See User Testimonials

Quick Enquiry

Search Gastric Band Website

  

Testimonials: Lynn's Story

Lynn Dyer - age 51.  Banded June 2008.

I have always had a weight problem.  When I was a young child my mum said she used to cry over me because I was so skinny, that must be the one and only time I have ever been called skinny!  At the age of 3 I had my tonsils removed and from this point my weight went up and up and only on a few (diet) occasions went down.  Throughout my childhood I was always the tallest and the fattest in the class, although I was reasonably fit and won many a running race against the boys, I enjoyed sports until I really started to put on more weight, I remember pretending to be ill to get out of sports day, I was in the obstacle race and had to go under one of the little bench seats they used to have in schools and I knew I would not fit.

I started senior school weighing about 13st but, because I was tall I seemed to carry it off.  There were a few occasions when the kids started to make fun of me but, I used to get in there first take the mick out of myself and laugh with them although deep down it hurt really bad, I would go home and cry in my bedroom.  I didn't have anyone to confide in back in those days as all my friends were thin.  I had been referred to lots of dietitians and put on diets, I would lose a few pounds get fed up with eating lettuce and stop, which meant I would put all the weight back on plus more.

I started work and earned my own money and a whole new world was opened.   I was able to buy what I wanted,when I wanted which included chocolate (I love it and still do).  Being in an environment with older women who was obsessed with diet, fashion and make-up I soon got caught up in it and started lots of different diets including the cabbage diet, the grapefruit diet I think there was even a boiled egg diet, I joined Jenny Craig and the only pounds I lost there was ££££.  My weight went up and down like a Weston Donkey. 

I met my husband Steve when I was 19 and because I was out practically every night drinking and dancing at weekends I wasn't particularly big at this time.  Once our relationship got more serious we started going out to eat and having Chinese takeaways, I even remember us having 2 takeaways in one night how greedy is that?  We married in 1981, my wedding dress was a size 18, I think I weight about 16 1/2 st.  We bought a house and in June 1984 I had my son and then weighed about 21st, he was only three months old when I discovered I was pregnant again and in June 1985 I had my daughter. Being home with two small babies was hard work, I turned to my love chocolate and of course I comfort ate.  As the children got older we would go shopping and they would want crisps, chocolate bars, fizzy drinks etc.  I was never deprived of these things as a child so I bought it for them (and me).  What they didn't eat I would finish plus eat my own meal and all the snacks that we had in the house.  

At one point I went to the doctors, he referred me to a dietitian at the BRI, I felt so humiliated on my first visit they weighed me in the corridor in front of everyone and said my weight out loud I was 22 1/2st how embarrassing.  The head dietitian made me get on a bed and pull my dress up so my whole stomach area was exposed.  He had about seven students with him, I had loads of stretch marks and a big wobbly belly, he was explaining to them that, all the stretch marks was from my pregnancies and each in turn he let the students looks at them and feel my belly (I couldn't wait to get out of there).  Once this ordeal was over I went straight to the toilets I felt sick and cried my eyes out, I never ever went back there again.

At the age of 40, as a family we went to Centre Parcs to celebrate our 40 birthdays.  We were only there for 1 day when I was admitted to hospital with what they thought was a heart attack.  I was hooked up to different monitors and there I stayed for 3 days, on discharge I asked if it was a heart attack but they would not confirm this and was told to see my GP when I returned home.  By this time I was about 28 1/2 stone.  When I got home I went straight to my GP, explained what had happened and he made and urgent referral to the hospital.  I was then diagnosed with an under active thyroid I was put on medication and was told to do something about my weight (easier said than done I thought).  Once my medication was sorted out I felt better and decided to join a local slimming club. I hated walking in the doors all alone on that first night, but once inside and the weighing was out of the way I felt more relaxed and everyone was so friendly, I felt so motivated I went home and planned my shopping for the next day, after the first week I lost 10lb, I was beaming.  After about a year I had lost 8 1/2st at this point I thought I had it licked and could do this on my own so stopped going.  Yes, you know whats coming I started putting the weight back on and before long I had put the lot back on.  I would try every now and then to go it alone but it never worked.  I said to my husband that everything goes up with inflation!!!

March 2006 it was our 25th wedding anniversary, and I had always wanted to go on a cruise, so I booked a 2 week Caribbean cruise.   Now I had a goal I had to lose weight, so went back again to the slimming club and managed to lose 4 stone before we went.  Once in the Caribbean it was so hot and humid I found it hard to walk around and knew I should have lost more.  I would only sit on the side decks of the boat because all the skinny, topless women would sit up on the top deck, I felt humiliated up there. The plane journey too was also uncomfortable 9 hours sat in small seats without much leg room and an extension belt as the other wasn't big enough, I was so glad when it was over.

