"At 24 Stone and a BMI of 56, I Had to Stay Awake During Surgery – It Changed My Life Forever!"

SQUASHED into a hospital chair, my heart sank as the reality of the surgeon’s words hit home.

“I’m sorry, we cannot do the tennis elbow surgery under general anaesthetic; your BMI is just too high,” he said.

Before Katie Bailey’s incredible weight loss, she was forced to stay awake during surgery for her tennis elbow as she was too heavy Credit: David Cummings At 5ft3, 23st and a size 26 – there were serious implications for Katie’s health Credit: Supplied

Utterly deflated, tears stung my eyes.

I had been overweight since the age of 16, but with my BMI at 56, which is classified as , there were now serious implications for my health.

A week later, I was forced to endure the surgery under local anaesthetic, meaning I was fully alert for the 45-minute procedure.

It was so grim, I started hearing things like my bone being cut into, whether it was in my head or not, and knew that while fully alert, one turn of my head would mean I could see the bone through my flesh.

At 5ft3, 23st and a size 26, I had tried every diet possible, but this medical embarrassment in December 2019 made me realise weight loss surgery was the only answer.

My battle with my weight started aged 16, when I hit 16st and a size 16, I realised I was becoming bigger than my peers.

Walking past a shop, I couldn’t stop myself from buying two of my favourite and eating them both instantly.

This binge eating continued into my twenties, by which time I was eating five Dairy Milks a day and would have a McDonald’s Happy Meal – with nine extra nuggets- twice a week.

This high-calorie lunch would give me such a sugar crash, and I’d graze on crisps and Dairy Milk later. I was consuming an extra 1250 calories daily – just shy of the NHS’s recommended 2000 calorie intake for women

Yet my size and didn’t stop me marrying my childhood sweetheart aged 22. After we had our first child a year later, my weight ballooned to 19st.

I loved becoming a mum to James, now 21, but I was so busy in the trenches of parenting I used my five-chocolate-bar habit to get me through the night feeds.

As my baby grew and I fed him a healthy diet packed with fruit and veg, I started eating chocolate in my car, as I didn’t want him to think his mum couldn’t control what she eats.

When I was 27, my relationship with James’s dad ended, and a year later I fell in love with Paul Bailey, now 47, the owner of a flooring company.

Between my split and meeting Paul, I did the Herbalife diet before and had shrunk from 20st to 17st, but like most diets it was unsustainable in the long term and months later I was 20st again.

When our longed-for daughter Sienna, now 16, was born in February 2010, thankfully with no health problems, my poor eating cycle continued.

Blissfully happy together, he loved me just the way I was, and we had a lovely relationship with lots of intimacy.

When he asked me to marry him in 2014, I was delighted, and on our wedding day the fact my dress was a size 20 was buried at the back of my mind.

But my weight was causing me to live my life at half speed.

At 24st, and a size 26, research pointed to a gastric sleeve as Katie’s best option Credit: Supplied This surgery removed about 75 per cent of Katie’s stomach Credit: Supplied

I loved musicals at the theatre, but was terrified of going as there was a huge chance I would get stuck in the seats, so when pals invited me I turned them down.

My girlfriends would ask me along on spa days, but I would panic before, calling resorts ahead of time to see if the dressing gowns would fit my figure.

And when the same mates planned a night out, I would stress out all day that my heft couldn’t fit on a bar stool.

Family holidays were also problematic as , so I took the remarkable step of buying my own £10 belt extender from Amazon – so I didn’t have to ask the steward for one. Wearing a swimming costume was an ordeal, and I covered up with kaftans at all times.

Boat trips were a terrifying prospect; I would wave my kids and husband off with a lump in my throat, too terrified to go along in case the boat would be dipping on my side, although being at the sea was one of my favourite things. I missed out on fun for years because of my size.

Even precious time snuggling up to my children was affected, as I became aware a cuddle must have felt to them like hugging a fridge.

But when I had to have surgery awake, I knew something had to change.

In February 2021, my beloved step-dad, David, then 71, became gravely ill with bowel cancer.

Seven months after Katie’s surgery, she had lost five stone Credit: Supplied Invigorated to become the best version of herself, Katie also decided on a tummy tuck with muscle repair Credit: Supplied

While he was poorly in bed, he said he wanted to give me a gift of £1,000.

