Kate's Journal Kate had bypass surgery in July 2008. She has been sharing her journey over the past months.As always we extend our thanks to her for sharing her feelings. If any of you would like us to pass on messages to Kate please email us at info@bigmatters.co.uk and we will forward your comments

Sept 09

I have had a baby girl. She weighed 5lb 10oz. She is beautiful. The labour was a tad faster than expected. I started having twinges at about 4am but they were not too bad so i toddled around. At 1pm i rang the hospital and was told I wasnt in labour and to take paracetamol. 50 mins later my waters broke all over the kitchen floor. After a few mins of nervous laughter the pains kicked in hard and fast. I rang the hospital and was told to go in. I arrived at the hospital at 3pm and spent 20 mins waiting to be examined as the pain was constant. When I was examined they said I was 4/5cm dilated so i got the gas and air. I had 2 contractions and shouted im pushing. 3 minutes later i had her! Spend a lot of time staring at her sleeping. Neither of us can believe she is here!

Aug 10th 2009

I am due 2 weeks tomorrow. We had the growth scans and were a little bit concerned with the babys growth as it slowed off for a bit but she is back on form now. I feel like the back end of a bus although everyone keeps telling me how small my bump is. I havent gained any weight. I was 115kg on my booking in appointment in January and at 35 weeks I weighed 106kg. The loss has slowed down but its still coming. Since going on maternity leave I have started swimming. We are going everyday for about an hour and walking everywhere.I feel so different and active even at 8 and a half months pregnant. Its incredible. I cant wait to have the baby then I can get into a proper exercise routine. At the minute its gentle swimming and lots of walking.

May 09

I am now 25 weeks pregnant. I have had a rough couple of months. My Vitamin B12, Zinc and Selenium levels have dropped below half what they should be and i feel like I have been floored. I have been falling asleep 2/3 times a day and sleeping all night. I have been a bit emotional and tearful. Other than this the pregnancy is going well. We found out that we are having a girl so we will have one of each which we are really happy about. She is really active and other than being very tired I am loving being pregnant.
I am so grateful to Mr Decadt at the Alexandra Hospital for giving me this chance to become pregnant. They have looked after me so well and continue to do so. Louise, the dietician, is lovely and has been really helpful. The only down side I am finding to the operation is that for all other aspects of my health and pregnancy no one is willing to take responsibility. I am in no mans land. My GP is referring everything to the consultant and the consultant is referring everything back to Mr Decadt who in turn is referring everything back to my GP. As I am the first bypass patient on my GPs books and the first pregnant Bypass patient for the consultant and also Mr Decadts first pregnant bypass patient everyone is at a loss of what to do and seems reluctant to make decisions. I need to start a course of vitamin B12 injections and while my GP says she is happy to give them to me she wants the consultant to agree to them. The consultant is saying she is happy for me to have them but wants verification from the surgeon and he is at a loss as he has already recommended them. One and a half month later I still haven't started them and no one is willing to be the one to say OK lets just do it.
Hopefully by the next time I update I will be awake for more than a few hours at a time!!

Feb 09

I had an appointnemt with the surgeon in December. Everything going well. I was being sick a bit more than usual but my weight hadnt dropped more than it should so they said to keep an eye on what I eat and see if its anything in particular that is making me sick and to make sure that I am chewing food properly. The dietitician thought I may be forgetting to chew properly and its taking longer to digest. I was down another 10kg to 121kg. I am chuffed to bits and they are happy with it as well so all going in the right direction. The sickness didnt go away and I realised I had missed a period. With trembling hands I did a pregnancy test. I almost dropped through the floor when it said positive! We steeled ourselves for the worst but to date I am 11 and a half weeks and am going for my dating scan on the 9th!! Shocked is not the word for it! We are absolutely over the moon now that the shock is starting to wear off. I contacted the surgeon and he says I should be OK. I have to have my bloods done regularly by my GP/Midwife and he will do them when I see him as well. I have been referred to consultant led care by the midwife but at the minute its all looking rosy. I will update you once I have seen the consultant etc but I am still losing weight. I was 114.5kg on my Midwife booking in appointment but I dont know what will happen as the pregnancy progresses but rest assured I will keep you posted!

