I thought I was dying, I was having a heart attack... turns out I was so overweight I couldn’t catch my breath
HAVING LOST 9ST, RUTH TELLS HOW HER £6K ‘MUMMY MAKEOVER’ HAS TRANSFORMED HER LIFE
A WOMAN said she thought she was having a heart attack after gaining so much weight she lost her breath climbing up the stairs.
Ruth Geary, from Ashby, was 20st 5lb when she got the wake-up call about her weight.
The mum-of-three has now lost 9st 2lb in two years and has had a £6,000 makeover that included breast reduction surgery and a tummy tuck. She said she now feels “more sexy and confident”.
Ruth had struggled with her body image from a young age and had bulimia at the age of 16.
She said: “I had a separate dinner hour from my friends. I’d go after them and sit with the dinner lady. I’d always eat a jacket potato and a banana. She was there to make sure I was eating and not throwing up. I wasn’t bullied or anything, it was just a personal struggle.”
Her self-esteem took another hit when she was diagnosed with a hormonal condition in 2008, following the birth of her first daughter. Ruth was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that can cause infertility, weight gain and excess facial and body hair. Ruth went up a clothes size and found herself having to shave her face.
She said: “I was devastated. I already had such low self-esteem and then I started to grow all these hairs and was getting bigger and bigger. I was getting spots and hairs on my face.
“I was almost growing a beard and had to shave my face every day. I thought I looked like a bear.”
Ruth’s weight continued to creep up but soared after the birth of her youngest daughter, Mela, now eight.
The weight gain also caused her breasts to develop differently, with one side an F cup and the other a D.
Ruth was a size 24 when she decided to take drastic action, after finding herself struggling to breathe at home.
She said: “My doctor prescribed a drug that prevents around a third of the fat from food from being absorbed and helps obese people avoid gaining weight.”
She added: “One day I’d been running upstairs with a washing basket with clean washing to put away and when I got to the top, I’d felt dizzy and hot and like my heart was falling out of my chest.
“I dropped the basket. I thought I was dying, I thought I was having a heart attack. Instantly, I thought of my kids and I felt like I was leaving them.
“It was over in minutes, but it felt like hours. Turns out, I was so overweight, I couldn’t catch my breath going up the stairs.”
Ruth decided to cut out her regular chocolate treats and sugars in her 10 daily cups of coffee.
She became more active, committing to using her treadmill – even while watching her favourite shows – and going for walks and bike rides when she felt confident enough.
She said: “I decided that if I got to a certain point I would have surgery to remove all my excess skin, so I just focused on portion control. At Tesco, I’d park the furthest away I could, so I could get more steps in and I’d only watch my favourite Netflix shows if I was on the treadmill. I really embraced the change.
It gave me something to focus on.”
Her commitment paid off and by March this year, Ruth weighed just 11st 12lb.
That month, she flew out to Irmet Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, for surgery, including a fleur de lys (FDL) tummy tuck, which removes significant excess skin from the entire midsection, a breast uplift, implants and a reduction.
With support from her mum, who “knew how much it was affecting her”, Ruth sold her mum’s caravan to help pay for the surgery.
“I had a mummy makeover – the term for having all of the different operations in one go. I was quite scared but excited about it and it all went brilliantly.
“Bra shopping was a nightmare before, as I’d either have to buy a bra that fit the big breast and the small cup would just be empty, or find one for the small one and the big one would spill over the top. Now I can buy bras that fit.”
She added that as well as helping her to be more confident, the mum’s transformation has improved her relationship with her children. She said: “Losing weight was so important because I could finally go on the swings with my children.
“I can go on the zipwire with them. I would never have entertained that at 20 stone. I can even jump on the trampoline with them now. I feel like I’m more present in their lives than ever before.”
Ruth said: “Losing weight has improved my life in every way and I would urge anyone in my position to take action, see their doctor and get all the help available to tackle their weight.”
I had a mummy makeover – the term for having all of the different operations in one go
Ruth Geary