Sarnie
Well-Known Member
Thanks Maria, it is bloody awful, but a bit better today
xx
-
Hi, If you cannot get into the site, be sure to Contact Us. Please be advised that the app is no longer in use!
THG band to MGB in Belgium
- Thread starter bex.wils
- Start date
xx
bex.wils
Active Member
Long post alert, a little run down from my partners point of view. I’ll make a new post for this also in the hope it helps lots of pre op patients and their partners:
To whoever might find this useful.
‘I’ve done my research, I want to go to Belgium for revision surgery. This will remove my (slipped) gastric band and I will have a mini gastric bypass. What do you reckon?’ Hmmm. My gut reaction *pardon the pun* was that this was a little bit of a pipe dream, Why Belgium?
‘It’s cheaper and they have a fantastic reputation, look at these reviews from ladies who have already had this procedure done’. I then had an iPad thrust at my face and read a number a load of positive reviews. I had no clue about gastric bands and was in no way qualified to aid with the decision making process. If Bex wants something, has researched it, and can argue it’s the best option then I’m in favour. If it will stop her slipped band causing her pain and allow her to manage her weight and feel happy, healthy, and more confident with a fully reversible procedure. Ok then, when do we fly.
Perhaps due to my own difficulty with anxiety or perhaps due to a lack of interest in the details I made a deliberate decision not to get too involved in the preparation. Leaving this almost solely to Bex. I was always there to offer advice but I have never once tried to pressure her or think that I know best. I think that this is important as it wasn’t my operation, it’s not my body, it’s hers. Complete control over this situation should be with her. If you are pressuring your partner into an operation because of how she will look due to the weight loss, then I urge you to have a little look in the mirror and think about what is important.
Bex’s weight is a non issue to me. She is the most beautiful girl in the world and I make sure I tell her all of the time. Nonetheless, I supported her decision to go to Belgium for surgery. She wanted it, researched it and proved it was the best option (for her not everyone).
Then all of a sudden BOOM we are doing it. Quick as that and they take the payment for the procedure in full. The next phase of the journey is the anticipation stage. To me there was none and I more or less completely blocked out that Bex was going to Belgium for surgery that was to redesign her stomach. Preferring naively to look at it as a relaxing city break. All the while doing very little research and choosing to listen to the info that I was drip fed mostly from the forum I hope this post ends up on.
The flight from Manchester was smooth. The taxi was waiting for us at the other end no issues, it takes us to Vilvoorde, the journey takes approximately one hour. I think that it all seems fairly pain free (so far). The Lodge Vilvoorde is an old prison, a beautiful building and a really cool concept. The hallway entrance to the rooms is spectacular and the place is decorated brilliantly. The hotel greet us and gave us our room key, we were 6 hours early for check in. But a mistake had been made by reception and our room was not clean. I have worked in a hotel in the past and accept this is an easy mistake to make. No big deal. The room was done out beautifully with sobering Belgian quotes about work on the wall. A nod to the buildings heritage and a far cry from livelaughlove wall quotes. We dumped our bags and head out. We were told to be back in between 5-7 as Frederick would meet us and go through the itinerary of the week.
We went to explore a little, we quickly found the hospital and Lidl and then headed for a bar. Vilvoorde is a small, sleepy town and it is not an exaggeration to say most restaurants and bars were shut. I found this throughout the entirety of my stay. Options for food are scarce and pricey. Beer is very good and cheap although unfortunately due to the circumstances of the visit I couldn’t over indulge!
Frederick met us and gave us a whistle stop 2-5 min explanation of what would happen. Telling us to enjoy our night and saying one small glass of wine could be consumed by Bex and she could have a last meal. I’m not sure Dr Chris De Bruyne was aware of this advice but hey ho. We had a reasonably light meal, one drink and then went to bed. I should add, it was whilst Frederick was talking to us that reality set in for me and I began to feel very very nervous. My stomach had dropped! (Is that a pun? Not sure)
With sweaty palms and a cautiously optimistic skip in our step we headed over to the hospital for 07:30am that morning. We filled in the necessary forms and waited, waited and waited. We were then bundled into a room and a very straight laced and brutally frank man named Dr Chris De Bruyne went through the details of the three ladies operations in front of us and gave us chance to ask questions. His unsympathetic style rubbed some in the room up the wrong way. He told one lady that due to a hernia there was a possibility he could not perform the op. Though due to her age and her being obese, this was her last chance and he knew that. He told Bex that he would remove her gastric band no problem but the conversion would depend on how much damage the slippage has caused. Stating we would get some of our money back but may have to travel again at a later date to have the whole procedure completed. Also adding that we would need to talk to Frederick about that because it isn’t his job. I appreciated his frankness however in front of two other families it was difficult to ask the questions you wanted and perhaps we should have been told all of this before being two hours away from the operation. Patient confidentiality laws must be different in Belgium as I would doubt that sort of 5 way meeting would ever happen in the uk. It is not something that caused myself and my partner any stress though I accept it most certainly would trouble some people.
