"positive effect of my gastric bypass funded by the NHS "

My weight problem started to creep up after the death of a good friend and my beloved Grandmother. At about 26 I crept up to a size 14-16, then I met my husband at 29 by then I was a 16-18, we married and carried on with life working, socialising etc, trying every diet under the sun and at the time I smoked about 20-30 ciggies a day.

Then we decided to try for a baby in June 2006 by September 2006 I was 9 weeks pregnant, on finding out the good news I stopped smoking straight away.

After having my beautiful daughter I did start to loose the weight then it started to creep on again, once again fad diets, over the counter slimming products, I even debated starting to smoke again, but did I want to pass that habit to my daughter? No, but I was starting to pass on bad body issues to her, is it a good thing for a child to grow up watching her mum dispair over her weight?

Over the next year like everyone else my husbands work was not doing well financially we were struggling, I had gone back to work but only cause I had to by this point because of my weight work was the only place I would go.

I would go to the play area maybe, but that was getting harder as my daughter was getting more mobile, she wanted me to go on the slide with her but I could not fit through to get to the top, walks to the park were great but my knees would swell and hurt all night and I was having sleep trouble by then anyway.

After being prescribed slimming pills (which have recently been banned) and loosing a little then gaining even more than what I started at, I really started to think at 35 this was it. You kind of get where your to embarrassed to go to the gym or swimming or it just hurts to much and yes I have a loving supportive husband and a healthy beautiful little girl and should be grateful and should of had the willpower to loose weight for them, I gave up the fags, but I just could not beat the weight, in the end your so big you think well whats the point in trying.

Then after yet another weigh in where once again I had gained, even after following a diet and excercising regular, I discussed the possibilities of surgery with the nurse. After thinking about it and contacting some other people who had 'been under the knife' I decided it was the right thing for me.

After lots of meetings, appointments and even a sleep study I was accepted to have a gastric bypass funded by the NHS my weight was 18 stone 6 pound and I had a BMI of 43.

The operation was a huge step, I had a young child what if I died and she grew up thinking she had no mum because food was more important than her, or her mum was too fat and lazy to loose weight.

I had the op on 25th April 2009 everything was fine and it went without any complications.

I am writing this today 26th February 2010 now weighing 11 stone and a size 12, which is great to look at, but I wish people could see the positive effects inside and the positive effects on family life.

My marriage is now stronger than ever, bad things still happen but I cope in a much better way, we eat better, we do more energetic things as a family and I can go on that slide with my daughter, I went for a different job and got it, a job I love, I sleep better, my knees don't hurt, I feel as healthy and as energetic as I felt at 21 the diiference now is I am healthier as I don't smoke and rarely drink, I could go on and on.

I know alot of people won't agree with me getting the operation funded, but the spiral effects of a weight problem cost alot of money, I feel sure I would now be, on anti-depressants, divorced, not working, having worsening on- going joint problems and the possibility of diabetes etc, thats not even considering the effect all of the above would of had on my daughter. She now enjoys a healthy lifestyle as normal, my husband has even lost a bit of weight.

To up the criteria to have a BMI of 50 does not make sense, will people not just make sure they get to that by doing more damage and creating more of a risk whilst the operation is taking place?

I know there are arguments for and against and it boils down to doing to little and eating too much, please don't judge me, just consider the positive effects it has had on not just me, but my daughter she is the future and now her way of life will be alot healthier and it will be just that 'a way of life'.

I don't know the people who made the decision that I could have a gastric bypass funded, I would love to meet them and tell them face to face how they saved my family life, my marriage and me, I am so grateful I could never put it into words and I would never abuse the chance I have been given in anyway shape or form.

So looking at the evidence of a success story, although it is a huge amount of money, does the cost of a bypass out weigh a persons happiness, long term health, and a future generation?