1 Year Post-Op! (Part One)

One year, y'all.  How is that even possible?!  February 6, 2020 --> February 6, 2021.  Oh what a journey this has been!

Officially 150 pounds down and loving this new body of mine!!

I'll be honest and tell you that I've put off writing these posts for a few days.  I'm not entirely sure why other than the thought of recapping this past year and tying it off in a "pretty bow" so to speak doesn't seem real...or possible...or fair? This year has been tough.  I think everyone can relate with that statement when they look back on 2020. Truthfully the weight loss journey was the highlight of the year for me, but there were a lot of very difficult and hard moments this past year as well that I've had to work through and overcome.  So while my instinct is to just write a nice reflection post and hit the highlights, it only seems fair and honest to share all of the details. That being said, a year in review reflection post will follow, but it's important that you first understand exactly what all happened this year so I have recapped the pivotal moments below.  Happy reading (sorry it's long...again 🤷haha)!

FEBRUARY 2020

• 02/06 --> Surgery day! Duodenal switch procedure completed.
• 02/09 --> Discharged from the hospital and went to stay with my parents for recovery
• 02/11 --> Nausea hit in full force, called into the bariatric team after hours line and was told to come to the clinic the following day to be evaluated.
• 02/12 --> Went to the WLS clinic for evaluation and was sent to the ER to be evaluated further.  CT of my abdomen completed and confirmed no leaks. Forced protein down and was sent home.  Read more of that story here.
• 02/13 --> 1am nausea returned in full force. By 2am we were headed back to the ER and I was admitted to the hospital.  I was checked for CDiff and had an upper GI x-ray done to rule out surgery complications.  All came back clear, the doctor determined I likely had a stomach bug in combination with a rough recovery and told me to stop forcing protein.
• 02/14 --> Released from the hospital that evening with instructions to stay hydrated and not force protein until my next follow up appointment.
• 02/19 --> Follow up appointment at the WLS clinic.  Heart rate was found to be elevated, but all likely causes were ruled out.  The team agreed to send me home but advanced me to soft food stage 1 diet early to get some protein in me.
• 02/25 --> Official 2-3 week post-op group at the WLS clinic. My heart rate was still elevated and they were not happy about that so I was sent immediately back to Duke Regional as a direct admission and admitted to the hospital...again. My electrolytes were very low so they pumped me full of potassium and magnesium
• 02/26 --> Had an EKG and Echo done of my heart to rule out any heart issues.  Everything came back clear again and ultimately determined that my body was just trying to adjust to the rapid weight loss and lack of electrolytes.
• 02/27 --> Discharged again and sent home.
• 02/28 --> I went back home to my apartment.

MARCH 2020

• 03/01 --> COVID-19 officially entered everyone's world, though no one quite knew to what level.
• 03/12 --> Returned to work full time
• 03/26 --> Stay at home orders began (I think it was this day?)
• 03/29 --> Spent my 30th birthday at home, just me and Jax.  Thanks Covid!

APRIL 2020

• 04/15 --> Laid off from my job at Opendoor due to COVID-19
• 04/18 --> Traveled to Morganton to spend some time with my sister and get away from the job situation.
• 04/30 --> Made the decision to begin tithing again and lay my financial and job concerns at God's feet and let him work out the plan according to His will. One of the best decisions I made all year.

MAY 2020

• 05/01 --> Hair loss from the surgery kicked in full force.
• 05/12 --> Started working with Home2Home part time
• 05/15 --> Went through a really difficult break up

JULY 2020

• 07/08 --> Officially hit the 100 pound loss mark!
• 07/12 --> Beach vacation with my family
• 07/26 --> Watch parties at church started and I was able to go back to church for the first time in months! I definitely cried happy tears that first Sunday.  It felt so good to be back at church and it renewed my spirit and re-lit a passion in me for seeking God that I had not felt in a very long time.

AUGUST 2020

• 08/24 --> Started Real Estate School

SEPTEMBER 2020

• 09/21 --> Started Rooted at NewHope (another great decision I made this year!)

OCTOBER 2020

• 10/01 --> Made it to Onderland!
• 10/12 --> Finished Real Estate School
• 10/21 --> I passed the N.C. Real Estate License exam and became a provisional licensed broker
• 10/31 --> My financial flexibility to work part time and still pay the bills ended. My savings were gone and part time pay was not going to cover my monthly bills.  Things got VERY tight, and very very difficult/scary in terms of my financial situation.  I knew I needed to find full time work ASAP, but I also felt like God was calling me away from the Real Estate gig and into something new.  I had absolutely no idea what the new place/job was that He had in mind, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that He was calling me elsewhere and I learned a long time ago it's best to pay attention when He speaks, so I began praying for guidance and looking for full time work.

NOVEMBER 2020

• 11/09 --> I was anonymously gifted an incredible financial blessing that helped not only cover the bills that month, but reassured me that God not only saw my financial/job situation but that He was completely in control and would provide for my needs.  God honored my decision to begin tithing faithfully again, and while it wasn't much after getting laid off, He honored my faithful giving.  Malachi 3:10 lived out in that moment y'all. If you're not already tithing faithfully, please let me be an encouragement to you to begin doing so today!
• 11/17 --> Left Home2Home and continued looking for full time work and praying God would open/close doors as he saw fit.
• 11/23 --> Finished the Rooted class.  (Side note: if you go to NewHope and haven't gone through Rooted, what are you waiting for? Go sign up the next time it opens. I'm considering going through the class again, that's how powerful it was!).  I met the most incredible people who pushed me to grow in my faith like I haven't done in years.  I didn't know what to expect going into that class, but oh my goodness it was the lifeline I needed to hang onto during a really hard and scary time in my life.
• 11/29 --> I turned my apartment keys in and moved back to Durham to live with my sister and her family for a while.  Moving in with them allowed some financial flexibility back into the picture while I was unemployed and trying to figure out all things financial and job related.

