Life & Health Update 2022

Hey y'all!

It's been a hot second since I've written...life gets busy and I forget to update, sorry! That being said, I wanted to share an update on me and request your prayers.  This may be kind of long, per usual :).

So, as you may remember, I had a bowel obstruction surgery back in January 2021 (you can read about that here if you missed it). Well, ever since that surgery I have been experiencing similar abdominal pains once every 4-6 weeks. I kept my medical team in the loop, but we thought it may be tied to diet and gas pains. My team had me tracking symptoms to see if we could identify the cause with no luck.  

Well, fast forward to Memorial Day Weekend 2022...that day I spent the afternoon at the pool and enjoyed some sun and relaxation.  As I walked back to my apartment around 3pm I began experiencing those same pains. They always start the same way - back pain first, and then intense cramping right in the middle of my abdomen dead center just below my ribs, and the pain stays there cramping on and off. Typically taking Gas-X and waiting an hour or two would make the symptoms go away.  After about 2 hours, I was still hurting so I decided I should take more Gas-X.  Roughly 1-2 hours after that I was still in pain curled up on the couch and decided to call mom. The paid was eerily similar to the last bowel obstruction, though at the time it was not as intense as I had remembered previously.  Mom and I decided I should call the Bariatric Fellow on call to get their opinion. He told me if it got worse or if nausea began as well to go the nearest ER and if it required additional attention they could transfer me to Duke Regional.  At that point I decided I better let Jax out to potty just in case it got worse. He and I got to the base of the stairs, just outside my apartment and the pain became unbearable and I got extremely nauseas and light headed. It was all I could do to get back inside with him. I knew at that point I needed to go to the ER. I called mom again and she gave me 3 choices:

1. Wait for her to come get me
2. Call 911 and go by ambulance
3. Drive myself to the ER

Well, I knew I couldn't wait an hour for her to get here so option 1 was out. I also really didn't want to pay an ambulance bill so I ruled that out. Up until that point I was ok if I was sitting, so I figured if I could just get to my car and get seated I could drive myself. I only live about 8 minutes from the hospital, I thought I'd be fine.  So I grabbed my wallet and insurance card and headed that way. I made it about 3 minutes down the road before the nausea hit again and I pulled over into a parking lot thinking I was going to be sick. At that point I was halfway between home and the hospital. I knew either way, no matter where I went, I wasn't going to be able to get out of my car. I figured it was better to be at a hospital surrounded by medical care than at an apartment complex parking lot. So, I decided to continue the drive, hopped on the highway right off that parking lot, and made it just off the on ramp down about one exit before I got so dizzy and lightheaded I had to pull to the side of the highway. I knew if I kept going I was going to the ER by ambulance one way or the other - either call them, or get in a wreck! (Lesson learned - don't drive yourself to the ER when you're in that much pain, just call EMS) I called 911 immediately to request an ambulance and then called mom just so someone was on the phone with me. She & dad then started making their way to Duke Raleigh, but when I say I felt like death, that doesn't even cover it. The pain was unbearable and I was so dizzy and nauseas. It felt like forever for that ambulance to show up. They finally got there and got me into the ambulance. On the ride to the ER she pushed 2 rounds of fentanyl, and then gave me a 3rd as we arrived at the ER. She warned me they were busy and I'd have to wait in the waiting area - ugh! They got me checked in and mom showed up shortly there after. I remember getting triaged, and they gave me some phenergan (sp?) for nausea since I already had an IV from the ambulance. It didn't help at all. I just remember shaking uncontrollably, dry heaving, and reeling in pain.  They eventually called me back for a CT scan where I had to lay flat on my back - I couldn't get out of the fetal position at this point, it was not a fun scan! Shortly after I was given a room in the ER and they told me the CT showed I had another bowel obstruction that would require surgery again. They had already spoken with my bariatric team and were going to transfer me to Duke Regional in Durham. They also pushed a round of morphine at this point. They also told me that the bariatric team wanted me to get an NG tube to be safe. The doctor said the transfer orders were in and they should be there in a couple of hours.  At this point, mom decided to go with dad (who had been waiting in the parking lot since only one visitor is allowed in the ER) to pick up my car off the highway, get Jax, pack me a bag, drop him off at their house, and then come meet me at Duke Regional. All of that should have aligned well with the transport timeline - so we thought.

