MUM’S GASTRIC BAND HORROR
Emma ‘could have died’ from stomach infection
WHEN Emma Dowling suffered with postnatal depression following the birth of her first child, she turned to food for comfort. She piled on the pounds and suffered a number of health problems, including being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
In a last-ditch attempt to improve her health, she opted to pay £5,500 to have a gastric band fitted.
The procedure went disastrously wrong and ended up almost killing her five years later.
Emma, from Nantymoel, near Bridgend, said she first began experiencing problems with her weight 15 years ago.
“After the birth of my first child, Bailey, I felt completely numb,” she said. “I was just in a really bad place and felt really low all the time. “I lost my selfesteem, my identity and my only comfort was food.” The 40-year-old said she would eat “huge” meal portions and snack on chocolate and crisps throughout the day. “I thought food was my best friend, but in reality it was my worst enemy,” she said. “I felt really ashamed of myself and I would hide my eati ng from my friends and family.”
Emma developed a number of serious health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure and poor mobility.
At her worst she ballooned to 20 stone – almost double her weight before she fell pregnant.
When she was offered a gastric band by a private hospital in England in 2009, she jumped at the chance.
“I took tablets, drank shakes – you name it, I tried it,” she said.
“So when I heard about a gastric band I thought I needed to give it a go as a last resort.”
About 12 months after the birth of her second child Mackenzie she went across the border for the operation.
Gastric band surgery involves placing an adjustable band around the top of the stomach to make the patient eat less and feel full more quickly.
Emma said it ended up ruining her life. It left her only able to stomach ice cream, crisps and cakes.
“I was on a liquid diet for two weeks after the operation. I could only have really thin soups before I was introduced to more lumpy food,” she said.
“It was horrendous. I would vomit after every meal and I could never go out and eat with my family. It ruined my life.
“I couldn’t eat fruit or vegetables because their density was too high and they couldn’t pass through the band.
“I could, however, eat through a multi pack of crisps or ice cream. So I didn’t end up losing any weight at all.”
Emma, who then became pregnant with her third child, said her diabetes went “through the roof” and led to her suffering with low bone density and pernicious anaemia.
She said she spent a “vast amount of time” in hospital and d saw a number of specialists in an n attempt to correct herr poor immune system.
After five years off suffering she went too the Princess of f Wales Hospital A&EE unit to have the e band removed.
“I could have the band tightened or loosened, and because I was experiencing so many problems I decided to o loosen it as s much as pos- sible,” she e added. “But I was still getting terrible stomach problems and constant heartburn. I thought my chest was going to cave in.
“Doctors X-rayed my stomach and saw the band had slipped down.
“I was starved for two weeks in hospital and I was only allowed water.
“They later found out that the band had ‘migrated’ into my stomach. My stomach was completely infected. I could have died.”
Emma needed an emergency operation to remove the band – and the procedure was deemed a success, much to Emma’s relief.
“I was offered a gastric sleeve instead, which I straight away refused.”
She decided not to pursue any legal action against the hospital and instead blamed it on the general dangers of having the gastric band fitted.
After much soul-searching, she decided to pluck up the courage to join a slimming group in Treherbert, Rhondda.
“I knew I had to look for a healthy lifestyle instead of the ‘quick fix’ of a gastric band, and I’d heard a lot about food optimising so I decided to give Slimming World a go.
“I was really scared. I think I drove past the venue three times before I plucked up the courage to go in.”
Since joining the group in 2014 she has now dropped to just 10st.
“The support has been unbelievable. My diabetes has completely gone and I haven’t experienced any depression in the past three years.”
Her weight-loss journey was deemed so successful that she has now set up her own group in Pontycymmer – and it has more than 100 members.
It takes place at the Vetz function room, Pontycymmer, Bridgend, every Wednesday between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.