Author Topic: Dr Clark gyno op poland April 2013  (Read 22032 times)

Offline CJC85

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hi guys, long time lurker and gyno sufferer. finally registered because on sunday 14th i am flying to berlin then minibus to poland to have gyno surgery!

im all paid up in full, everythings laid out in spare room ready to pack and its all starting to feel very real.

im 27, 5ft11 and 10stone 10. lean, visible abs but a very soft chest, with what feels like little worms of gland running up the outer edge and lower edge of my pec. will be interesting to see the ultra sounds. iv had gyno since puberty but was made worse with steroids. i managed to shrink it with letro slightly but decided to stop using PEDs and go natural. i actually havent trained for a few months because my chest causes me massive issues which im sure you will all understand. hence my low bodyweight and lack of any muscle lol i hope once im all healed ill have the confidence to get back in the gym and build myself back up but this time with a non pointy chest!

im quite busy in last few days, but i will updats from atrium hotel on tuesday wen i will be a few hours post op and let u know how i found the whole experience.

wish me luck

see you on the other side
« Last Edit: April 21, 2013, 05:25:35 PM by CJC85 »

Offline wezzer

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good luck mate, i hope it goes well for u!

Offline CJC85

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Hey everyone, currently sitting in the recovery room. Just had my famous cheese & ham rolls lol

I will write a long winded 100% honest review when I'm back on my laptop at the hotel atrium.

Ill put exactly what I have liked and exactly what I've bin disappointed with so far!

Also any bit of knowledge I feel may help people going for this op in Poland as let's just say Jeremy's info is pretty short & sweet!

Chris

Offline wezzer

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Looking forward to your write up mate! Going in June so I'm grateful to read everyone's reviews of the experience!

Offline CJC85

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Right everyone, its Tuesday 16th April, I’m sitting in Hotel Atrium in my bandages one day post op.
Here’s my diary which I hope helps everyone thinking of going ahead with surgery with dr Clark.
Sunday: 15:00, my mum dropped me to Gatwick airport, said goodbye, checked in to my easyjet flight and thru passport control. Flight was on time, boarded at 17:10 and left at 17:30. Nice quick and easy flight had a bacon baguette on board and litre of water as had to fast from when I landed for my blood tests. Landed just after 20:00 in berlin. Walked off plane, straight ahead and followed everyone to passport control and luggage reclaim. All very simple, its sign posted in German and English. After getting my bags I followed Jeremy Clarke’s vague directions of going out the main double doors and right for 50m to get on my interglobus taxi bus to Szczecin. There was a interglobus bus there but I wasn’t on the list as this was the 20:30 bus I had to sit on my case for 45mins for the 21:15 bus.  For anyone not too sure where to wait, it is directly outside TERMINAL B (cant miss it) there is 2 other bus stops one for holiday inn and one berlin express and it also says shuttle service. Theres no interglobus signs tho, but this is the place I promise. Finally got on my minibus, suitcase goes in the trailer, name checked on roster and off I went, only English person the rest polish. 2 long hours later we reached Szczecin, u get off at the interglobus shop. I didn’t know this, I asked the driver “who was taking me to hotel atrium?” and he pointed to a taxi waiting for me. I had to sign a little bit of paper so I didn’t have to pay the taxi  (Jeremy pre paid)and he dropped me to the hotel atrium door.  Arrived just before midnight, lovely hotel tho. Deserves 4 stars. Off I went to sleep with my alarm set for 7:30am. (remember clocks go forward an hour)

Monday: 7am I received a call from reception telling me that TOMAS would be waiting for me at 9am at reception. I slowly waked up, had a bath and trotted down to reception. There I met tomas and aaron. Aaron was another uk lad here for gyno too! Tomas drove us to the blood test clinic and we had our blood tests, we didn’t skip the queue had to wait 10mins behind everyone else. Me & aaron chatted, got on really well. Next Tomas dropped us back to the atrium, we thought wed be going for ultrasound but he informed us hed be back for us at 14:20. We had some breakfast, I had a sausage sandwhich and some fruit and juice. Then we had to check out our rooms and put our luggage in hold. Remember you only pay for the nights you stay there (one night is at --) so you cant leave ur stuff in ur room. So at about 10am with 4 hours to kill we wandered round town, actually pleasantly surprised, really nice, found all the shopping malls and had a good chat. Got back to Atrium at about 12, we couldn’t eat or drink and had 2hours to kill sitting in the lobby of the hotel! Those were a long couple hours, lucky we had each other to crack jokes about getting cut open in a few hours lol

