Life before her gastric band procedure
“I think with me being overweight I was trying to run away from my problems but really I had just buried myself.
“I had fatty inflamed liver which is what comes with being overweight and mentally I was really rock bottom – not been able to walk up the stairs or go for long walks, stopping breathing in your sleep, not getting a decent night’s kip. On the mental side of things, it really aggravated my depression. It is like being an addict. An alcoholic has alcohol, a drug addict has drugs, for me it was food.
“My partner is much older than me and we were just messing about talking about his pension and what we’re going to spend it on. He said, ‘As much as I love you, we need to sort you out. Your health is on the borderline I’m worried about you.’”
How she benefited from the gastric band
“I’ve had the gastric band, my heaviest I was 20 stone 4 and now I’m 11 stone 9. My dress size was 26-28 and now I’m 12-14.
“Because I am a bus driver I decided to take two weeks off, I could have been alright with a week but I wanted to make sure if anything goes wrong.
“I’d have to say I’m one of the lucky ones because I healed up alright, I mean, I’ve got a 10ml band, [Mr Singhal] put 1.7ml in to begin with, and I’ve only had one fill at 0.3ml. Then I had a de-fill of 0.3ml so I’m back to where I was and lost the weight really quick compared to what you’re supposed to.
“It’s a new hobby now, I don’t comfort eat, I shop! I’m going to Disney world Florida in November, and when we go out for a meal, I want it to be Disney themed.”
Healthier Weight recommendations
“Definitely go through Healthier Weight because they are the best; the aftercare, everything! But life is too short, just do it now.
“As a child, I couldn’t fit in because I was fat. I didn’t know how to make friends so I really, really struggled. So I always turned to food.
“Seeing the impact on my partner, seeing what my weight was doing to him, after everything he’s done for me, I wanted to make him proud. That man is my life. I was a broken plant pot on the floor, he’s picked me up and I have bloomed.”
How weight loss surgery has helped
“I’m sleeping better, I’m very quiet to the point where he has to poke me to see if I’m alive – a lot better. I can do horse riding now, I love horses, until I fell off one and it scared me.
“Nobody stares at you now, you don’t get the comments, you just blend in.”