Operation time. I’m told to go for three hours then come back. That was a long three hours and by this point I am a bag of nerves. There was nothing at all for me to do. I found a half decent little pub around 10-15 minutes from the hospital called De Koning van spanje where I spent most of my time without Bex. Sitting somewhere on my own was not the ideal place to be. It was worth remembering there were also people going through what I was and from time to time at the hotel I would bump into them and we would offer each other advice and encouragement which was helpful.
I made my way back to the hospital and sat in the appropriate waiting area. A barely conscious Bex got wheeled past me and was stopped by the surgeon. Thankfully I overheard that there was no complications and everything had gone well and the full procedure had been carried out. I decided to let her rest for an hour and a half before going to see her. This was an extremely long hour and a half for me, but I believe it to have been for the best. I went in to see her and I’m not afraid to say I felt really upset. Bex was away with the fairies and I sat there whilst she slept. She woke up only to say whilst holding back tears that she was in a lot of pain, ask me why she had done this and to tell me it was the ‘worst thing she’d ever done’ then she went back to sleep. Hmmm, wow. Visiting finished in an hour and a half. I sat and looked out of the window, every now and then tentatively looking at her stomach to check she was still breathing.
She perked up a little bit as I was leaving. This was fairly clearly down to medication. I gave her a kiss on the head, told her I loved her and made my way out of the room. She was waving at me like the queen and peaking out of her pink eye mask as she shouted at me that the nurse was coming back soon and she was a nice lady. If she was giving me whatever painkillers Bex was on, I too would think she was a nice lady. Bex also awkwardly pointed at the lady and her mam in the next bed and said ‘don’t worry about me, I’ve got a friend’. This did comfort me a little bit. But I wondered if it comforted the people in the next bed or not. I trudged off, alone with my thoughts in the prison of my mind, to a hotel which funnily enough was a literal prison (albeit now a very nice and comfy one). That night was the night I felt really concerned. I had another two pints at De Koning van spanje and a Dominoes on my way home. I’m not going to lie I felt really isolated and really sad. When I got back to the room I sat, ate my pizza and then embarked upon the worst nights sleep I’ve had for a couple of year. Worrying about Bex and looking forward to visiting time. I’d promised her that if visiting time was 14:00 I’d be there at ten too.
The next day arrived and unusually for me I was up at 05:00, I know this was down to stress. The hotel breakfast is nothing special but certainly no complaints from me and it filled a hole. I gave it a couple of hours and then had a wander around the deserted town of Vilvoorde. I managed to find a chocolate shop and bought myself some lovely praline chocolates. I then had three pints at De Koning van spanje and was hyper aware that bex had been texting me during the morning to let me know she was ok and I hadn’t heard anything for a couple of hours. I panicked a bit, felt extremely anxious and headed for the hospital with a number of scenarios bouncing around in my head. None being what actually happened. She was feeling a bit sick, had an x Ray that had taken a while and then slept some of the painkillers off. I was relieved to see that when I got there she was feeling much better and looking brighter. Though still complaining of pain, particularly from where the drain was. To be honest it looked minging. Like a kids water bottle attached to your loved ones stomach full of their blood.
The hospital staff were extremely laissez faire regarding visiting times and I spent the day there. I left that evening feeling more comfortable heading off to try and find food. A big struggle as nowhere was open and reviews off fellow travellers were poor anywhere they ate. I ate at a Chinese which I found to be extremely poor. I was in constant contact with Bex by text. Embarrassingly 10 mins after leaving the hospital I rang with nothing else to say other than ‘I love you, remember I’m only a text away’ which i’d already said with a kiss 10 mins prior. I’m not sure if my anxious style of being supportive was a hindrance or a help. I’d promised to be there from 09:30 the next day as this was discharge day.
I got up bright and early again around 06:30 and made it down for breakfast. Again I found the breakfast to be good. Bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, cured meat and a nice bread roll. Just what the Dr ordered, well... not Dr Chris De Bruyne, he ordered liquid for 2 weeks, blended veg for 2 weeks and then a little bit of everything! Off to the hospital I go, today it’s boiling hot 23 degrees and I’ve only brought tight black jeans. Regretting this now. I get there to find Bex and her ‘friend’ a thousand times better again and I feel relieved. Her drain was removed at 08:00. This had massively helped alleviate some pain. What was expected of her was explained by Dr De Bruyne as he did a final check, we received paperwork outlining what to do next and she had a last meal took her goodie bag containing omeprazole, blood thinning injections, anti sickness tablets and painkillers and away we went at approx 13:00. Don’t expect to be sampling Brussels nightlife on the evening. Bex was in plenty of manageable pain and very tired. The walk back to the hotel was uncomfortable. We had a 5 min walk on the evening and a sit down too. Bex was complaining of feeling bloated and a bit ‘windy’. Why change the habit of a lifetime and I had a long night of wind to look forward to. I didn’t really care, I felt like I’d gotten the love of my life back.