DECEMBER 2020

• 12/04 --> Had an interview for a position that in the moment I thought was a done deal and where God was leading me.
• Mid/Late Dec. --> Spent majority of the month celebrating the Christmas season with my family.  Found out (or so I thought) that my Cobra medical insurance plan was not going to renew for 2021, so I signed up for a new plan through the Marketplace.  I chose a very high deductible plan to save on monthly out of pocket premium costs, with the expectation of not having any major hospital stays in 2021.

JANUARY 2021

• 01/01 --> Found out that my Cobra plan could continue into 2021, the plan selections had just changed, and they had sent this information to my old address on file which is why I found out so late.  I was told I had until January 7th to elect coverage, but at the time I decided to keep my marketplace plan to save on monthly costs as the Cobra plan was more than double the monthly premium (but with much better coverage).
• 01/03 --> Around 4pm found myself having severe abdominal pain.  Around 4:30pm the pain was unbearable so I called the bariatric fellow on call who told me to wait another hour before coming to the ER to see if it would subside. By 5-5:30pm mom arrived and we called 911 as I could not get off the bathroom floor and was in the most severe pain I've ever felt in my life.  I was immediately taken to the ER and given a CT of my abdomen.  They found a bowel blockage, along with some concerning bloodwork that indicated an organ wasn't getting proper blood supply, and I was transferred to the OR for emergency surgery.  When I had my original weight loss surgery, part of that procedure re-routed a section of my intestines.  Where they reconnected my intestines, they used what they described as a web-like fatty tissue to hold it together.  Well, rapid weight loss means rapid fat loss, and that area broke down and allowed my intestines to herniate into themselves.  The surgeon told me later that my appendix was practically on the other side of my body that's how bad everything had flipped and herniated.  They repaired the hernia, re-sealed the area, put everything back how it should be, and stitched me back up.
• 01/05 --> Discharged from the hospital and came home to a very painful and activity limited 2 week recovery period. Immediately submitted my election paperwork to Cobra to set up the insurance coverage as their plan was going to cover surgery costs much better than the Marketplace plan.  Can I just say again how much this was God honoring my tithe again?!  I found out 2 days before an unexpected surgery that I could continue my great insurance coverage, and got the paperwork in with 2 days to spare.  While yes, the monthly premium was higher, this saved me over $5000 in out of pocket costs on the surgery for the year.  Thank you Lord for being in control over every single detail - even my medical insurance!
• 01/08 --> I finally hit my personal weight loss goal and got down to 175 pounds!  That's 147 pounds total lost!
• 01/12 --> Scheduled a meeting with a tax professional.  Since I had countless types of income in 2021, including 1099 self-employment income, short term disability payments, and unemployment, I was pretty sure I would owe on my taxes this year and needed someone to help me sort through all of it.
• 01/26 --> Began working part time at Food Lion to bring in some income while I continued my full time job search. Needless to say, I was in a really bad place financially at this point and was at the point that I could not pay my bills. I had exhausted every savings avenue I previously had saved up to this point, so there was nothing else left to fall back on. I ended up calling around to places that I owed to ask for assistance while I figured out a better solution. Humbling experience right there and one I hope I never have to do again.  I share this with you only to give you an honest glimpse into how hard things got at times this past year.

FEBRUARY 2021

• 02/01 --> Officially found out I was not selected for the job I previously interviewed for.
• 02/07 --> The previous few weeks had been a hit rock bottom, fall on your knees and plead to God for help kind of time for me. But on this Sunday, between the message of the service and worship, I laid it all at God's feet and with tears in my eyes I faithfully handed it all back over to Him once again. If this year has taught me anything, it's that I have no control over what life brings me next, but I do have control over how I faithfully face it and walk through it with God.  The song "The Battle Belongs" by Phil Wickham has given me so much encouragement in this season.  Go listen, crank up the volume, and let God encourage you with it as well!
• 02/08 --> Got a call to schedule an interview with Drees Homes. (Side note: Ever since graduating college it has been a dream of mine to work for a custom home builder in some capacity, so this was a huge opportunity!).  I also found out on this day that not only did I NOT owe on my taxes for 2020, I was actually going to get a refund.  Another huge God moment in this!  I honestly didn't know how I would cover the cost if I owed on my taxes, but God had it all in control and yet again provided for me in just the right time, in just the right amount, and in just the right way.  God is good y'all!
• 02/09 --> Interviewed with Drees Homes
• 02/10 --> Was offered and accepted a position with Drees Homes as their Customer Care Representative in the Raleigh, NC office!  This position has huge opportunity for growth and will allow me to learn/see all aspects of the company to best decide which career path I ultimately want to pursue with them in the future.

• 02/14 --> I'm sitting here writing out another incredibly long blog post and reflecting on all that God has provided and helped me through this year.  Last year I spent Valentine's Day in the hospital oblivious to the battles I'd face in the coming months. While this year has been difficult to say the least, a lot of good has also come from it, as well as some major life lessons learned along the way.  I'll elaborate more on those specific takeaways in my next post.

One more before and after because it still blows my mind.  God is good y'all!

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking through another long post and reading more about my journey.  I'm grateful to every single person that has read my story and prayed for me along the way.  Love you all. More to come soon!