Big changes and big blessings!

So there's been a lot going on lately. Life has been a roller coaster ride the last few months. Hubby recovered from his surgery really well and is now down over 70 pounds! I'm so proud of him for everything he does. It hasn't been easy for him as he's had some problems adjusting to post op eating. We get so Ed to eating a certain way that it takes a while to adapt to all the new changes! Reminding himself to chew well, not knowing when he's full and eating a little to much, not being able to eat some of his favorite foods. For a few weeks he has trouble keeping food down. It seemed to get stuck and it was hard to pinpoint whether it's eating to fast, to much, not chewing enough or the possibility of a stricture. He had to have an upper endoscopy and dilation because the outlet to his pouch had healed to tightly not allowing foods to pass through. He's doing much better since that procedure and is still learning to gauge and really pay attention to his eating.
Being that we're both post op patients who require vitamins and protein and with other medical stuff that's come up we've realized we were struggling financially and something needed to change so that we weren't chasing our tales and digging a deeper hole.
We are moving out of our current house and into something smaller and less expensive. Our rent is really high and other bills are climbing making it harder to keep up with everything. It's frustrating because when we moved in it was in our budget and something we were able to do, but life happens! Realizing that we don't need a big fancy house in the best neighorhood to be happy and living within our means was a healthier choice to make.
As all of this is going on I discover last weekend that I'm pregnant! It's something we've been trying for but this came out of nowhere in the middle of this financial crisis. This new discovery has made us realize the best choice was to be in a place that's more within our budget and that will allow us to save money for baby.
I never thought I'd be able to get pregnant! I was diagnosed with PCOS which causes infertility and other issues that keep me from conceiving. One of the main reasons I chose to have weight loss surgery was to hopefully someday be able to get pregnant. It's known that weight loss surgery improves the symptoms of PCOS and many women have gone on to have babies. Since March of 2010 my periods have been normal for the first time in my life and that gave me hope! We've been trying to conceive since March when I passed my one year surgery mark and got clearance from my Dr. To start trying. I felt that I needed to make sure I charted my cycles and did everything I could to ensure getting pregnant which was causing more stress and every negative pregnancy test my heart would sink and I would get depressed. After years and years of negatives it was really starting to make me feel hopeless! Then I decided that I would just let it go and allow it to happen naturally if it was going to happen. I had to trust that if I was meant to be a mom God would take care of it on his time, not mine. Its hard to do but I couldn't keep stressing about it and I couldn't make it happen when I wanted to.
I've been feeling sick the last few weeks but thought it was a combination of the antibiotics I was taking and a flare up of the fibromyalgia. I was a few days late for my period so reluctanly I went and bought the pregnancy test. Now usually when I do that my period starts and that's what I was expecting. Sunday came around and I had put it off long enough and figured I'd just get it over with. I glanced over at the test and was completely shocked to see two clear pink lines. I screamed for my husband which scarred him, he thought I was hurt or that I saw a spider. 4 tests later it was pretty clear that I was in fact pregnant! It's very surreal and it's just starting to sink in. There are moments where I feel like it's just a dream and I keep going back to the picture of the test. This is huge! Hubby is excited and can't wait to be a daddy! Im excited, scared and every other feeling and emotion out there!
It's one thing to talk, think, dream about it but when it becomes reality it's a totally different thing!
I'm not sure how pregnancy will affect me or my medical conditions! I deal with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, back injury and I am also dealing with a lot of psychological issues as well and had to stop taking certain meds that have kept me stable for years. I knew that pregnancy woldnt be easy for me and I'm still unsure of what the next 7 1/2 months holds for me in regards to my health. As scary as it is, I'm blessed to be pregnant and I know that the end result will be worth it. I just have to trust that God will get me through this and with the love and support of my husband,family and friends I'll be ok!
There are lots of changes going on in life right now and I feel a bit overwhelmed buts it's temporary and I know we'll get through this!
So as I embark on the next part of my journey I'm excited and hopeful that I'll continue to grow and become a stronger, better person. There's been so many changes the last year and everyday I'm reminded of how far I've come and how far I still have to go!
God's been doing amazing things in my life and there's no doubt he will continue to do so! Life isn't always easy, nothing worth having is!
Weight loss surgery has not only saved my life but it's been an amazing tool that's helped make so many dreams come true for me!
I'm going to be a mommy!! WOW! Just thinking about that is amazing!

Being on the other side!

