Jordan

Jordan’s story

Jordan (49) was a serial dieter and struggled with her constantly fluctuating weight. In 2007 she was 36 years old, but with her 40^th birthday in sight, she knew she wanted to make big changes. An advert caught her eye and led her to contact The Hospital Group.

She says, “At this point in my life, I was just under 21 stone and wore a size 24 dress. As you can imagine, there wasn’t very much choice for a woman of that size, so my wardrobe was full of black and brown and a lot of baggy t-shirts - anything that wouldn’t attract attention.

“I hated the way people treated me and all of the horrible remarks and jokes that were made at my expense, but the real turning point was when I realised how it was affecting my children. My son came home from school one day really upset, because one of his friends had commented on my weight. It was then that I decided I had to do something drastic.”

Jordan had a weight loss consultation with The Hospital Group, and after many discussions, she booked in for a gastric band procedure. Within two weeks of having surgery she had almost completely recovered and had already started to see the weight fall off. She smiles, “Every six to eight weeks, I was losing a stone.” In total, she lost an amazing 12 stone.

“My dream was to fit into a size 16,” Jordan said. “But I had actually managed to slim down to a size 10-12, and I couldn’t believe it. The weight was naturally falling off and at one point I was a size six, but I was keeping in touch with my surgeon and he advised that being so thin wasn’t healthy and it wasn’t realistic to remain that size.”

Delighted with her new life, Jordan was able to enjoy spending time with her young kids. However, following her dramatic weight loss, she had lost her bust.

She adds, “Yes, the weight I’d desperately wanted to lose had gone, but I still wasn’t completely happy because my boobs had suffered and losing weight hadn’t been my end goal. Ideally, I wanted to get implants and an uplift at the same time, but my surgeon advised against it, so in 2018 I went to Burcot Hall Hospital for a breast lift. The following year, I scheduled in surgery to get implants.”

After her breast enhancement surgery, Jordan had one final wish – to undergo a tummy tuck, so that she could finally have the body she dreamed of.

“In September of this year I had a tummy tuck and, having recovered well, I’m now thrilled with the results. At the start of this journey I would never have believed that I’d be 10 stone,” she says. “It’s been a long journey, but the end result has been more than worth it. For anyone thinking of surgery, I would tell them not to hesitate. It’ll change your life for the better. It is a journey, though, so you should prepare for further surgeries after your gastric band. It’s a big decision.”

2021 will be an exciting one for Jordan and her family, because she’s set to marry her childhood sweetheart and she’ll be celebrating her 50^th birthday in April.

“I had my surgeries at the perfect time - my husband and I will hopefully be flying to Jamaica to get married, and I’m reaching the next big birthday milestone. There’s lots to be happy about. I can’t wait to try on wedding dresses that I love, instead of wearing something I don’t because it hides my size.

“Being on a beach in a bikini is also something I never thought I’d be able to do,” she adds.

The health benefits from weight loss surgery have also changed Jordan’s life. She lives with fibromyalgia, and being overweight only made her condition worse.

“I was constantly in pain, but since having my surgeries and losing weight, in the last ten years I’ve only had three bad bouts, compared to the daily pain I was used to living with. I honestly couldn’t be happier. I can’t fault The Hospital Group at all. All of my doctors were brilliant throughout my entire journey - they really got to know me, and I trusted them entirely.

“I’m a completely different person. I was at a school reunion and old schoolmates couldn’t believe it was me. Everyone has noticed how much I’ve changed - not just my shape, but also how happy I am these days.”