So after a good nights sleep and due to having the love of my life next to me I was able to relax, even managing a fabled lie in!!! We headed to Lidl for some low fat Yoghurts, Melba toast, low fat spreadable cheese, peppermint tea and water. We stopped on the way back at De Koning van spanje (I’m not on commission it’s just the only place I’d recommend) I had four pints, calamari followed by a Croque Madame. Thoroughly recommended. Bex sipped water in the sunshine and didn’t feel hungry! Great. We headed back to the hotel and Bex had a sleep for three hours while I had a bath, packed the cases and penned this blog post. The walk out today was probably a bit much for Bex but I’m safe in the knowledge that she will manage the airport fine tomorrow.
If your reading this and worried about a partner, don’t be. It really seems like Bex made a fantastic choice. Just know you are in for a boring and very stressful week. Bex will be making this up to me for a while. But if she’s happier, healthier and more confident. I don’t really think anything else matters.
Thanks for reading - hopefully it wasn’t too boring! I’m happy to answer any questions.
Much love
Ben x
To whoever might find this useful.
‘I’ve done my research, I want to go to Belgium for revision surgery. This will remove my (slipped) gastric band and I will have a mini gastric bypass. What do you reckon?’ Hmmm. My gut reaction *pardon the pun* was that this was a little bit of a pipe dream, Why Belgium?
‘It’s cheaper and they have a fantastic reputation, look at these reviews from ladies who have already had this procedure done’. I then had an iPad thrust at my face and read a number a load of positive reviews. I had no clue about gastric bands and was in no way qualified to aid with the decision making process. If Bex wants something, has researched it, and can argue it’s the best option then I’m in favour. If it will stop her slipped band causing her pain and allow her to manage her weight and feel happy, healthy, and more confident with a fully reversible procedure. Ok then, when do we fly.
Perhaps due to my own difficulty with anxiety or perhaps due to a lack of interest in the details I made a deliberate decision not to get too involved in the preparation. Leaving this almost solely to Bex. I was always there to offer advice but I have never once tried to pressure her or think that I know best. I think that this is important as it wasn’t my operation, it’s not my body, it’s hers. Complete control over this situation should be with her. If you are pressuring your partner into an operation because of how she will look due to the weight loss, then I urge you to have a little look in the mirror and think about what is important.
Bex’s weight is a non issue to me. She is the most beautiful girl in the world and I make sure I tell her all of the time. Nonetheless, I supported her decision to go to Belgium for surgery. She wanted it, researched it and proved it was the best option (for her not everyone).
Then all of a sudden BOOM we are doing it. Quick as that and they take the payment for the procedure in full. The next phase of the journey is the anticipation stage. To me there was none and I more or less completely blocked out that Bex was going to Belgium for surgery that was to redesign her stomach. Preferring naively to look at it as a relaxing city break. All the while doing very little research and choosing to listen to the info that I was drip fed mostly from the forum I hope this post ends up on.
The flight from Manchester was smooth. The taxi was waiting for us at the other end no issues, it takes us to Vilvoorde, the journey takes approximately one hour. I think that it all seems fairly pain free (so far). The Lodge Vilvoorde is an old prison, a beautiful building and a really cool concept. The hallway entrance to the rooms is spectacular and the place is decorated brilliantly. The hotel greet us and gave us our room key, we were 6 hours early for check in. But a mistake had been made by reception and our room was not clean. I have worked in a hotel in the past and accept this is an easy mistake to make. No big deal. The room was done out beautifully with sobering Belgian quotes about work on the wall. A nod to the buildings heritage and a far cry from livelaughlove wall quotes. We dumped our bags and head out. We were told to be back in between 5-7 as Frederick would meet us and go through the itinerary of the week.
We went to explore a little, we quickly found the hospital and Lidl and then headed for a bar. Vilvoorde is a small, sleepy town and it is not an exaggeration to say most restaurants and bars were shut. I found this throughout the entirety of my stay. Options for food are scarce and pricey. Beer is very good and cheap although unfortunately due to the circumstances of the visit I couldn’t over indulge!
