RE: Off to Belgium

[Guest guest]

Hi

You have a number of options

1. Fly from Belgium (Brussels) to San Francisco connecting in Newark

(Continental), Chicago (American Airlines) or New York or Atlanta (Delta)

2. Fly from Belgium via London to San Francisco (American Airlines or British

Airways)

3. Train to London (via the Channel Tunnel) - increases journey time but you can

move around in the train more easily. Also you can get good hotel weekend rates

in London if you wish to break the journey - £35 ($59 U.S.) per person 4 star

hotel with cooked breakfast based on 2 sharing a room (

http://www.ramadajarvis.co.uk/latedeals.asp?id=703 ).

Airlines quoted are typical operators and is not a full list

Rog

Off to Belgium

Hi All,

Since this is my first time writing to the group, I must offer a

sincere thanks to all who post on this site! After

being diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis 12 years ago and

having severe hip pain for 10 of those years, I never thought I

would have the opportunity to lead a normal life again.

By chance, I met a physical therapist from New Zealand in

September of this year and she turned me on to this website.

After reading about the many successful resurfacing procedures

and despairing over the fact that my Blue Cross insurance would

not even consider covering the procedure (I live in California), I

have made an appointment with Dr. De Smet in Belgium and

plan to go in early February to have my left hip resurfaced.

Does anyone have any recommendations about how long one

should stay in Belgium after the surgery?

I plan to fly to San Francisco from London but will need to fly first

to London and then from SF to the small town where I live. This

could easily take about 15 hours total.

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement,

[Guest guest]

Does anyone have any recommendations about how long one

should stay in Belgium after the surgery?

I plan to fly to San Francisco from London but will need to fly first

to London and then from SF to the small town where I live. This

could easily take about 15 hours total.

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement,

[Guest guest]

It's very interesting how the advice given in different countries

varies on the subject of air travel soon after this operation. After

surgery, and 11 days in a London hospital, I was advised strongly not

to fly, even a short flight, for at least a month, due to concern

about the DVT danger, and the fact that you are much more at risk of

a thrombosis after major surgery. I was also required to wear

pneumatic " boots " to keep the blood in the legs moving throughout my

hospital stay, and TED stockings for 6 weeks. (I was not considered

to be a specific risk on this point). In the US, on the other hand,

this concern seems to be minimal, with many of you undertaking long

flights very soon after surgery.

Does anyone have any medical views on this point?

LBHR Muirhead-Allwood 2/02

> Does anyone have any recommendations about how long one

> should stay in Belgium after the surgery?

> I plan to fly to San Francisco from London but will need to fly

first

> to London and then from SF to the small town where I live. This

> could easily take about 15 hours total.

>

> Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement,

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I fell from Belgium to Phoenix, with a connection in NY, almost as

far as SF. I flew over on a monday, checked in the hospital on

tuesday and was operated on wednesday. I stayed at the Holiday Inn

until the following tuesday and flew back. I was given pain killers

for the flight but never needed any, the flight was fine. The only

inconvienve was in JFK in NY, the escalator was broken and had to

walk down steps with a carryon bag in hand. By the time I left Ghent

I had dropped the crutches and was using a cane.After getting home I

dropped the cane in about a week. I am 6 months post op and feeling

great. Before the operation I competed on the local rodeo circuit

until the pain got to great. Four months post op I went back

competing in rodeo and the only problem so far has been to get the

muscles back in shape, but no pain. You will be in good hands in

Belgium.

Tom LBHR 6/03 DeSmet

,

> Hi All,

> Since this is my first time writing to the group, I must offer a

> sincere thanks to all who post on this site! After

> being diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis 12 years ago and

> having severe hip pain for 10 of those years, I never thought I

> would have the opportunity to lead a normal life again.

> By chance, I met a physical therapist from New Zealand in

> September of this year and she turned me on to this website.

> After reading about the many successful resurfacing procedures

> and despairing over the fact that my Blue Cross insurance would

> not even consider covering the procedure (I live in California), I

> have made an appointment with Dr. De Smet in Belgium and

> plan to go in early February to have my left hip resurfaced.

> Does anyone have any recommendations about how long one

> should stay in Belgium after the surgery?

