 |
April 2010 |
‘Operation saved me from an
early grave’
Heart attack dad, 34, sheds eight stone in six months
 YEARS of mysterious health problems convinced dad Paul Plummer he would not live long enough to see his son grow up, before a miracle operation turned his life around. For years, doctors could not figure out why the 34-year-old’s weight had ballooned to 24 stone. He was also suffering hormonal imbalances, blackouts, heart problems and high blood pressures. He was taking 27 different types of medication each day, and often wore an oxygen mask when he went to sleep. At one point, Mr. Plummer suffered a heart attack and was regularly in and out of hospital.
The married father –of-one, who lives in Wingham Close, Twydall, said: “It was absolute hell. I was forced out of my job as a chef because I kept blacking out. “I fear I would be dead in a couple of years.” A doctor suggested diabetes as the root of the problem and recommended Mr Plummer should have gastric by pass surgery. He agreed, for the sake of his 20 month old son Joshua.
Amazing within five hours of the operation his symptoms had gone. Nearly six months on, his weight has plummeted to 16-and-a-half stone and he has begun lecturing trainee chefs at Midkent College. He said: “I’ve got my life back now. The doctors don’t seem to know exactly how it’s worked. “The day of the operation was the anniversary of my brother’s death, so I was convinced I was going to go, too.”
There was another surprise for Mr Plummer when wife Catherine, 30 announced she was pregnant with their second child, due in June, the day after the operation. Having shared his fears about dying, she decided not to break the news until he was on the mend. He said: “I can now be a proper dad, playing with the little ones without getting breathless or needing a rest every five minutes. Having the surgery was the best decision of my life.”
The operation was performed by a company called Streamline Surgical. Mr. Plummer said: “I would recommend this operation anyone who is having health issues. “If you’re thinking of having it purely to lose weight, don’t bother, because recovery is not easy. “But if you have health issues, it’s worth it. I love my life now.”
 |
|
|