Frederick met us and gave us a whistle stop 2-5 min explanation of what would happen. Telling us to enjoy our night and saying one small glass of wine could be consumed by Bex and she could have a last meal. I’m not sure Dr Chris De Bruyne was aware of this advice but hey ho. We had a reasonably light meal, one drink and then went to bed. I should add, it was whilst Frederick was talking to us that reality set in for me and I began to feel very very nervous. My stomach had dropped! (Is that a pun? Not sure)
With sweaty palms and a cautiously optimistic skip in our step we headed over to the hospital for 07:30am that morning. We filled in the necessary forms and waited, waited and waited. We were then bundled into a room and a very straight laced and brutally frank man named Dr Chris De Bruyne went through the details of the three ladies operations in front of us and gave us chance to ask questions. His unsympathetic style rubbed some in the room up the wrong way. He told one lady that due to a hernia there was a possibility he could not perform the op. Though due to her age and her being obese, this was her last chance and he knew that. He told Bex that he would remove her gastric band no problem but the conversion would depend on how much damage the slippage has caused. Stating we would get some of our money back but may have to travel again at a later date to have the whole procedure completed. Also adding that we would need to talk to Frederick about that because it isn’t his job. I appreciated his frankness however in front of two other families it was difficult to ask the questions you wanted and perhaps we should have been told all of this before being two hours away from the operation. Patient confidentiality laws must be different in Belgium as I would doubt that sort of 5 way meeting would ever happen in the uk. It is not something that caused myself and my partner any stress though I accept it most certainly would trouble some people.
Operation time. I’m told to go for three hours then come back. That was a long three hours and by this point I am a bag of nerves. There was nothing at all for me to do. I found a half decent little pub around 10-15 minutes from the hospital called De Koning van spanje where I spent most of my time without Bex. Sitting somewhere on my own was not the ideal place to be. It was worth remembering there were also people going through what I was and from time to time at the hotel I would bump into them and we would offer each other advice and encouragement which was helpful.
I made my way back to the hospital and sat in the appropriate waiting area. A barely conscious Bex got wheeled past me and was stopped by the surgeon. Thankfully I overheard that there was no complications and everything had gone well and the full procedure had been carried out. I decided to let her rest for an hour and a half before going to see her. This was an extremely long hour and a half for me, but I believe it to have been for the best. I went in to see her and I’m not afraid to say I felt really upset. Bex was away with the fairies and I sat there whilst she slept. She woke up only to say whilst holding back tears that she was in a lot of pain, ask me why she had done this and to tell me it was the ‘worst thing she’d ever done’ then she went back to sleep. Hmmm, wow. Visiting finished in an hour and a half. I sat and looked out of the window, every now and then tentatively looking at her stomach to check she was still breathing.
She perked up a little bit as I was leaving. This was fairly clearly down to medication. I gave her a kiss on the head, told her I loved her and made my way out of the room. She was waving at me like the queen and peaking out of her pink eye mask as she shouted at me that the nurse was coming back soon and she was a nice lady. If she was giving me whatever painkillers Bex was on, I too would think she was a nice lady. Bex also awkwardly pointed at the lady and her mam in the next bed and said ‘don’t worry about me, I’ve got a friend’. This did comfort me a little bit. But I wondered if it comforted the people in the next bed or not. I trudged off, alone with my thoughts in the prison of my mind, to a hotel which funnily enough was a literal prison (albeit now a very nice and comfy one). That night was the night I felt really concerned. I had another two pints at De Koning van spanje and a Dominoes on my way home. I’m not going to lie I felt really isolated and really sad. When I got back to the room I sat, ate my pizza and then embarked upon the worst nights sleep I’ve had for a couple of year. Worrying about Bex and looking forward to visiting time. I’d promised her that if visiting time was 14:00 I’d be there at ten too.
The next day arrived and unusually for me I was up at 05:00, I know this was down to stress. The hotel breakfast is nothing special but certainly no complaints from me and it filled a hole. I gave it a couple of hours and then had a wander around the deserted town of Vilvoorde. I managed to find a chocolate shop and bought myself some lovely praline chocolates. I then had three pints at De Koning van spanje and was hyper aware that bex had been texting me during the morning to let me know she was ok and I hadn’t heard anything for a couple of hours. I panicked a bit, felt extremely anxious and headed for the hospital with a number of scenarios bouncing around in my head. None being what actually happened. She was feeling a bit sick, had an x Ray that had taken a while and then slept some of the painkillers off. I was relieved to see that when I got there she was feeling much better and looking brighter. Though still complaining of pain, particularly from where the drain was. To be honest it looked minging. Like a kids water bottle attached to your loved ones stomach full of their blood.