In 2007 I was watching a TV programme about an American girl who was classed as the largest woman in the world. she was having stomach surgery to help her lose weight.  I was very interested and thought I would do some research on the Internet.  Once I had done enough research I asked my husband what he thought, he was 100% behind me and I think at this stage was more up for it than I was.  I contacted one of the well known hospitals that preforms gastric band surgery plus they had a surgery in Bristol.  I went along for my first consultation, I paid a deposit and was accepted for surgery.  During the consultation I was told that they only do the operations in Birmingham, I thought I had no choice but to say yes and worry about how I was going to get there later.  One day I was just browsing on the Internet still trying to find out more about gastric band surgery when I found the Avon Obesity Service.  If I could of I would have done a somersault.  I spoke to my husband and said that I had found somewhere in Bristol that preforms gastric banding and would be much more happier to have it done in Bristol. I got straight on the phone and made an appointment.  I was very nervous attending the Spire Hospital on 16th Feb 2008.  All the staff there made me feel so comfortable and at ease.  Once all the weighing and blood samples were out the way I first saw the dietitian, then I saw Andrew Johnson who made me laugh but, made me realise how bad my eating problems were I agreed with him that I would lose 2st before having the operation and lastly I saw Sharon Bates who did a story board of my weight through my life and its amazing seeing it on paper how my weight soared throughout my life.  I think the worse thing for me was being told that I could never drink coca cola again, I used to drink at least 9 litres per week.  I don't drink alcohol and knew this would probably be harder to give up than food. So as soon as I got home I decided that this would be the first thing I gave up and once what coca cola I had in the house was gone I would never buy it again and not a drop has passed through my lips since.  The next step was the Gastroscopy which was done by Justin Morgan, I had decided to be put out for this as I hate any type of pain no matter how small.  It was fine I had to stay at the Spire for a couple of hours and was then able to go home.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff involved - you are all marvellous.

I was really struggling to lose the 2 stone and eventually spoke with Lynn Johnson who knew of another lady who had been through the same difficulty as me, so with her permission gave me her telephone number which I rang and explained what was happening, it was so inspiring hearing her story, she told me that she went on the Atkins diet and lost the weight very quickly.  So I tried it and yes she was right I lost 12lb in 5 days.  Once I had just lost over a stone I rang Lynn Johnson to book the operation, she gave me a date 4th June 2008.  That was it - it was booked.  At this point we told the children, my daughter wasn't happy about it she even cried because she had also seen a programme on TV and the woman had died so obviously she was worried.  My son didn't really understand what it was, so he said he was happy for me if that was what I wanted.  Two weeks before the operation I was only allowed to eat yogurt, I stuck to it religously but, to this day I still cannot eat yogurt.

June 4th 2008 finally arrived, my daughter drove me to the Spire. We arrived really early as I wanted to get it over and done with as quickly as possible ( it's the pain thing), I have never had an operation in my adult life so was quite worried.  We were sat in reception when another large lady came in, she with her mother and friend came and sat by us.  I asked her if she was there for the same reason as me, which she was and we got chatting, before long I was called to go up onto the ward.  All the weighing, checking and test were done and everyone that was involved with the operation came and saw me, I was given a time of 9:30am for my operation.  My daughter had to go to work so left, unbeknown to me she popped her head around the door of the lady we had met down stairs wished her good luck and told her what room I was in.  9:30 finally arrived, I walked down to the theatre in my big gown and was eventually was called in.  My stomach now doing double somersault's!!  I got onto the table where the theatre staff started doing what they had to do, they started to tell me what they were doing at this point I said please don't tell me, I will close my eyes, you do what you got to do and I will see you later, it seemed like only 5 minutes and I was waking up in the recovery room, I was so thirsty I was given the minutest amount of water but it helped.  I was taken back up to my room and was settled in bed it felt like a steam roller had gone across my middle pain killers soon put a stop to that.  I was drifting in and out of sleep most of the day, my husband (with a big bunch of red roses bless him) and daughter (with a pink pig) came to visit me.  I was intrigued with the pink pig, my daughter switched it on and it sang My Girl whilst dancing (it is so cute) I burst out laughing soon realising that it hurt to laugh.  Just after they left the lady that I met earlier on came to my room.  We finally introduced ourselves and quickly started swapping stories, we got on like a house on fire.  The next day we were waiting for our x-ray before we could go home, we swapped telephone numbers and have been buddies ever since thanks Catherine.

I can't say its been a easy journey so far, you have to learn to let the band work with you rather than as I expected it to do all the work.  I attended the Support Group which is every third Sunday of the month.  Everyone was so lovely and it was really interesting hearing everyones story and the results of their weight loss.  You pick up lots of tips and how the band affects everyone differently and to be honest I can say that I don't have 2 days the same.  I have finally accepted that my love affair with food is over.

Today I am writing this on the 4th June 2009 and 1 year post op, I have lost 7st 3lb. I feel so good but, I still got a long way to go.  I don't regret having the band one bit and wouldn't change it for the world.  Its hard at first to live with but, once its under control its the best thing since sliced bread (which I haven't had for a year).  I love buying new clothes and I hope lots of people are benefitting from my old ones which I donate to charity shops.  I enjoy going swimming which I have just started doing, I haven't been for the past 18 years.  I hope by this time next year I will have reached my goal, I don't have one in mind at the moment but, hopefully when I get there I will know.  I know I will need surgery to get rid of the loose skin, I will cross that bridge when I get there (it's the pain thing again).  I am off on holiday next week lets hope I can fit in the seat without asking for the extension belt - fingers crossed.  I will hopefully update this profile again next year with the new "Skinny Me".