So, at this point, mom had left and the nurse came in to give me the NG tube. Let me just stop here and say that if you've never had an NG tube COUNT. YOUR. BLESSINGS.  I was not prepared!  Mind you, while this is happening, I still can't get out of the fetal position. Three rounds of fentanyl and 1 morphine at that point barely got me to a 9/10 on the pain scale.  So she tells me to lean my head down and when the tube hits the back of my throat to drink from a straw until she says stop.  This tube is big y'all. She tried my right nostril first, jamming this tube up as hard as she can but it wouldn't go in and I had to make her stop. My nose of course starts bleeding from that side and she then tries the left side. She had to push it in really hard a couple of times but it eventually took. Of course I'm gagging on the tube, but they get it in. However, fun fact, when you get an NG tube they can't turn the suction on until x-ray confirms it's in the right spot. So, the nurse leaves me at this point with a rag to try and stop the nose bleed and this tube up my nose and down my throat.  X-ray comes, and then the ER goes on lock down. I see nurses rushing up and down the hall, police officers back and forth, they're over the intercom telling people to secure the doors, it looked like chaos. Someone had a knife wound is all I could figure out. But, that meant I was left completely alone in serious pain with a major nose bleed for 3 hours. THREE HOURS!!!! I was covered in blood and throwing up blood left and right by the time the nurse came back and got approval to turn the suction on and give me more morphine. Of course by that point there was nothing left in my stomach to pump out because I had been vomiting for 3 hours. Miserable does not do this entire experience justice. I truly felt like death. It was well after midnight by this point, I honestly don't even know what time it was, I was just ready to get put under and not be in pain any longer.  Once the hospital lifted from lock down Duke Life Flight got there within an hour to take me by ambulance to Duke Regional.  While on that ride they gave me an additional round of fentanyl and I finally got pain down to about a 6 and slept most of the ride to Durham. I think it was 5 or 6am by the time I got to Regional?? Mom could tell you for sure. Bariatric came in to see me to explain the surgery, get consent. and all that fun stuff, and before I knew it I was being rolled up to surgery. Best part of the day was when anesthesia came out because I knew I was within moments of being pain free! Fun part was Dr. Ransom ended up being my anesthesiologist that day - we know him from Grey Stone! It was nice to see a familiar face.  Fast forward to after surgery, I wake up in recovery feeling 100x better. The recovery nurses said not many people wake up looking better than they did when they went in, but I did! I said going from a 10 pain score for 12 hours down to a 2 will make anyone look and feel better!

Thanks to mom for this lovely recovery photo haha

Sunset view from my room each night

So, during recovery we found out from my surgeon that this obstruction was almost identical to the previous one. They also discovered that my ascending colon (right side) was not attached to my abdominal wall which is the cause of these obstructions. My colon has literally been flopping around my abdomen and causing those pains I felt every month, this time it just flipped too far to fix itself.  Apparently your colon is supposed to attach to your abdominal wall when you're formed in the womb, but mine did not. It is very rare to catch this at my age. It typically shows up very early in life or very late in life. However, they think that when I was overweight that the fat likely held my colon in place enough to prevent any issues. When I lost the weight, my colon suddenly had room to move thus causing these obstructions.  Since I'm so young, and this surgery was done in an emergency setting, they decided the best course of action was to try and suture my colon to the abdominal wall in the hopes that it would hold. They did tell us though that this has a very low success rate and the only permanent solution is to remove that section of my colon. They had me follow up with a colon specialist after surgery to get a second opinion, and he agreed.  He told me that if those pains came back at all to notify him immediately and they'd get me in for surgery to go ahead and remove that section of my colon before another full obstruction occurs.

Well, fast forward to end of August 2022 and sure enough those pains returned. I had 3 pretty painful events across one week, and I'll be honest that I tried to ignore it or write it off as food issues the first 2 times. However, the 3rd time I hadn't eaten in a few hours prior and it was bad enough that if it had continued another hour I would have gone straight to the ER. I immediately messaged my colon specialist and they got me scheduled, but he wasn't available for a month.  Luckily I have not had any other rounds of that pain since then (knock on wood), but I finally saw him at the end of September.  Sure enough, he wanted to go ahead and do the surgery, for which I am now scheduled to have on November 10th. I was already scheduled for a colonoscopy on November 7th, so he suggested doing my surgery after that just in case they find anything. Better to have one surgery instead of two so we went with the 10th for my surgery date. He says it will be done laparoscopically and should not have any major effects on my quality of life after surgery other than maybe going to the bathroom more than once per day. My nutritionist told me this section of the colon is where a lot of water is absorbed, so we'll need to keep an eye on my hydration and nutrition following surgery, but other than that it *should* be a pretty simple surgery.