The hospital staff were extremely laissez faire regarding visiting times and I spent the day there. I left that evening feeling more comfortable heading off to try and find food. A big struggle as nowhere was open and reviews off fellow travellers were poor anywhere they ate. I ate at a Chinese which I found to be extremely poor. I was in constant contact with Bex by text. Embarrassingly 10 mins after leaving the hospital I rang with nothing else to say other than ‘I love you, remember I’m only a text away’ which i’d already said with a kiss 10 mins prior. I’m not sure if my anxious style of being supportive was a hindrance or a help. I’d promised to be there from 09:30 the next day as this was discharge day.
I got up bright and early again around 06:30 and made it down for breakfast. Again I found the breakfast to be good. Bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, cured meat and a nice bread roll. Just what the Dr ordered, well... not Dr Chris De Bruyne, he ordered liquid for 2 weeks, blended veg for 2 weeks and then a little bit of everything! Off to the hospital I go, today it’s boiling hot 23 degrees and I’ve only brought tight black jeans. Regretting this now. I get there to find Bex and her ‘friend’ a thousand times better again and I feel relieved. Her drain was removed at 08:00. This had massively helped alleviate some pain. What was expected of her was explained by Dr De Bruyne as he did a final check, we received paperwork outlining what to do next and she had a last meal took her goodie bag containing omeprazole, blood thinning injections, anti sickness tablets and painkillers and away we went at approx 13:00. Don’t expect to be sampling Brussels nightlife on the evening. Bex was in plenty of manageable pain and very tired. The walk back to the hotel was uncomfortable. We had a 5 min walk on the evening and a sit down too. Bex was complaining of feeling bloated and a bit ‘windy’. Why change the habit of a lifetime and I had a long night of wind to look forward to. I didn’t really care, I felt like I’d gotten the love of my life back.
So after a good nights sleep and due to having the love of my life next to me I was able to relax, even managing a fabled lie in!!! We headed to Lidl for some low fat Yoghurts, Melba toast, low fat spreadable cheese, peppermint tea and water. We stopped on the way back at De Koning van spanje (I’m not on commission it’s just the only place I’d recommend) I had four pints, calamari followed by a Croque Madame. Thoroughly recommended. Bex sipped water in the sunshine and didn’t feel hungry! Great. We headed back to the hotel and Bex had a sleep for three hours while I had a bath, packed the cases and penned this blog post. The walk out today was probably a bit much for Bex but I’m safe in the knowledge that she will manage the airport fine tomorrow.
If your reading this and worried about a partner, don’t be. It really seems like Bex made a fantastic choice. Just know you are in for a boring and very stressful week. Bex will be making this up to me for a while. But if she’s happier, healthier and more confident. I don’t really think anything else matters.
Thanks for reading - hopefully it wasn’t too boring! I’m happy to answer any questions.
Much love
Ben x
slimkim
Well-Known Member
This is such a lovely idea. A post by a partner really can help others understand what it's like on the other side. I like his account of all the alone time waiting. My partner made friends with one of the friends waiting for her friend to get surgery. Maybe a meetup of folks having surgery the day before would be good so partners/friends could have someone to hang out with if wanted.
I'm looking forward to your post.x
Bling Babe
Well-Known Member
Cheshire Cat
Active Member
Loved the full report from your other half xxx. Hope recovery is going well and looking forward to all the updates x
Sarnie
Well-Known Member
I loved reading this Bex and Ben. I'm sure it will be extremely useful for other Belgium patients and their partners in the future. It really did give me a great insight into the whole situation and feeling of what happens from start to finish. You are very lucky to have each other. xx
bex.wils
Active Member
Apologies for the delay, here is my post-op post!
The travel to Belgium was easy, taxi waiting for us at Charleroi, straight to the hotel, receptionist checked us in and advised Frederik would be with us between 5-7pm. It was only around 11.30 in the morning so we dumped our luggage and went out to explore, quickly found the hospital as we could see it from the hotel window, was a 5 minute walk if that. We went on to find the Lidl, Aldi, general town centre if you like. I will be honest - there isn't much going on at all, there's Pizza Hut and Dominos and lots of other little quaint place however these were all closed! Not sure if Vilvoorde is a seasonal place?
Anyway, Frederik came around 7pm to ask a few health questions, check everything was in order re payment and to give us our instructions for the following day.