I was touched as he had worked hard as a surveyor his whole life. As I hugged him to say thank you, I made a promise: I would put his hard-earned money towards weight loss surgery for a healthier future.

At 24st, and a size 26, research pointed to a as my best option.

This surgery removed about 75 per cent of my stomach. As I struggled with impulsive eating, this would be perfect for future portion control.

Between 6,000 and 7,000 people have gastric surgery in the UK every year on the NHS and 4000 privately and around 5,000 people a year are going abroad from the UK for the same operation, mostly to Turkey, Eastern Europe or the Middle East.

The NHS waiting list for this surgery in Warwickshire was approximately three years, but you could have the op privately within months, at a whopping cost of £12,000.

I am finally in the body I was meant to have, says Katie Credit: David Cummings

My husband was supportive from the off; he just wanted me to be happy.

My mum was too, and wanting to help towards my goal gave me £1,000; my dad also chipped in with a gift of £2,000.

Paul looked at our finances and said we could afford it if we cut back on future investments. He told me: “We are investing in your future.”

It felt like my whole family was buying into my happiness.

Meeting surgeon Chris Sutton at Woodland Hospital in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in March 2021 was a relief as he made me sure a gastric sleeve was the correct decision for me, and the surgery was booked.

Days later, my stepdad tragically died, comfortably, in a hospice bed, and I was heartbroken.

It felt poignant, as the surgery he had made happen was just months away and I was not nervous at all.

The op in May 2021 took just under two hours under general anaesthetic, and I had no pain when I came around.

We can say: My diet had to go through a six-week transition, starting with liquids, then soft foods until I was finally eating normal food.

The weight came off at two or three pounds a week, and after seven months I had lost five stone.

But as I sold my shapeless smocks, I became unhappy with the saggy, numb skin around my middle.

Invigorated to become the best version of myself as I had lost 9st 7lb, and weighed 14st 3lb, I decided on a tummy tuck with muscle repair, a new tummy button and arm lift – which can be done all at the same time – and knew Turkey would be the place to do it.

Katie says ‘Things are better than ever with my husband and we are more romantic’ Credit: David Cummings

The good reviews meant I felt comfortable choosing this for the combined surgery, plus at £7,000 it was half the price of having the procedure in the UK.

Paul suggested using our holiday savings fund, so in September 2022 I had the procedure, which took 12 hours.

The medical staff were flawless, and I couldn’t believe I had a flat tummy. Paul came along with me, and nursed me selflessly. There was no escaping that it wasn’t a holiday, but it was special to be able to do this together.

The skin removed during this weighed 16lb.

In December 2022, I dipped to 14st 2lb, but the loose skin on my back had become very uncomfortable, so I had a bra line lift to remove skin from the upper-to-mid back and breast implants at the same hospital in Turkey, which cost another £7,000.

My mum gifted me the money, as she knew how much it meant to me, and I was very pleased with the results.

I plateaued at 14st, so my bariatric surgeon suggested I take the weight-loss jab Mounjaro for one year, which I did – paying £200 a month for a year. In June 2025 I reached 10st 10lb, the doctor has told me this is perfect for my 5ft 3ins stature, so I’m not planning on losing more.

In January this year I had a medial thigh lift in a Warwickshire hospital, removing loose skin and excess fat from the inner thigh, and it gave fantastic results.

I saved half the £10,000 fee myself by buying every item we needed for the house or my wardrobe from Vinted, and mum paid the other half.

What started as gastric surgery became the ultimate mummy make-over; now I am fitter, I am able to maintain my weight with twice daily dog walks and twice weekly Pilates.

I am finally in the body I was meant to have; I can go to the theatre and spas without a second thought. The first time I went to a spa and wrapped a squashy white robe around me felt fantastic after years of bundling my own XL one into my bag.

Things are better than ever with my husband; we are more romantic, plus I can wear nice underwear I could only have dreamed of before.”

This summer, I’ll hit Majorca for a holiday with my daughter – with us both rocking bikinis.

After hating feeling like a fridge after a cuddle with my daughter, she recently declared after a hug: ‘Mum, I can reach all the way around ’, and that was magical.

My son told me he won’t show his friends the holiday piccies as they think I’m a MILF, which is hilarious.