A woman has spoken out about how her sister ‘drank herself to death’ after getting a gastric bypass – claiming that the surgery resulted in her swapping her addiction to food with a booze habit instead.
Nicole Wilson, 44, had an eating disorder since childhood, and would binge on food as a source of comfort, her sister, Amanda Wilson, 46, from Indianapolis revealed.
After becoming obese, Nicole decided to go under the knife in an attempt to turn her life around, opting for a gastric bypass – a procedure in which surgical staples are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach.
Following the surgery, she miraculously lost 120 pounds – but instead of eating, she turned to alcohol.
A woman revealed that her sister ‘drank herself to death’ after getting a gastric bypass – claiming the surgery resulted in her swapping her addiction to food with a booze habit instead
Nicole Wilson (seen left before the surgery and right after the surgery), 44, had an eating disorder since childhood, and would binge on food as a source of comfort
Making a change: After becoming obese, Nicole decided to go under the knife in an attempt to turn her life around, opting for a gastric bypass. She is seen after the surgery
Despite not drinking much before the operation, Amanda said her sister’s love of liquor soon became ‘excessive and concerning.’
She started drinking every day, and after being in and out of rehab for two and a half years, Nicole tragically died from alcohol poisoning in November 2018.
Following the surgery, she miraculously lost 120 pounds – but instead of eating, she turned to alcohol, her sister, Amanda Wilson, 46, from Indianapolis revealed. Nicole is seen after the surgery
Now, Amanda believes that her sister suffered from a ‘transfer addiction’ – which is when people swap their food obsession for another dependence instead – and she said she’s ‘angry’ that there wasn’t more ‘support’ for Nicole following the procedure.
‘I am angry patients are not being properly screened or properly educated,’ Amanda said to SWNS recently.
‘I know she was in a Facebook support group for transfer addiction, I don’t know how many times she went but I know she was involved. I believe there should have been counselling for Nicole.’
According to the Bariatric Centers of America, up to 30 per cent of people may experience transfer addiction after surgery.
Amanda explained that ‘adjusting’ to the way ‘people treated her’ after being ‘obese her entire life’ was especially difficult for Nicole.
‘You go from being told you are not good enough, to people fancying you and wanting to take you for a drink,’ she added.
Tragic: Despite not drinking much before the operation, Amanda said her sister’s love of liquor soon became ‘excessive and concerning’
She started drinking every day, and after being in and out of rehab for two and a half years, Nicole (seen after the surgery) tragically died from alcohol poisoning in November 2018
Now, Amanda believes that her sister suffered from a ‘transfer addiction’ – which is when people swap their food obsession for another dependence instead
‘The mental health aspect and realizing how differently you have been treated your whole life – there needs to be support for that.’
Nicole, who had a successful career in marketing, underwent the gastric bypass surgery in April 2013.
Beforehand, Amanda said she was screened and received a psychological assessment, which she passed.
In early 2015, she started drinking. Amanda continued: ‘It wasn’t any excessive – probably one or two beers.
‘Nicole started dating, being social and going out to see friends. It started off with a beer here and there, then it moved onto mixed drinks and then she would drink vodka straight from the bottle.
‘When you have this surgery your stomach is smaller so it changes the way you absorb alcohol.’
Amanda said she believes her sister turned to alcohol since she ‘couldn’t go to her usual comfort,’ which was food.
‘I believe in my sister’s case, she had a binge eating disorder, which was undiagnosed and untreated,’ she explained.
‘When you can’t go to your usual comfort you replace it with something else, in this case it was alcohol.’
Amanda and her father were so concerned with Nicole’s behavior that they staged an intervention.
She tried rehab but it was unfortunately unsuccessful, and five years post-surgery, Nicole died in November 2018.
‘The longest she was sober was 30-35 days and then drank herself to death,’ Amanda revealed. ‘Her blood alcohol level was 0.46 [when she died] and the legal limit is 0.08.
‘She tried to get sober – she was so happy when she was sober – but the addiction just took over.
Amanda explained that ‘adjusting’ to the way ‘people treated her’ after being ‘obese her entire life’ was especially difficult for Nicole
Amanda said she also believes her sister (seen after the surgery) turned to alcohol since she ‘couldn’t go to her usual comfort,’ which was food
Strong bond: While reflecting on her sister, Amanda called Nicole her ‘best friend,’ and gushed over how ‘funny’ she was
‘My father blames himself. He had been at the house about two hours before she passed away.
‘He thinks that if he had stayed that she wouldn’t have drank more – but if it wasn’t that night, it would have been a different night.’
While reflecting on her sister, Amanda called Nicole her ‘best friend,’ and gushed over how ‘funny’ she was.
‘She didn’t have a large circle of friends but the ones she was friends with she was very close with,’ she explained.
‘She was my best friend. She was quiet, but at the same time she used her words to let you know exactly what she was thinking.
‘She was also funny. We loved travelling together, we would go traveling at least twice a year. She was outgoing, funny and enjoyed life.’
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