So on April 1st (no joke) my husband had Gastric Bypass Surgery. The same surgery I had a little over a year ago. Now it was my turn to take care of him, support him and help him along a very similar journey that he's supported me on for the last year. I thought I was prepared and ready to be on the other side of it but boy was I WRONG! I was more anxious than he was going into it and as we made our way to pre op area it began to get more real for both of us. My mind reeling with all kinds of thoughts wondering what he's thinking, is he scared and just not showing it so that I don't stress, what if something happens during surgery?...and all the other crazy thoughts and scenerios my mind could come up with. Even as he's getting ready to go into surgery he's trying to protect me like he always does. If he can do something to keep me from being upset or worried he'll do it, it's just how he works. As they wheeled him into surgery I felt panic set in. I knew he was in good hands, from the Surgeon, nurses, even the anesthesiologist were people who had all taken part in my care so I knew they'd take good care of him. A few good friends of mine were kind enough to sit with me while he was in surgery which helped a great deal in calming my nerves. His surgery went fine and there were no complications whiched made me feel better and as I made my way up to his room I thought the worst part is over..WRONG again! When they brought him in, he was white as the paint on the walls and looked so helpless, so weak. I wasn't ready for that! In the 8+ years that we've been together I've never seen him in such a way. Sure I've seen him sick, cry, and at other low points but this was something that caught me completely off gaurd! I was told that one day our roles would be reversed and I would have to be the one taking care of him. I guess it's another step in our journey together, being in different roles. He had some post op sickness being this was his first surgery and though the nurses were assuring me he'd be fine It scared me. I'm so grateful for those who were able to help calm me down. Later in the evening once he was more responsive and getting some of his color back I was able to relax and know that he was ok. He rebounded really well and wasn't in much pain at all. We are greatful for those who stopped by and for the amazing love and support that surrounded us that weekend and for all the nurses and Drs who took great care of him. He's a very stubborn person and is so used to being the one doing the taking care of, for him to set his pride aside and allow himself to be taken care of is a major step for him. He's done so well and has progressed nicely. It's been a major learning experience for me because I went from being the patient to being the coach. Helping him, guiding him, supporting him through these first few weeks where it can be the most challenging. I have had to go back and remember what it was like in those first few weeks and it's reminded me that I am an example for him and it's helped keep me in line with remembering to make better choices and try not to revert back to old habits. I'm sure there are moments he questions his decision, after a year I still have moments where I question my decision but one thing we both agree on is the overall goal of health and a better life is worth the risks it takes to get there. I'm proud of my husband and how far he's come! It's not an easy choice to admit you can't do something alone and in the few weeks he's been on this journey he's already learned so much! It's weird being on the other side of this journey and as I see it in a whole different way I've learned that much more about myself and my relationship! I've watched friends go through the weight loss surgery journey but I've learned it's so different when your spouse is the one making that journey. I'm excited to watch as he finds himself and gains the confidence he longs for. I already see such a change in his attitude and it makes my heart so happy to see my husband come to life again!

One year later!

WOW!! I can't believe it's already been a year since having Weight Loss Surgery! This last year has gone by a lot quicker than I thought it would! It hasn't been easy at all and as I look back on this past year I'm grateful for all the changes! I've grown in so many ways while shrinking at the same time! As I sit here and reflect on where my life is and where it's headed I get an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love! I couldn't have gotten where I am today without God's grace and the love and support of the amazing people in my life both in my inner circles and the online communities! I've learned so much about who I am and who I want to be and although it's a daily struggle to move beyond years of mental conditioning, I have faith that I'll always be where I need to be because I'm not alone! Some would say that I took the easy way out and to them I say unless you've lived this life, you have NO idea! It's been rewarding sure, but it's also been the biggest fight of my 29 yr existance. I'm really learning to love myself for the first time and I'm really starting to believe that I deserve all the happiness God has in store for my life. I look at myself in the mirror and am beginning to see someone worth while, someone who deserves to be healthy, someone who has the passion and the desire to live life the way I'm supposed to live life. I've always had an internal hunger for more in my life but never felt like I was strong enough or good enough to go after and achieve more. Always standing on the outside looking in, dreaming, wishing life could be something greater than what I had settled for. I've been given a second chance at life, the opportunity to step up and move, live life instead of watching it pass me by. I've always had this deep feeling that God had more in store for me, I just wasn't letting him show me what it was! I've said it before, this is SO much more than a physical journey! Every fiber of my being has been shaken to the core and it's downright uncomfortable at times because I'm somewhere I've never been before and that scares the shit out of me! Fighting those old comfortable feelings, thoughts, habits and pushing beyond my personal comfort zone is absolutely a struggle, but the more I push beyond those feelings and thoughts the more I long to keep pushing, even when they push back. I've been seeing a therapist for a while as I adjust to the changes and face head on the issues that have in the past held me back. It's raw, it's uncomfortable, but I know that I can't grow unless I clear out the junk that's holding me back, keeping me from growing like I should be. I've been through a lot in my life and God's gotten me through some really serious struggles and I have faith and trust that as I continue my journey God's going to be right there along with my wonderful husband and amazing family and friends! As I celebrate a year since my life was saved I get to be there as my husband begins his journey to better health and a better life! I get to take care of him as he has taken care of me since the day we met! God only knows what's next and I'm anxious and excited to see where he leads us. We are planning on starting our family soon and as we both continue on the journey to better overall wellbeing, I see great things happening! Today I will challenge myself to look in the mirror and see myself as God sees me, love myself as God and others love me! I'm perfectly imperfect and I'm starting to think that's perfectly OK!!

