Merry Christmas!!!

Well, I survived Christmas! Life has been so crazy. We did a Christmas unit study during the month of December for homeschool and I tried really hard to focus on getting better and doing what I was supposed to do as far as diet and exercise. I honestly feel like this was the best Christmas yet. It was stress free. There was no drama. Amazing...

At one month post-surgery, I am down 36lbs. I'm so excited and proud of myself! The 23rd of December was one month, my dads 51st birthday, and the first day I ate actual food!!! We had a family dinner with Michaels extended part of his moms family. I had turkey, mashed potatoes, & green beans. It was yummy! The hardest thing to remember is to eat and chew as slowly as I can.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I can't wait to go to the gym tomorrow!!!

Awesome moment

My awesome moment for this weekend. Cuddled up to the hubby last night and he puts his arm around me and says...oh my god, you feel so much smaller. I also am outta my "fat" jeans and the next size down are a little loose. I have lost two sizes AROUND in my bra size. Sadly, none in the cup size. My feet are smaller too!

Battle of the Bulge-Going Backwards

Update!!! I have lost 29 lbs as of this morning!!! I'm soooo excited. My rings don't fit. My clothes don't fit. It hasn't even been a month!

It hasn't been an easy week. I'm extremely exhausted. Pneumonia kicks your booty! I also had graduated to the stage 2 of food in the Bariatric Diet. However, I am now lactose intolerant and most of those foods are creamy soups, etc. Pam, the sweet nurse that she is and I agreed that I should go back to G-2 Gatorade and slowly add things not dairy. I've had to be a little creative. Right now, instant mashed potatoes are my BFF. Oatmeal made w/ water and thinned down with NF yogurt is yummy. (yogurt I have to eat every day and it seems it's the only dairy I can tolerate. Just can't eat much of it.). Since I have done this no more gas bubbles, no more "rocks" in my new tummy and best of all no more throwing up! I know that may be TMI, but since I aspirated and got pneumonia that way I have been TERRIFIED I will do it again. I also quit trying to eat at mealtimes. I eat a little bit at a time when I am hungry. It works out better for me and I feel so much better! I think I have pretty much got the small sips and bites now. ;-). Of course the toddler plates, bowls, and silverware without a doubt help.

I know some of my friends that read this are signed up for surgery or considering it. Don't get discouraged. There WILL be bumps in the road but if you have a positive outlook it makes things so much easier. You're gonna get bored eating the same things. Change it up. Create new flavors. My favorite protein shake is 1 scoop of whey protein, 2-3 oz of NF yogurt, & 8 oz of water. Non fat, sugar free cheesecake pudding mix added to ANYTHING ROCKS. You're gonna get sick of G-2. Especially if you develop thrush. (which is very common). I recommend mixing the flavors, making jello with G-2, or adding a tiny bit of juice, etc. I personally like the "weird" flavors. Ones that you may not normally drink. The blueberry-promegranate & raspberry melon are nice changes when you get sick of the others. When I take my citracell twice a day I mix with orange g-2 Gatorade. I get electrolytes and it tastes a whole lot better than mixed with water.

Keeping a food diary will make or break you. I suggest investing in a nice one. It really makes a difference. I got mine at Barnes and Nobles. I also got a pocket sized restaurant guide also that includes regular foods too. It's amazing what these tools can do to make your life easier. I also made little cheat sheets. Index cards for when we go grocery shopping reminding me what what to eat at what stage, all my vitamins and meds, and the things in the Bariatric "Bible" I'm supposed to remember. This really helps me. Maybe it will work for you, even if you aren't having surgery just seeking a lifestyle change or wanting to loose weight. My favorite favorite did I mention FAVE thing (aside from having the surgery of course) is the app on my iPhone called "My fitness pal". You can access them on the web also at myfitnesspal.com, follow them on twitter or read their blog. I highly recommend it.

I'm loving my new self and I'm trying to make positive changes all the way around. I feel like I've been given this wonderful tool and I want to use it to the fullest extent. In just two short weeks I've had some up and downs, but I feel better than I have in years, my family is happier b/c I'm happier and I hope others can see it too. I know I am extremely lucky to have such wonderful family, friends, and the people at the Bariatric Clinic. I am forever grateful for you guys. This sounds so corny but I had my surgery the day before Thanksgiving. I may have missed that holiday b/c I wasn't able to take part in the celebration with family and friends but every day seems like Thanksgiving now. I have so much to be thankful for.

I'm happy to share my story so far so if you have any questions just ask! I can't wait till I'm well enough to go back to the gym and the support group.
~Amber

I almost forgot!

