Before & after patient weight loss stories

Lisa McKay - Gastric Band

"The gastric band didn't just save my life, it saved me!"

Before

Lisa McKay chose the gastric band - a great decision!

Since I first heard about the gastric band procedure, which was some years ago, I wanted one. I asked the NHS about the operation but they declined saying it was only for people who had health issues. I was over 19 stone and addicted to food and fizzy drinks, especially coke. I drank about 20 cans of Coke a day and would even get up in the early hours of the morning just to get my fix of the stuff. The addiction got so bad that at one point I would buy a box of 30 cans of coke and get through them in just over a day.

I desperately wanted to be able to play with my children and be a mum that could run around with her kids. I couldn’t run after them because I was so large and I felt to self conscious to go swimming. The final point for me was when I got stuck in a kids play area when I was playing with my sons, it was so humiliating.

The world looks at you differently when you are big and sometimes I felt my daily life was a nightmare. So I chose The Hospital Group and had my gastric band in August 2009. Since then I have lost almost 10 stone and feel absolutely fantastic! I’ve never looked back and my kids now have a mum that can take them swimming. I’m no longer self conscious about my body and I don’t worry that people might be looking at it. I can’t believe how much my life has changed for the better. I’m so much more positive it’s like I’ve had a brain transplant.

Going shopping is great fun I can wear clothes I’d never have been brave enough to wear when I was overweight, and feel I’m well on my way to getting the bikini body I want. If anyone was unsure about whether to go ahead with the procedure I’d tell them to do it, you can still enjoy your food.

After