Well, if that wasn't exciting enough, on September 17th I pulled a muscle in my back hanging clothes back on a rack. In the days following, my sciatica pain returned (I had back surgery in 2014) on my right side and it became so bad that walking has been next to impossible even on heavy medications. My doctor has me on narcotics, muscle relaxers, and gabapentin and it's barely touching the pain. She also had me start PT which began on October 3rd.  That day the pain was so intense that I called mom in tears contemplating needing to go to the ER. I went into PT, and cried more than that sweet doctor was probably expecting, and she did some treatments to try and reduce the pain.  Those treatments helped a little, but she also found weakness on my right leg, reduced reflex in my achilles, and decreased sensation on the right side and suggested if the paid was bad enough that I could go to the ER and get an MRI now instead of waiting the 4 weeks in PT that insurance typically requires. My primary doctor had suggested the same thing. The pain was rough, so mom and I decided the ER was the best plan of action. I got there around 5pm that evening of the 3rd and mom met me there. (Side note - bless my mom for always coming to my rescue and sitting with me through all of these crazy ER adventures!) I was eventually taken back to a room in the ER about 4 hours later. The doctor was hesitant to give me an MRI, because even if it showed a spinal issue she would just refer me back to my neurosurgeon and wouldn't treat it there. However, after reviewing my symptoms and chart, she agreed to the MRI. She warned us though that MRIs can take a long time to get in the ER, up to 6 hours or more, so to get comfortable for a bit. Mom decided to leave the hospital at this point to pick up Jax and head home - no need for us to both just sit and wait. Surprisingly about an hour later MRI was in the room and wheeling me back! The scan was pretty uneventful, and a couple hours later they confirmed I had a bulging disc again at L4/5.  The doctor gave me a methylprednisolone (sp??) shot in my arm to help with pain that night and suggested I follow up with my previous neurosurgeon since L4/5 is where my previous back surgery was in 2014, and then I got discharged.

I tried calling neurosurgery the next couple of days, eventually getting through, but they could not see me until November 1st.  I booked it, but I knew there was no way I could continue with this pain for another month, I needed to be able to walk. So, I also found the Duke Spine & Pain Management team that's connected with my neurosurgeon and had my primary doctor refer me to them. It took a few days to get them to answer the phone too, but once I did she too was telling me an initial consult wasn't available until November 8th! I begged her for another option, so she checked the other doctor's schedules and found one opening for Monday, October 17th, but she needed his approval before she could book it. She called me back about an hour later and said the doctor reviewed my chart and said due to my history we could skip the consult and schedule an epidural injection for that Thursday if I wanted. Of course I said yes!  So, I had that injection yesterday, Thursday, October 13th. The procedure itself was pretty much painless, which I was pleasantly surprised by! I didn't get immediate relief, but I did see some improvement right away. They told us it could take 7-10 days for full effect, so I'm hopeful and praying that relief continues to grow and get better this week! I went from about an 8-10 on the pain scale when walking down to about a 5-6, which is better than nothing! I look forward to being able to walk pain free again, but for now a 40-50% improvement is better than where I was! They did say sometimes a second shot is needed 2-3 weeks following the first one, but we will assess that at the 7 day mark. I can't have a steroid injection too close to my colon surgery date, so we are having to juggle two major treatment plans at once. I will still meet with the neurosurgeon as well, just so we cover all bases, but I'm really hoping we can get this under control without another surgery. Back surgery is no joke, and I would love to avoid a second one if at all possible!

All that being said, if you've read this far (ha, sorry I told you it would be long!), there are a few ways I would really appreciate if you could pray for me.

1. Prayers for my upcoming surgery on 11/10. That the procedure would be uneventful, successful, and have a quick and easy recovery following.
2. Pray for an easy transition diet and hydration wise following the colon surgery
3. Prayers for my colonoscopy appointment on 11/7 - that it would come back clear and uneventful as well (multiple family members have been diagnosed with colon cancer so I'm getting this as a precaution)
4. Pray for continued relief of this sciatica pain through the injection medicine over the coming days
5. Join me in praying that these injections will provide full and lasting relief so we can avoid a second back surgery
6. Prayers for financial guidance and coverage as I navigate all the medical bills that I've been faced with this year
7. Prayers for my many medical teams I'm now working with, that they would make the right medical decisions for me as we juggle multiple treatments at once

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

<3 Allyson

Home Sweet Home

Hey hey - long time no see! Figured it was time for a quick update :)

Back in May, I accepted a new position as Project Manager with Atmos, a custom home builder in Raleigh, NC.  I am absolutely loving this position, and am so grateful for the opportunity. I get to utilize my design and project management background in this role, and it's truly been a perfect combination! Accepting this role also gave me the financial stability to move out of my sister's house and get my own place again. It feels so good to be back on my feet and thriving again. Many people have asked to see photos of my new place, so I figured this was a good place to document it.  Enjoy!

View from the entry

Kitchen

Dining Room

Living Room

Laundry Room

Bedroom

Office space in the bedroom

Last but not least, my favorite space of the entire apartment: my patio! I get the most epic sunset view from this patio every night.

So there you have it! That's my little humble abode for right now.  I really do love it here!

1 Year Post-Op! (Part Two)

Before we get started, I have to wish this sweet girl one more very happy 3rd birthday! I love you, Chloe Grace!

If you haven't read part one yet, check it out here.

