Kathy Allan, 59, lived on two packs of Skips per day for over a year while waiting for life-saving surgery.
For 16 gruelling months, Kathy Allan survived on just two packets of Skips crisps a day, her body wasting away as she endured an agonising wait for life-saving surgery. The 59-year-old gran from Ayr lost 12 stone during the ordeal, coming terrifyingly close to starvation as she battled to keep food down.
Kathy suffered from a severe hiatus hernia that made eating nearly impossible. With no specialist surgeons available locally, she had to wait for treatment in Aberdeen. As her condition worsened, Skips became her only lifeline—the only food she could tolerate without vomiting.
Embed from Getty Images“I tried Wotsits, I tried Quavers, but Skips were the only thing that stayed down,” she recalled. “They kept me alive, but now I never want to see another bag again.”
Her family would jokingly offer her crisps, but the trauma of her experience has left her unable to stomach them.
“There were days I thought I wouldn’t make it to 2025. I felt like I was slipping away.”
As her weight plummeted to just seven stone, doctors finally intervened, fitting her with a feeding tube to provide vital nutrients before her operation.
On 27 January, Kathy finally underwent surgery in Aberdeen, a moment that marked the end of her suffering. She praised the hospital staff, saying her pain had completely disappeared since the procedure.
Now on a carefully controlled recovery diet, she has regained strength, reaching a healthier weight of 10st 11lbs. She started with clear liquids, progressing to strained soups, but the real milestone is still to come—her first proper meal in over a year.
“I’m looking forward to having real food again. I just want a Sunday roast!” she said.
Despite the nightmare she endured, Kathy is finally embracing life again.
“Before, I was less than half a person. It was torture. Now, I’m just happy to be here