7.30am we went over to the hospital, instructions from Fred as to where to go once in the hospital were very poor. Found an Irish lady and her husband that were looking for the same dept. We end up in a room together, me and ben, Irish lady Mary and her husband, and a polish lady and her daughter. Dr Chris came to explain everything, the good and bad - he was confident he could remove my band however depending on what was there when he went in depended on whether the mini gastric bypass could have been done at the same time. I felt he was quite harsh with Mary as she was opting for the band - baring in mind we are all in the same small room and I'm getting my band removed, it was almost as if she hadn't read or understood much of what Dr Chris was saying ie. you must work with the band, you can/cannot do this, if it failed I'm sorry to say it is user error etc etc. However it all made a little more sense now as when we first came into the hospital I had said how are you feeling and you excited etc, she had said that she feels terrible it was all a very quick decision of booking the op and jumping on a flight, so perhaps she may not have researched enough?
Anyway it was completed, the whole procedure.
I remember coming round in recovery and that being the first thing I asked, what did I have done. Very relieved as I did not fancy doing all of this again for part 2 of the op in 3 months time.
Pain levels in recovery were terrible, they were soon under control when I asked - I think I was probably quite dramatic at this point.
When I was taken back to my room I remember being very upset and thinking it was the worst thing I'd done, the pain was crazy and I was feeling very sick from the anaesthetic , the rest of that day is a blur but I remember hating putting myself through it.
Wednesday didn't feel much better but was glad to not feel under the influence of the anaesthetic anymore. X-ray time around 11am, I was wheeled down to the waiting area, feeling very sick after being pushed very fast around lots of corners, I was sick, retching lot - all I could taste and smell was gas. Nothing coming up apart from saliva as I'd obviously not had any food or water for 2 days - the retching bloody hurt being less that 24 hours post op!! Again, I was wheeled from the waiting area into the x-ray room, too fast so was sick and retching again. The radiographer asked if I would be ok and we cud delay x-ray if required, I said no as I was desperate for a drink and we were told that we couldn't have anything at all until the x-ray came back that all was well. He advised the barium was also a laxative so expect that over the next few days...great.
Thursday discharge day!! Nurses came prompt at 8am to give meds and remove drain, thank got - it was ever so uncomfortable dragging a bag from your stomach. we were given breakfast at 9am, yoghurt, dutch bake and tea. Very odd. not being hungry and not wanted to eat what's in front of me. the Dutch bake was the driest thing I've ever eaten but not bad with jam on. The tea there was not proper English tea so never bothered with it but I did note that it said we were not alloweed to drink the tea until 15 mins after we were finished eating - prepare for cold brews going forward I thought. Dr Chris came round mid morning to give us our final speech of what to do and not do going forward, he also advised that all blood and xrays were great and no problems should arise. the nurse give a good bag of injections, painkillers, omeprazole and anti sickness tablets for the next few days s0 I did not get the prescription for the 3months worth of omeprazole I thought I'd just sort that when I'm home - within the discharge letter it says I have a stitch that needs removing by a doc 10 days after op so I'm booked in for Tuesday so get sorted, also advised that first bloods back home need to be done within 4-6 weeks or so.
Other things to note: The nurses were great, could not fault anything they did, they checked on us every 2 hours, I think they took blood at 3am and 5am both days.
Thursday being discharged I relaxed in the hotel all afternoon, was very sleepy and still in pain so too advantage of the soluble pain killers I was provided with. Very much the same for the Friday, we had a walk out to Lidl to get yoghurts, crisp bread things and some cream cheese so I had a variety across the day. We stopped off at Bens favourite pub for lunch and a few beers for him at lunchtime - I just wanted to be at home at this point, I was fed up and I felt really sorry for Ben as he was so bored and I wasn't upto doing anything at all. Friday afternoon I slept more and ben packed up so we could just get away at 7am sat morning.
Being at home was lovely, had my little dog back and visits from my Mam, she loves reading all the documents ad telling me what I can and cant have, its her way of being helpful.
I went back to work yesterday so I was off 8 days in total post op, I really only just about felt ready to go back too so I think the 5 days recovery is optimistic. I think I was just more lethargic and uncomfortable more than anything. Looking forward to moving on to mash, veg and soft foods on Tuesday, I'm about done with soups and crisp breads - there's only so much variation in there. My hunger is only just coming back but its so slight, its like a none feeling. I kind of feel like I'm eating for energy to get me through the day rather than eating for pleasure which is odd - I'd like to still enjoy food at some point but I get that this will be a little while off yet, and hoping I can still eat my fave thai red curry but just half the portion!
All in all, chuffed to bits with how everything has been and now I'm just trying to get back to normal, take things easy and look forward to my holiday in 6 weeks.
Any questions, please feel free to ask.
Rebecca
The travel to Belgium was easy, taxi waiting for us at Charleroi, straight to the hotel, receptionist checked us in and advised Frederik would be with us between 5-7pm. It was only around 11.30 in the morning so we dumped our luggage and went out to explore, quickly found the hospital as we could see it from the hotel window, was a 5 minute walk if that. We went on to find the Lidl, Aldi, general town centre if you like. I will be honest - there isn't much going on at all, there's Pizza Hut and Dominos and lots of other little quaint place however these were all closed! Not sure if Vilvoorde is a seasonal place?