As I mentioned in my last post, this last year has been challenging, but also good in many ways.  As I sit down to reflect back on all that the last year brought/taught me, I keep circling back around to a few main themes which I'll share below.  My goal in sharing all these details of my journey is to hopefully encourage at least one person - whether that be in their weight loss journey, spiritual walk, or just in their personal life.  So, without further ado, here we go!

1. I am SO much stronger and more resilient than I ever realized - physically & mentally. 
• This past year I survived: 2 major surgeries, 4 hospital admissions, countless weeks of recovery, major depressive periods due to medications, a difficult break up, quarantining alone, getting laid off, countless job searches, moving back in with family, complete and utter change to my diet/relationship with food, rapidly losing 150 pounds and re-learning my body, hitting rock bottom financially, and more.  There were many nights where I just threw my hands up and asked God, "Have I not already been through enough?!?!".  I journaled and prayed countless real and raw prayers this year. But, at the end of the day I found peace in knowing that God is in control, that He can handle my honest prayers, and that He would make a way.  And, He did! Despite how hard a lot of these times were in the moment, I overcame every obstacle life threw my way.  Through it all I have developed a better understanding of myself, my body, and my personal needs. I've learned to love myself again, prioritize self-care, and advocate for myself.  I've learned that my body is capable of so much more physically than I could have ever dreamed.  I've learned that life doesn't actually revolve around food, despite what our cultural norms may say, and that I am not defined by what I can or cannot eat. I've gotten my life back physically, and I now get to go into this next season of life healthy and stronger than ever before. Lots of hard lessons to learn along the way, but I am so much stronger and more resilient than I ever gave myself credit for.
  
  
2. God is faithful and He still speaks to His children (me!) when we seek Him!
• One thing I have not shared with many people is that I really struggled in some ways with my walk ever since I left Haiti.  During my time leading up to/in the mission field, my personal walk with God was so strong.  I was 100% confident of where God was calling me, how He was speaking to me, and there was never any doubt in my mind about that calling or my relationship with Him.  But when I had to leave the mission field early (to no fault of my own), I felt like I had failed.  Failed God and those who supported me by leaving too early and failed those I left behind in Haiti.  And while yes, God eventually revealed to me that my time in Haiti was not a failure, that season of my life was mostly about teaching me to be willing to take up my cross and leave it all behind to say yes for Christ, I still struggled with it.  I kept going to church and going through the same motions when I returned, but for years I have not felt like I've heard God's voice or calling as clearly since that time.  During this last year, especially in the still quiet moments of being quarantined at home alone, I began fully acknowledging this struggle and decided it was time for something to change so I could find that close communion with God again.  I decided to join a young adult women's life group through my church, and as fate would have it one of our first studies was about hearing God's voice.  I opened up to them about my struggles, and one of the girls that I had never actually met, gently but faithfully prompted these questions to me:  "How are you actively seeking God's voice? What's changed between these two periods of your life?"  In that moment, I realized it wasn't that God wasn't talking to me, I had stopped truly seeking His voice.  So this year, I made a few critical decisions that have reignited my spiritual walk: attend church every week (even if it's virtual), faithfully & joyfully tithe again, join a life group, and prioritize my quiet time with the Lord. I shared about how God honored my tithe this year in part one of my post, and in every single one of those moments it was like God saying, "I've got this. I see you. You're not alone."  One of the most powerful moments for me was the night I shared my testimony in our Rooted class (the life group I'm now with).  I had prayed all day that God would use my story to encourage someone that night.  Little did I know He was going to encourage me through it.  A couple of us shared our stories that evening, and then we did a prayer exercise where the group leader had sectioned off some bible verses for each of us to read in Psalms, and after we read it we would say a prayer out loud in relation to those verses.  Everyone's passages were fairly general, and some even more "out there" if you will in terms of figuring out how to pray over the verses.  But, when it got to me, the below verses (photo) are what I read out loud.  When I finished reading them the room was completely silent and I had chills because it was like reading my personal testimony straight back to myself.  I read the passages out loud again, because it was so spot on and exactly what I needed to hear that night.  That moment was probably the first time since leaving Haiti that I truly, undoubtedly felt God speak straight to me again, and thinking about it still gives me chills.  You see, our group leader had multiple passages marked off like that in his bible and just randomly selected these that evening.  Had he passed the bible around in a different order I wouldn't have read the verses I did.  It was truly a God moment. Seriously gives me chills.  So, if you take nothing else away from this blog post tonight, I hope you can hear my heart and be encouraged that God still sees you.  He knows what you're going through.  He has a plan, and He will not leave you.  He will honor your faithful giving and provide exactly what you need. And, best of all, God will speak to you and guide your life if you actively seek His voice. You won't regret it, I promise!
  
