Hi, my name is Diane Tatcher and I live in Birmingham.

I began putting on weight as soon as I started taking medication for my asthma. I had never been really thin, but to put on 5 stone in 1 year!!

I was so fed up …… and my love life suffered a great deal. And as is often the case in such a situation, you eat and eat and soon find yourself grossly overweight.

Of course, as you can imagine, I visited a number of specialists – without success. All the drugs they prescribed were only serving to damage my health. Sometimes, yes, I did lose weight, but it was not without a lot of side effects: I was extremely nervous, I couldn’t sleep at night, I had palpitations and my hands were always sweaty.

One day I watched a television programme about the LAP – BAND procedure.

There was a secretary in a solicitor’s office in London who had had the operation and who had lost 7 stone in 1 year with this method.

She looked so happy and self-confident!

I telephoned the television channel to get the contact details and called her the day after.

She recommended the ELYZEA CLINIC in Belgium as the surgeon who performed the Lap-Band procedure there was one of the best specialists in the world, and on top of that the prices in Belgium were much lower than in the UK.

I had the Lap-Band procedure on the 17 th of April 2003.

By April 2004, I had lost 7 stone !!!

I had been hoping for a size 10, or anything without an ‘X’ on the label. I got much more than I had ever dared to hope for and, most importantly, I got my life back!!!

All the staff at ELYZEA were fantastic! The aftercare was given in England and I was seen again 3 times by the surgeon.

Since April 2004, my weight has stayed the same. I haven’t put on a single gram.

Of course, I’m very careful about what I eat, but since the Lap-Band was fitted, I’ve been eating everything I want and have never dieted in any way!

As far as my love life is concerned, I can say that there too, it couldn’t be better. I met someone, an interior designer, when I was already part way through my treatment and still weighed 13 stone. He has supported me all the way and his sister is also going to have the Lap-Band procedure at ELYZEA in Belgium in May!

She’s only got 4 stone to lose, but because she’s not been able to do it on her own, I advised her to have the operation!

And I am sure that she will be as happy as I am today with my 10 stone!

Fond regards

Diane

Banded : April 17 2003 at the ELYZEA WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY CLINIC in BRUSSELS

DIANE AFTER GASTRIC BANDING !!