Hi every one.

Just to let you all know the south west support group will be meeting on the 2nd Sat in March. We will be meeting at the Lamb and Flag Cribbs cause way, AROUND 7pm ish.

I f any new fold would like to attend and you are not to sure about where we will be. Please pm me.

Mrs D

bump bump bump

I'm in Cheltenham but teach in Bristol and am at the first stages of the process. I'm 27 years old and hope to have a band fitted the 1st or 2nd week of April (Spring Hols) If I was free this weekend I'd come along and join you all to get advice and make friends etc. Do you know who my most local banded person is? Like I said, I live in Cheltenham.

I'm soo excited to have found someone so close as I've only chatted to ladies in USA and one in Oz!

Gill :-) :biggrin2:

Hi great to meet you!

I am in Somerset.

Not to far from you. There is quite a comunity of us here. We as I said meeting at our support group a week Saturday. We meet around 7-7.30pm ish Ate the Lamb and Flag Cribbs Its really easy to find. Oppersite what was Harry Ramsdons. Its The Harvestor.

The group is made up of family friends and our children.

Bandsters, rnyers dsers balloners! So quite a varied bunch. We are a very friendly mixed group from as far as Eversham to Wales to Devon!

Pm me and i can give u my phone number if u like to tell u the finer details!

Great to see u posting

Mrs D aka Fay

Hi Gill,

I am in Hereford and I am being banded in Gloucester on 26 March. There is a local support group that meets at the Nuffield hospital in Cheltenham on the 1st Sunday of each month at 2pm. I went to the January one but had to miss the next two due to prior commitments, but I am planning to go to the one on 6th April if I have recovered enough after the surgery. Who is doing your op? Mr Hewin is doing mine, and because I live in Herefordshire I am lucky and I am an NHS patient. I am getting really nervous about it now though.

Hi Gill,

Good luck with your opp. Have you joined the uk site WLSFRIENDS.CO.UK?

Its free!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a few members from your neck of the woods who come to Cribbs causeway, also we are getting a new group off the ground in Taunton I no its quite a way from you but its on a Thursday night and down the M5!

Anyway good luck.

Fay

Wow, thanks for your replies. I have an appointment with my doc on thurs as my blood tests were all normal (they wanted to test for thyroid probs before referring me to Nuffield) So hopefully have my consultation the week or so after.... Wish me luck. When I know more and have dates etc I'll post more questions etc. OOhhh ,I'm so excited and nervous all at the same time! :-)

Gill x

Hi Gill,

I am in Hereford and I am being banded in Gloucester on 26 March. There is a local support group that meets at the Nuffield hospital in Cheltenham on the 1st Sunday of each month at 2pm. I went to the January one but had to miss the next two due to prior commitments, but I am planning to go to the one on 6th April if I have recovered enough after the surgery. Who is doing your op? Mr Hewin is doing mine, and because I live in Herefordshire I am lucky and I am an NHS patient. I am getting really nervous about it now though.

Hi Debbie, Has Mr Hewin given you a post op diet to stick to. My collegue has just had it done and had to eat yogurt for a week (nothing else) I've been reading up on all sorts of pre op diets (low fat, low sugar, low carb, high Protein, shakes, Soups etc) and wondered what he suggested. I have my docs appointment tomorrow so he can refer me as my blood tests were clear. How long does it usually take from consultation to operation? I'd love it done in the spring holidays as I'm a teacher.

I can't wait to have it done but there's still a chance he could say no :-(

Gill :-)

Hi Gill,

Mr Hewin told me that it's best to try to reduce the size of my liver before the op, as it will make it a lot easier for him, and my recovery time will be shorter. I have been told to avoid alchohol as much as possible for 3 weeks before the op, and for the week before I have to go on a liquid fat free diet. I can have fat free yoghurt and thin soups only, according to the enormous handout he gave me.

I am going for my pre-op assessments on Monday, and I am going to check to see if I can have something like Slimfast shakes as well, as I hate yoghurt (though I don't mind the Muller Light ones too much).

I actually gave up alcohol as a New Year resolution and I have tried to eat a low fat diet throughout March, so hopefully it will be ok.

I'm a teacher too, and having it in the Easter holidays, which was my choice. I saw my GP at the end of July, and he gave me a form there and then to make an appointment with Mr Hewin over the internet. I made the appointment for 14 August, and after that had to wait for PCT approval. They approved the operation and all costs in early November and I saw Mr Hewin again at the beginning of December. Once you have approval, there is a 2 month waiting list, which put me in February, but you can ask to have it later, which I did, so that it would fit in with my life.

I meet the anaesthetist on Monday, and have the pre-op tests, then a week on Wednesday I go in! The only thing I am worried about now is if there isn't a bed and I can't have it at the last minute, which is always a worry with the NHS.

Good luck with your referral!

Debbie