  
  
  Psalm 18:20-24, MSG
  
  
3. My family is my greatest support system and I could not have done this year without them.
• I feel like this goes without saying, but my family deserves an extra shout out here, especially my momma. I truly would not have made it through this year without my family.  Erin & Stephen opened their home to me to have a place to live when I couldn't afford to live on my own anymore.  My nieces provided countless laughs and smiles to get me through the hard days. My extended family has sent encouragement and said countless prayers for me along the way.  My parents sacrificially assisted me financially to help me cover my bases when things got too tight. And my mom, bless her, she has been my rock.  My mom has sat by my side through every pre and post-op class/check up, surgery, ER visit, sleepless nights in the hospital, moments sick on the bathroom floor, and she has let me vent/process life's situations with her countless times over the last year. I've always been one that wants my mom when I don't feel well, so there's no one else I would have rather had beside me on this journey. She has been cheering me on and encouraging me every step of the way and I cannot thank her enough for that.  I truly am so blessed to call this family my own.  I love every single one of you. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleaders and supporting me unconditionally on this journey!
  
  
4. I would do this year, and the weight loss surgery, all over again.
• There have been many nights where I would have laughed in your face if you told me I'd be writing those words right now. While I wouldn't necessarily enjoy re-living every detail of the last year again, I can honestly say that ultimately I'm glad I went through with all of it.  I've gotten my life back, learned to love myself again, and grown so much this past year because of everything I've gone through.  2020 was tough, but it was a journey I needed to take to grow into the better version of myself that I am today.
  
  

So there you have it - a year in review/reflection.  And since this is technically celebrating my one year weight loss surgery anniversary, I'll round this post out with some stats and pictures :)

• 150 total pounds lost!
• Highest Weight:  322 lbs (Dec 2019)
• Surgery Weight:  303 lbs (Feb 2020)
• Goal Weight: 175 lbs
• Current Weight:  172 lbs (Feb 2021)
• Excess weight percentage lost: 87%
  
  
• 79 total inches lost!
• 13 inches - waist
• 18 inches - hips
• 12 inches - thighs
• 06 inches - arms
• 09 inches - chest
• 03 inches - neck
  
  
• Down 7 pant sizes 😲!
• From a size 22/24 to 8/10!
• Down from an 2XL/3XL to Small/Medium in shirt sizes as well!
  
  
• Diet/Exercise
• I can eat about 1 - 1.5 cups of food per meal (depending on what it is)
• The only food I cannot tolerate so far is cream cheese
• My stomach is most sensitive to sugar, but sugar is also still what I crave the most so it's a balancing act
• My daily diet/nutrition goals are: 
• 100+ grams of protein
• 80 oz of hydrating fluid
• 1300-1500 calories
• 130-150g of carbohydrates per day.
• I eat 3 meals a day, as well as 1-2 small snacks
• I am on a strict vitamin regimen of 600mg calcium 4x/day, bariatric multivitamin 1x/day, and 45+mg of iron 2x/day
• I will be officially cleared for full workouts again at the end of the week, so I'll start attending my favorite camp gladiator workout sessions again 2x/week next week!

🎉Cheers to 1 year! 🎉

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!

ONEderland!!

I have debated with myself for months now about whether or not I would share the details of my most current weight loss milestone.  But, I saw this quote on Facebook recently (below) and was reminded that my journey can, and likely will, encourage someone else and I should share it even if it's embarrassing and requires me to be vulnerable at times.

With that being said, here goes probably my most vulnerable post to date.  As of yesterday, September 30th, I officially entered ONDERLAND!!  Now what is that I'm sure you're wondering???  Onderland is the lovingly wonderful (pun intended) term our weight loss surgery support group uses when someone finally gets under 200 pounds and is back in the 100s. 

Get it, ONEderland?!

That's right, I'm finally under 200 pounds!!!  

I'm sure some, maybe even most, of you reading this will think "199.5 lbs is nothing to be excited about".  Or you'll think something like, "ok cool, but that's still pretty high, Allyson."  Or, you're doing the math in your head and realizing that I just admitted to the world that I weighed well over 300 pounds a mere 10 months ago.  Like I said, admitting this was not an easy choice, and it's taking a LOT of courage to do so.  And honestly, those thoughts you may be having are not wrong - I do still have a little bit more to go to be "healthy" according to medical BMI charts.

BUT!

And hear me out here.  I literally cannot ever remember seeing a one in front of the scale.  EVER! The last time I might have seen a one start out the scale was middle school, (yeah, almost 20 years ago 😳), and even then I was overweight for my age and it was not a positive experience. 

When I started this journey my medical team asked me what my minimum weight loss goal to be satisfied with my results would be.  Without hesitation I answered "anything under 200 and this will have been beyond successful!".  That still holds true today.  In just 8-10 months I have lost just over 122 pounds!  That is no small feat and I am SO stinking proud of myself.  Proud enough to post a photo of my weight for the world to see!

