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August 2010 |
“This Hoilday snap changed my life forever”
 Melanie Palmer, 27, a receptionist from London, had a gastric band fitted two years ago after seeing herself in this holiday photo. Here, she tells Company what happened next…
Clambering aboard the tiny boat on a beautiful Thai beach, I should have been wowed by the crystal-clear water and white sand. Instead, I was too busy worrying that the boat would capsize, because the rest of the passengers had moved to the other side to balance the weight. I was a size 24 an weighed over 20 stone at the time. And, not for the first time, I desperately wished I was thinner.
I’d saved up to go traveling to Asia with my best friend, Louise. But, ever since I was 22, I’d hated holidays. When my friends strolled around in tiny bikinis, getting golden tans, I hid my body away under sarongs and vests. I never wanted to miss out on girlie holidays so I wore a tankini. But, every time I walked to the pool, I felt sick, convinced everyone was staring at me. I even asked my friends to walk to the bar to get drinks because I didn’t want to leave the safety of my sun lounger.
As a teenager, I’d tried every diet going. But my weight yo-yoed and, whenever I lost a few pounds, I quickly put them back on. I learnt not to react to nasty comments on night out. Boys would often make rude remarks, but I just kept my head down and carried on walking. Things got worse when I was diagnosed with ME six years ago, because spending the day at work would leave me physically drained. I couldn’t summon the energy to walk home and the lack of exercise made my weight balloon. At my heaviest, I was a size 26 and weighed more than 21 stone.
All my friends tried to tell me I was gorgeous, but I didn’t feel it. I’d always been teased about my weight and was the odd one out at school. I dreaded shopping, knowing that only a few places stocked clothes in my size. I felt envious of my friends, who could shop in Primark and Topshop. I forced myself to go on nights out but I’d grab a seat and stay there.
After a trip the Maldives in February 2007, for my mum’s 50th birthday, I swore I’d never get on a plane again. I couldn’t bear the humiliation of trying to fit into the seats. I hated encroaching on the person sitting next to me and dreaded the thought of getting stuck one day. Then, a couple of year ago, I noticed that an old friend on Facebook had lost lots of weight and looked amazing. She’d always been large like me, so I wanted to know her secret. When she confided that she’d had a gastric band operation, I should have been shocked but it gave me new hope.
I started researching the operation and discovered that a gastric band meant that you couldn’t physically eat too much food because your stomach would reject it. At first, I thought I couldn’t do it because I love food, but reading the success stories convinced me it would be the only way I could feel happy on the beach.
My first appointment with a nurse was followed by a consultation with a dietician the following week, who explained how drastically I’d need to change my eating habits, I was told that I’d never be able to eat bread, red meat, rice or pasta again. The dietician explained that a gastric band is like rubber ring, which fits around the top of your stomach, creating a pouch. Once this pouch is full after eating, you no longer feel hungry and over-eating makes you sick.
I knew it was a drastic step to take, especially when a surgeon explained that the biggest risk was that I could have an adverse reaction to the anaesthetic and even die. But that’s a risk with all operations and the pros of being slim outweighed the cons for me. Friends tried to talk me out of it, but Mum and Dad were really supportive, knowing how unhappy I’d always felt. They even offered to pay the £8,000 cost of the operation. I booked in to have it a month later, on 16 August 2008.
SLIMMING WITH SURGERY
Before a gastric band can be fitted, you prepare your body by following a strict diet of milk, water, fruit juice and Bovril, to give yourself the nutrients you need without over-eating. I wasn’t allowed to eat any solids because my stomach had to strink at work about my impending and, luckily, nobody noticed that I wasn’t eating. Treating myself to a ‘last supper’, I went to my favorite restaurant and ate a steak for the last time in my life.
Heading down to the operation theatre, my stomach flipped with nerves, but more with excitement that I would finally be able to have the body I’d always dreamed of. Two hours later, I came round feeling groggy and sick, but mum was there to hold my hand. I felt uncomfortable but not in pain. The surgery had been keyhole, so only left four tiny scars on my tummy, which were barely noticeable. By 11am the next say, I was discharged and sent home, where I had to follow a liquid-only diet for two weeks. After that, I could introduce soft foods like scrambled eggs and mashed potato.
Every day, I got home from work and jumped on the scales. The weight was literally falling off me, at least a pound or two every day. Within two months, I’d lost two stone and, by six months, I’d lost six stone. The weight loss slowed after that but, within a year, I could finally slip into a size 14 dress. I could have cried with joy.
The hardest thing for me was craving food like pizza. But, while before the operation I might have succumbed to my cravings, I knew I couldn’t now because it would make me sick. I learnt my lesson when, a couple of months after the operation. I tried a mild Indian dish and suffered horrible stomach pain before being violently sick. That was enough to put me off doing it ever again.
Every few months, I had to go to hospital to have my band adjusted. As you lose weight, the band becomes loose so needs tightening. I knew when it needed adjusting I felt hungrier than usual. Two years on from my operation, I feel like a new person. I’ve adjusted to my diet and even learnt to enjoy it. Instead of ordering big meals in restaurants, I just opt for a starter, which is great because it saves me money, too! But the biggest difference has been to my confidence. Now I walk past shop windows and, if I see something I like, I know I can try it on. I no longer hide behind my friends and I walk into a bar feeling great instead of dreadful. It’s opened so many doors and I get asked on a lot more dates, too! I haven’t found someone special yet, but I’m confident I will some day.
I used to dread going on beach holidays, when I’d need to wear a swimsuit, but I’ve already been on three since my operation. The first was to Cape Verde last March and, for the first time in my life, I felt great about stepping out in a bikini. In fact, I bought eight in different styles and colors! I’m happy with myself and my body now, and that’s the most important thing.”
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