I had my gastric band fitted 3 years ago and have lost 10 stones so far.
I had been desperately unhappy with my weight for years. I was the fat girl that always made the fat jokes about herself but only to make sure no-one else could. I was always the life and soul of the party but inside I was dying and it soon got to the stage that I just didn’t bother going out anymore. Going on holiday abroad soon became difficult because I couldn’t put the tray table down on the plane - my stomach got in the way.
I had tried all the weight loss diets and pills known to man but nothing ever worked, I lost a pound here and there but soon put a couple of stones back on.
I was refused critical illness cover on my life insurance because of my weight. I went to see my doctor who helped me research the best provider and we decided the Healthier Weight clinic in Birmingham was perfect.
I went to see Dr Ashton on the Friday where he spent at least an hour going through the weight loss surgery options available with me. I was very upset to learn that I weighed over 21 stone and that I had a BMI of 44. I decided to go for a gastric band and received a call from the clinic on the Tuesday telling me that I was booked in for the following Tuesday.
I went in for my op and felt surprisingly well after. I came home the next day and went back to work on the Monday. I work as a registered Manager for a healthcare company looking after terminally ill patients and disabled children so my work is very physical and demanding. Before my op I really struggled to do my job but after the wounds had healed and I started to lose weight I felt amazing, I could even run up the stairs where before I had struggled to walk. I have dropped from a size 26 to a size 14.
People who I have not seen since my op have walked past me in the town because they don’t recognise me.
When people ask how I lost so much weight I’m not embarrassed to tell them I had weight loss surgery. I’m proud of what I have achieved and would recommend Healthier Weight to anyone, the staff and doctors are amazing.
Click here to watch Shirley's interview on Youtube.