You see, this journey has been so much more than just decreasing a number on a scale, or fitting into smaller size jeans.  While those aspects are great, there is literally nothing that can compare to the best part of this journey:  Learning to love myself again, and to be proud of myself exactly the way I am! That my friends, is a gift I will never be able to repay my medical team for.  It's a gift I didn't even realize I needed until I found myself for the first time in my life proud to look in a mirror.  Proud to tell someone my weight.  Proud of all I've accomplished. And proud to truly love myself again.

I share all of this today to hopefully encourage someone else on their weight loss journey.  Weight loss is not a competition.  It's not a sprint to a finish line, but rather a marathon requiring you to pace yourself to achieve your goals. Weight loss is not easy and it takes a lot of continuous hard work.  You will have to re-learn your relationship with food, and even when you think you've got it down pat you have to adjust and learn even better habits.  Maintaining the loss is something you will have to work at for the rest of your life.  There's no quick or easy fix.  But, if you're committed to the journey and willing to put in the work, you can and WILL achieve the results you're after. Choosing to have weight loss surgery was the best decision I've ever made, and I hope it can encourage at least one, or 100s of people to take their first step to becoming healthy as well.  I promise you won't regret it!

🎉So, cheers to Onederland!! 🎉

🎉 100 Pounds Down! 🎉

As of July 8, 2020 I have officially lost 100 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!

Before (left) was at my highest weight in December 2019.  After (right) was July 2020 at 100 lbs down!

I honestly can't believe it haha, but I'm so stinkin' proud of myself! To clarify, that's 100 lbs down from my highest weight, which was in December 2019.  I'm down 81 of those pounds since my surgery on February 6, 2020.  I get asked often how much more weight I'd like to lose? I think it would be great to get another 25-50 lbs off, which would let me hit my 80-100% excess weight loss goal.  However, I can say with confidence that I love the body I'm in right now and would be ok if I maintained this weight long term. I will be honest and say that I haven't lost any additional weight since July 8th, but I have sat steadily at that 100 lb lost mark.  This is the first stall I've really hit since surgery (other than a short one week stall around 3 months), and it's totally normal/to be expected.  My team has said after 6 months the final weight loss happens much more slowly (I'll be 6 months out on August 6th). The way to kick the loss back into gear is to up my protein, increase/maintain activity, and increase fluids.  I'm working on all three of those - more below on that - but I truly love this new body of mine!

One of the odd things about this surgery is that it's always kind of difficult to describe how much weight you've lost.  Even on our facebook support group, folks will show about 3-5 different numbers to give a better picture of their journey.  I'll often see people put highest weight, surgery weight, current weight, goal weight, etc.  I personally prefer to base my loss upon my highest weight, as it was truly right before this journey kicked into full gear.  I did technically lose 19 pounds prior to my surgery, but that was from the required liver shrinking diet.  And hey, anyone that has gone through that diet will agree that those pounds absolutely count!  So yay, 100 pounds down!!!!

Overall, I am doing really well. I joined a fitness program called Camp Gladiator about 4 weeks ago, and am absolutely loving the classes!  Right now I am going to a class every Monday and Wednesday, and occasionally sneak in a 3rd workout on Thursday's.  The classes are all outdoors, but they are in a group setting (about 20-25 people/class, socially distanced of course!) with a trainer leading the workout.  The workouts have kicked my butt each week in the best way possible! It's been really nice having strength training and additional cardio worked into my plan each week.  I think the best part of these workouts is learning what my body is now capable of.  Each week I have been able to run short distances, do pushups, complete leg and ab workouts I would have never dreamed of trying previously, and am continuously improving on each activity. Having the trainer there is also great as she plans all of the workouts in advance, guides my form, provides modifications where needed, and literally all I have to do is show up and put the work in.  It's honestly been such a huge blessing to find this group, especially while all of the gyms are closed. I actually loved the format and classes so much that I signed up for a one year paid membership and plan to keep going every week! If you're in the Raleigh area and want to come try the classes out let me know!

Sweaty post-workout selfie after Wednesday's class this week. 😅

As far as the diet/food portion of things goes...I'd say I've still got a little ways to go to hit my protein & nutrition goals, but I'm improving week by week.  Getting in 80-120g of protein per day, without drinking a protein shake, is very difficult. I've also noticed recently that the protein powder I've been using to supplement my diet has started to cause gas, which can be incredibly painful at times. I'm also trying to get more vegetables into each meal and not focus too heavily on carbs.  This is a lot easier said than done, as veggies are very dense and fill me up quickly, which means I only get very small portions each time.  I also know that I need to keep some carbs in my diet for energy, and to keep my bowel movements regular (TMI, I know, but it really does make a huge difference!), but I often can't get a protein, veggie, and carb all in one meal before I'm full so it's a juggling act between the veggies and carbs. I have another meeting with my dietician in a couple of weeks and I plan to go over all of this with her to see where I can make some better adjustments for the long term. 

