Idk what week this is....

I'm not sure how many weeks post op I'm at right now I know I'm less than 3 months lol...

anyways just quick update I'm down 75lbs! woo hoo

Week 7 Post Op

So here we are at week 7 of Post op I'm down 60lbs since surgery, feel great. Have had a lot of sickness since surgery but I think its just cuz my immune system is low. So trying to build that back up and I've always had problems with allergies so thats also a contributer.

But anyways .... let see went to steves family reunion first thing his mom says to me "Oh Ashley your pregnant again" I'm like Ummm NO..... to her defense she hasnt seen me in a year n half and I had put weight on but still that was def a down moment for me. But I just look forward to that another year from now it will be positive experiences when I see people again because hopefully I'll be down 100lbs by then, wouldn't that be fabulous!

Its summer and the kids are gonna be home everyday now equaling Chaos! So I'm gonna try to fit some exercise time in with mommy, and photography time.

So thats about it for tonight I'm gonna go get some cardio in!

Post op week 4

Okay so i'm a bit late on posting.... I've been busy launching some new stuff for my photography company, keeping up with class assignments ect.

But anyways good news is that I have lost 50lbs in the last 4 weeks woo hoo....which feels amazing. I had a soft baked potato last night which tasted amazing... and I tried to have a salad today which probably wasnt the best idea cuz I got super sick but in general I'm doing really good with eating and keeping things down okay.

Oh Almost forgot .... so steve tells me this year he wants to go to his family reunion which is in like 2 weeks I was hoping to talk him out of it till next year when I look better but doesnt look like I'm winning the argument, so now I have to decide whether I should just suck it up and hope they dont judge me based on my weight or not meet his family and just stay home but wondering if that might look really rude that I didnt come and everyone else did... ughhhhh

3 Weeks Post Op

Yay so I'm 3 weeks post op and already have lost 41lbs.... I'm down to 380 woo hoo. I was able to try soft food today so I tried mashed potatoes but ughhh it hurt so I decided I'm gonna stick to my liquids for another 3 weeks, Im comfortable with the simplicity of it and the lightness I feel with it. When I ate I just felt heavy again

I cant write much this week because I'm juggling so much with work, school and family but just wanted to update that life is great and I'm doing well!!!

2 Weeks Post Op

So today marks two weeks since my surgery......

I'm healing great I actually feel back to normal. My wounds are almost all healed up, only the drain port area is sore. I feel very blessed to be doing so well so quickly.

But I think the hardest part is mentally changing my diet.... Chicken broth, beef broth, yogurt BLAHHHHH So much blandness and no crunchiness is driving me insane. I crave seasoning! lol but I have to constantly remind myself its all worth it. I am slightly scared though I can eat more than 1/4 cup of broth and they say u should feel full with 1/4 but I never get a full feeling, so a lot of times I make a cup and I slowly eat it, although I don't feel full I just cut myself off that thats enough. So I wonder if there is some type of imbalance that my brain doesn't register the full feeling. When I see my doctor at the end of the month I might ask her about it... oh I also have a dietitian meeting this week so maybe I could ask her to about it....

On a brighter note I'm at 390 now, soo woo hoo thats 31lbs in 2 weeks! That sounds like a lot but every day I look in the mirror I dont see it yet and the frustrating for me I wanna see it right now... I wanna drop like 100lbs tomorrow... but it all takes time... I'm gonna pray a little harder that God helps me thru these times where its mentally and emotional more difficult.

Well until my next blog, Take Care

Its 1 Week Woo hoo

I'm feeling much better today, my shoulder is not near as sore and my tummy is doing great. I've finally shed the weight I put on after surgery like 8lbs ... they said it was from all the fluids and swelling that u get after surgery.... because I was like WTH why did I gain weight but it's all gone now sooo that feels better.

So I realized today the surgery was definitely for me because with all this food people have prepared for my family if I was just dieting and could eat I would of totally cheated by now, but because I know I cant' for fear I'll get sick or damage something I dont.... and its not even hard to resist it. So that in itself is exciting because I finally feel like I'll be able to really succeed with this.

Not much to post today just wanted to give a lil update, I get my drain tube out tomorrow wooo hoo can't wait!

6 Days Post OP

So its almost one week, woo hoo.... I spent most of Friday in the ER though :-( My shoulder has been an intense pain since I woke up from surgery. They told me it was related to the gases they fill your stomach with during surgery, but its suppose to be better in about 48hours. So the ambulance rushed me Friday because we thought that maybe I had a blood clot in my left arm, but thank heavens it wasnt. It's still this gas! Ughhh and it still hurts I dont know why my body is having a hard time releasing it. I cant wait till the pain goes away.

