Hi

My name is Shelli and in March 2007 I had a gastric band operation.
How did I get to that point? Basically I was fat, I had been fat for a long time and tried numerous diets - Weight Watchers, Carol Vorderman Detox diets, Atkins, Rosemary Connelly, Slimming World – every Monday a new diet would start and yes they would work for a while and yes yet again I would fail – probably by Friday and again I would feel a complete failure and any weight I had lost would go back on twice as fast.

How did I first hear about a gastric band operation? Well - my sister took what I thought at the time was a drastic step and had a gastric band operation after spending nearly 20 years being fat suddenly she was optimistic and the weight was coming off – 18 months later she was 16 stone lighter and from a size 32 is now a size 12.

What happened next – in my life – I got ill – I got Bells Palsy and needed very strong steroids to get better – 3 months later and now an additional 3 stone heavier on top of my hefty frame I felt immense depression – I struggled to lose the weight before – how would I do it now? My thoughts turned to my sister and her gastric band. I started to research it – it didn’t take long for me to think this was the right path for me to take – and I think this is an important thing – you have to want this for yourself, be sure it is right for you and do your research so you are happy with the whole procedure – it shouldn’t be taken lightly!

So on March 5th 2007 I was wheeled down for surgery and it sounds really corny, but, that was the day my life really began again – I sit here typing this on January 16th 2008 and my weight loss to date is 8 stone 10 pounds and I am currently a size 18. It really has changed my life, I have my confidence back and feel fantastic – I have my life back, my husband has his wife back and I finally feel happy again.

Why the website? I had my sister to talk to about the journey I was about to embark on – however her experience of the whole procedure was different to mine – both pre and post operation – there wasn’t anywhere to go to ask questions again either pre or post operative and my husband (the clever fellow he is) decided to change that – so here I am. Please ask – I will try and help you decide if this is the right route for you or help with any post operation queries you probably may have (I know I did!).

Since my operation I now have a total of four people in my family who have gone to the same surgeon and one Aunty who has gone abroad to have a gastric band fitted and have been successful. We have a wealth of experience and I hope to get them on here to talk about their journeys (everyone’s is different).

Be happy,

Shelli