Quick Enquiry

Testimonials

Search Gastric Band Website

  

Weight Loss Patient Video

 

Testimonials: Jacqui's Story

The Story So Far...

I have struggled with my weight all my life. I was a chubby child and never really lost my puppy fat! In my teens and early 20's I pretended it didn’t matter that I couldn’t wear short skirts and slinky dresses like other girls. It seemed that as I got older, the harder it became to keep the weight off.

I married my wonderful husband Paul on a beach in Barbados in October 2003. I managed to lose 2 and a half stone before the wedding by actually starving myself (not a good idea I know, but no other way to get the weight off as I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and find it very difficult to lose weight even when sticking religiously to a diet). I was still a big girl, all the same.

After that, I decided to give up the strict diet and exercise regime and promptly put on 3 stone! I had not gone mad and started pigging out, and was still not eating as much as my (slim) friends! It was then that I got really down about my weight and was really worried about my health. I had been diagnosed insulin resistant and did not want to become diabetic.

About this time, I saw an advert in a Sunday supplement for the Lap Band, advertised by the Hospital Group in Birmingham. I called them and asked all about the operation and they sent me a booklet explaining all about it and quoted a price of £8500.

My husband and I discussed it and decided to research this relatively new weight loss surgery. He said it did not matter to him what size I was, that he loved me whatever, but if it would make me happy then I should look into it. Via the internet, I found a couple more surgeons in London that did this surgery and was again quoted around the £8500 mark.

I also saw the Gastric Band Website and found out that they arranged surgery in France for the Mid Band (a softer version of the Lap Band) and the price was £4500, almost half the cost of surgery in England and the surgeon performing the operation was 10 times more experienced than the top people here!.

Needless to say, I went to France with my husband and had my operation on 1st December 2004. It was arranged by Sharon, who gave me great advice and support and was always willing to talk to me about all my (needless) worries and fears, despite being extremely busy. She also put me in touch with another lady, Jenny, who was coming to France at the same time and having her operation on the same day. We emailed and spoke on the phone in November, and met up in France a couple of days before the operation and shared a couple of 'last suppers' together. We also shared a hospital room, which was good.

The day before the Op, I was given an Endoscopy. It was when I was being wheeled down that I suddenly became a bit tearful (everyone was jabbering away in French, which I couldn’t understand) and I was a bit apprehensive about the whole procedure. The nurse and doctor were very kind and reassuring that nothing would hurt and I would be asleep whilst it was being done. I was amazed at how quickly I was asleep, it was instant, no feeling myself becoming drowsy (as I imagined)! I was told that I might have a sore throat afterwards, but luckily I didn't.

On the day of my operation, I was woken at 5am and had a shower and prepared for surgery at 7am. I was wheeled down and Dr Frering said hello and the anaesthetist said ’see you in half an hour’ and then I woke up in recovery! I had to check under my gown to see if the surgery had been done! I had spent the past month worrying about the op, would it hurt, would I survive etc etc etc and it was all over in what seemed like seconds!

I noticed that as I was wheeled back to my room it was not even 9am! By now, Jenny was down in theatre having her op. I drifted in and out of sleep for most of the day. Our husbands came in about mid-day to visit us. The next day, we were given an x-ray whilst gulping down some slightly minty tasting stuff, so they could check that the band was in the right place. About an hour or so later, Dr Frering came to see us and told us it was ok to go, once his secretary came and gave us our x-rays, letters for our GP’s etc.

I got back to the hotel about lunchtime and we flew home the next day. I had absolutely no pain or discomfort whatsoever, apart from feeling a bit tired. My incisions healed very quickly and now I have 5 small very neat lines.

The first week after my operation I lost 12lbs! I was actually afraid to eat anything apart from soup. After about a week, I started trying more solid stuff and found that as long as I chewed everything very very well, there was not much I couldn’t eat. After the first couple of weeks, when I was able to eat more normally, I put a few pounds back on.

I had my first band adjustment on January 29th 2005 (8 weeks after the operation) and lost another half a stone the week following this. I was now a stone down and hoping to really start shifting the weight. It seemed that once I had lost that half stone, I just stuck there, some weeks losing a couple of pounds and the next week putting it back on!

I had my second adjustment on 19th March 2005 and as before, dropped another half stone the following week. True to form, I either stayed the same each week, or dropped a couple of pounds, only to gain them back again the following week. I really can’t understand it as I am eating far far less than I did before my op, but still not losing weight like a ‘normal’ dieter, let alone like most of the other people who have had gastric bands fitted.

Tomorrow (4th June 2005) I am having my 3rd adjustment, and really hope that this one makes all the difference and I can shift more than half a stone!

To date, I have only lost one and a half stones, and whilst that is better than nothing, and I almost certainly would have gained even more by now, had I not had the band fitted, I must admit to feeling quite disappointed.

I am looking forward to finally getting this weight off and am going to start swimming in my lunch hour every day too, and doing some form of exercise every day I don’t swim, even if it is just walking round the block (I live at the top of quite a steep hill, so good exercise there!). I am determined to lose this weight and not be fat and 40! Watch this space! I will send some more photos as I hit each stone loss.

Jacqui - Age 39 and three quarters!

Newsflash: 9 June 2005

This 3rd adjustment has made a massive difference! I am very restricted now on what I can eat (only soup and yoghurt so far) and now feel confident that it will work for me. I have joined the local leisure centre and am swimming every morning before work and walking round the block when I get home in the evening. Feeling much happier and motivated!

Newsflash: 8 January 2007

Here's another picture of me (see bottom right photo) 2 years and 4½ stone later! Over half way at last! I am still chipping away at the weight and hope to hit target (another 2½ stone off) by this Christmas.