“A gastric band nearly killed me – so I lost 9st the hard way!”
After a weight-loss op left her in agony and barely able to eat, Danielle Halfpenny had her band removed. She now has her dream body, thanks to willpower alone
When Danielle Halfpenny W had a gastric band fitted, she dreamed of getting slender thighs and a toned tummy. But the botched operation left the mum-of-one in crippling pain and scared to eat. Fearing for her life, she even suffered panic attacks.
Three years later, the band was finally removed, and with a new lease of life, Danielle was determined to lose weight herself. Now, she’s gone from a size 26 to a size 10, losing an incredible 9st 2lbs, and is relieved her ordeal is over.
UNBEARABLE
Danielle, 34, who now weighs 9st 12lbs, says, “The gastric band made me miserable. The surgery works by placing a band around the stomach, creating a small pouch at the top – it takes less food to fill the pouch, so you feel fuller quicker, and then it slowly moves through the rest of the stomach and digestive system.
“But food would get stuck in the top part of my stomach and the pain was unbearable. I’d be bent over double, coughing and trying to get the food out. I became scared to eat and had panic attacks, too. I was convinced my stomach was going to rupture and kill me. It was terrifying.
“When I finally had the band removed, I felt so lucky to be alive that I was determined to lose the weight myself. Within a year, I’d lost over 9st. It took a lot of work, but I look – and feel – better than ever.”
Danielle, from Stockport, had been overweight since she left home, aged 21. She recalls, “When I moved out, I lived off oven chips and chicken nug nuggets and ordered takeaways three times a week.
“I never exercised and, after I had my son, Corben, in March 2011, my diet got worse. I was so busy I’d just snack on crisps and chocolate all day.
“I’d get breathless just walking him to school and a routine blood test showed that my cholesterol levels had sky-rocketed. I lived in baggy tops and leggings and avoid the mirror. I also hated having my photograph taken.
“I reached 19st and was wearing a size 26 – far too big for my 5ft 5 frame. I joined slimming clubs and tried fad diets, but I never had the willpower to stick to anything.”
As her desperation grew, Danielle – who worked as a finance manager – began researching weight-loss surgery.
She says, “I felt I had no other options. So I went online and found a reputable clinic that would do the surgery – as well as three years of aftercare – for £5,000. I used all my savings, but I was certain it would be worth it.”
Danielle had her gastric band fitted in January 2014. After the operation, she followed a strict liquid diet to allow her body to heal and was losing 1lb per day – a normal weight loss post-surgery.
PANIC ATTACKS
She said, “At first, I was thrilled with the results. But five weeks after the surgery, I began eating solid food and that’s when I started experiencing pain.
“If the food got stuck, it was agonising. I’d retch, foam at the mouth, and be bent over in pain.
“It happened so often – no matter what I ate – that I became terrified of eating.”
Six months after Danielle’s surgery, she was 4st lighter, but then the private clinic went into administration – meaning she was left with no after-care.
She explains, “Suddenly, I had no one to turn to and, because I’d gone private, I didn’t think an NHS doctor would help me.
“I thought that I’d just have to learn to live with it, but it was awful. I worried that my stomach would burst due to
❛ IF FOOD GOT STUCK I’D RETCH, FOAM AT THE MOUTH AND BE BENT OVER IN AGONY ❜
the trapped food, and that it would kill me. I had panic attacks at the thought of leaving my son without a mother.
“I even started putting back on the weight I’d lost because I was too stressed to think about healthy eating. My portions might have been smaller, but they were still calorific, and I was able to stretch my stomach, too.”
Then, in December 2016, food got trapped in Danielle’s stomach and she was left in so much pain that she was forced to call 999.
DIET & EXERCISE
Danielle recalls, “Thankfully, by the time the paramedics came, the food had moved through my system, but it was a terrifying experience.
“It was then that I knew I had to get the gastric band removed and, as soon as I told my GP what had been happening, he agreed.
“It was removed in May 2017 and, thankfully, the operation was a success. Medics told me my band hadn’t been fitted correctly, which was causing my painful symptoms.
“It was such a relief to be OK, but I quickly went back to my old habits – eating takeaways, chocolate and crisps whenever I wanted. Soon, I was just as big as I’d been before the surgery.”
Still desperate to get her dream body, in December 2017 Danielle’s keep-fit enthusiast mum, Jaki, 60, offered to buy her personal training sessions.
Danielle says, “My mum is a fitness fanatic – she’d always wanted me to lose weight through diet and exercise rather than having a gastric band fitted. So, when she offered to get me a session with a personal trainer, I agreed.
“Going to the gym was so nerve-racking. I thought people would stare and judge, but my personal trainer was really supportive. He showed me how to use the scary-looking machines, giving me a routine to follow, and we spoke about nutrition, too. I swapped takeaways for healthy stir-fries and chicken stews. And rather than snacking on crisps, I’d have popcorn or nuts.
HUGE ACHIEVEMENT
“It took a lot of work, but when I started losing weight – around 2lbs a week – it was such a huge achievement. And I soon learned to love exercise, going for runs with my mum too.”
After a year, Danielle’s weight had dropped to a healthy 9st 12lbs.
She says, “I couldn’t believe that, after going through so much, I had lost almost half of my body weight within 12 months.
“I don’t judge anyone for getting weight-loss surgery, but it’s a huge achievement to know I lost the weight the hard way. I wish I’d never bothered with the band.
“My life is so much better now. I can wear slim-fitting clothes and run around with my son without getting out of breath.
“My weight loss journey has been a roller coaster, but I’m so proud of myself.”