3rd Sept 2008

I went back to the hospital on Monday for my first weigh in. I think I can honestly say I have never been as scared as I was when I was about to step on them scales! My weight was recorded as 147.4kg on the day of the op. I don't know where the discrepancy has come from but that is the weight they are going from. My new weight is 131.1kg. I am down 16.3kg in 8 weeks!! I am amazed. I have lost 36lbs!! The doctor and the dietician were extremely pleased with me saying i have exceeded their expectations by 9lbs.
I am chuffed to bits!

Weight on 7th July: 147.4 kg
Weight on 01 Sept: 131.1 kg
Total Loss to date: 16.3kg

28th July 2008

Had the op done on 7th July. No complications which is fantastic. I wasn't too well from the anaesthetic and didn't really regain full consciousness until early hours of tuesday morning. I was in and out and had a lot of nausea (not nice when it hurts to move!). I am proud of myself as I didn't need the morphine. I only used it late monday night when they tried to get me to have soluble co codamol and I refused as they make me sick. The night nurse said that I had to use the morphine as soon as I got a twinge as when the wind pains kicked in it wouldn't cover it. I used it 3 times in total but it was pointless. I didn't have any pain unless I moved and even when I did move it was bearable. I have to say at this point that Penny who worked days in intensive care is an absolute diamond. She was fantastic. I don't know what I would have done without her. I came home on the 8th July as once you are up and about there is little that they can do for you. Its up to you to keep mobile and get rid of the wind etc. I had a couple of rough days at home but luckily my boyfriend was on hand to help me up and down and make me drinks. After about 3 days I felt much better. Even though I have been a big woman I have always been active and walk everywhere but I am still amazed at how tired I get. I went to my sisters for a visit and was dropped off and collected but I was shattered when I got home.
I don't know how much I weight as the scales we have at home are geared for weights under 20 stone so when i get on them it gives me 3 different readings. My boyfriend says he is glad it isn't weighing me right as I am forever stepping on them and wondering what I now weigh. I am struggling with the foods now. I lived for about 1 and a half weeks on water and sugar free vimto as everything else made me feel rotten. I missed tasting things towards the end of the 2 weeks. I was told that I should aim to be eating 3 meals and 3 snacks whilst on the pureed stage (which I have just entered) but I am struggling to eat 3 times. I am averaging on a small dinner and small tea. Anything more than that sits heavy and makes me need to lie down. I haven't had dumping syndrome yet but am being really strict with foods. I have had a total of 3 skinny lattes with no sugar but can only manage about 2 cm down the cup before I have to walk away. I wont have normal tea or coffee as i don't like them without sugar so rather than have something I wont enjoy I'm just cutting them out. I was told to try custard and jelly and ice cream but they are rammed with sugar so am avoiding them. I'm even avoiding sugar free mousses as I know that they will probably go down ok and I don't want to rely on them. Its a slow process so I just have to keep with it.
One thing I will say to people who want this doing or who are having it done, be prepared for surgery. Everyone I have spoken to had this done out of choice to slim and seems to have bypassed the surgery stage. I don't feel like I was prepared for how I was going to feel. I haven't had an operation before so trotted off to theatre not knowing what to expect. Also my boyfriend was very upset on seeing me in intensive care wired up to machines and covered in blue dye. He felt the same as me, there was no warning of this. But on the upside other than the food thing I feel fine now.

Weight on 7th July: 146kg
Weight now: ? will let you know on 1st September!

11th June 2008

I have been for my appointment and I now have my date for my op. I have been booked in for 12 July but was told that there is a possibility I could have it done on the 7th. I am gob smacked. I am attending the hospital support group meeting on Wednesday next week at the doctors request. As its such a short space of time to the op he said he would prefer it if i went. I have to go back to speak to the dietician and he says she will run through the diet step by step. When I know more I will update you.

