Hi

I have decided to get the procedure done - just have to save up for it. I live in uk and want to go to Brussels as it seems cheapest and safest there. Anyone know of the above?

Thanks

Has anyone for Freddies email address?

hi think its frederik.serneels@ecfs.be

Hi everyone, wondering if someone could help me please. I haven't been able to eat a thing since Thursday morning and i'm not even hungry! I get constant acid reflux though and I can hear a sort of gurgling noise now and again, theres also a slight ache at my breastbone. Do you think I have food stuck or my band has slipped? I am so worried I can just manage to drink water and I had some milkshake last night just to give me some calories but I have to force myself because I feel full. Has anyone experienced this?

Thanks xx

Hi, band is too tight, I've been suffering for a year with this (banded over 3 years ago).. Been treated for acid reflux for a year.. Did nothing.Ended up having tiny amount out under flouroscopy X-ray.. Where they could see that it is just over production of saliva gurgling about trying its hardest to help food down, you get air bubbles cos of constant swallowing too, so you'll burp . I was in pain in my shoulder and left side. No wonder acid treatments didn't touch it. But if left too tight for too long it can erode into stomach wall.. You really don't want that so suggest a smidgen out def. I was fine as soon as just 0.2 was took out. hope that helps. Good luck, Gillian x

Thanks Gillian, I was thinking about it being too tight but last time I had a fill was May 2011, would that make a difference do you think? I am going to persevere until after the weekend and if its not better I am going to go into A and E, hopefully they will be kind enough to do a defill cos my surgeon isnt here again until the end of April :/

x

I had a fill to 6 mls last may too..was quite tight And for some reason needed 3 small defills after up to now. I've now got 4.2 which is maybe not enough to make me lose weight, but I was really worried that I'd got band slippage/ migration/ erosion .. So last thing on my mind was weight loss. I've been advised to 'rest' it at this for a while.. I'm going to try small fill when I return from hols mid June. I blame myself for being too eager to get tight for weight loss.. Then starting to eat wrong types of foods (slider foods.. Chocolate, curry sauces etc!).. When I ate normally was quite often sick.. I think I put too much stress on stomach.. Think it was my warning to slow down?!. But I know what you mean, it's a bit scary cos you think something's wrong.. I have my aftercare with WLS. They visit loads of cities in uk and offer emergency de fills to anyone if youre ever desperate. Im sure your band is fine just could maybe do with a bit of a rest.. Try to get your calories with protein shakes or nourishment drinks, if you're not eating. Are you having to bring food back up by the way? Gillian x

Ah do they do defills even if I never had my surgery with them? That would be brill if they did cos im thinking I may need a defill. I emailed my surgeons assistant but he usually takes a while to get back to emails so dont want to leave it to long, stressing is probably making it worse right enough! Yes when I eat something it comes right back up, feels like I have a fullness in my throat area and im constantly burping and making gargling noises. So embarassing in class lol. Thanks for your help x

Hi, yes I get a newsletter every month or so. And it said ' now offering emergency defills to non wls patients'I didn't have my surgery with them either but they travel to different venues up and down the country.and clinic 5 min drive from me at a private hosp once a month. I pay for yearly package, but am going on a 'pay as you go' now as don't need or want many adjustments. They are very professional n lovely too. Look up Www.wlsgroup.co.uk. Me, my sister and loads of others who went to chris have used her.. She was in with chris doing ops last year and they recommend each other. Where do you live? Theres prob clinic near you once a month.. Excellent advice too too..think it's £90 for adjustment, but sometimes BOGOF offers on etc. yes that gurgling does get embarrassing n loud doesn't it!.. It was bad when I was trying to get to sleep, and had to jump up sometimes as nearly choking on saliva. Yours sounds just the same as mine was, and it's a pain cos when you eat it gets stuck so you chuck it up, then I think it inflames around the band making it tighter for a bit. I hope you cope ok until you get a bit of a defill then, your problems should improve a lot then x

