weight loss surgery

"I do feel like I should have done this years ago"*

weight loss surgery

* All patient reviews on our website are based on that individual's experience and may vary from person to person.

My name is Christine Walker, I am 51 years old.  I have struggled with my weight all of my adult life.

My weight dramatically increased at the age of 30, to almost 19 stone.  It was at that point in my life I became increasingly tired and suffered a lot with Cystitis.  I went to my GP and was diagnosed with Diabetes. Since 1999 I have struggled against the effects of Diabetes, medication and weight gain; always going full circle.

Over the years, through various means of dieting, I have lost weight, but not to any large degree. With Diabetes comes the possibility of suffering depression, and a lot of how I was feeling was weight related. It was like the diabetes had taken over my life and I associated that with my weight, it was a never ending downward spiral.  

My fiancé, Den, had struggled with his weight due to having back surgery many years ago, gaining a substantial amount of weight, 26 stone at his heaviest. He finally was able to have a Gastric Sleeve last year and has subsequently lost 7½ stone.

The weight loss surgery is having a fantastic effect on his life, but he could see that my health was suffering through weight and health issues. It was Den that suggested I look at having a Gastric balloon fitted as I wasn’t keen on having invasive surgery. The Balloon was an ideal solution. I was very lucky that Den was able to fund the balloon for me and last year in October I had it fitted.

Once I had made the decision to use NOSC, the process was very quick and I had my procedure carried out in Hertfordshire.

I was nervous about having the balloon put down my throat but to be honest, it was all very smooth and quickly done. My recovery was as expected. I did suffer from vomiting, but it had been explained to me that my body could try to reject the “foreign object” that was in my stomach which made perfect sense. It did settle down within a few days and at no point did I think that I had made a wrong decision.  

Julie at NOSC has been a brilliant guide for me. I was asked what level of contact I required and I chose to have Julie email me on a monthly basis just to see how I’m doing and take a record of my weight.

She has given me great advice, and when my weight plateaued, she advised me on a 7 day food plan, which I followed, and that kick started my weight loss again.

When I started off on the journey with my balloon, I weighed 16½ stone. I now weigh 13st 2lb, and I feel amazing.  Den and I are getting married in October this year, and I have bought my wedding dress already, size 14……. Definitely something to aim for!

 I would like to lose another 2 stone, so that I reach a healthy BMI.

I do feel like I should have done this years ago. All that money spent on various diet plans and weight loss classes! If I had done this first, I probably could have saved myself a lot of money.

 I cannot recommend this procedure enough! It is not a quick fix as you have to be disciplined in your eating, listen to your body and break the “finish your plate of food” thought pattern. Portion control and making protein your main food choice are the keys to success.

 I try not to eat out a lot, what with Den and his surgery, but when I do, I more often than not choose from the children’s menu. You need to be prepared to make lifetime changes. You will not be able to eat the quantity that you did before.

I find that if I do overeat………. I get the most awful flatulence and burping, enough to put anyone off eating too much!   

 

 





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