One diet piece I have mastered though is hitting my 64 oz of hydrating fluid each day.  This part has actually been a lot easier due to the summer heat.  If for some reason I don't hit my goal during the day, I can tell almost immediately due to physical symptoms (headaches, heavy feeling, fatigue, etc), and as soon as I get more water in I always feel immediately better.  The only time I struggle with fluid goals is during meal times.  I've been instructed to avoid drinking during meals, and for at least 30 minutes after eating, as it can cause me to feel fuller than I really am, and can lead to dumping syndrome.  But, let me tell you that not drinking with a meal is SOOOOO hard!! I used to easily down 2-3 glasses of drink at every meal before surgery, and that is a hard habit to break.  I do still sneak some fluids in while I eat, but I drink maybe 1/3 - 1/2 of a glass of water with a meal now, and I try to wait until I'm done eating before I take any large sips.  But man, it's an adjustment for sure!

Other than that, life is pretty good!  Some quick highlights beyond my surgery journey:

• I'm still single lol.  I'm not rushing into anything, but I'm definitely ready to be back in a relationship and praying faithfully that God will lead me to the right man, in the right timing.  I would definitely appreciate your prayers over this as well!
• I joined a women's bible study group a few weeks ago and am loving that too! We are still meeting via Zoom due to COVID, but I look forward to actually getting to meet in person to build those new relationships even more. The ladies in the group have been a huge blessing to me and it's nice to have a place of fellowship and spiritual growth each week.
• New Hope (my church) is starting to slowly open and I am SOO looking forward to going to church on Sunday for one of the watch party events. It will be the first time in months that I've been to church and I cannot wait - I've missed worshipping with other people so much!
• I got to spend a wonderfully relaxing week with my family at the beach this month, and loved every second of it.
• My job with the realtor is still going really well.  We plan to move me to full time in August, which is a huge blessing and major prayer answered.  We are looking for more clients though, so if you, or some one you know is looking to buy/sell their home let me know!

Ok, I think that's about it.  Now for the fun part...some more before and after pictures to document hitting my 100lb goal!!

I still catch myself in the mirror sometimes in disbelief at how far I've come.  My brain still expects to see the body on the left, but it's so fun seeing my new self!

Face to face comparison - crazy how much longer and leaner my face looks now!

I've gone from a pant size of 22/24 (left) down to a 14 (right)!

The photo that started it all (left) to this week (right). Clearly I was loving this dress that day haha, but it truly feels so good to love the body I'm in now!

Thank you all for your continued support, encouraging words, and prayers. I truly could not do this without the love and support of everyone!

COVID Chronicles & 3 Months Post-Op

Whew!  A lot has happened since my last post.  Allow me to recap....

On April 15th, I was laid off from my job due to COVID-19.  Talk about a gut punch. I loved my job and I was sad to see things end so abruptly in a way that was out of everyone's control. Thankfully I qualified for unemployment and received some severance that has gotten me through financially.

April 18th, I traveled to Morganton, NC to spend some time with my sister and her family. They were in the process of listing their house for sale, so I was able to help them get a few things packed up, stage the house for listing photos, and help entertain the kids during multiple showings.  I ended up staying for 2 weeks, and loved every 👏single 👏last 👏second 👏of it!  While I'm glad I could help them with the logistical side of selling their home, the best part was getting 2 whole weeks with my nieces.  I had missed my family and those girlies SO much during quarantine, and it was a huge blessing to be able to spend that much time with them.

While I originally thought that may be all the time I'd get with them for a bit, we ended up getting to spend even more time together as they traveled back and forth between Morganton and Durham to view houses for sale.  So basically, the entire last month has been spent with my nieces and I'm totally here for it!!  I have gotten completely spoiled rotten seeing those girls almost every day, and I cannot wait for them to move back to Durham! Being an aunt has been one of the greatest joys in my life!  Here are a few photos of our time together the last month!

 Lots of walks on the greenway.

 Mema was able to join one weekend as well!

 Mother's Day 2020

Sister time

 Kinsley was sleeping SO good on this walk! I got a good arm workout in too haha!

Loved all of the baby snuggles and smiles!

Chloe Grace, you are an absolute joy and I love every single second with you!

I tagged along to quite a few of the house showings with Erin & Stephen in Durham, and through some conversations I connected with their realtor who offered me a position with her company!  She needed help with staging properties for sale and was also looking for someone to assist with administrative items to help grow her business.  Talk about a complete God moment connecting us that day, and to be presented with an opportunity that would use my background and skill set.  Blessed and grateful don't quite explain how I feel about this role.  I'm starting as part time for now, but there is an opportunity for it to grow full time.  Truly so very thankful for this position, especially during a time where so many people are desperate for jobs.  Thank you Lord for looking out for me!