Regardless of what has happened the surgery was totally worth it. I'm wearing clothes that didn't fit and I'm down 26 lbs!!! I hope to be 30 lbs own by Christmas! The whole being in the hospital was God telling me to ake it easy. Slow own. Just a little bump in the road...and another day in the life of me.

Post-Surgery Week 2

So, I'm a little behind. Two weeks after surgery was Wednesday but who's counting. Well, I'm feeling much better now. Saturday was a scary day. Woke up with a fever. Felt terrible. Went to urgent care and then the ER. My white blood cell count was 22.0. It's supposed to be 10. It was only 14 when I has swine flu a couple of years ago o yeah, I was freaking out. I just knew I had an abcess or a leak from my surgery and that I was dying. I dont usually freak out like that but I was so sick and in so much pain...I just couldn't get a grip. I had a CT scan of my abdomen as soon as I got to the ER. My stomach looked great but there was fluid in my lower left lung. Evident ally I has aspirated when I got sick to my stomach and ad gotten pneumonia. They did a chest x-ray and admitted me ight away. I have never been so happy to have pneumonia. I have a bad case of it but THANK GOD I didn't have to be opened up to have surgery. So, when I realized I wasn't dying :-) I felt better. A big thanks to Allison Ingram & Lindsey Cox for helping me with the kiddo. I don't know what I would have one without you guys. I was a bit shocked when they put me on the 7th floor and hooked me up to oxygen and a heart monitor. Evident ally my heart was bein silly as was my oxygen levels. I finally got to move to the 6th floor Monday night. I didn't have to be monitored anymore and a lot of the nurses recognized me from when I had my surgery. I got quite a few hugs and well wishes when I left. It was very difficult being in the hospital a week and a half after surgery. Pneumonia exhausts you. I'm not used to "resting" either. I'm sure I want be myself for a couple of weeks. I think I'm just gonna rest and take it easy the rest of December. Enjoy my family. Enjoy my friends. Concentrate on getting better.

Side effects & changes

It's only been a week today that I've had surgery. I can honestly say this has by far been one of the best experiences of my life. I actually went out to eat with the family the other day and because I mentally prepared myself it didn't bother me at all. I got my staples out Monday. They said I was doing Awesome! Doing all the right things. As of Monday I had lost 21 lbs. It is really exciting. My body feels different. Clothes fit different. My stamina is crazy. I worked out Wednesday for the first time. Exactly one week after. I wasn't able to do as much as normal but only because my sugar got low. :-). Otherwise I'm sure I could have made it another 20 min on the treadmill. I ended up working out 45 min straight. Not too bad... Forgot to post.

Out to eat.

I had the most amazing experience tonight. We decided to go out to eat not quite one week after gastric bypass surgery. Hannah wanted Ruby Tuesdays so we went there. I was kinda nervous about going because I had no idea what I would do besides sip Gatorade. When we got there they sat us in a booth. Now, I know I have only lost 21 pounds but most of it has been in my stomach and face. I slid into the booth and I was amazed. My stomach didn't touch the table and I had tons of extra room! Michael sat beside me and we were comfy. I was very unsure what to do when it came time to order. Luckily my doctor had just given me a card to use in restraunts that explains I had Bariatric Surgery and I can't eat as much to please let me order smaller portions. The only thing I was able to order was a cup of chicken noodle soup. Guys, it was amazing. I only was able to eat about 4 or 5 teaspoons. I ate two saltines...and I was full. That is when it hit me. I CAN really do this! I just have to make good choices and realize when I'm full. I will never eat a whole meal again...but that's ok. That means Michael & I can share. We spent so much more time talking tonight. Our focus was not on the food but each other. It was a nice family meal. I can honestly say I was starting to get pretty bummed because I felt left out while other people were eating. I thought it was the food I was missing, but it wasn't. It was the sharing, the conversation, you know...all the good stuff that goes along when you eat as a family. So, once again my spirits are lifted. Thanks to Sam I Am for all the encouragement before I actually walked in the restraunt. Yesterday I got my soaked out. It was no big deal. I didnt feel a thing. They said I was doing amazing! I admit today everything caught up with me and I was exhausted. I took a 3-4 hour nap & can't keep my eyes open now. I forgot to post this...obviously I was sleepy.

So Very Thankful...