14.20 and tomas arrives, take all our belongings as wel be going straight to -- after ultrasound. After driving like lewis Hamilton drunk, we got to ultrasound. We had to wait half hour standing in a dingy medical place to then go in a room for 2mins and have our ultrasounds. I asked the nurse what my ultrasound said as it was written in polish and she didn’t speak a word of English so I didn’t have a clue what is said and tomas could only communicate English. Me and aaron nervously joked wtf are we doing. So far not too impressed. Also very thirsty by now.

15:00 THE OP!  tomas drove us to a modern development at which one end was --, he tried to ask us for 30zloty but we queried saying we thought as an agent of -- this shud be included. Any way into centre we went, dr clark buzzed us in and into an incredibly clean looking modern centre we walked! Tomas asked her about money and she gave him some and sent him on his way. It was so nice to finally meet her, she speaks perfect English and puts you at ease. We both went into her office, she thoroughly explained the operation, drawing pictures, talking thru all the possible bad side effects and went thru our paper work.looked at our blood tests and ultrasounds and Then she said who wants to go first, aaron being the nice guy he is allowed me. I took off my shirt and showed her my gyno, telling her everything I hate about it, she commented how lean I was and said don’t worry I will fix this. I changed into a gown went to the loo and then was led to the theatre. A couple of nurses were present and the anaesthetist. She said I had great veins and is very happy for me making her job easy lol. All I remember is her telling me she will give me something to relax and then anaesthetic when dr clark is ready.she put the line in my arm and Then its all blank! Next thing I awoke to bandages being wrapped around me and transported in to my “bedroom” on a wheel chair. I asked aaron have I even had the op lol? It seemed so quick I thought they just diddled me out of money and didn’t do anything lol

I felt no pain, I was a little bit drowsy but feelin pretty good. The nurse came in put on a blood pressure monitor and finger heart rate thingy and I had a nap for an hour whilst aaron had his op. he came back an hour later, much more groggy than me, he also had drains in. the nurse gave us pain killers and antibiotics, throughout the night she check our blood pressure and vitals. She also gave us the famous ham and cheese rolls  cup of tea and a bottle of yougurt drink for dinner. She helps you go to the loo, I was fine on my feet but aaron needed a little extra support getting up etc. Dr clark will go home around 21:00 and say goodbye see u tomorrow. The nurse was lovely BUT speaks NO English, all she said wen touching our chest was “pain?” so u have to be a bit flamboyant explaining can I go to the loo, can u tighten my vest etc. I had great fun asking for the wifi password so I could fanny about on my phone! Me n aaron had a laugh, he kept falling asleep but I didn’t get to sleep until 3am..the vest gave me a back ache where it dig in. and this is the worst part, the beds are not in the slightest bit comfortable. I don’t think they are hospital standard beds, wen propped up for dinner she used a random rolled up sleeping bag etc. and the bed room is more a spare room with a sink an tv on the wall. Which we never used. If this was sorted i.e proper beds and room then the clinic would be perfect. Howeveerr I want to help to prepare you all for the reality.

