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Michelle

Hi I’m Michelle, a 50 year old from Birmingham. I have struggled with my weight from the age of 18 and it has really affected my confidence and I dreaded the thought of bumping into a friend or seeing someone who had not seen me for a while. During the first COVID lockdown, I put on so much weight and my confidence hit an all-time low!

After doing my homework, I made the big step of contacting Gastric Balloon Group and I can honestly say this was the best thing I have ever done!

I have struggled with my weight from around the age of 18, I then went on to have a baby at the age of 27 and I don’t really think I have ever managed to lose thr weight and over the years my weight has just increaed. My weight has really affected my confidence and I dreaded the thought of bumping into a friend or going out and seeing someone who had not seen me for a while, as I thought they would think ‘gosh look how much weight Michelle has put on’ and I already knew that but just couldn’t lose it. I have tried so many slimming clubs over the years and have lost weight and then stopped going and then put the weight plus more back on.

Weight lost: 2st 7lbs

During the first COVID lockdown in March 2019, I put on so much weight and my confidence hit an all time low and I heard about the gastric balloon. I did my homework and joined forums before I made the big step and called Gastric Balloon Group. I can honestly say this was the best thing I have ever done; everyone was so helpful and gave me lots of information and talked to me about the balloon without giving me the ‘hard sell’. I did call up a few times and asked more questions and everyone was so friendly and helpful. I discussed it with my husband and family and made the decision to go ahead with the balloon.

I had the 6 month BIB balloon and I can honestly say it has changed my life – I feel like the old Michelle when I was young and slimmer! I have so much energy and confidence now and just want to be able to wear some nice clothes and go out and let all my friends see me. I have so many clothes which have been sitting in my wardrobe for such a long time and I keep thinking I will get into them and every change of season I put them away and think I will get into them next year … and this has gone on for years but now I can fit in all my clothes, in fact some of them are too big!

My whole experience from calling up the Gastric Balloon Group for information, to having the balloon inserted and the aftercare has been second to none! I did not have any side effects to the balloon at all, I have never experienced any sickness from when the balloon was inserted. I have lived with the balloon for 6 months and have lost nearly 3 stone (5 lbs off to date) and still have one month left of the balloon before it is removed.

I think the only regret I have about the balloon is that I should have had the 12-month Orbera365 balloon as it works for me; I forget that it’s there and it does what it was put in to do.

I am dreading having the balloon taken out. I feel like I am leaving a friend behind, but it has taught me a lot about my relationship with food and taught me about my portion control and to think before I eat and ask myself “Am I really hungry?”. Thanks to the balloon I can start enjoying and living my life to the maximum once again, I have recently turned 50 and all I can say is life really does begin at 50 thanks to Gastric Balloon Group!