Stephanie Lloyd is enjoying a new lease of life after weight loss surgery helped her shed 11 stone.
The Norden resident battled with her ballooning waistline for 20 years before opting for the radical treatment two years ago.
And now weighing in at a healthy nine stone, the 42-year-old said she could not be happier.
Stephanie went under the knife in January 2009 at Spire Southampton Hospital when a consultant stomach surgeon Michael Van den Bossche performed a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) operation.
The irreversible procedure involves reducing the size of the stomach and shortening the small intestine.
The combination meant that Miss Lloyd could eat less food, and absorb fewer nutrients through her gut.
She admitted that at first the operation made life difficult.
“The first eight weeks were pretty horrible. I could only eat liquidised food which wasn’t appealing, although I had been warned about this and knew I would get through it,” she told the Observer.
“The worst thing for me was that I’d lost my security blanket. Eating had been my comfort and so emotionally I found those first few weeks incredibly difficult.”
Stephanie said her weight problems started when she was in her twenties. Following the collapse of a long-term relationship and the death of a close friend, she turned to comfort eating in a bid to cope.
She shot up from a size eight to size 24. Her increased weight led to arthritis in her knees, high blood pressure, and she was later hospitalised with a ruptured disk in her back.
She said: “I’ve always been an emotional eater and found short-term comfort in eating.
“I was told the injury was weight-related, and if I didn’t lose weight it could happen again and again. I even found the physiotherapy very difficult due to my size.
“I tried various medications but they didn’t work. I experienced horrible side effects, and there seemed little point in taking a tablet to suppress my hunger when it wasn’t particularly hunger that made me over eat.”
Following surgery Miss Lloyd started shedding 3lb per week and took up exercise before she balanced out at nine stone.
She said: “The surgery doesn’t solve anything on its own, but is a fantastic tool to help you help yourself. Like anyone having this type of surgery I had to work hard to make progress.
“I admit I was greedy and I still am. But the surgery has been a wonderful tool in helping me control my eating, and get back my life.”
Her surgeon, Mr Van den Bossche added: “It’s wonderful to see how patients like Stephanie can reclaim their lives following weight loss surgery. However, it is important to understand that this type of surgery is not a quick fix.
"We can provide the surgery, as well as support and guidance, but the patient needs to be highly motivated and be well aware that the surgery itself is just a part of a life change.”