Tuesday: I woke up today at 8am, me and aaron chatted for a bit, commented on the shit beds and how uncomfy we was. We felt a bit down, slightly disspaointed so far by the waiting, lack of communication from Jeremy and the fact we had paid for this service and felt a little unimportant. The nurse soon came in around 9 with breakfast, what was it I here u ask……ham and cheese sandwhiches with a yogurt drink and cup of tea of course! Ha. At 10am a knock on the door came and it was Jeremy clark! We didn’t expect to see him, wernt even sure if he was real. Lol he is slightly odd…bald chap, can tell his a university lecturer. Now he asked how we were, whether we knew about massage, exercise advice etc. all fine, but then he told aaron he must pay and extra 250 for lipo, aaron didn’t think he needed it pre op so this was an extra cost. It would have been fine but Jeremy kept this conversation going for several minutes stating its very important its wired over today. It all felt a little rude, but we said our goodbyes and I guess it is a business afterall. Att 11 dr clark returned, she has something about u, makes you feel good, she took as one at a time to see our chest….HOLY SH*T any bad thoughts about waiting etc went immediately I had a flat chest! NO GYNO I thanked her so much, she showed  the gland pics, I had long worm like glands about 6cm long and a little stubborn fat lipod. I returned to the bedroom so aaron could go in kind of in a daze. I hadn’t been so happy since I was a kid. Aaron had his drains removed, saw his results and came back to the room and we just smiled then gave each other a high five. Lol. Said wed come along way in just over a day and it was all worth it in the end.

Dr clark came back , gave us our prescriptions,  for antibiotics, pain killers and jellonets. (they cover ur nipple). We had a good chat wither for 20mins bout random stuff, here family, Poland etc shes honestly a lovely women. She explained how she does around 150 gyno ops a year and just makes you feel so confident in her skills. We said goodbye and arranged to come back at 11 on wednesady to have bandages removed and given the compression vests and showed massage etc. the chemist was a couple doors down, it came to about 82 zloty. About 15quid. She had arranged us a taxi which got us from the chemist and back to the atrium. It was tomas. And this time we had to pay him 20 zloty grrrr. We checked back into the hotel, I was given my same room which really us pretty luxury, can fault it one bit and its so clean. The receptionists are also ridiculously hot! But also a little grumpy. We popped down the road for lunch, got a chicken wrap with lots of salad. Both gone back to our rooms to rest up today, gna order room service for tea, probly chicken salad or sumin light. Gna hit the cinema tomorrow after our apt with dr clark  and a nice shower! Maybe a bar on thurs night depending on how we feel. Cant stand not showering for a day.

Right now im in a very good place, I obviously came alone, but meeting aaron I gta admit had made this process ten thousand times easier, openly discussing our gyno, laughing abiut not being able to understand anyone and what the hell are we thinking coming to a foreign country for surgery! All helps take the edge of the nerves. Iv seen a couple of you want to come out here at the same time and my advice would be do it. I was expecting to be sitting in my room alone bored out my mind. But knowing you can pop out for a few hours with a mate is very refreshing.

Any questions you have please feel free to ask. I want to help as many people as possible who are nervous or thinking about surgery. If dr clark was in Harley street shed cost a fortune, the fact is her surgical skills are second t none. The only compromise is the fact you have a service of blood tests, ultrasound and waititng around that you would not receive in the uk etc I would definitely recommend her to anyone.

Sorry for the essay guys, hope it helps. Im off to kip for a bit

chris

Offline CJC85

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Last update today: so Tuesday afternoon was gna kip bit after my essay I wrote u all earlier, I watched a couple peep shows on my laptop and then was bored! Aaron text me from his room saying bored shitless and I instantly replied let's do Sumin. We walked back into town, taking the long route, ending back up in the galaxy shopping centre. It's proper clean has EVerything u have back home, mc ds, KFC, Nike shop, h & m etc and so many fine polish girls lol the body's are amazing. Anyway we just walked around chatting crap and went in the supermarket on top floor. They sell everything, so much more choice than the uk. There's everything from mopeds, tyres to toys DVDs and all food items u can imagine. After walking bk to hotel we'd passed a couple hours was about 7 & arranges to meet just before 8 for dinner.

We ate in the atrium restaurant, u get 20% off as a guest. I had the pepperoni pizza..I'm not lying its home made and probably one if the greatest pizzas iv had ever! I will be having the same tommorow & Thursday :)
Out bill combined of two meals and 2cokes each came to 62zloty about 12quid. 6quid each! Bargain. Then we had a cup of tea on the balcony and chatted bout our mrs back home and my daughter etc. weirdly when u have a cup of tea over here you'll have to go and ask for milk..and they think ur crazy! But surely no milk means they are the crazy ones ha.

