IAS Freedom Express' visit to Ghent & Bruges in Belgium !

From: Sylvie (sylvie.verheyden@be.pwcglobal.com)
Mon Nov 20 06:30:19 2000


Dear all,

This week-end my husband , my two year old daughter and I had the privilige to welcome Anne & Masa, Helen & Donald, Beverly , Mary and Paul and Marc from the Netherlands(on saturday) in Gent in Belgium !

I had already met - in the 'flesh' all those wonderful people last weekend when I went to Duisburg to spend the weekend there. I still owed you a report on that great and emotional trip overthere ,but I had not been able to write to the message board last week, so I hope I'll make it up this way.

Because this was truly a unique experience!! IAS members from Canada, the U.S.A., The Netherlands & Belgium walking around (most of them with an adhesion-free body !!!) in the historical cities of Gent(Saturday) and Bruges (Sunday), while exchanging info & experiences on adhesions, constipation, first & second look laparascopies, medication, bowel obstructions etc. But we must have looked like any other tourists though, since at some point a lady from Gent - who had lived a few years in Florida - asked Beverly whether they planned to go to Paris the next day.... !(Apparently north-american tourist who come to Europe visit every day another European city: Amsterdam, Brussels, Gent, Bruges, Paris etc. )

Anyway Bev finally saw and went in her castle ! And so did the other very courageous women: 4 days after their second-look laparascopy our dear Helen, Mary and Anne courageously climbed the endless number of steps of the almost 1000 years old tower staircase to be rewarded by a magnificent view over the old town of Gent... I was concerned that they would do too much, but I think that even 'wild horses couldn't have stopped them'. It's really incredible to see how they are able to walk around only a few days after surgery. After my last surgery it took months before I could sit up half an hour... (I will also very soon put my story on the quilt)

It were two remarkable days for me. I discovered the IAS website only in May this year, and a few months later I'm walking around with the very founders of the IAS Helen & Beverly and with so kind and courageous people as Mary, Anne, Masa, Donald and ofcourse 'Mickey Mouse Paul' (because he made my daughter & myself laugh with his mickey mouse imitations.) Also my daughter has now newly adopted grandmothers in the States. Thanks Beverly and all of you for helping me taking care of Sarah these two days!

We said goodby (with tears in my eyes - that's even an understatement- don't laugh you all- I can't help it...) yesterday evening at the train station in Gent. But I know we"ll 'stick' together.... haha. Although most of the ladies from Duisburg have almost nothing left that sticks, isn't that wonderful news!!

I'll end here (because my boss just came in - I can only write on the message board at work) saying that indeed the news they brought from Duisburg was very, very positive!! (as you already probably read in the mails Beverly sent ) I know I'm very lucky living so close (some 300 kms) from Dr. Korell and his clinic. I've decided I will certainly consult him beginning of next year .

I hereby want to wish Robin all the best for her surgery today ! I know she"ll be in good hands with the medical staff there and ofcourse with the kind help of Elke from Germany! And I also want to wish Lauren, whom I did not meet in Duisburg, a very speedy recovery !!

I'll finally end this mail -before I get fired- by wishing everyone who'll read this to keep up the faith, and get some hope from this good news. Also from the previous good news on Dr. Reich & Redan ! There are some pretty good doctors out there who really care . Do not hesitate to write to the message board with your questions or doubts, we are one big (international) family sharing the same problems and we don't judge you...

This is it, HAVE A VERY BEAUTIFUL, HOPEFUL THANKSGIVING to all of you (of the U.S) and to Beverly, Helen, Mary, Ann, Robin, Lauren, Paul,Donald,Masa : Have a safe flight back and talk to you soon!

With love from Belgium! Sylvie, Jan, Sarah (and baby-doll Mary)


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