29th May 2008

I have finally received my funding! It took 6 weeks longer than they said it would but its here. I have been referred to The Alexandra Hospital to see the surgeon and they have agreed to meet the costs of the op. I still have a long way to go as it will be up to 18 weeks before i see the surgeon and then it can be anytime up to a year from now before i actually have the op but there really is light at the end of the tunnel. I really had pushed everything to the back of my mind and almost forgotten about it.
I have another appointment to see the endocrinologist again at the end of June but I may have to reschedule as I have just started a new job and am not sure how time off will work during my probationary period. I did not have a very comfortable appointment with him the last time. He prescribed me Rimonanbant which the other endocrinologist had refused to give me saying they were not allowed to prescribe them. I agreed to take them but he was awful with me. Said that I am not trying to lose weight and if I was I would not have gained the 6kg that I have. He said that if I don't lose weight on the Rimonanbant then it would prove I had not been trying and he wouldn't give them me again and hinted that it would affect my chances of getting the op. Needless to say I was rather upset when I left. He made a massive deal of saying he would only give me enough tablets to last the amount of days to my appointment again (28). I made the appointment only to receive a letter 4 days later saying I had to wait til june to see him again (3 months from original appointment). Its like the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing!!
I am on my way now. I feel like I have actually started the journey and have just been walking in circles on the starting line up til now!!
I will keep you posted, wish me luck!!

March 2008

Where do I start? So much has happened since I last updated. Not good things either. I got the appointment to see the dietician as the endocrinologist said I would. I was all geared up to go and discuss diet options for before and after the operation. I got there and was ushered into a small room and was introduced to a really nice lady. She spent about fifteen minutes introducing herself and describing her role etc and then said the words "but if you get the funding you wont see me again for 2 years". For a minute I sat there confused thinking why wont I see her for 2 years and why is she saying if I get the funding? When I mentioned this she looked at me like I was crazy and said that my funding rests on her report and will take about 4 weeks to come if they agree with her report then I would be referred to the surgeon. I told her there must be some mistake as I saw the surgeon in November but she shook her head and said she didn't know why I had seen a local surgeon as my operation would not be done here but in Manchester. Also the appointment would be within 18 weeks of being referred to him which in my case would most likely be end of April meaning before the end of August and from then the operation would be subject to his waiting list although it would have to be within 12 months of the date of referral so my op could now be anytime between now and next April. Gutted isn't the word to describe how I feel. Its been one cock up after another. I have been told different information at EVERY appointment I have had. It has really knocked me for six and I have been feeling quite down recently.
I have started taking Dianette as I really wasn't liking the Metformin but I may have to stop taking these as my appetite is unbearable. I am hungry all the time and I need to concentrate on losing weight or at the very least staying the same. Needless to say I am not a very happy bunny at the minute. I just feel like there is no one to talk to about the way I am being given bum information all the time. I am just told that they don't know why I have been told these things but each appointment brings the same things. Constant changes.

Weight: Don't know and don't want to know either!

Jan 2008

Christmas has been strange. I had the bad flu thing before christmas and I haven't been right since. Since I found out about the operation I planned to eat and drink what I wanted and not feel guilty one last time over Christmas. When it came to it I have been off everything. We bought all the usual goodies in and pledged to get them eaten and all start a new health drive in the new year but we faced new year with still half of them here as no one has eaten them! I have gone right off chocolate and haven't touched alcohol since the works Christmas party on the 21st December. I have struggled to take the metformin. I keep feeling dizzy and its worse when i take the metformin. I mentioned this to the endocrinologist but she said its probably a bug that's been going round and to keep taking them. I have to admit I am not taking them religiously as I cant handle the dizziness.
I saw the endocrinologist this week. I hadn't spoken to her before but she was really lovely. She has very clued up on this kind of surgery and has given me some good info to bring home and read. She has recommended a hospital website and also a post surgery web blog as well. I have been on them and they are good. Things changed in this appointment. She is dealing with the funding now, not my GP. She said that she has had lots of dealings with funding requests and will write for it personally. She says that the funding takes 4-6 weeks to come back. With my current BMI she is not expecting a negative answer. Shock is not the word to describe the emotion I felt when asking how long it would be before i have the operation and got told it would be 4-5 months tops! I have already been on the surgeons waiting list for 6 weeks now so she thinks that it wont be too long. She was going to speak the the surgeons team to find out where I am on the waiting list. I came out of there like a woman possessed making list after list of things we needed to do! I hadn't expected to be having the operation for months and months. To be honest I was expecting 12 mths plus (we all know what the NHS is like!). I realised that it was time to tell people. Work were not impressed at the statistic of 3-5 weeks off work. Mum took the news OK. Mum is one of those people who don't realise the implications of WLS. I was expecting her to keep saying stupid things about weight loss but she did actually listen to me and has since been on the phone to my sister saying that she didn't realise how much there was to think about and also that she didn't realise that it is major surgery. No one else knows. Work only know that i will be in hospital and not what for. I am not telling anyone else until I get a date for the operation.
The endocrinologist that I saw has asked me to help her with a trial they are doing at the minute. She has asked if I will have my blood done in the morning after fasting a couple of times. Apparently one of her colleagues is trying to identify if there is a high blood sugar level in people who have weight problems. Not high enough to be diabetic but higher than a normal level. I think she will contact me if the result is high for further tests. I shall update you when I know more.