Anyway, Frederik came around 7pm to ask a few health questions, check everything was in order re payment and to give us our instructions for the following day.
7.30am we went over to the hospital, instructions from Fred as to where to go once in the hospital were very poor. Found an Irish lady and her husband that were looking for the same dept. We end up in a room together, me and ben, Irish lady Mary and her husband, and a polish lady and her daughter. Dr Chris came to explain everything, the good and bad - he was confident he could remove my band however depending on what was there when he went in depended on whether the mini gastric bypass could have been done at the same time. I felt he was quite harsh with Mary as she was opting for the band - baring in mind we are all in the same small room and I'm getting my band removed, it was almost as if she hadn't read or understood much of what Dr Chris was saying ie. you must work with the band, you can/cannot do this, if it failed I'm sorry to say it is user error etc etc. However it all made a little more sense now as when we first came into the hospital I had said how are you feeling and you excited etc, she had said that she feels terrible it was all a very quick decision of booking the op and jumping on a flight, so perhaps she may not have researched enough?
Anyway it was completed, the whole procedure.
I remember coming round in recovery and that being the first thing I asked, what did I have done. Very relieved as I did not fancy doing all of this again for part 2 of the op in 3 months time.
Pain levels in recovery were terrible, they were soon under control when I asked - I think I was probably quite dramatic at this point.
When I was taken back to my room I remember being very upset and thinking it was the worst thing I'd done, the pain was crazy and I was feeling very sick from the anaesthetic , the rest of that day is a blur but I remember hating putting myself through it.
Wednesday didn't feel much better but was glad to not feel under the influence of the anaesthetic anymore. X-ray time around 11am, I was wheeled down to the waiting area, feeling very sick after being pushed very fast around lots of corners, I was sick, retching lot - all I could taste and smell was gas. Nothing coming up apart from saliva as I'd obviously not had any food or water for 2 days - the retching bloody hurt being less that 24 hours post op!! Again, I was wheeled from the waiting area into the x-ray room, too fast so was sick and retching again. The radiographer asked if I would be ok and we cud delay x-ray if required, I said no as I was desperate for a drink and we were told that we couldn't have anything at all until the x-ray came back that all was well. He advised the barium was also a laxative so expect that over the next few days...great.
Thursday discharge day!! Nurses came prompt at 8am to give meds and remove drain, thank got - it was ever so uncomfortable dragging a bag from your stomach. we were given breakfast at 9am, yoghurt, dutch bake and tea. Very odd. not being hungry and not wanted to eat what's in front of me. the Dutch bake was the driest thing I've ever eaten but not bad with jam on. The tea there was not proper English tea so never bothered with it but I did note that it said we were not alloweed to drink the tea until 15 mins after we were finished eating - prepare for cold brews going forward I thought. Dr Chris came round mid morning to give us our final speech of what to do and not do going forward, he also advised that all blood and xrays were great and no problems should arise. the nurse give a good bag of injections, painkillers, omeprazole and anti sickness tablets for the next few days s0 I did not get the prescription for the 3months worth of omeprazole I thought I'd just sort that when I'm home - within the discharge letter it says I have a stitch that needs removing by a doc 10 days after op so I'm booked in for Tuesday so get sorted, also advised that first bloods back home need to be done within 4-6 weeks or so.
Other things to note: The nurses were great, could not fault anything they did, they checked on us every 2 hours, I think they took blood at 3am and 5am both days.
Thursday being discharged I relaxed in the hotel all afternoon, was very sleepy and still in pain so too advantage of the soluble pain killers I was provided with. Very much the same for the Friday, we had a walk out to Lidl to get yoghurts, crisp bread things and some cream cheese so I had a variety across the day. We stopped off at Bens favourite pub for lunch and a few beers for him at lunchtime - I just wanted to be at home at this point, I was fed up and I felt really sorry for Ben as he was so bored and I wasn't upto doing anything at all. Friday afternoon I slept more and ben packed up so we could just get away at 7am sat morning.
Being at home was lovely, had my little dog back and visits from my Mam, she loves reading all the documents ad telling me what I can and cant have, its her way of being helpful.
I went back to work yesterday so I was off 8 days in total post op, I really only just about felt ready to go back too so I think the 5 days recovery is optimistic. I think I was just more lethargic and uncomfortable more than anything. Looking forward to moving on to mash, veg and soft foods on Tuesday, I'm about done with soups and crisp breads - there's only so much variation in there. My hunger is only just coming back but its so slight, its like a none feeling. I kind of feel like I'm eating for energy to get me through the day rather than eating for pleasure which is odd - I'd like to still enjoy food at some point but I get that this will be a little while off yet, and hoping I can still eat my fave thai red curry but just half the portion!
