Weight Loss Surgery : Diane's Story
Diane Ambrose, a chef at Spire Leeds Hospital had weight loss surgery at the same hospital in August 2011, under the care of Professor Peter Lodge.
She shares her story with us:
"I was a size 12 when I got married but as the years progressed, the weight piled on. I developed bad eating habits - I enjoyed large portions, I ate at the wrong times and I snacked on my children’s food.
Over time, I tried various diets and I lost weight – but I soon put it all back on.
I never felt happy in myself when I was seriously overweight. In retrospect, I can see that life was much harder. Holidays, for example, were often an ordeal. I was always too embarrassed to ask for a seatbelt extension so I would struggle into the normal seatbelt and be uncomfortable for the whole journey. I also have a clear memory of a customs officer asking to check my stomach to ensure I wasn’t carrying anything onto the flight – I was mortified!
Eventually, I got to the point where I didn’t want to be overweight anymore. I was concerned for my health – diabetes is in the family and I had already started to suffer from high blood pressure and skin psoriasis. As a mum of four, I also wanted to be able to take my children swimming and to other activities without feeling self-conscious.
In June 2011, weighing 21 ½ stones, I had the laparoscopic gastric bypass under the care of Professor Peter Lodge. My target weight is 10 stone and I am not too far off now.
My life has been completely transformed – I feel fabulous! My blood pressure has gone down, my skin has improved and I have so much more energy!
I can exercise now – I have an exercise bike at home and I go to a Zumba class twice a week. My whole perspective and relationship with food has changed – I don’t want to eat foods high in fat anymore. I am enjoying being the new me!
Professor Lodge is a lovely consultant – he is very easy to talk to and made me feel at ease throughout my whole weight loss ‘journey’. From the first appointment, I knew that if I had any questions or concerns, I could just give him a call.