Alan Keogh

Well, my GP, he was fine.

But any time you go to a GP in Ireland and you're overweight, you're sick because you're overweight.

So you go in with a chest infection, it's because you're big.

You go in with a bad ankle, it's because you're big.

So anytime you're looking for support, unless you have a GP who knows a lot about bariatric stuff, you're not going to get support.

And how big were you, if you don't mind me asking at the time?

I was about 270 kilos, which is about 42 stone.

And so I was extremely big and I was only getting bigger.

And if I had waited the Irish waiting list, I don't think I'd be here today.

Like at the time, I only had the energy to work.

So I used to work five, six days a week and I'd go to work.

I'd come home and I'd be there asleep on the couch within 10 minutes of being home.

and not have any energy for my kids at the weekends.

Couldn't exercise because my knees, my hips were all blown out because I was just so big.

Even standing at the cooker to cook, my back was in pain.

So everything was just leading towards one thing.

To go privately to get bariatric surgery was about 18,000, 19,000 plus in Ireland.

Waiting list was between four and six years.

I'd still be waiting today for the surgery.

And you tried every other option, I presume, at that stage.