Said laters to Aaron, up I'm my room watching couple more peep shows and then gna take my last painkiller for the day & hopefully get my first good sleep in a few days.

Update soon

Offline Supersonic123

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Thank you very much for the report! Any pictures?

Offline difsnbo

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CJC85-congratulations on your surgery...hope everything heals up well for you. Sounds like you've been through the worst part. Now its just a matter of time before things are settled and you can be comfortable with your body.
 
 I've been a "lurker" here as well for a few months and got the courage to finally do something about my gyno this year. I'm scheduled for the procedure (at the same clinic) on Wednesday April 24th and am getting a little nervous and excited at the same time...its so surreal. I am in my early 40's and have been dealing with it for almost 25 years (since my late teens.) Its been a long hard road and after much deliberation and angst I decided to do it, once and for all...life is too short. Thanks for your post (as well as all the others) as it has given me hope.

Just wanted to find out if you recommend packing anything unique for the post-procedure days...clothing,toiletries,etc.? The weather is temperate? I am anticipating cold nights and cool days. And, if you don't mind me asking, what is the antibiotic's name that they prescribed? Thanks.

Offline CJC85

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Thank you very much for the report! Any pictures?

Not yet mate, just woke up on Wednesday morn. Fantastic nights sleep. Atrium bed is more comfy than mine at home. Bandages of today. Dr Clark showed me pics of the removed gland which was awesome. 5cm long and 6cm long but both thin like worms like I thought! Will get some some afters after I can shower & get the markings off my body etc

Offline CJC85

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CJC85-congratulations on your surgery...hope everything heals up well for you. Sounds like you've been through the worst part. Now its just a matter of time before things are settled and you can be comfortable with your body.
 
 I've been a "lurker" here as well for a few months and got the courage to finally do something about my gyno this year. I'm scheduled for the procedure (at the same clinic) on Wednesday April 24th and am getting a little nervous and excited at the same time...its so surreal. I am in my early 40's and have been dealing with it for almost 25 years (since my late teens.) Its been a long hard road and after much deliberation and angst I decided to do it, once and for all...life is too short. Thanks for your post (as well as all the others) as it has given me hope.

Just wanted to find out if you recommend packing anything unique for the post-procedure days...clothing,toiletries,etc.? The weather is temperate? I am anticipating cold nights and cool days. And, if you don't mind me asking, what is the antibiotic's name that they prescribed? Thanks.

First of all mate, don't be nervous. It will be fine. Iv had mine for 10years so u having it over 20 honestly don't waste another second worry about it. You'll soon be on the other side.

Some little extras to put ur mind at rest following our chat with dr Clark.

She used to take patients to bloods & ultrasound, then as she got more business Jeremy did, now they are so busy as Jeremy has a job as a lecturer too that Tomas does the driving. So expect him to pick u up. Also ur bloods and ultra sound may not be directly after one another, like me. It just depends on the times Jeremy manages to book.

The weather is very similar to what's happening in uk, it was perfect yesterday. Bright not too hot not too cold. Just have a look in the weather forecast on web for Szczecin just before you leave. I travelled out in jeans but have been in tracks, t shirt (one size up to cover bandages) and zip up jacket.

Being a plug converter 2pin thingy! So u can charge ur phone and other electrical items. The tv has 36 channels only 1 is bbc news. Rest are polish so if comin alone bring entertainment, films on laptop etc. there is a USB on tv that I tried plugging my harddrive to watch my programmes, but the hotel has set the TVs so u can't change the input method, it's stuck on tv channels so I have to plug it in my laptop to watch films.

Definitely venture out if u feel up to it, the town is beautiful & the people very friendly and helpful with the little English they speak. Even if u grab a cab to the galaxy shopping centre. I brand the basics toiletries but as I said the supermarket in galaxy has everything, every brand u know back home and more. So don't panic if u forget anything. And it would be physically impossible to starve, food is everywhere, from men I'm hits selling whole chickens, to lovely little bakeries and standard take away shops from bk home. I think I'm the food quarter it has mc d, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Chinese, kebab and ice cream vendors all over the galaxy shopping centre. Looks insanely nice but haven't tried it yet.

