The Wait Is Over

Samantha King has always had issues with weight. Now, having exhausted every avenue, she will undergo a gastric band fitting this summer.

Samantha King, by her own admission, has tried every diet going – from slimming groups to meal-replacements and professional advice.

“Even as a small child I knew that I was heavier than other kids my own age and remember shopping for my confirmation and not being able to get the stylish clothes I liked in my size,” says the 35-year-old. “This continued throughout secondary school and I can honestly say that most Mondays, from the age of about 15, I started a new diet. But by midweek, I would be ravenous or unprepared and fall off the wagon again. 

“There probably aren’t many (diets) I haven't tried, and I've had more restarts than I care to remember, but with little success over the years. But I have to honestly say that I didn't really get any negativity about my weight when I was younger - although looking back, I think I felt bigger than I maybe was at the time. I am also a very positive person who would not be inclined to focus on the negatives for too long.” 

In a bid to lose the weight which had remained stubbornly in place over the years, she even went as far as participating in RTÉ’s Operation Transformation.

“After college, my weight had really started to increase. I was on the ‘love diet’ from age 21 when I met my husband, as we had lots of cosy nights in with wine and takeaways,” she says. “I didn't see the weight creeping up and because I was working full-time in Dublin and spending a lot of time commuting. I was always on the run, so was unprepared (with regard to healthy eating) as I was getting home late in the evening and making the wrong food choices. 

“I decided to apply for Operation Transformation as my husband and I had booked our wedding day, and my hope was to lose a really substantial amount of weight beforehand. I felt this might be the push I needed to get the right support and also to add a little healthy pressure. I was chosen to be part of a Bride and Groom group and it was a very good experience for me, because it made me stop and focus. I had to be organised and prepared in order to make sure I could make the meals. 

“I enjoyed the exercise element too and we had all the support we needed. I lost about 18lbs during the six weeks and was delighted but, unfortunately, the day after the show ended and the support was gone. I found it impossible to stay motivated and to continue the journey.” 

And so, it was back to the grindstone for Samantha, who is CEO and managing director of King Hair and Beauty. She found herself, once again, trying and failing to stick to a particular diet. She had some success with a personal trainer, as this allowed her to focus on health rather than weight loss. Then, she made the radical decision to put her name down for gastric band surgery. 

“I made the decision in November 2019, but it wasn’t for aesthetic reasons, to achieve a certain size or look a certain way. I just became very conscious about my health,” says Samantha, who lives in Wicklow. 

“I felt that I had to be responsible and try to prevent myself from becoming diabetic, having high blood pressure, heart disease and all of the long-term complications which come with these conditions. I love life and those I chose to share it with - and the thoughts of that being cut short because of an addiction to food was just something I couldn't accept. So, I realised that if you can't accept something, you have to change it.

“I thought I would have it done within six months after my first appointment, which included an online course outlining the process and meeting the bariatric team. Unfortunately, at this stage (early 2020) Covid was kicking off, so things slowed down hugely, and the waiting list became longer and longer. But after my first appointment with the team, which included a psychological evaluation and a meeting with a nutritionist, they agreed that I would be a good candidate for surgery.”

Unfortunately, as we now know, the onset of the pandemic caused major issues across the health sector and by the start of this year, she still didn’t have a date for surgery – but was admitted to hospital for an altogether different reason. 

“In January of this year, my husband who is a frontline worker, contracted Covid and, unfortunately, I did too and became very seriously ill, so I was admitted to hospital,” she says. “This most definitely reaffirmed the decision I had made 12 months previously to have bariatric surgery, which unfortunately due to long waiting lists, even, in private hospitals, I had still didn’t have any progress. So after I was discharged, I started proactively seeking more options and places that I could have the operation in Ireland. I even made the trip from Wicklow to Letterkenny in the hope of getting a sooner date.”

Having no luck getting a definite date for surgery, the businesswoman decided to take to social media to share her frustrations. It didn’t get her an appointment, but she did meet other people in the same situation, which she says has been very helpful. 

“I kept pushing for a date for the procedure because after Covid. My blood sugars were on the increase and my heart rate was elevated which was my body telling me that change was necessary,” she says. “But getting a date for this change wasn’t easy and this is when I decided to speak out about my experience on my personal Instagram account. I genuinely felt I was the only person in Ireland having this operation, so was compelled to speak about it and hopefully diminish some of the stereotypes about people suffering with obesity – as I'm sure most wouldn’t think of a happy, bubbly, confident businesswoman in her 30s. 

“And since speaking out online, I now have a fantastic supportive network of women sharing their personal experiences with me on Instagram – they inspire me daily.” 

Samantha was disappointed to learn that her appointment has been scheduled for the autumn of this year. But after doing some more research, she found a private clinic who could do the procedure earlier and she now has a date for this summer. 

“I was so emotional when I got the date. I had been pushing and fighting as hard as I could to get it, so it really was a relief. I felt like my life had been on hold, like I was in the waiting room looking in and my number just wasn't coming up. But after this procedure, I will have the tools needed to actually achieve a significant weight loss in a short period of time and this will have an unbelievable impact on my health. I feel like I am getting a second chance.

“I have often thought that the body I have doesn't reflect who I am or how I feel. It doesn’t allow me to dress how I would like to and in recent years it has stopped me doing activities for fear of ‘being too big’ or avoiding a situation which might become embarrassing.”

Now that she is finally able to see some light at the end of the tunnel, Samantha would encourage others who are in the same position, to do some research and take steps towards changing their lives. 

“The first thing I would say is that you are not alone, and it is not your fault,” she says. “A surgeon told me obesity is a complex and challenging disease. Weight loss surgery isn’t for everyone. It is not the easy way out – it’s merely a tool, and it is up to you how you use it.