a year ago...

Well it's been a year since I had gastric bypass surgery. I think it's safe to say I'm not the same person, physically and mentally. As of today I've lost just under 130 pounds. Which if you think about it, that's a hollywood actress. It would of been nice to have gotten the kinda money she would earn for hauling her around all these years. But to be honest she was high maitenance and I'm happy she's gone. I've enjoyed telling people who I am when they don't recognize me, espically my Dad. 2 times now my Mom and I have had to tell him that it was me. It makes us laugh. This last year has given me such a new joy to life that I had no idea was missing. Everyday I find little things to add to my list of joys and the list is getting longer. The Lord is so faithful, and I am not just saying that to say it, I trully see His faithfulness everyday of my life. Over the last year a lot has changed in the world around us, and everyday we are faced with new challenges, some I couldn't have faced a year ago. But because of His faithfulness I press on. I encourage everyone to look around and be encouraged by how faithful the Lord has been to all of us. I pray that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I will, I just have some much to be thankful for. Love to you all.

August Vacation

This is my Mom and I along the Missouri River in Montana.

Columbus Hospital Great Falls, Montana - Site of my birth.

This is me in front of the hospital - I was born on the 2nd or 3rd floor on the right side. This building is now used for business offices.

This is where I lived for the first few months in the basement. My parents told me we would have to go next door to my grandparents house (the green one) to use the phone. Boy things have changed.

This is the hospital my Dad tried to tell me I was born at, but my Mom just saying are you sure, I don't remember it being so close to the street. We went inside and talked to a very nice young gal who had know idea what she was talking about. So we got back in the car and drove until we found the right one.

I don't remember the last time I went to Great Falls, so this August my folks and I went to visit. The drive was long but with plenty to see. The Missouri river is so blue and in August made you wish you could float the river. On this same vacation we spent sometime with my brother and his wife in Spokane. It was there that my Dad was outside the house looking in the kitchen window and couldn't recognize me. So I guess there have been some changes.

As of today I have lost right around 125 pounds. And in a month it will be a year since I had surgery. Time has flown and I am just thrilled to be where the Lord has me. I have started serving at my church again after taking a little more then a year off. Serving the Lord is something I am so passionate about and am happy to be able to.

I need to get some pictures for October up, but to be honest the pants I'm wearing right now are to big. lol. Have a happy fall, enjoy the beautiful trees.

What? I know, I know!

So I have been reminded on more then one occasion that my blog has been abandoned. Here are a couple of pictures of me from July. For some reason we didn't take an up close one that month.

I'm half-way there!!!

So, I have lost a 100 pounds! I'm thrilled, I know that the Doctor said it would happen but I guess I never believe it would. This last month has brought a few challenges, great joy, and in the midst of everything at times have made life somewhat difficult. 1st, I got the flu, not the swine flu, but the flu. It lasted about a week and left me so wiped out. 2nd, after recovering from the flu my Mom and I went to Spokane for 4 days to help my Brother and his wife get their house ready to be sold. It was so fun to bless them with the help, although, I was still getting over the flu so I did a lot of sitting. Next time I promise I will be more help. 3rd, the following weekend I organized a spring carnival and chili cook-off at my church. It was a wonderful time, I can't believe how much help I had as well as how many people brought chili. We had 16 entries. So many families came out and it was just a great time. 4th, this last week I went to the Doctor for my 6th month check-up. The only thing that wasn't right was my B-12 levels, which are very low. He has me taking a B-12 vitiamin for now, and hopes that everything will be normal in 3 months. But this explains why I just couldn't get back to 100% after the flu, it has made me really tried and anemic. 5th, while I am still so blessed to have a job in these times, my office has cut a quite a few positions which means my work load has increased like 100%. I love my job and the people I work with so that's not a problem, it's just very busy and there is never enough time in the day. Right now I'm getting trained to be a part-time graphic designer. I'm very excited to learn something new, but what that means, is at night when I'm home I have to study a lot to learn new programs as well as how to use a computer that has always been so foreign to me, a mac.

I love this new season in my life, it is such a blessing to not have the burden of my healthier weighing on me. And I'm so thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with, I'm reminded everyday of His love for me. He is my strength and help.

10 more to 100!

A Very Rainy Day!

Though April showers may come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May, so if it's raining, have no regrets, because it isn't raining rain, you know (It's raining violets)... today I may have regrets, but come May I will not regret all the beautiful flowers.

Today, I have seen rain falling outside my office window all day. Yesturday was a snowy-rain, so I guess I'm thankful that it isn't snowing. It will be nice when we have a normal weather day, and it looks like that might be Sunday. I'm in, I'm so ready to sit outside and enjoy all the beauty of Washington.

It's funny how the weather effects so much. How many things you don't do because of the weather and how much you do end up doing despite the weather. Often I wonder now that I have more energy (and I'm sure more to come) if I will ever be one of those people that walks outside in the rain. Not just to get somewhere but to just walk. Something tells me that's a big "NO". Oh well, that's why I have a gym membership.

So much has changed in such a short time in my life, and it doesn't all have to do with the weather as you might of feared. I guess the rain just has me down today.

