BYNUALA MCALOON
Anthony McCormack from Lisnaskea has successfully undergone life-changing weight loss surgery to remove half his stomach.
The 45-year-old who weighs in at 35-stone and is clinically described as morbid obese, returned from Liverpool on Sunday night after having bariatric surgery at the Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Wirral on Tuesday last, 5th February.
"It was a good success," Anthony explained. "I was the first of three to have the operation done on Tuesday. It was a normal procedure in that they took me down, talked me through it, and then I was washed and prepared. The last thing I remember is the gas mask going over my nose before I woke up again at 10 that night."
The operation Anthony had is known as a Biliopancreatic Diversion/Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS) procedure. The BPD/DS combines restrictive and malabsorptive elements to achieve and maintain the best reported long-term percentage of excess weight loss among modern weight-loss surgery procedures.
The procedure includes a partial gastrectomy, which reduces the stomach, effectively restricting its capacity while maintaining its normal functions.
The operation wasn't without its complications however, for after taking a reaction to the morphine, Anthony was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital for three days.
Despite being confined to a high dependency unit, Anthony still had to make sure he got up and walked and did a number of breathing exercises to ensure no further complications.
Such was the extent of the procedure, he had five keyholes for the surgery and now has 18 staples between them, not to mention the staples he has in his stomach where it was reduced.
"Now I am very, very sore, I'm in a lot of pain. I was told by the doctors that when I woke up I would feel like I was hit by a bus, and that's exactly how I feel."
Since the operation, Anthony has to eat eight pureed meals a day, that equating to four tablespoons every meal time.
"I started on eight meals on Wednesday, the day after the operation, so I'm having things like pureed porridge for breakfast, pureed yoghurt, pureed roast dinner, pureed fruit and vegetables. "But, so far, I haven't felt hungry at all, but you're not meant to. And, you can drink as many liquids as you want."
As well as walking and breathing exercises, Anthony has to inject himself with a syringe every day to prevent his blood from clotting.
He returns to Liverpool on 11th April for a check-up and, in 12 months' time, he will undergo the second half of his surgery where, instead of the food reaching the stomach, it will be bypassed to the intestine.
"When I was over there", he said, " I met a chap from South East England who was back for the second part of his surgery. He lost nine and a half stone in eight months, so he was back before the year was up. When you stop losing the weight rapidly, you reach a plateau, so that's why you go back for the second part."
Before returning for his check-up, there are three stages Anthony must follow.
"I will be on pureed foods for four weeks before moving on to bruised or broken down foods for the next three weeks.
"And, in the final stage I will be back to solids, but will only be able to eat small amounts. I can hope to lose about a stone a month."
Despite his current discomfort, Anthony is more than ready to challenge the pain barrier in the hope of a long-term healthier lifestyle.
His obesity had instigated a number of problems over the years, including depression and sleep apoena syndrome which promotes the sensation to stop breathing
He also suffers from high blood pressure and sore joints.
"I have no regrets at all, this is a change for the better.", he added.