I have had several generous friends who have made meals for my family that look delish, I so wish I could taste them instead I'm drinking protein shakes, yogurt, and chicken broth woo hoo! lol I know its all for the better though. My mom always said "A second on your lips, forever on your hips" So true.... and I know one day I'll be able to eat again its just gonna be a long time.

Oh and Two days I get my drain tube out too, cant wait to say GOODBYE to that!

2 days Post Op

Well I made it thru it!

Its 2 days post op and I should be able to go home today. The first day I came out of surgery the pain was intense I cried "what I had I done to myself!" I was hooked up to a pain pump and also given extra pain medication to get thru the 1st 24 hours, it was so much that I could barely function I would sit and couldnt even open my eyes I was so doppey. But then yesterday morning they switched me oral pain medication and took all my iv's out and I felt much more function-able.

Steve, the kids, and my mom all came yesterday to visit and Ayden and Cece held my hand and took me for a walk around the hall. They are so sweet! Then later everyone left and my Aunt Margene and Uncle Bob stopped by which was great because almost 2 years ago she had the surgery done too so she offered lots of advice.

Whewww I cant tell you how hard it was getting thru that first day but wow I just feel so much better already.

Oh almost forgot sooo I did have the laparscoptic surgery! They didnt have to do the full incision. After fasting those 3 days before surgery I dropped from 421 to 397! Woo hoo that 24 lbs in 3 days saved me, Praise the Lord!

So today is going to be a full liquid diet yesterday was just clear liquids. The full liquid will be what I will be going home on and will be using for the next 3 weeks I believe.

I wont be able to cook for the family the next couple weeks so hopefully friends and families will be able to help me with some ready casseroles that I can throw in the oven or just anything to make life easier for a couple weeks will be great.

Anywhooo thanks for all the prayers and concerns, I made it thru because of the strength and power of God. He isnt done with me yet!

Today is the day....

So in about 2 hours I will be heading to the surgery center for Gastric Bypass surgery....

I ended up having a lot of mixed emotions last night, its a pretty serious surgery and going in at 420lbs makes me really nervous... especially when you have kids who are relying on you to be okay. I talked to the kids about me going to the doctors and how I'll be gone a couple days, and my boy Ayden knows how to get to me. He was like "When I'm sick you go with me to the doctor, so I go with you to the doctor too" talk about tear jerker.

I talked to my little cousin last night who offered me encouragement in how great my future is gonna be, talked to aunts, and friends, sooo many people who really care for me. I'm so grateful to have such positive and caring people in my life.

So I cried a lot a lot a lot last night, and I prayed even more than I cried. I know I have to put all my faith in God that he has more planned for me and that this is just a stepping stone in my path and he will get me over it.... but its still scary!

Soo here I am a couple hours out from my new life, I have taken my "before shots" and got my skin prepped, took the contacts out, got some super comfy clothes and now just waiting on my mom to come and pick me up and take me to the hospital.

From what I understand its pretty painful the first couple days so I might not be able to update till after I get home for surgery... sooo well see!

Thanks to all my friends and family for encouragement and love and especially all the prayers.

If my Dad is strong enough to go thru so many surgeries I must have some of his tough genes in me some where!

Love you all,

Ashley

The Night Before

So its been a long journey to get to this point but in about 15 hours I will finally be having Gastric Bypass surgery.

A little background at how I got to this point in my life,

I have always been overweight since the 4th grade (9years old) I have never weighed under 200lbs since I was 12! Then after two kids it never got any better, in 2006 at a weight of 360 I started dieting and being under my doctors care taking adipex.... and it worked great in about a year I lost 100lbs. Looked fabulous started plus size modeling, gained a whole new self confidence... but once I was off the adipex it all slipped away. I slowly gained back weight to the point that now in April of 2010 I am 420lbs! *Cringe*

My feet hurt, my knees hurt, everything HURTS!

So back in October of 2009 I began researching Gastric Bypass surgery and finally after all the pre op appointments, with cardiologist, and pulmonary doctors, and nutrition classes oh and a psychologist I was finally approved and scheduled for surgery.... and guess what tomorrow is the day!

I have had to fast for 3 days now to help shrink my liver and hopefully have a laparoscopic surgery my BMI on last Thursday was 61 and the cut off for that method of surgery 60 so hopefully with the fasting I've dropped enough for it, if not I will be having an open and just have to take a lil longer to recover.

I'm nervous and scared all in one but I am so ready to take back my life, I'll be 25 years old in a couple weeks and this right here is me taking back my life and enjoying the next 75 years at a healthy weight!

I dont even know if I will be able to sleep tonight I feel like a kid at Christmas waiting for Santa to bring the presents.

So say a prayer and hopefully I will be updating everyone soon...

Arrival time at the hospital is 10:30 and surgery is at 12:30