So many people have asked me why I had SGB surgery the DAY BEFORE Thanksgiving. I don't know why exactly. It seemed like a good idea because it's just food and of course that was what Dr. Walsh had available. :-). I did not sleep AT ALL the night before surgery. The anticipation was just more than you can imagine. Going into the operating room was very swift. I remember them asking me lots of questions and strapping my arms down. For some reason I was grateful for that because I had visions of me flopping off the table. Yes, I know...strange. Must have been the meds already coursing through my veins. I was in surgery for about an hour and in recovery for an hour. Thankfully I had done the liver shrinking diet for over three weeks. The surgeon was only able to bypass one foot of my intestines instead of the usual six feet. He told Michael if he had bypassed more I would have major complications with my liver later. He said because I'm so short it shouldn't be a problem. I should still loose weight. I had no expectations about afterwards. I think that worked out well for me. When I woke up I immediately felt like I had been punched in the gut. Then they hooked up the morphine drip and all was well after that. :-) As far as recovery...my recovery has been great. As soon as I was able I was walking laps around the sixth floor. I was only in my actual room a little over 24 hours and I walked 21 laps. I didn't need the morphine after the first night. I was very achy and sore. I still am. The hospital bed made that worse of course and I feel much better now that I am actually home. The hardest thing for me to get used to is sipping slowly, etc. One tiny sip at a time. It makes 64oz of Gatorade a day seem like an almost impossible feat. Since my stomach is the size of an egg and up much higher today is the first day I have understood when I'm full and I'm starting to get used to taking tiny sips, bites, etc. I'm really excited that I've started this journey. With no complications so far I feel so blessed. I'm grateful to all my friends and family that prayed for me and are still praying for me. It has made all the difference. I came home from the hospital with no sleep apnea, no asthma meds, no diabetes meds, no blood pressure meds, and no heart meds. It has been two days and I have lost 4lbs. Totaling 19lbs w/the 15lbs I lost before surgery. I have been walking every day. Today I played outside with my nephews and Hannah. I can't wait to get back to the gym. Never thought I would say that but it's true. I get my staples out Monday and I'm hoping for clearance soon afterwards! Just to walk & cycle etc. I will not push myself TOO hard. :-). I'm already thinking of the things I want to do. I want to go sit at Alex's House and eat because their booths are sooo little I havn't been comfortable there in YEARS. I want to take Hannah to Carowinds...& not worry if my boobs and belly will fit in the ride. I want to get in shape. Like really really in shape. I would love to train and run a half marathon. Scratch that. I WILL train and run a half marathon. I am seeking a closer relationship with God. I want to set a good example for Hannah. More than anything, I want to be an inspiration to others. I've had a lot of health issues, had 14 surgeries, fought depression for the last 15 years? PS. I am winning that fight! I didn't have this surgery because of the way I looked. I love me. I did it because I wanted to rid myself of the diagnosis, diseases, & conditions that were overtaking me and have a chance to be BETTER. I do feel like I have been given a second chance. I know it's gonna be a long rough journey but I'm looking forward to it. My goal is to lose 110 more pounds. Some people may think that's crazy...I like to think I have high standards. The most important thing to remember about Bariatric surgery is that it is just a tool. If you don't use it...it doesn't work. My life is definitely going to be different. I hate the word "diet"...but a good diet and exercise will be a part of me for the rest of my life. I don't regret doing it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Being able to come home ONE day after surgery without all those meds... How could it not be?

Ohmygosh!!!

I have 36ish hours till surgery! I am so very exited. Scared. Nervous. The anticipation is killing me. I had to do so much to get ready for this and now I'm just waiting... I hope I don't have any major complications. I hope I am successful at this. I have set so many goals for myself in the next year. I'm just going to take it one day, one week, one month at a time. I appreciate everyone who has been so supportive. Some people haven't. So, it's nice. Thanks friends. I'm going to try to calm down a bit so I will eventually sleep tonight. I have an appointment tomorrow @ 1pm for preadmission. Im so afraid I will forget to do something. Ahhh! Goodnight folks. Pray for me!

The Battle of the Bulge

Wednesday is fast approaching. I'm having sleeve gastric bypass. It almost seems like it's not real and I'm kinda scared. I have already lost 15lbs in the past 3 weeks just doing the "liver shrinking diet" recommended by the Bariatric Clinic. I'm excited and nervous but soooo ready to begin this journey. You can follow me if you like...it's just another day in the life of me!

Surprise!!!

I am having gastric bypass surgery in a month!

Family

I'm not gonna lie to you. Family stresses me out BIG TIME. I just don't understand how some people can be so....selfish? I don't even know how to explain it. I remember now one of the important reasons I homeschool. So I can choose who my child is around. Thank you Tina for reminding me of that today. Those people include family. Some are just not a good influence and I'm so over the drama. Praying very hard tonight about how to resolve some of these issues.

Annoyed

Facebook & Twitter stress me out. Probably b/c I havnt slept all night. (Thank you thunderstorm!)

Lazy Weekend

Another lazy day at the Hedrick House. Who knew snuggling with the dog, kiddo, and hubby in your favorite jammies would make life so complete?

A leap of Faith

Today, we are taking that giant leap outside of the box...Wish me luck!