The prescription is a antibiotic taken twice daily, morn & night called AUGMENTIN & a Sachet drink painkiller taken 3 times a day morning afternoon & night called NIMESIL.

Hope this hopes mate. Honestly you'll be fine

Offline difsnbo

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Thanks CJC85. Exactly one week away for me...it will be an interesting experience to say the least.
 Not having traveled to Eastern Europe (true, Poland doesn't always see themselves as completely of the Eastern Europe mindset), I just wanted to make sure things are reasonably accessible and convenient. From your posts, this seems the case. I have heard about the attractiveness of Polish women... ;) At least that's something I can look forward to, in addition to losing some fat and glands...  :) Hope your recovery goes smoothly and painlessly. Cheers.

Offline CJC85

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Thanks CJC85. Exactly one week away for me...it will be an interesting experience to say the least.
 Not having traveled to Eastern Europe (true, Poland doesn't always see themselves as completely of the Eastern Europe mindset), I just wanted to make sure things are reasonably accessible and convenient. From your posts, this seems the case. I have heard about the attractiveness of Polish women... ;) At least that's something I can look forward to, in addition to losing some fat and glands...  :) Hope your recovery goes smoothly and painlessly. Cheers.

not a problem mate, i too was aprehensive. but now knowimg what i know id be very much more relaxed knowing what i know. i had visions of some sparse cold war little village in the middle of nowhere when the reality is its a busy modern town

Offline CJC85

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right then, so wednesday morning went to breakfast at 9 with aaron, the breakfast menu at the atrium is very european. lots of deli meats, fried sausage, egg, cheeses. as well as yougurt and muesli, cornflakes. i had a roll with some sausage and onion stuffed in it, a huge apple and cup of tea. went back up to my room for a bit, feeling a bit rank as hadnt showered since early monday morning, i think bringing anti bac wipes for face and under pits is a real life saver. plus a decent deoderant and after shave ;)

we asked the hotel to get us a taxi to -- at 10:40, he promptly arrived and took us there. he spoke no english at all but we kind of had a conversation about petrol prices lol him speaking in polish us in english but i think we got across the idea thet the uk is very expensive. anyways arrived at --, buzzed in by the same nurse we had and sat and waited in the lobby. i took some pics which i can upload of the clinic if anyones interested. there was a polish lady in the "bedroom" who had eyelied surgery, when DR clark arrived at 11am she dealt with her before discharging her and seeing to us.

i let aaron go first, he seems to be in more discomfort than me, i help open hes loft window and blind in the hotel room because hes movement is more restricted than mine, due to his more severe case plus the need for drains etc. aaron went in and she was happy enough, he had one side that was more severe than the other and he has a small blister on the nipple. she said this is due to lack of bloodsupply for a couple days where the various vessels were cut. she assured him tho that this supply will regrow and all is well, very little fluid retention etc. she then explained massage, shower etc (ill cover this in a second)

aaron then explained that tomas charged us alot more for the taxi home yesterday than the other taxis have charged us, she rang him and he said he hadnt, she said we were naughty for trying to say this!? ermm y would we lie? i was overly nice and told her not to worry about it, a couple of quid in the grand scheme of things isnt worth worry about, but she seemed a little offish now with us. it was a bit weird tbh. she explained shes a perfectionist and this had never happened before (queries with taxi drivers etc) think she said she mite wash her hands of organising taxis and just let the patient organise transfer. which would be fine but jeremy needs to make this more clear in his contact.

right next i went in, off came my bandage vest thingy, nipple look perfect and no swelling or pain. she said my body is very robust as i have no swelling, i had very little bleeding after surgery, whereas aaron is more delicate. evrybody had different healing powers. she showed me how to apply the jelonets to the nipple and re do my bandage, she gave me some jellonets but i had realised she said to disinfect the nipple before appllying the jelonet, i didnt have any disenfectent alchhol with me obviously and if i wouldnt have asked her to write down the name of it so i could go to the chemist i dont think she would of. so be aware of this, any questions you must ASK.

