Awaiting new pictures!

Hi my name is Mac and I come from the Midlands. This is my story of the struggle with my weight, until last year when I had a gastric band fitted with the AOS Team in Bristol.

I have always been bigger than other people, even as a child. I have tried every diet and diet pill which only worked for a short time. I was always active, love swimming, played football and cricket and ended up as a professional wrestler, so I was not short on exercise.

I have always worked hard and have never been one to sit around. I went into our local hospital and they monitored everything I had to eat and drink. They put me on 200 calories a day but even they gave up on me, they said that everything I had to eat turned to fat not energy.

I had an appointment with a surgeon on the Midlands but he no longer did the gastric band operation. He offered me the by-pass but said I only had a 90% chance I would make it off the table.

I then tried all the new pills that had come out onto the market but they only worked for a short time.

My wife read about Sharon Bates and the success she had had with the gastric band. She rang Sharon who advised us to go to my doctor which I did. He advised the Local Trust may be able to help, he duly wrote to them advising that he thought I would be suitable for the band on the NHS.

This is where the battle began; I was granted the funds but only allowed to go to the specified surgeon.

The appointment came to see a member of his team first for assessment; they did the usual blood tests but could not weigh me, as the scales were not working. I returned for the second appointment they still could not weigh me, as the scales were still not working.

The surgeon walked in and took one look at me and said that he would not consider the gastric band and it would have to be the by-pass. I explained what the other surgeon had said to me and that I also had a friend that had had the by-pass and died a month later. His answer was that he had not lost a patient yet and my answer was I was not going to be the first.

He said that the operation would mean I would not eat solid foods again, I would be in intensive care for a week and off work for at least 6 months, and if I was able to go back to work I must be near a toilet. He was adamant that no-one would be offering to do the gastric band for me so if I changed my mind about the by-pass to contact his secretary. I told him I would not change my mind.

Within two weeks he had sent me another appointment and I thought he had changed his mind about banding me. My wife rang his secretary and asked if he had changed his mind but she said no he was convinced that I would have changed mine. We told them not to contact us again if he was not going to offer me the gastric band operation.

I then contacted the NHS Trust to see if I could go to Bristol to have the band fitted there. They refused as the surgeon had told them that my BMI was over 75 and the NICE guidelines stated that it was not suitable with BMI over 75.

I asked how they had worked out my BMI as both times I had gone to fro my appointment, the scales were not working and therefore they had no idea what my weight was. I was advised to ask for a copy of the NICE guidelines with this guideline in it. I was promised a copy in the post but it never arrived so I rang again they assured me that it had been posted but would be put in the post again. After two weeks it had still not arrived, and I rang them again and told them that I would call and collect it myself. Then I was told it was not actually in the guidelines but it was in the guideline appraisal, which I also asked for a copy of. The same thing happened again but after two more phone calls I was told they were amending the guidelines. The next day I received a phone call to say I could go to Bristol to be assessed by the AOS Team. I rang Sharon and told her the good news. They sent me an appointment for October 1st 2005. I saw Andrew Johnson, Lynn Sawyer and finally Sharon Bates. At last I was weighed and was 230kgs.

Andrew asked me (with their help) how much I thought I could lose to help them with the operation. I said I would try to get down to near 200kg and he was happy with that. He suggested some Xenical tablets to help. I was not keen as I had had a bad experience with these but when I talked to Lynn and listened to her advice, I agreed. They also gave me a card for the helpline. I managed to lose the weight.

After leaving the hospital that day we travelled and stopped at the nearest lay-by and cried. We had never been treated with such kindness, understanding before. Not one person said a bad word or made me feel fat or uncomfortable in any way, it was unbelievable.

I rang Andrew each week to keep him informed of my weight loss and only got back positive remark even if I had not lost any. They were so positive it helped more than I can say.

Then Sally Johnson rang at the end of January 2006 to say I had a date for my operation, which was the 7th February.

They asked me if the week before my operation if I could manage eating only yoghurts as this would reduce the size of my liver. After the help I had received this was not a problem as I had light at the end of the tunnel.

The day before my operation I travelled to Bristol Spire (formerly known as BUPA) Hospital to have the camera down to make sure everything was OK for the next day. While I was there Sharon took me to be weighed and I had lost more than expected so I was on a high.

I had the band fitted and went home the next day. I was off work for a week, stayed on fluids and followed their instructions and did not have any problems.

I have found by trial and error which foods I can eat and some I cannot so I just avoid them. I have for the first time in my life experienced the feeling of feeling full, I have never felt this before. I now weigh 122 kgs and have lost 106 kgs so far on my journey. I have never felt so well and can now walk long distances which I could not have done before.

I cannot thank the AOS Team enough where without their help and understanding I could not have done this as they have given me my life back.