> I plan to fly to San Francisco from London but will need to fly

first

> to London and then from SF to the small town where I live. This

> could easily take about 15 hours total.

>

> Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi All

I've posted this before but it was some time ago. Most of the world airlines

are listed along with their seat pitches - very useful if you are tall or

travelling long haul after hip surgery.

http://www.airlinequality.com/Product/seat_intro.htm

Rog

Re: Off to Belgium

Does anyone have any recommendations about how long one

should stay in Belgium after the surgery?

I plan to fly to San Francisco from London but will need to fly first

to London and then from SF to the small town where I live. This

could easily take about 15 hours total.

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement,

[Guest guest]

Hi Mike

You will have to pick up a plug adapter,,, the European plugs have round

pins and 220 volts . You will have to check your DVD player and make sure it

operates on 220 volts. You might check with your local travel agent to see

where you can pick one up.The train fares in Belgium are quite reasonable

but the taxi fares can get quite expensive. Ghent is a very beautiful city

untouched by the bombing during the war. They are doing extensive work to

restore all the old buildings and

by " old " I mean 7-800 years. Unless you are going over early I would not

plan any long journies after your surgery. There are plenty of places to see

and things to do right in Ghent. It would take a couple of months just to

sample all that good Belgium beer!!Good Luck!!

Jim

RBHR,Dr.DeSmet

Feb 04,2004

Off to Belgium

Hello everyone, I want to thank everyone for there help on my appeal

letters. I got my second denial from UHC and am done dealing with

them.

I have my surgery scheduled with Dr. DeSmet on 4/28/04 and am

finally excited to be getting my life back.

This site has been wonderful for information and support. I look

forward everyday to reading about all the success stories and people

who have a new lease on life. It's just to bad that the US insurance

companies don't realize their are people they are dealing with on

the other end of those denials that would like to have the choice of

a better life.

I look forward to seeing the few people who are having surgery on

4/27/04(Kent,Dawn,Sue) and plan to do a little sight seeing before

and after my surgery.

Does anyone know if the outlet in the hotel has plugs that match the

US type. So I can plug in my Portable DVD player. Also how much is

the train if I want to sight see? I'm sure I'll have a bunch more

questions for those who have recently returned from Belgium.

Thanks again everyone !

Mike

[Guest guest]

Jim,

Thanks for the advise. I plan on drinking the beer and eating the

chocolate everyone talks about. Even plan on taking the train to

Paris before surgery then enjoy Gent after. Hope your healing up

nicely and enjoying your new hip.

Mike

> Hi Mike

>

> You will have to pick up a plug adapter,,, the European plugs have

round

> pins and 220 volts . You will have to check your DVD player and

make sure it

> operates on 220 volts. You might check with your local travel

agent to see

> where you can pick one up.The train fares in Belgium are quite

reasonable

> but the taxi fares can get quite expensive. Ghent is a very

beautiful city

> untouched by the bombing during the war. They are doing extensive

work to

> restore all the old buildings and

> by " old " I mean 7-800 years. Unless you are going over early I

would not

> plan any long journies after your surgery. There are plenty of

places to see

> and things to do right in Ghent. It would take a couple of months

just to

> sample all that good Belgium beer!!Good Luck!!

>

> Jim

> RBHR,Dr.DeSmet

> Feb 04,2004

>

> Off to Belgium

>

>

> Hello everyone, I want to thank everyone for there help on my

appeal

> letters. I got my second denial from UHC and am done dealing with

> them.

> I have my surgery scheduled with Dr. DeSmet on 4/28/04 and am

> finally excited to be getting my life back.

> This site has been wonderful for information and support. I look

> forward everyday to reading about all the success stories and

people

> who have a new lease on life. It's just to bad that the US

insurance

> companies don't realize their are people they are dealing with on

> the other end of those denials that would like to have the choice

of

> a better life.

> I look forward to seeing the few people who are having surgery on

> 4/27/04(Kent,Dawn,Sue) and plan to do a little sight seeing before

> and after my surgery.

> Does anyone know if the outlet in the hotel has plugs that match

the

> US type. So I can plug in my Portable DVD player. Also how much is

> the train if I want to sight see? I'm sure I'll have a bunch more

> questions for those who have recently returned from Belgium.

> Thanks again everyone !

> Mike

>

>

>

>

>