A SIZE 24 self-confessed sugar addict spent £15.5k for weight-loss surgery abroad and lost 11 stone after doctors told her she could go blind.
Michelle Parsons was living on a steady diet of chocolate bars, cheesecake and tiramisu before finally receiving a terrifying health diagnosis – she was at risk of going permanently blind.
Doctors told the 34-year-old her 19 stone had caused a build-up of pressure around her brain and she needed lumbar punctures to drain the fluid.
Michelle, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, said: "They said if I didn't lose the weight that I'd risk losing my eyesight.
"I felt frightened that if I waited, I'd lose my eyesight. I was absolutely terrified. I was against the clock, I had to do something."
Her intracranial hypertension diagnosis was detected after she began suffering from chronic headaches and the mum-of-four decided to turn her life around.
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Despite many stories of fatal budget weight-loss surgeries abroad, the ex-sugar addict decided to fork out £4,000 on a gastric bypass in Egypt.
"I found an amazing surgeon in Egypt, he's registered to work in the UK and he worked in America," she added.
"I checked his credentials, looked at independent reviews and everyone praised this man. They got me booked in in weeks.
"Everything went brilliantly, they were so good. I was really sore for the first few days but it was spot on," she continued.
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"The weight started dropping off [but] I did have to make changes to my diet as well."
The surgery was a success as Michelle lost a whopping 11 stone – and then paid £5,000 for a tummy tuck in Lithuania the following year.
In March 2022, 5ft 3 Michelle then paid £3,300 to have her breasts reduced from a 44E to a 34D in Prague.
Finally, 8st Michelle underwent surgery to remove skin from her arms in Lithuania this July that set her back £3,200.
When talking about her old diet, Michelle said a large part of her excessive junk food eating was a result of emotional distress.
She said: "Before, I was eating a 200g bar of chocolate and a dessert every single night, it's so embarrassing.
"I was more comfort eating than anything.
"I knew I needed to start making changes, you've got to challenge yourself psychologically.
"Some people think surgery is a quick fix but you still choose what you put in your mouth and you've got to make healthier choices."
Now wearing size eight clothing, Michelle pointed out that many people undergo the knife on the NHS, but their weight loss is short-lived.
"You've got to have self-control," she said.
"You have to mentally prepare for the surgery, it's an emotional rollercoaster.
I felt frightened that if I waited, I'd lose my eyesight. I was absolutely terrified. I was against the clock, I had to do something."
"You're comfort eating for a reason so you've got to work out why that is and sort out the psychological aspect of it.
"You've got to have will power, determination and motivation."
Michelle has noticed vast differences in simple day-to-day activities, such as climbing the stairs as she is now never out of breath.
She has continued to turn her back on sweet treats and only eats three or four cubes of chocolate per week.
The student mental health nurse said: "I've always been the bigger person in my circle of friends.
"My weight gain started when my parents divorced when I was two and it started creeping up when I was four.
"I started getting chunky because I was comfort eating and trying to make myself feel better with food."
"I didn't eat set meals, I grazed a lot. I didn't eat breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day, so my metabolism wasn't kicking in. We ate loads of takeaways.
"In the evening when the kids were in bed, I was eating crisps, chocolates, cakes and dessert. I had a mega sweet tooth."
Lifestyle changes
These days Michelle's diet consists of small portions of high protein and low carb meals such as chicken and fish.
Small changes have made a big difference.
"I've made small changes like swapping white pasta with whole-wheat pasta and white rice with basmati rice," she added.
"We'll have a takeaway but nowhere near as much, maybe once every month."
When talking about her current mental health, Michelle said: "My confidence has improved a lot. Life is very different, I feel a lot better physically.
"People say I'm a completely different person. There was one friend I hadn't seen for months and we went to a motorbike rally.
"I was stood next to my husband and he came over and shook my husband's hand but ignored me.
"I wondered what I'd said to upset him then an hour later he approached me and said he was so sorry but he didn't recognise me.
"He ignored me because he thought my husband was chatting up another woman.
"The upside is enjoying shopping, because when you're bigger the clothes are limited.
"I've enjoyed getting a whole new wardrobe but it's cost a fortune."
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