As of this morning, I have lost a total of 80 pounds. They have just vanished, and I pray never to find them again. It is always a great joy for me to tell people how much I have lost, not because I want to brag, because I really can't brag. But more to just be amazed with my family and friends at what has happened to me. The Lord is so faithful and it is just so fun to wake up every day knowing that I'll have another day.

Last month I had my 1st Doctors appointment in 3 months. It went very well! My Doctor walked in the exam room and started the appointment by telling me that I had lost a lot of weight. I smiled and told him that I thought that was the plan. Before the appointment I had given blood for my labs and everything came back great except for my Vitamin D which was low. So now I have added a Vitamin D pill to my day. I have to say before the appointment I had been worried, worried that I wouldn't be healthy and that I would have to go to the hospital for a visit. Nothing to worry about, everything was great. June 8th is my next appointment, and I'm sure everything will be great again.

Despite my fears that I had before my Doctors appointment, everything is going well. I am right where I should be with weight loss, I am not having as many problems with getting food stuck, and my body is just feeling better. My biggest thing now is to watch my protions and not over eat. Which isn't to much of a problem since I get full fast.

The biggest problem that I have now is that I don't have any clothes that fit, is that really a problem? My Mom and I need a frequent shopper card at Goodwill. I try and go once a week, to drop off what doesn't fit anymore and to hopefully pick up something that does. I wish they had an exchange program, that would be nice. Most days my entire outfit is from Goodwill and nothing makes me happier. My only complaint right now is that I don't have any long dress pants for work, so I've been wearing capri's. So my legs are cold, but again is that really a problem, at least I have pants that are 2 sizes smaller then when I started this.

This weekend I hope to post new pictures for the month, my photograper should be available. If not I'll find a new one. Also this weekend I plan to finish organizing my apartment. I've been working on it for the last few months, trying to make all areas of my life new and health.

3 1/2 months!

Here are the pictures for March. My photographer (my mom) only wants to take my pictures once a month, so that's why there are not more post. Things are going well, I'm going to go and get lab work done today at lunch for my Doctor's appointment next Monday. My last Doctor's appointment was at 3 weeks, so it will be good to go and get everything checked. I recently ran into my Doctor and he commented on how good I was looking. Which to me was a very high complainment. I'll update you all next week after my appointment with my offical pounds lost.

11 Weeks!

I've officially lost 66 pounds, WOW! This is the most weight I've lost at one time and I've pasted a point that I haven't been in about 10 years. I was just joking with my Mom that I'm almost to my high school weight. Yes, I've been overweight my whole life. So this is a totally new place for me and one that I am loving.

A cold winter morning!

I've noticed something lately, I'm always cold! At work I can sit with the little space heater next to me on full blast all day. I guess losing 57 pounds in the last 2 months has helped with that. Yes I said 57 pounds!!!! Go ahead and laugh because I giggle every morning when I step on the scale and see that I have lost more weight. When I looked into all this I knew it would come off fast, it does for everyone. But for some reason I never thought that would be me. Today I've lost the most I have ever lost at one time. And I'm about to weigh the lowest I've weighed in 9 years. Which is doing so much with my head, I keep thinking that this is probably going to be it, I won't lose anymore weight. But my body is telling me something totally different, thankfully. And despite my fears I'm having a lot of fun, every night I have to try on my clothes for the next day, just to make sure that they're not to big. Last night I got to go to the thrift store with my Mom and get smaller pants. How fun is that?! Even when I have a bad day, like when the food doesn't go down like it's suppose to. I'm having the time of my life, finding out what it's like to be healthier!

8 Weeks!

Photo's from the last 6 weeks

6 weeks after surgery

3 weeks after surgery

My Dad and I.

So many beautiful flowers!

My first meal, jello and broth!

In my room on the cell phone!

Erin and Jeremy waiting for me to get out of surgery.

Happy New Year!

So, it's been awhile since my last post and a lot has happened. On November 18th, 2008 I had gastric bypass surgery at Overlake Hospital. The surgery went well, I had the best Surgeon and Team taking care of me. It took a little over 2 hours and no complications. I spent the next few days in the brand new wing of the hospital. My room was amazing, not once did it cross my mind in all this to pray for a single room, but the Lord knew. The room overlooked the mountains in the east, I was very blessed to watch the sunrise. When I left the hospital I went to my parents house, where my Mom and my Sister-in-Law took very good care of me. In fact the care was so good, I still haven't gone home (I'm going home on Saturday).

In the last six weeks a lot has changed....the first 3 weeks I was on a soft food diet. I pray that none of you ever have to go on that. It is awful, I can't even go into what I ate cause it's making me sick right now. Moving on, at 3 weeks I went for my first check up with my Doctor. He said everything was good, and that my weight loss at this point was normal, 25 pounds gone. The best news that day was that I could start eating solid foods. For the last 3 weeks I have been trying little amounts of food. Some work, some don't. Things that don't work are Chicken, Beef, Crab, and Eggs. Most food is able to go down, unless I take to big of bite and don't chew it enough. If I take to big of bite or don't chew it enough it gets stuck in my back, the worst pain. My mom has been a big help and rubs my back for me when that happens. And sometimes it just doesn't want to stay down.

Today, I am 47 pounds lighter then when I went into Surgery 6 weeks ago. My pants are a size smaller and I'm beginning to regain energy from before surgery.