Vicki’s weight loss journey started in 2005, weighing 400lbs and wearing a dress size 32. She was suffering from serious depression and anxiety; just finding the energy to get out of bed and shower was a struggle. For Vicki these struggles weren’t new to her, she’d been overweight her whole life, putting on a stone every year and constantly turning to food as comfort was normal for her. Something needed to change. Being a mother to two, Vicki wanted to get her life back not just for herself but for her family and after seeing her doctor, Vicki made the life-changing decision to get Gastric Bypass surgery.
Throughout the time that followed on from the Gastric Bypass surgery, Vicki has had an incredible journey. After initially losing 14 stone, she found great success in her career, making history as Ireland’s first plus-size model. Vicki went on to set up her own plus-sized modelling agency – Vplus, turned her hand to being an author with her self help book “Curva-licious, the curvy girl’s guide to looking and feeling delicious”, a book to empower women and make them feel good about their bodies, and most importantly to Vicki, being a voice to those who don’t have one, dedicating her platform to speaking up on obesity as the Executive Director of the European Coalition for People living with Obesity (ECPO).
Over recent years, despite eating small and healthy portions, the former model has struggled with her weight. Gaining around 7 stone since her surgery in 2005 has been “demoralising” and difficult to handle. Like most of us, this last year’s lockdown was tough, forcing Vicki to work from home massively affected her physical health and the number on the scales began to rise. This, coupled with the added factor of starting the menopause, there didn’t seem to be a way to get the number down.
Being a mother to 3 children, 2 of whom are challenged with autism, dyspraxia and obesity, regaining control of her weight has never been more important. With the support of her fiance, Vicki has decided to undergo revision surgery, to give herself the best chance of losing weight and finally improving the management of her obesity.
“I hope that in a years time I’ll be in a much healthier place within myself. I think about my back pain and breathlessness easing which is a big goal for me”
Our team at Healthier Weight was Vicki’s first choice. Being an expert in the obesity field from years of work within the community, Vicki knew exactly what she needed to give herself the best chance at success after revision surgery. Healthier Weight Medical Director, Mr Rishi Singhal is one of the world’s most renowned bariatric surgeons, and having him perform her surgery has given Vicki and her family great peace of mind as she travels from Lanzarote to Birmingham to receive the best service from our trusted team.
We are looking forward to being part of Vicki’s journey and hope that the revision surgery allows her to achieve everything she wants. We will be documenting her revision surgery throughout her recovery and the months that follow to give a first-hand glimpse into this kind of procedure and the life that it leads to.