Joanna Lambert – Gastric Bypass – July 2008



Overweight Since Childhood

I have had issues with my weight all my life. I was always a plump child- most of my earliest memories are food related. I suppose like quite a lot of families food was used as a reward –my mother was a superb cook. I can also remember having to clear my plate even when I was full.

I was first taken to the Dr Aged 6-7 ½ and prescribed a tablet of something in the morning for my weight- I have no recollection as to whether or not this worked. I went to boarding school at 7 and I am ashamed to say that I was more anxious about the mass weighing and measuring session at the beginning of each term than leaving my parents. I do not know what made me feel so uncomfortable at the time but I know it was a strange response for a seven year old. I did not fare very well at school I felt singled out one matron would get very cross if she saw me sitting down at play time or during free time- I had to keep moving. I was also made to go on an early morning run – singled out from the other girls due to my weight.

I left boarding school at 12- my mother then started taking me to weightwatchers- again the humiliation of mass weighing and I remember spending the day worrying about being weighed not concentrating on my schoolwork. On those days so I could lose weight- I did not drink which was not healthy either.

Weight Watchers and Drugs

Weightwatchers was not successful for me. When I was 15-16 I was prescribed a diet by the GP one pint of milk a day one vitamin and a drug I later recognised to be speed. This diet worked after a fashion I lost all my weight but during that year but I felt isolated from my family as I did not sit down for meals-I was bought a hamster to keep me busy during that time. I regained the weight by the time I was 18.

I feel I had a difficult time during teenage years, because of this especially with the misguided action from my grandmother which included countless letters with snippets from the press of successful dieters and accusations that I had made her ill with heart attacks with worry because of my weight.

Failing the medical to get a job as a nurse

When I qualified as a nurse in 1982 I failed the medical to get a job because I was overweight despite not having any health issues which interfered with my job. Overnight I lost my home, friends and confidence- it took years of working as an agency nurse to pluck up the nerve to apply for another job.

I do not blame anyone for my weight except myself- because it was only me that put the food in my mouth, however I do feel that why I have used food in the way I have is in some part as a response to my upbringing. Another child with the same loving caring parents as I had may have responded differently than I did and not develop the issues and relationships with food as I have.

The Yo-Yo dieting cycle

Over the years I have been successful with losing weight but unfortunately I have never managed to keep it off and I haven’t always lost weight sensibly- as I do have a tendency to go into anorexic mode. I could be very controlled and disciplined but then something would happen and the rollercoaster down the slippery slope would start again with me getting unhappy the more weight I put on comforting myself with yet more food.

January 2008 and at my maximum weight

In January 08 I was back to my maximum weight and feeling really miserable. I was struggling to control my diabetes even with insulin and my hypertension was getting worse. I was tired and slept for most of the time I was not working- I think if I had been assessed I would have been found to have sleep apnoea. At work I kept seeing patients with obesity and diabetic related problems which rendered them housebound and depressed. I also realised how many of the elderly on my caseload as a district nurse had lost their children and how catastrophic this was to them. Understanding my own health risks and awareness of my family health history including the early death of my mother got me to the point where I could visualise my sprightly 83 year old father outliving me.

Choosing surgery

I started watching weight loss programmes on sky and I realised that the stories of the people on those programmes were no different to my own. At this point I realised that although there were risks in having surgery I was more at risk if I didn’t. Although I knew I could have been a candidate for NHS care because of my health problems and high BMI I discounted this on two reasons. Firstly because of the current economic state of the NHS-I  decided having got myself in this situation I would probably value it more if I got myself out of it. My second reason was that I wanted to have control of who did the surgery, the aftercare and when I had the surgery.

I then began to investigate the various providers over the internet. I selected the Weight loss surgery group because of the support they offered me from first contact. There was always someone able to answer my myriad of questions and I always felt listened to. Having done quite a lot of research I had worked out what surgery I thought I needed. Other providers attempted to steer me in other directions without really finding out about me or what my understanding was. I was put in touch and met up with someone who had had gastric bypass surgery with Dr Dilemmans in Belgium which was really helpful. I was able to ask lots of questions and get a realistic understanding of what life is actually like after gastric bypass.

I had decided on bypass surgery for me because I wanted the procedure to be permanent without having to have subsequent fills- adjustments etc. I decided to go to Belgium because of the reputation of Dr Dillermans and flippantly because I fancied a holiday in Brugge.
I can truthfully say I had a positive experience in Belgium. I went on my own but never felt as I was on my own because of Colleens support and that of others having the same surgery with Dr Dillermans  who I met at the hotel. As a nurse going into hospital is an interesting experience, I had certain expectations of care that was provided. There is a difference between care in England and care in a European hospital the care I had in Belgium was consistent with the European standard. In England we put higher emphasis on privacy and dignity. Considering the experience I had I would chose to go through the same again because of the support I had and the lack of post operative complications.

I was first on the list and apparently I was able to hold a sensible conversation that evening. I was uncomfortable the first night and most of the following day –however this did not stop me from roaming up and down the corridor preventing myself from getting a DVT. On discharge from hospital until flying home I thoroughly enjoyed being a tourist and watching the world go by from various cafes. Within a week I had no need for painkillers and I was back to work at the end of my 2 week holiday.

My weight loss progress

I weighed 18stone 6 lb before my pre operative diet. I was 17 13 on 30.7.08 the day of surgery and on weighing myself when I got home I found I had lost 11lbs. It is now 19th of November and I weigh 12 stone 13 lbs and I am now feeling bits of me that have been hidden for years. I love my collar bone and I am enjoying sitting comfortably in chairs again without getting squashed by the arms.

Clothes wise I was size 26 in nothing that fitted I am now size 16 and enjoying the adventure of buying new clothes without being restricted to just the 2 shops.

Having been nil by mouth for surgery and then on a restricted post operative diet my blood sugar levels came down to the extent that I have not had to take either insulin or other diabetic medication. Recent blood tests have shown that my blood glucose levels and cholesterol levels are completely normal. My hypertension has also gone and I have been able to stop my antihypertensive drugs. I generally feel so much healthier and have more energy and do not need to sleep all the time.

Life after bypass surgery

Eating wise because of my history of diabetes I do not eat or drink anything sweet but otherwise I find that I am able to eat most things with the exception of ham-pork which gets stuck and I now avoid. I also have intolerance to fat which is not a bad thing. I have found listening to those who had surgery at the same time as me is that we all have different things we cannot tolerate.

Recently following a family bereavement I realised that I was really ratty and miserable. In the past I would have made myself feel better by eating I can no longer comfort eat which leaves rather a dilemma as to how I manage these feelings. I have also realised that I still have on occasions a desire that causes me to eat compulsively, therefore where I hope my bypass will work for me is as a tool that makes this behaviour difficult enough to cause me to stop and think.

I made the decision early on to tell people about my surgery. Before surgery I found that people asked questions that I had not thought to ask which enabled me to be well informed. At the moment I feel a bit like public property because of the interest in how much weight I have lost and how different I look. People I have not seen for a while seem to look at my waist and chest rather than my face.  I have had a lot of support but have also felt the rapid change I have undergone has been difficult to those close to me – especially those who also struggle with weight.

No amount of exercise will get rid of my excess skin on my legs and my tummy. Ironically I am more aware of my stomach than I was when I was bigger. Once I reach my goal weight I have every intention of completing my journey with a nip, tuck and a bit of lipo!