Give up trying to be anything but YOU!!!!

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Who are you? No really Who are you? We're all given a name when we enter this world, it's as we grow that we begin this ongoing quest to find out who we are. I'm 29 yrs old and I still don't fully know who Amanda Jolyn Matthews is. We live in a society that tells us we have to aspire to be something else. They tell us to be smarter, taller, skinnier, change our hair color, eye color, weight, boob size and THEN we'll be who we want to be right? WRONG! We grow up in a world that's constantly telling us that in order to be worth anything we have to change everything and be this way or that way and only then will we be good enough for...what?
We've allowed society to dictate how we look at ourselves and as we see this false image of "perfection" that we'll never obtain we beat ourselves up for not being a certain way. We take it as truth that we are in some way less of a person because we don't fit into this absurd mold that we've come to expect ourselves and others to fit. We're sent the message that we're not lovable as we are and we need to do XYZ and then we'll be lovable, but when we don't achieve XYZ we beat ourselves up and convince ourselves we're never going to be good enough.
As I go through this change physically I'm beginning to feel more insecure about myself. I was insecure about myself at 450 pounds, why am I more so at 263? I look at myself and although I should be happy with what I see, my mind goes and picks out all my flaws and tries to convince me that because I have saggy skin and stretch marks I'm still not beautiful!  I wish for one day I could see myself as my husband does, as God does. On my worst day, hair a mess, wearing yesterdays tshirt my husband will tell me I'm beautiful and often I respond by rolling my eyes or saying "whatever, you need your eyes checked" and he tends to get upset if I say something negative about myself. I try to tell myself he's just being nice, but in reality does he love me just as I am? Truth is he does! I often doubt God's love in the same way. How can someone who's as broken, messed up, and imperfect as me deserve to be loved unconditionally, as I am, serious baggage and all?
Last week began the lent season and I never really thought about it until this year when I read a friend's blog post on instead of giving up something like coffee or soda why not try loving yourself as you are? Giving up trying to make yourself different or trying to be what society tells you that you should be? This friend of mine gave up a hair straightener, which to some may seem odd, but it's a big deal when you've spent much of your life trying to live up to everyone Else's standards as to who and what you should be! We are the only version of us that we have, why not embrace it? We're all different, flawed, scarred but we all deserve to be loved just the same! As I continue on this journey to a healthier me, I'm doing a lot of work on the psychological aspect of who I am, who I've been and who I really want to be.  Focusing on letting go of those preconceived ideas that I have to be a certain way or do a certain thing in order to be worth something in this world! What would happen if we ignored all the in your face garbage about how this item or that item or changing everything about you will make you prettier, more "socially" deserving? Whether it's freckles, curly hair, glasses, intelligence level, your weight, choices you make or anything else, you are just as beautiful and just as deserving as anyone else! Don't let anyone tell you you're worth less than everything!!
I challenge all of you to spend some time thinking about the good qualities you have and focusing on loving yourself AS YOU ARE! Write down a list of things that make you amazing and see yourself the way you truly are! It's easier to believe the negative self talk, it's so easy to believe the bad things that have been drummed into our heads most of our lives. As we go on this journey of growing and learning who we truly are it's important to love ourselves because we're worth it! As my friend Lindsay says "be a self love warrior!" There's an affirmation I used to have that says "Never be afraid to be outrageously YOU"

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

One Step at a time!

It's a hard concept for someone who has the all or nothing mentality. I've been working really hard on realizing that it's OK to do things a little at a time. I have the tendencies to want to go all out or make sure everything is perfect, done completely not half done. My mind and my body are still not on the same page and it's a daily struggle to make conscious efforts to slow down. Here I am 159 pounds lighter, I feel great, have all this energy so my mind says GO, while my body says um, not so fast! It's usually not until I've overdone it and am not able to move that I realize that my body is still broken and deconditioned and it will take some time for me to be 100% physically. One of my Dr's calls this "superman" syndrome and clearly I've got it! I think OK, I'm feeling good so I'm going to be active, next thing I know I've been over active and I'm in pain because I'm moving my body in ways I haven't in a VERY long time! It's frustrating to feel like I'm being held back when I have all this energy and just want to GO all the time! Realistically I need to understand that in every aspect of my life, I need to take it a step at a time in order to get where I need to be! Like an athlete trains every day for what they do, I need to train myself physically, spiritually, mentally a little at a time in order to reach my goals in one piece. It can't just wake up and run a marathon when I've never even so much as jogged! It's never easy when in my mind I should be able to do all these things but my body responds in a way that doesn't concur with how I feel or think. I've always learned my lessons the hard way, it seems it's how I'm wired. As I get older I realize that I need to stop and think about things before I do them or say them because the after affects can be painful. I'm definitely a work in progress and I'll probably learn more lessons the hard way and there will be more painful I should've taken it easy afterthoughts! Life is a journey and it takes a while and many little steps to get where we need to be! As they say "Rome wasn't built in a day" same goes for anything in life! We can't just wake up expecting something to be a certain way or expect to be able to do things we've never done before! It doesn't mean we can't work towards these things, it just means that we need to pace ourselves and give our minds and bodies enough to time to adjust and by taking everything we do a step at a time, we will get where we need to be! I know that every day I move a little more than the day before and every day I'm able to accomplish something I wasn't able to yesterday! As I get stronger physically, spiritually, mentally every day I learn something new along this journey and I'm a better person for it!

