A woman is raising money for a gastric operation that will "allow her to have a future" after spending four years on NHS waiting lists.
Pinky Jolley was first told she needed the operation in November 2018, when she was admitted to hospital after suffering from extreme abdominal pain. The 44-year-old was diagnosed with pancreatitis, shocking cholesterol levels, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, type 2 and type 3c diabetes, and sepsis.
NHS waiting times for the operation – which have tripled since the covid pandemic – mean Pinky would have to wait a further three years before undergoing the surgery. She was told that, without it, she wasn’t likely to live long and believes three years would be too much time to wait.
Pinky, who lives on the Wirral, is looking to raise £3,500 for private treatment, meaning she could have surgery earlier – potentially a life-saving move.
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Pinky said: “I’m at my wit’s end and I’m feeling very despondent. The surgery really will be life-saving. It will mean I have a high chance of having a future. There isn’t a future for me at the moment.”
The surgery will mean there is less pressure on her body and will allow her to be more mobile. It should also ease the severity of her diabetes.
Her illness means she is virtually bed bound, only leaving the house for hospital appointments. She has never been in the kitchen or living room of the Wirral home she shares with her husband of 10 years, Paul.
Paul, 42, suffers from epilepsy and often has seizures. He also has Cortical Dysplasia, a form of brain damage developed in the womb. He acts as a full-time carer for Pinky as she is unable even to bathe herself. The surgery would also help to take some of the pressure off him.
Pinky was initially told to lose 13 pounds before she could have bariatric surgery. After 18 months, she was met by a series of obstacles, including a consultation that never happened and being put down as a “no show” for a health review.
She was referred back to her GP and told to repeat the process from the beginning. She said: “It was absolutely infuriating. I felt completely invalidated and no one was listening. This is about my life.”
Pinky was eating a low-carb, low-fat and low-calorie diet and taking three types of medication to control her metabolism. Despite this, she was struggling to lose, or even maintain, her weight.
An exercise physiologist, who Pinky has seen four times a year for four years, suggested she do cardiovascular exercise. But Pinky is a bedridden wheelchair user, unable to put clothes on due to an autoimmune disease attacking her skin She said: “It was like she’d forgotten I have a disability.”
She is desperate to get the surgery as soon as possible and feels as though she is running out of options. Pinky has raised £270 so far out of the £3,500 she needs to fund the surgery.
To help Pinky, you can donate to her GoFundMe: http://gofund.me/67fcff4b
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