with Mr. Geoghegan's Secretary and she will have an appointment for me within 2 - 3 weeks should I need one. There is also a new doctor in Galway Hospital who is doing the gastric banding. I thought I was healing well and that my scars were very slight. Since I had the fill on the 4th of January everything seems to be going down hill. Lou found it very difficult to locate my port and when she did she removed 2mls of brown stuff which she said was bethidine, and then refilled with 3mls of saline. I await tomorrows results anxiously and pending these I will decide what to do! If any of u are still up and have any suggestions please reply asap.

hi pauilna sorry to hear your story. you areon the right road ,it sounds like have an infection, you are off 2day for a scan and you will know more,y ou are on anti bs so if its an infection,the healing has started, try not to worry to much, the main thing is you got help right away. most problems can be taken care of in a very short time,and you have your home work done,let us know you get on. luv roe ill say a prayer for you,

Had the scan done and there is infection around the port but doctors had to have a look at it and will send their report sometime this evening or tomorrow morning to ACS. I also have 3 large gall stones, but they can stay there as they are causing no pain. Thanks for the little prayer, say another one and maybe I will win the lotto tonight, then I can go away to the sun and recover in peace and comfort.

Had the scan done and there is infection around the port but doctors had to have a look at it and will send their report sometime this evening or tomorrow morning to ACS. I also have 3 large gall stones, but they can stay there as they are causing no pain. Thanks for the little prayer, say another one and maybe I will win the lotto tonight, then I can go away to the sun and recover in peace and comfort.

:lol:Hey Paulina,

Glad to see your sense of humor is still intact. I'm sorry to hear about your infection, but there has been a couple of cases that I've heard of, there is an infection that is very hard to get rid of without the correct antibiotics so make sure that you get a swab done to decide the exact name of the infection so that you can get the correct antibiotics. In the two cases I've heard of both of the women had their ports removed the infection cleared and then the ports are put back in. Both are patients of ACS.:tongue::frown: By the way, when you went to your gp and the hospital, how did they react to you, are you going private or were you covered with the HSE? I ask because I know the Private Cosmetic Consultants don't rate ACS at all, and it would be good to know we had another choice of aftercare in the event of a problem arising and not being happy with ACS.

To Everyone who has be kind enough to enquire about my recovery from the V.V. op, well I'm glad to say that I'm recovering very well now. Back driving, doing a 40min walk in the mornings:closedeyes: I'll be getting my halo soon.. Yesterday I had the task of removing the steri strips from my legs in the bath. Enjoyed the bath but was amazed at the amount of strips I had to remove and the bruising....... well too much info I think.:wink2:But thank you all for asking. :biggrin:

Hi All, I was sick yesterday so couldn't make it in for my appointment with Jan to see what's going on with my band, had fill last Friday and he told me he didn't think he's been getting the fluid into my band all this time. So called ACS to make new appointment and they said to call hospital. Called hospital and got nurse who said that they weren't taking appointments for fills. Have called ACS back twice and waiting for a call back. Have no idea what's going on with them - anyone else know? Bit concerning, what will we do if they stop the fills? Have we any rights here?

xx

Hi Princess LK, I had a fill done two weeks ago and got a letter in the post to say next appointment for April to phone then for date. I didn't think the first fill Jan did for me went into the port either. I have found they are quicker to reply to an email then a phone call, you could try emailing explaining your concerns. Hope you are feeling better. Bye for now.

Hi Gerri

Thanks for replying, do you have an email address for them? I have jsut called them again to be informed that as of yesterday, Jan is gone and they don't know any more than that. I was told I can see Lou (a nurse) for a fill next Fri. I asked about their plans to replace Jan and they said they have none at the moment and don't know any more than that. I asked to speak to a manager and was told that there are none around, I said that I was really concerned because I had paid out 10K euro for a procedure and the aftercare with a surgeon and that Lou is just a nurse?? I mean, this is ridiculous, I dont' want to be filled by a nurse but by a qualified surgeon like I paid for....they are such cowboys in there. Does anyone know what we can do about this? I mean if I have to go elsewhere to get a fill by a surgeon and pay for it, I wonder will ACS cover the costs? Surely they will have to do something about it, all I got was that I will have to wait until next Fri to see the nurse and that I should leave it with them to find out what's going on, I am livid. I am so sick of ACS.