Hi, yes I get a newsletter every month or so. And it said ' now offering emergency defills to non wls patients'I didn't have my surgery with them either but they travel to different venues up and down the country.and clinic 5 min drive from me at a private hosp once a month. I pay for yearly package, but am going on a 'pay as you go' now as don't need or want many adjustments. They are very professional n lovely too. Look up Www.wlsgroup.co.uk. Me, my sister and loads of others who went to chris have used her.. She was in with chris doing ops last year and they recommend each other. Where do you live? Theres prob clinic near you once a month.. Excellent advice too too..think it's £90 for adjustment, but sometimes BOGOF offers on etc. yes that gurgling does get embarrassing n loud doesn't it!.. It was bad when I was trying to get to sleep, and had to jump up sometimes as nearly choking on saliva. Yours sounds just the same as mine was, and it's a pain cos when you eat it gets stuck so you chuck it up, then I think it inflames around the band making it tighter for a bit. I hope you cope ok until you get a bit of a defill then, your problems should improve a lot then x

You have to be careful where you go for fills Fredrick told me that if you go to someone other than chris or a member of his team then the band is not covered anymore. Some places the nurses are not experienced if someone stuck a needle through the tubing instead of into the band then you band would be prematurely damaged. It best to stick with the aftercare package from chris's own team so they can monitor you. There in the Uk every thursday you just have to call julie tosh or the europe surgery office an they get you booked in. chris his team do fills for other people cos some surgeons even uk surgeons are not good with the aftercare and also rip people off. But if you had surgery with chris you should stay with him cos if anything ever went wrong he would look after you.

Hi everyone, wondering if someone could help me please. I haven't been able to eat a thing since Thursday morning and i'm not even hungry! I get constant acid reflux though and I can hear a sort of gurgling noise now and again, theres also a slight ache at my breastbone. Do you think I have food stuck or my band has slipped? I am so worried I can just manage to drink water and I had some milkshake last night just to give me some calories but I have to force myself because I feel full. Has anyone experienced this?

Thanks xx

if you had surgery with dr chris you should email him if your worried about anything and make sure your alright.

Thanks, I have emailed but he usually takes a while to reply. I am in Edinburgh and they are not here again until the end of April but I did wonder about the guarentee side of things. Might have to travel a bit further by the sounds of it. Hopefully he replies soon, im not in any pain with just drinking but I dont like the idea of not having food for days xx

Dr Chris actually recommends Wendy the fill nurse at Wls group..she has £5 million insurance and is an extremely experienced bariatric nurse whos been adjusting bands all day everyday for many years. She rates Chris, as he does her. He's happy with her aftercare. Email him and ask him if you're not sure. Her names Wendy Stubbs at wls if so. I wouldn't tell anyone to go or not go to any aftercare provider, but if you're having a problem, it's worth knowing that she will see anyone's patients in an emergency.. Even if they're not using them as their main aftercare provider.

Suppose Wendy's Wls clinics nearest to Edinburg would be Glasgow or Newcastle though, so may not be so near to you anyway x

Thanks Gillian, Glasgow is fine as its only slightly further away than edinburgh is from me. I emailed my surgeon asking if it was fine for me to go with them but think I already have that answer if he recommends her anyway I feel slightly better today, no tightness around my throat/chest but still not attempted to eat mushy or solids and still dont feel hungry :/ think a defill is on the cards x

Glad you feel bit better but it would prob hurt you to eat mushy/solids. Think you're right having small de fill. Cos the aim of the band is to eat less not it hurting to eat. but at least you've now experienced how being too tight hurts and lost some weight a bit quicker!.. Good luck x

Hi Ladies,

Just to agree with Gillian, i use wendy and have done since my band with Chris. She is brilliant. She also has her husband steve who works with her and they have just employed another nurse who is wonderful. They spent months looking for just the right person and now they have her. She gave me a fill in January and knew exactly how much to give me and was really efficient and knowledgeable as is wendy. You can't go wrong.

Since my fill on 12th Jan, i've dropped 12 kgs. I thought it was loosening since i could eat nearly everything again these past few weeks, but because i got too complacent and ate bread this weekend, it's tightened again and i'm back to mushies and slowly drinking! Serves me right for being silly x