she then explaiuned masssage which was probably 30seconds of her showing me on her own arm. this felt rushed which i know has been mentioned before. however i knew ths before i came and have done plenty of research on it so would advise you read everyones post massage advice and build a clearer picture in you head so she just has to top up this information.

right so we were both discharged today, im very happy with this as im healing perfectly. AAron was a little less happy as the blister thing on his nipple, and the rushed information about massage wasnt the greatest. he also queried that were we going to get a compression vest? it was from our understanding a compression vest that you put on like a waist coat and do up from the front was provided. however due to lack of communication on jeremeys part it seems the bandage that you wrap around and tighten with the velcro is the compression garment supplied by the clinic. we were advised to wear this for 12days until we have the stitiches removed at home. and then switch to the macom vest you buy on line from macom medical for another 2-4 weeks. i have already got this vest (one size smaller than you normally wear) but aaron needs to order it. this bandage is not the mose comfy thing in the world as it digs into the stomach and back, knowing this i would have put my macom vest in the case with me and started wearing that today.

right we said our goodbyes, thanked her for her handy work, as despite any crossed wires over taxis, vests etc we were both over the moon with her surgery skills.we did not have to go back tomorrow however she said any problems dont hesitate to call her and if we we worried she could see us at 14:45 on thursday but assured us we were both healing well. we walked a couple doors down to the chemist, we had to get some bandages, and the disinfectent i asked her to write down. WODE ULLAUBUE 3% 150ml (hard to read her writing). this came to 20zlotys each. we then had to get the chemist to ring us a taxi back to the hotel atrium. this cost 13zlotys.

so here i am back in my room, just gna have my shower and freshen up. the exact process for showering is

shower- dry off- apply ointment all over chest and allow to sink in for 10mins (this was on the first prsecription with the painkillers and anti bitotics) after this disinfect nipple area with the stuff i asked for. apply a jellonet to nipple, cover with a bandage and then tightly wrap the compression garment/bandage around and fasten with the velcro.

sorry for crappy punctutation, i flick between using my phone and laptop and just wanna get al the info down while its in my head so i dont forget and therefore rush a little bit. going cinema later so post any questions and ill try to answer them before i go to bed later.

Offline puffynipplesdrivemecrazy

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I cannot express how much I have found your write up helpful. Please keep updating as I am hoping to start the ball rolling for August as these puffy nipples of mine are seriously getting me down.

I see that you didnt have any drains? Also did you have any lipo? Im really worried about drain scars and lipo but less than the gyno. I suppose we cant be picky!

It would be great to see some pics and how much in total you think you spent.

Update: Sorry even more questions!! Did she do the nipple twist I have read about and when do you plan to start massaging?

Offline CJC85

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I cannot express how much I have found your write up helpful. Please keep updating as I am hoping to start the ball rolling for August as these puffy nipples of mine are seriously getting me down.

I see that you didnt have any drains? Also did you have any lipo? Im really worried about drain scars and lipo but less than the gyno. I suppose we cant be picky!

It would be great to see some pics and how much in total you think you spent.

That's great mate, currently sitting in my atrium room chilling watching the office on my laptop. I wanted this to be 100% honest, to hopefully give people a very realistic expectation of what to expect.

Nope no drains for me. Just due to the fact that I bled very little internally when she operated. Aaron however did have drains. We both had full gland removal and lipo on the stubborn fat. Scar wise I have the very neat cut under my nipple and a tiny dot with one stitch just under pec towards the midline. This is from the lipo. Absolutely minuscule. Don't even contemplate it scarring. Aaron has exactly the same but two further dots with a stitch in our side edge of each pec from the drains. Again nothing to worry about scar wise. We walked around town today and went to the cinema. Snapped lots of pics on my iPhone. Of everything from my chest to the food court at the galaxy shopping centre.

Got lots of the atrium hotel as well if anyone's staying here. Really recommended. Although I haven't seen the ibis which may be just as good


 

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