The 44-year-old originally weighed 19st 5lbs, but has shrunk down to 10st 2lbs.
“I’ve struggled with my weight for a long time and it’s affected many different parts of my life,” said Vicky, from Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
“When I was at my heaviest, I had really low self-esteem; I would avoid going out and I hated shopping because I never thought I looked good in anything.”
Vicky had planned to marry her long-term partner, Philip, for the past 13 years, but she kept putting it off because she didn’t want people to look at her.
The mum-of-two hasn’t always been big; she used to ride horses and enjoyed being an active person.
Yet, health problems meant Vicky was on a concoction of prescribed steroids, immunosuppressants, and pain relief medication.
Then there were the six miscarriages across a number of years and the neonatal death of her son in 2018, so Vicky turned to food for comfort.
Exasperated about her growing waistline, Vicky sought support from her doctor to get the green light for weight loss surgery on the NHS.
There was only one problem – Vicky would have to wait many years on the waiting list.
Taking control of her weight, Vicky researched private clinics when she came across Weight Loss Riga in Latvia.
After joining their dedicated Facebook group, Vicky decided to undergo a mini gastric bypass in April 2022.
Vicky said: “The difference between me now and me before the surgery is like night and day.
“I had a renewed vigour for life… and I can finally look forward to my wedding, which I’m incredibly excited for.”
Dr Maksims Mukans, leading bariatric surgeon at Weight Loss Riga, explained how a gastric bypass helps a person lose weight.
The surgery requires making the stomach smaller, so patients are unable to eat as much as they normally would.
“Our patients receive extensive support after their procedure, including nutritional guidance if required,” said Dr Mukans.
“And we empower them to make positive changes to their lifestyles.”