Weight: 146.2 kg

December 2007

Well, the doctor has confirmed that I will be having a bypass operation. I am officially on his waiting list. I have to get my GP to lobby for the funding for the operation and unfortunately he is on holiday for a couple of weeks. I don't like his partner so I will have to wait until he returns.
He went into great detail about how death was a possibility as a result of the operation going wrong but he agreed that the pros very much outweigh the cons for me having this operation. I am still in shock. I don't know why. I guess its because it is actually real now. I have an appointment in January with my endocrinologist. She said that she would have any info that i would need once the surgeon had confirmed which operation I would be having.

October 2007

I have always been big. I was a chubby child. My weight varied in high school but i have never been thin. I think my smallest size has been a 14 when i was about 15/16 yrs old. When i fell pregnant at 18 my weight ballooned by 4 stone. I lost a little bit after I had my son by exercising and swimming but when he was 3 months old i fell pregnant again. I miscarried at 10 weeks. I don't think i ever got over it. After that and my weight slowly started to creep up. As my weight soared i got more and more depressed. When my son turned 2 I reached a point where i knew if i didn't do something to get myself out of the house i would end up never leaving so i got a job. If it wasn't for my job i think that i would have turned into a hermit. I still dread walking down the street because i know i am going to get the comments shouted at me from passing cars and vans and gangs of kids on street corners but i do it because i know i have to go to work.

Over the years I have tried diets. I have tried Xenical, Atkins, Slim Fast and various fad diets. The Xenical, Atkins and Slim Fast all had a fantastic start. I lost just over a stone for a couple of weeks then nothing. Absolutely nothing. I wrote a food diary with these as i knew everyone would be thinking that I had given up or cheated and everyone has said that they cant understand it. I have always had menstrual problems. I have been to the doctors multiple times about them but have always been told that there was nothing wrong with me and told to lose weight. Last year during a doctors appointment for something totally unrelated i was asked why i had chosen not to receive treatment for PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome. I had been to him with my menstrual problems the year before and they had taken blood to test my hormones. I called the surgery to see how they had come back and was told that they were fine. The doctor said that my results showed high testosterone levels and advised further testing. Sure enough after a scan i was diagnosed as having PCOS. This helped me understand the reason i was struggling to lose weight and why i had gained it so easily. My endocrinologist explained that PCOS can affect the body in a way that makes it put on weight very easily but makes it hard to lose it. Obviously the fact that I haven't followed a strict diet has put the weight on me. I felt relieved because for once someone actually accepted that i wasn't sat at home stuffing my face with pizza and takeaways all day everyday. The hard part was that it left me at square one. She said that she thought she would have expected a better reaction from my body to the Metformin that I was by this time taking but my weight hadn't changed a bit. I was admitted to hospital for test for Cushing's Disease as a precaution which came back negative.

The Endocrinologist advised that as my body isn't responding to the Metformin and I don't have Cushing's, the next step is Bariatric Surgery. I don't know if this is good or bad but if it helps me get rid of the weight its worth a try. I was told that it would take months for the PCT to grant funding but i have an appointment with a surgeon on the 22 November and i was told that i wouldn't see him until funding had been sorted. I'm very nervous about it. Only me and my partner know about it at the minute. I would rather not deal with family questions right now. My partner is great. he is very scared about the operation, especially after actually watching one on TV. He is worried about the consequences but I am waiting to see what the surgeon says. I have been told that he will advise me on what he thinks is the best operation for me. I will update soon!

Wish Me Luck!
Kate

Age: 28yrs
Current Weight: 136 kg (21.5 stone)
BMI: 53.1