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Testimonials: Tania's Story

My name is Tania and I would like to tell you about my journey.

Obesity has been a life long companion of mine and it had taken 37 years to get to that point. A chubby child, a thinner but yo yo dieting teenager, then piling on weight after each of my 3 children.

At just under 17 stone I went to my doctors because I had painful swollen ankles which resulted in me having to take time off work. Over the next few weeks I had blood tests, x-rays and scans. The doctor said that although the tests did show that my achillies tendons were collapsing, the main cause of it all was that I was obese and that my ankles were buckling under the weight.

It was a bitter pill to swallow! My doctor sympatheticly discussed my options but like most people who have had a life long obesity problem I had covered them all.

She told me about gastric banding and I was shocked that she had even mentioned it to me. Without thinking I said “I’m defiantly not that fat!” but yes I was. I was only 5ft 2 and with my weight, my bmi was just under 43. Morbidly obese.

Over the next weeks I could think of nothing else. I did my own research and found Sharon’s story on the internet. When I saw my doctor I produced all the information I had gathered. My doctor was very supportive. Everything seemed to fit it was the right thing for me to do.

When I went to meet the team I was nervous but excited.

I remember the very first time I met Sharon Bates. I sat and listened to every thing she had to say. I said hardly anything (anyone who knows me, knows that doesn’t happen very often). She was inside my head. Years of being fat had built up, being ashamed of the way I look, covering up by saying I was happy being fat. I realised that I used food for every emotion. I burst into tears. I was so relieved that someone was going to help me.

I was banded on 5th December 2006. By Christmas I had lost 1 stone. Over the next year I’d lost 5 more.

It has been an exciting although at sometimes frustrating journey but I don’t regret it. This is a life style change. You have to be prepared to put in the effort. It takes a lot of soul searching.

July 08 I had a tummy tuck. I finally achieved what I’d wanted for a long time which was to wear a pair of jeans with a short top tucked in and not one that came down to my knees!

September 08 I did something I never envisaged my self doing.  I finally had enough confidence and I passed my motorbike test.

I started my journey at a size 24 and I’m now maintaining a size 14.

My journey still goes on. We all have our down days when our emotions run wild but with the help of my gastric band I now feel better equipped to deal with them.