Gold Coast woman sheds 77kg following years of health issues

A Gold Coast woman has 77kg and dropped seven dress sizes following years of health issues that left her in constant pain.

A 53-year-old woman has revealed how she lost more than half of her body weight after reaching 139 kilograms.

Annette Densham, from the Gold Coast, said she always loved food but it wasn’t her driver. The busy woman said she would get caught up at work and miss meals throughout the day and, once home for the day, would eat dinner like it was her last meal.

This was the worst thing she could do for someone with Hashimoto’s, which caused your thyroid to not produce enough hormone.

“Add to that a love of wine and the holder of many wine club memberships, I would drink up to three bottles of wine over a weekend and snack on chips and chocolate. I saw it as an escape from a busy life – plonk on the couch like couch potato and zone out from the world,” Annette told news.com.au.

Annette weighed 139kg at her heaviest. Picture: Supplied

“It wasn’t as if I was a stranger to exercise – I grew up in a house with a very sporty mother who was a state champion basketball and netball player. From a young age, I played netball, softball, and was a brilliant shot-putter. I competed in swimming and gymnastics. After having my children, all my focus went into those little people, and looking after me was put on the back burner.

“The bigger I got, the harder exercise became. Over the years, I joined gyms and physical challenges but I would always quit because it was too hard to lift my body off the ground.”

Annette has had a long history of health conditions after she was diagnosed with endometriosis at 16 – something many doctors at the time didn’t believe someone as young as her could have.

She was misdiagnosed for years until a female doctor listened and got her back on track, but it led to prescription of steroids, which caused inflammation and puffiness. It was the start of her weight gain.

Annette fell pregnant, something she was told was next to impossible for her, but sadly lost the child. She fell pregnant again shortly after.

Her friends would tell her they didn't see the weight. Picture: Supplied

When her son, Zayde, was nine months old, Annette began her weight loss journey once again. She was exercising and eating well but her body wasn’t responding.

“I was tired, irritable and unwell. After my local GP told me I was ‘just has postnatal depression’ and should stop breastfeeding and take antidepressants, I went looking for another doctor,” Annette said.

“She listened to me and said, ‘sounds like there is a problem with your thyroid. Let’s do some tests.’ I was diagnosed with post-partum hypothyroidism and so began my rollercoaster journey of trying to get my thyroid functioning within normal parameters.”

She said when her second child arrived her thyroid essentially shut down, leaving her feeling like the mirror was her enemy. She said she felt like a “big blob” every time she caught her reflection. Annette had issues with her knees and back, and her ankles would swell for no reason.

Her hair fell out and her emotions were all over the place.

Annette said she resorted to slip on shoes and caftans. Picture: Supplied

“I had zero appetite and even knowing I needed to eat regularly to support my metabolism, I would ignore the signs,” she said.

“Despite getting my bloods done every quarter to keep track of my thyroid function, the medication I was on seemed to have little or no impact. I hated what I had become and how I looked. I would put on a brave face, using humour to deflect attention from me, and would hide in the background when photos were taken. I took to wearing caftans thinking they would hide my bulk but I was kidding myself.

“Friends would tell me they didn’t see my weight. They only saw my heart, humour and love for people. I just thought they were being nice. I am good at putting on a brave face and no one, except my family, really knew how much I was struggling with my health and weight.”

She said she stopped networking and eating in public because she felt like everyone was looking at her, essentially becoming a hermit.

Annette has lost 77kg and dropped seven dress sizes. Picture: Supplied

Annette said even the simplest things became difficult such as putting on her shoes.

At 50, after doing a talk on impostor syndrome, she knew she had to change her life otherwise she would be “dead within the decade or incapacitated by other health issues”.

In January 2021, she made an appointment with an endocrinologist about her thyroid but she was told the same thing – eat well and exercise. Fury built up inside of her and a friend pointed her in the direction of a female GP who recommended weight loss surgery after Annette filled her in on her health struggles.

“I was shocked. Wasn’t that for people who had problems with food? I wasn’t an emotional eater, it was my thyroid that was the problem,” Annette said.

Annette has taken back her life with weight loss surgery. Picture: Supplied

“When I expressed my thoughts to her, she looked over her glasses and said ‘Annette, you are an intelligent woman. I suggest you educate yourself on weight loss surgery. They are finding it has a significant impact on improving the thyroid’s function’.”

So, Annette educated herself and was booked in for her own surgery in June the same year.

She said for the first few weeks after the surgery she could barely move but committed to shuffling up and down the walk way in her complex.

“The first six weeks after surgery are the hardest, because you cannot eat whole food. I lived on bone broth, soup, protein powder and porridge, before transitioning to soft foods like scrambled eggs,” she said.

“I can tell you that all I craved was the crunch of lettuce. But the support from the clinic was outstanding – I was supported every step of the way for the first 12 months with dietitians, psychologists, weight loss nurses and GPs.

“I took two weeks off after surgery and slowly transitioned back into work. It was hard, because all I wanted was sleep as I went from full dinner size plates of food to less than 150 grams per meal. But I learned that I didn’t need lots of food three times a day to be well. I found that five to six little meals a day with a mix of protein and veggies helped me heal and recover my strength.

“It took over six months until I felt like me again, and my body recovered to not feel like it needed to nap every few hours.”

Annette now enjoys long walks without any pain. Picture: Supplied

She said it also required a shift in mindset, and thanked her husband Earl for showing up every two hours as she worked to make sure she fuelled her body.

Annette said she also makes sure to take breaks while working and goes on long walks – something she takes joy in after being in pain for so long.

She has lost a staggering 77kg and gone from a size 22 to a size 8, adding that for the first time in 22 years her thyroid is operating normally.

“For those who think weight loss surgery is cheating or a quick fix, I say you have no idea,” she said.

“Yes, it is a drastic step, but sometimes you have to take drastic actions when you have tried everything to help your body heal and be well. It requires commitment, focus and lifelong dedication to providing nutrition to your body.

“Having surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I have a new lease on life. My confidence is at an all time high, as I no longer feel I have to hide. It is not about being skinny or a particular size, it is about being healthy and doing all you can to live a good, solid and fulfilling life.”