Hi interesting to hear all the stories from Ireland and the UK. I am in MA in the states. Had a lovely trip to Ireland (my 2nd) in Sept. despite my weight I was able to get around fine, walking a lot and climbing some interesting hills and rocks. But I hope if and when I go again in a few years I can really walk a lot and see much more of the lovely scenery and take pictures of "me" LOL. I did take a few on both my trips but mostly did the scenery. If I ever came into money I would surely buy a house over there. I loved Donegal and the town of Downing was lovely. I also loved Kinsale. My relatives come from a little town in Cork called "Dunmanway" They were McCarthys. Some are still there.

Princess,

I sent you a private message, not sure if I did it properly asking you to ring my mobile. I got the results of my ultrasound from my own doctor as I requested the results be sent to her also, I have an infection which is surrounding the port, inside not on the scars, I have to continue the antibiotics which Yan perscribed and they will see me in the surgery next week. I had heard nothing from ACS up to 5.30p.m. so I rang and they told me there would be nobody to speak to until tomorrow morning. However, this wasn't good enough so I rang Onestown and eventually got to speak to Yan and he told me hadn't seen the results yet and to ring in the morning. If I needed to see him, I would have to before 1 p.m as he was flying to Poland and wouldn't be returning until March, on Tuesday he told me he was only going for 2 weeks. I wonder if he is ever coming back? I feel sorry for him as he is not the surgeon who performed the operations and he is taking all the shit, and his good name is being marred. It wouldn't suprise me if he is finished in Ireland. So we are high and dry! The only medical person familiar with the band is Lou and as you said she is a nurse. I am so unhappy and worried. I was banded in Paris by Jerome, and have been very unhappy with the treatment we received there as were the other girls who were operated with me. We have been waiting since 16th December for a meeting with Helena and that has yet to happen. She hasn't even had the courtesy to telephone any of us.

Hi Paulina, tried to call you this morning, sorry didn't see your message until then. I called owenstown and they said Yan isn't around and that was all the info they had. There is no answer at ACS at all now. I've sent you a PM with my mobile number on it too if you want to call me. I hope you're ok, your problem seems to be a lot more serious than mine....I just can't believe the way they speak to us as if we are idiots. I am so sick of them, I was so upset yesterday but today I want answers. So I'll be calling them until I get some. Anyone else had problems getting thru to ACS?

Hi all,

I have the results from ACS of my ultrasound and I have an infection around the port area but there is no puss so its a good sign and doesn't need surgery, thank god! Yan rang me back this morning. I have heard that Yan is only going to Poland for a month and will be back in March. More good news. Its an awful pity the staff in ACS are not all briefed with the same information, as it was one of their staff who said he was not returning at all. Any wonder everybody is so worrried. I think when you ring there you should only speak to someone in authority or to a name you can relate to. Anyway I am much happier now and Yan said I can have a fill a week or so after the infection clears up. So can't wait, I have only 5 weeks and I will be 40, need to have some more weight off before then. And then it will be nearly holiday time ........... so have to start losing this weight quicker

Hi Paulina, glad your infection is not as bad as you first feared. Also good news that Yan had the decency to ring you, at least somebody in ACS has courtesy! I have to say I am lucky in that so far I have had no physical problems as a result of the surgery but psychologically the lack of communication and aftercare are playing on my mind. I'm sure you will look fab for your big 40. Take care.

Great news Paulina, I know how worried you were.when things go wrong tor me I feel like the bottom has dropped out my world. its great news about Mr Jan.I really liked him.I find him to be very understanding.and like Gerri said he had the decency to ring you back. Im in next Friday morn the 8 for a fill does anyone else have a fill that day.They seem to be booked out. I guess it will be hard to get an app now that lou is on her own. Hope all you guys are doing good and loosing lots of weight bye for now luv Roe

Hi All,

Glad to hear things are not as bad as they first seemed. Hope you are all doing well now. I phoned Fitzwilliam clinic the other day to get an appointment this weekend with Lu and I was told that I had to make the appointment through Owenstown even though I would be having the appointment in Fitzwilliam. The girl on the phoned said she didn't know why or who had changed things around. I said no probs I have their number I'll phone them, I did and the guy who answered the phone in Owenstown said oh you'll have to phone Fitzwilliams if you want to see Lu, I explained that I had and that they told me the appointment had to be made through Owenstown, he transfered me to another person and this girl seemed to know what was going on. I was suprised that I couldn't get an appointment this weekend and they only had one appointment left next Saturday so I took that one. It seems like Lu is very busy.