Imogen's Bariatric Surgery Fundraiser

Hi, my names Imogen, but some may know me my by stage name Susie Nova.

I have been putting off creating this fundraiser for so long, and find it incredibly embarrassing to ask for help, so please know any support means the world to me!

I have been overweight since I was a teenager, having struggled with body image and poor mental health from a young age food became a place of solace for me and my weight spiraled. Over the coming years I worked hard on my mental health and through dieting I was able to lose 3.5 stone and felt at a much better place physically and mentally, however I found it difficult to lose any more weight through diet and exercise.

In 2019 I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This condition causes irregular periods, difficulty getting pregnant, excessive hair growth and notably, weight gain and difficulty losing weight.

Being told I was probably never going to conceive my own children was difficult to come to terms with. Combined with the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic and some big life changes I felt I was once again slipping into a poor mental state. I gradually gained more weight and before I knew it I had regained everything I had lost and more, however this time it has been much harder to shift this weight.

I was referred to the NHS weight management team, and have trialed a few different diets/exercise plans but not to any notable success. I am currently on the waiting list to start ozempic (semaglutide) which is a weight loss injection. I am eligible for bariatric surgery through the NHS however there are many hoops to jump through and the waiting list is years long.

I was recently diagnosed with Hypertension (high blood pressure), which is under investigation but likely caused by my severe obesity. Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions such as heart attack or stroke, and being overweight is adding to that risk. I take medication and have changed my lifestyle by eating healthily, reducing salt, drinking less alcohol, cutting down on caffeine and stopping smoking.

Losing weight is the most effective way of reducing my risk.

I feel that bariatric weight loss surgery would be the most effective and long-term method for me to lose and keep off excess weight.

Having spoken to Doctors and researching extensively I feel gastric bypass surgery would be the best option for me. Surgeons take the top part of your stomach and join it to the small intestine, so you feel fuller sooner and do not absorb as many calories from food. This is a permanent life-altering surgery.

Money donated to my fundraiser would pay for surgery to be done privately in a clinic in Turkey - as the costs here are significantly less than if I were to have the surgery in the UK.

I currently work as a Care Navigator for the NHS - earning minimum wage during a cost of living crisis I am unable to raise the funds myself.

I want to live a happy, healthy and long life, and feel currently that my weight is holding me back. I love myself and my body, and don't expect to ever be a size 8, but my health is a priority.

I am aware this is a large amount of money, and I am putting every spare bit of my income into this fundraiser also, but I am asking if I could please get a little help along the way.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, if you can spare any donation no matter how small, it would be hugely appreciated and would make a world of difference to me.