Hi Ali, I did my tier 3 with Addenbrookes. One of the biggest highlights of my journey from start to finish was all the team treated me with sympathy and respect and understood where I was coming from. I am sure that so many of you have in the past been treated the same by any doctor when visiting for any other reason, I was belittled and humiliated for being overweight being told that was the reason I was ill and was always told to go on a diet. To find someone who would listen and understand our obesity was a godsend and I will be forever grateful. I too had to carry out the six month programme. I was told to have 5 pints , of semi-skimmed milk per day plus an OXO cube. I could only manage 4 pints (this included some of my quota being used to make desserts or something more solid than milk with sugar free jellies), the OXO I had in two portions as it was too strong, that was the bit I found the most difficult, I did enquire what it was for and was told it was for the salt content. It was not until the end of that 8 weeks I asked if instead we could have a salt tablet and was told that I could, I would have much preferred that. As far as the milk diet is concerned it was the easiest eating plan I have been on, ever. Like you the next eight weeks I had to have milk and food (recipes of low calorie meals were provided and i found them excellent) for the last 8 weeks it was food only. I lost a total of 4.5 stone. I can't praise the staff enough, all of them were so pleasant when I had to visit and be weighed every two weeks. I was also put on Orlistat, it didn't help as keeping to the diet they gave me I did not have the excess fat in my body, I was also asked to inject myself in my tummy every day to reduce the sugar my body made, mainly because I had type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, at that time Addenbrookes did not carry out bariatric surgery but were thinking of doing it in the future, please tell me if they are now doing it. I had to choose a hospital and it was between UCLH in London or Luton & Dunstable. Not being keen on London and no parking available at UCLH, was not an option as I was unable to walk, so Luton it was. I had to reapply for funding again to go to Luton, which thankfully was agreed. I was also worried that having lost so much weight I would not be accepted for surgery. I started at 31 stone, lost six stone before surgery. I finished at Addenbrookes end of September 2014, first appointment with Luton in November, surgery in April 2015, after having a number of appointments with them. I put on a lot of weight over Christmas, enjoyed my last Christmas being obese, but had lost it within the next month. Luton were happy that I had control of my eating. The team at Luton were also exceptional, this was my view.
I am nearly two years post op and 11stone down, stalling at the moment. I am OK with that. Losing this weight has given me my independence back, I was so reliant on my husband for almost everything, I am walking instead of using a mobility scooter, however not back to full health due to problems with arthritis in my spine, legs and feet. This journey has not been easy, it is not an easy option out as so many thinner people think, I can assure you. I often wonder whether I would go through all of this again, the milk diet was so easy for me to stick to, I think perhaps that would have been the better option. Then I come back down to reality and realise I have got my life back albeit it limited and I am now looking forward to losing a bit more, another five stone perhaps. I do worry about the loose skin, but as my husband said you are better off being mobile with empty skin than not being able to walk with full skin.
I am off my blood pressure tablets, reduced my diabetes tablets by half and feel a lot better in myself. I have had to learn to eat again, that has been hard. I also miss being able to have a good swig of water, I can only sip and I love my water, would I do it all again, yes I would, I am looking forward to the rest of my life, one day I will be able to walk into Matalans and buy something off the shelf.
Good luck with the rest of your journey.
Sorry for the long post, I read more on here than I write, but felt I had to reassure you that you are on the right path having being with Addenbrookes myself.
