Craig’s Story

Hi My name is Craig I am 35 years old and this is my story.

I have been overweight since I was 19 years old, Although I never thought it was so noticeable, people are always so careful with what they say to you, especially when it concerns the way you look.
I always knew I was not the fittest guy around, but never realized I had grown so big…!

It was not until Valentine’s day 2007 when having a romantic dinner with my wife Amanda, when a really fat guy was dancing with his wife and I commented to Amanda ” why would you get up and dance in front of everybody if you where so overweight” her response was this ” Honey I think it is time you had a look in the mirror because that guy is half your size” My ego was crushed , but it certainly made me take notice.

I now knew I had to do something ! Not only had I put on so much weight but I had developed an umbilical hernia and when I went to the doctor to find out how it could be fixed, I was faced with not only a medical problem that needed attention, But the news that I was actually too heavy to have the problem rectified, turns out my wife was right…!

You see the hospital had a surgery weight limit of 140kg and I now graced the scales at 146kg ( what a shock )

The Specialist asked me if I had ever considered weight loss surgery, I genuinely thought he was pulling my leg , No way was I a candidate for weight loss surgery..!

Well, it turns out I was regarded as morbidly obese with a BMI ( body mass index ) of 46.

I was running the risk of extreme health problems in the future , if not already.

I looked at my options and decided that in order to fix my umbilical hernia I would have to have weight loss surgery.

I decided on a sleeve Gastrectomy rather than lap-banding, mainly because it suited my physical lifestyle better.

I had the procedure in May 2007 at Mounts Bay Hospital under Surgeon Dr. Gordon Padovan.

I weighed 146kg at the time.

The operation was easier than I expected and I was out of hospital within a few days.

The first couple of weeks were a little awkward, getting used to the idea of not feeling the need to eat, especially when your entire life revolved around your next meal, it was easier than expected because by the time I had realized I was already on the weight loss road to recovery.

I learned to appreciate food again and not feel the need to eat for the sake of eating.

I am now almost 2 years into my operation, have lost 60 kilograms and have never felt better ( with absolutely no regrets ).

My eating habits have been changed by this operation but not destroyed.

I can still enjoy my food , although my body will no longer let me abuse it.

I am healthier , happier and would recommend this procedure to anyone else in my position.

I could not be happier with my decision to have this operation and I am more than happy to share my experience with anyone considering this operation in the future.

It has completely changed my life , my health, and my plans for the future as I now feel Healthy enough to have one….!

Yours sincerely

Craig