All in all, chuffed to bits with how everything has been and now I'm just trying to get back to normal, take things easy and look forward to my holiday in 6 weeks.
Any questions, please feel free to ask.
Rebecca
Bling Babe
Well-Known Member
I’m pleased all went well, I admire you for going back to work so soon, please take things easy, it’s still early days, I was of work for 6 or 7 weeks xxx
bex.wils
Active Member
I only had advice to go off, Frederik advised 5 days off which I thought wasn’t enough, saying that when I had my band surgery I only had 3 days off, totally different surgery I know.
Had my mgb tues flew home sat and back to work thurs. I was just tired, sat in the office and worked through the many emails from my time off so nothing pressing apart from 8 hours of screen time.
Flight back was fine, was only an hour so by the time we were up we were preparing to come back down really. Belgium customs and passport control was so easy I thought I’d have got stopped due to the meds and injections but then I thought they must see this all the time! The 3 ladies with me on the Tuesday were all Irish also flying Ryan air, the Friday when we were out getting Bens lunch there was a guy waiting for his wife to get operated on, he also advised all 4 ladies were Irish assuming flying Ryan air. All in all the travel was great, apart from when we got back into the uk, 1 hour standstill on M1, making a 2 hour commute home into 3 xx
Sarnie
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing. Wow I can't believe you are allowed to eat solids so soon, crispbreads etc. Also going back to work so soon, how on earth have you managed to do that. I was hoping to go back to work after 2 weeks which should be this Tuesday, but I'm definitely going to need at least another week, I did have 2 hernia repairs as well though, but also find it tough with my digestive system all up the wall. I'm amazed at how well you've done x
slimkim
Well-Known Member
In Belgium Dutch crispbakes are allowed on the liquid stage and they serve them for breakfast before you leave the hospital. They melt in your mouth. I suppose it's to give some fibre. I brought some back with me but found most supermarkets had their own versions.x
bex.wils
Active Member
Started with soft foods today, had some soup with soft veg in I.e. potato carrot turnip. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and was full from this. The soup was half a tin of spiced squash and red pepper.
8 days off were enough for me, I’d have preferred the thurs and fri off but it was ok being in the office, just lethargic but managed. Still feeling more tired than usual so starting my chewable antibiotics tomoro, dr Chris advised to wait 2 weeks before taking these as they would be too concentrated for my new stomach. Hopefully I’ll start feeling a difference with those. I’m atbthe docs tomorro as I have a stitch to remove where my drain was, that’s the only pin I have left really. I’m sure I’ll have some discomfort over the next two weeks an introduce actual foods albeit soft, hoping I don’t have too many that disagree with me!
Sounds like you’ve had a hard time with the hernia ops too, we’re they planned aswell as the weight loss surgery?
I couldn’t find the Dutch bakes in the Aldi or Lidl in vilvoorde and neither could I find them here so I bought a Melba toast, they are only about 3mm thick and 6cm long. A lot smaller than the Dutch bakes so I’ve been having two of those for breakfast and doing alright with them so far. X
Bling Babe
Well-Known Member
It sounds like your doing really well, it’s really good to get onto soft food, hows your fluids going ? Xx
bex.wils
Active Member
Hoping I’m doing well!! So tonight is the night! I get to chew, I’ve done mash and over boiled veg. What’s this portion like? This is a tea spoon? Not sure how far I’ll get with it but making sure I’m chewing at least 20 times and waiting between mouthfuls x
Ps as I’ve just finished this post Ben has demolished his tea but he had 3 sausages on aswell as an adult portion of mash and veg!! X
Attachments
Bling Babe
Well-Known Member
Watching others eat really brings it home to me, your pouch will tell you if your portion is to big but you must stop eating after 20 minutes and the gap between swallowing a mouthful and taking another should be 20 seconds. How’s your protein going ? Xx
Sarnie
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info Kim x
Sarnie
Well-Known Member
I'm pleased for you that you feel well enough to go back to work. I was thinking Melba toast too, I think they are very similar in texture.
My surgery was planned as RNY and an umbilical hernia repair, but when they got in there they found I had a hiatus hernia as well, so repaired it. I didn't know I had a hiatus, I had no symptoms from it at all! x
Sarnie
Well-Known Member
How did that go down? Looks lovely, I'm going to have mash with cheese and beans tomorrow, my first soft/mashed food day...yay!
Bling Babe
Well-Known Member
Mmmmmm enjoy xx