On May 6th, I officially hit 3 months post-op! Let me first say how impressed I have been with my Duke medical team during these times.  My team kept me up to date on how appointments were being adjusted due to COVID-19, and they remained available via telehealth calls/messaging each day should any issues arise.  My official 3 month post-op appointment was moved to a telehealth call, and took place on May 14th.  At that call, I was able to meet with my original dietician who I started this journey with (she had been on maternity leave for a few months), so it was so nice to see her on the other end of this journey and to be doing so well!  So to wrap this post up, here are a few updates on my surgery journey and a few more before/after photos!

• As of yesterday, May 17th, I have officially 🎉lost 80 pounds 🎉from my highest weight (December '19), 61 of those pounds are since surgery in February!!!! So stinkin' excited!  That 100 lb loss mark is within my sights now and I'm pressing on to keep up the good work!

• My current weight loss numbers mean that I've lost 42% of my excess weight since surgery.  I'm expected to lose 80-100% of that excess weight, so I'm ahead of the curve and my medical team is very pleased! Oh, I'm also down 3 pant sizes as well!!

• I have hardly any clothes that fit me now.  I cleaned my closet out yesterday and donated over 4 large bags worth of clothing that were too big.  I'm down to 1 pair of jeans, 1 work pant, and a handful of shirts that fit.  In other words, I need to go clothes shopping ASAP, or I'll be wearing yoga pants & t-shirts to work everyday. Anyone want to donate to my clothing fund?! 😂

• All diet restrictions are now lifted and I can try/eat pretty much anything my body will tolerate.  This stage removed texture restrictions as well, so I can begin eating fruits with skins, peanut butter, protein bars, more veggies, etc.  I had already advanced my diet before this meeting, so this wasn't much of a change for me.

• So far, I still have not experienced any major negative effects to food other than fullness and occasional diarrhea.  I'm careful to abide by the rule of 10 when it comes to sugar and fat (less than 10g each per serving).  I find that I'm a little more sensitive to sugar if I go over that number, but no immediate dumping syndrome so far.  If something doesn't sit well it doesn't hit me until the following day, so it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.  It's definitely a game of trial and error, but I've found that including carbs at each meal helps keep things regular and my team is 100% on board with that. I also get the hiccups whenever I'm full now, which is weird/funny, but a great indicator of when to stop eating.

• They have now increased my calorie intake goal to 1000 calories/day.  I had been sitting around 700-800 calories per day, so this should be pretty easy to hit with slightly more volume introduced.

• I can now eat about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of food per meal.  The goal is to be at 3/4 cup per meal regularly by the 6 month mark, and moving towards 1-1 1/2 cups by the 1 year mark.  They said most people cap out around the 1 -1 1/2 C volume, but it is good and normal to be increasing to that range.

• One goal they gave me is to increase my protein intake to 80-90g/day.  They would like to see me at the 100-120g/day by the 6 month mark.  I've been getting about 60-80g/day up to now, so hopefully with more volume and protein bars I can meet this goal.

• I have started experiencing hair loss due to the surgery.  This is something they warned us about from day 1, and is almost always seen in the 3-6 month post-op stage for patients.  I'm taking biotin and collagen to help with this, as well as using a collage/biotin shampoo.  I also make sure to get my multivitamin in each day, and increasing my protein should help as well.  Thankfully I have thick hair, so I can't see or feel the loss by looking at my hair.  But, it's definitely obvious by how much falls out when I wash, brush, or style my hair.  I had hoped to avoid this side effect, but no such luck. This should go away on it's own over the next few months and then they said most people see quite a bit of regrowth after the loss stops.  Fingers crossed this stage passes quickly!

80 pounds and 3 pant sizes down! Feeling so good!

I just want to end this by sharing my sincere appreciation to every single one of you that has prayed for me recently.  I can definitely see and feel God working in my life and a huge part of that is because of all of your prayers.  I cannot thank you enough, and I ask that you would please continue to keep me, this weight loss journey, & my career path in your prayers. While God has blessed me with a lot the last few weeks, it has also been a very difficult and trying time in my life.  I still have quite a bit to figure out in the coming weeks/months, and would appreciate any/all prayers.  Thank you all 🖤!

2 Months Post Op

Today officially marks my 2 month post-op anniversary! These last 8 weeks have flown by, but they were also some of the most difficult in more ways than one. In lieu of a lengthy post, I figured I'd celebrate with a few before/after progress photos.  To date, I'm down a total of 57.6 pounds since December, and 38.6 pounds of that is since surgery!  Here's to losing even more over the next few months!!

The picture on the left was the one that made me decide to start this journey.  So fun to see this progress photo side by side!  What you can't see here is how loose the waist is of these pants were, and how baggy the shirt was on the back.  Such a great feeling!

Left: Summer 2019 --- Right: April 2020

These shorts practically fall off of me now!

Left: December 2019 --- Right: April 2020

The left photo shows me at my highest weight.

Left: November 2019 --- Right: March 2020

I bought this jacket from Costco last year and was never able to zip it comfortably (clearly!). In March, I was able to completely zip it for the first time, and it's even looser now!