Weight Loss Case Study - Joanne Martin

My weight loss surgery was inspired by Sharon Osbourne

Operation: Gastric Bypass

Joanne Martin was beautiful, outgoing and a size 8 when she was in her early twenties. She would never have imagined that in the years to come she would put on up to a stone a year, until she ballooned into a size 24 and was at risk of putting her life in danger.

She was classified as morbidly obese when she made the decision to take back control of her life. Joanne realised that she was slowly killing herself and with a BMI of 42.6, she was also in danger of obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes. Her father and grandparents had all died from diabetes related illnesses, so she was at even greater risk of her weight lowering her life expectancy.

Before having a gastric bypass, Joanne lived a life of binge eating and depression. Her life become a vicious circle – the more junk food she ate, the bigger she became, so she would eat more to compensate for feelings of depression. She would feel good when eating but a couple of hours later would feel depressed. Joanne felt like she was living a nightmare and at times didn’t want to live. Her two children Stephanie (15) and Bradley (12) were the only things that kept her going. However, their life revolved around her bed – she would sleep about thirteen hours a day and if they wanted to talk to their mum they would have to sit on her bed.

Joanne became a prisoner in her own home. She tried all sorts of diets, pills and support groups to help her lose weight but none of them worked. It got to the stage whereby Joanne was 16st 8lbs, which on a tiny 5ft 3” frame meant that her waist was nearly 50” and her neck was 16.5”. The tops of her legs were red raw from rubbing together and she couldn’t do ‘normal’ activities such as gardening, crossing her legs, or painting her toenails. At home she wouldn’t wear make up and only ever wore a nightie. Her children were too embarrassed to bring round their friends. Joanne hated herself and didn’t want to see or talk to anyone.

Then, one day Joanne read Sharon Osbourne’s autobiography and found that she suffered from similar yo-yo dieting. However, Sharon’s weight changed when she had a gastric band fitted. Her story inspired Joanne to do something about her weight once and for all. She didn’t want to be a miserable fat girl anymore and looked up adverts for weight loss hospitals in the Yellow Pages. As a result she contacted four clinics and the person she spoke to at SurgiCare was so warm, friendly and sympathetic that she arranged a consultation, accompanied with her sister and niece.

At the consultation a gastric band was discussed but her assessment showed that a gastric bypass would be more effective, based on her eating habits. She was also shocked to discover she was morbidly obese and this was dramatically affecting her life expectancy – she wanted to see her children grow up!

Joanne booked the operation straight away and it was scheduled for 3 weeks later. She felt elated and relieved that something was going to be done about her weight once and for all.

Two weeks before the operation, Joanne was put onto a liquid diet of thin soups and yogurts. This was difficult to do but SurgiCare explained that this would reduce the fat around the liver, making the operation easier and safer to perform. Joanne lost 8lbs in two weeks and weighed 16st on the day of the operation. She couldn’t eat 24 hours beforehand.

Joanne felt both excited and nervous on the day of the operation. She went into theatre at 3pm and woke up around 5.30pm. At first she felt groggy and her stomach was still large, after being pumped full of gas to help the surgeon operate and to stop her internal organs from being damaged. She had 5 very small incisions from the keyhole surgery but the cuts were tiny. She spent most of the evening drifting in and out of sleep.

Reflecting on the day after the surgery, Joanne said: “I felt like I’d been to a restaurant and eaten a five-course meal. There wasn’t any pain, just a discomfort. Even drinking was too much of an effort – I felt too full.” She checked out that afternoon. For the following couple of days after the surgery, SurgiCare recommend that you need to stay with someone for help and support, so Joanne stayed with her sister, Gaynor.

During this period, Joanne had to wear support tights for two days and could only eat soup and fruit smoothies, as it is recommended that for the first two weeks after your operation you stick to a liquid diet. Joanne didn’t want anything else. Soon she was feeling much better and in fact the discomfort disappeared after four days.

Joanne found that she lost four stone in just three months (shrinking from a size 24 to a size 16). There are no drawbacks – she has more energy and is healthier, fitter and happier than she’s ever been before. Also, her life expectancy rate has increased by over 10 years.

According to Joanne; “This operation has changed my life. It’s such a short process for long-term benefit. I look after adults with learning disabilities and don’t earn a lot but I sorted out a payment plan to pay for the operation. You don’t have to be rich like Sharon Osbourne to have something like this done. Basically, you can’t put a price on someone’s life. Now, for the first time in six years, I feel attractive.

“However, this operation isn’t for everyone and you should think about having something like this very carefully. I thought I was a hopeless case but suddenly life is an adventure, it’s exciting. I’m pleased I didn’t leave things too late – it meant that there are less complications and my skin isn’t saggy after losing so much weight. Weight loss surgery isn’t the answer to everyone’s dreams but it was the answer to mine.”