Walking out of my comfort zone!

Participating in any walking event always sounded like a good idea and I always thought to myself "maybe someday". You see, walking was a major challenge not even a year ago. At 426+ pounds, a major back injury and bad ankles all made walking something I couldn't do much of. It limited what I did, where I went, and severely affected my life. I became a recluse, a shut in, agoraphobic and was terrified of simply going outside of my house because I knew the physical pain that would follow. 158 pounds lighter and walking is a lot easier these days. There's still the back injury and the bad ankles which still give me problems but I'm not limited like I was a year ago. Stairs don't scare me anymore, shopping doesn't terrify me nearly as much, and just simply leaving my home is something I do a lot more of! I'm making this year a year of I can, versus all the I can'ts that have been my life for so long! I find myself being more social and forcing myself to step outside my comfort zones and challenge myself to take on life! Last weekend I was told about the Walk For Life that happens every year in support of A woman's pregnancy center here in Tallahassee and I told my husband I wanted to do it! Last year I would've had every excuse in the book as to why I couldn't do something like this, but this year is different! I have a few friends who are into marathons and I have watched their journeys and have been inspired. Hoping that someday I would be able to do something like that! What better way to start than to walk? It's only a few miles but it's SO much more than I could have done less than a year ago! So, on Feb. 26th, which happens to be 11 months since I had weight loss surgery I will get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday and participate in The Walk for Life! As someone who loves children and desires to have a family it's a cause that means a lot to me. I know how important women's health is and how important it is to support healthy pregnancy! If you'd like to help me by sponsoring me please let me know or you can go to this website http://lifeline-awpc.org/online%20sponsor.htm and make an online donation or pledge! Amanda Matthews is my name :)
I'm super excited to challenge myself to step out of my comfort bubble and actively participate in life!

Check up from the neck up!

We all need one at times right? A friend of mine who's 6 years out from having bariatric surgery used to tell me all the time that every now and then we all need a check up from the neck up! It's a vital piece of this journey and is something everyone can benefit from. I've started seeing a therapist a few weeks ago because I couldn't get out of my head and was getting overwhelmed and having a hard time adjusting to all the changes that life has brought in the last year! I like him and think he'll be able to help me. He had me give him a list of things that I am struggling with and that I need to work through. He's not the first therapist I've seen! I've been in and out of therapy since I was 7. It's hard breaking habits and changing the thinking that you've had your entire life. Not only are we trying to deal with all the physical changes our bodies are going through but we are relearning how to eat, altering our relationship with food, having to find new ways of dealing with stress and having every aspect of our lives being affected has it's effects on our mental health! A lot of times we think that happy will automatically come with the weight loss and we aren't sure how to handle it when we've lost the weight but don't understand why we're not on top of the world happy! When the weight is gone and we find ourselves lost and not knowing how to cope with the new reality that we are in it can cause serious psychological issues! Breaking a lifetime of behaviors and those deeply embedded psychological patterns is probably one of the hardest parts about this journey I'm on. Realizing that my reality has been defined by so many outside interferences and circumstances is unsettling to say the least! Part of better health includes mental health and just like we spend so much time and energy on making ourselves physically healthy it's equally important to spend the time and energy on making ourselves mentally healthy as well. As I navigate trying to get to know this new person I see emerging I am hoping that by making my mental health as much of a priority as my physical health I'll be able to embrace the new me! There's no shame in seeking professional help in order to be able to better cope with the curve balls life throws at us! It's important to remember that we're not alone in our struggles and there will be times when we need to ask for help from someone whether it's a friend, coworker, pastor, counselor or therapist! It's normal to not want to "burden" others with our stuff, but chances are, there are people in your life who are waiting to be our support!  It's our responsibility to hold each other up and encourage each other and sometimes that can mean just listening to a friend or being that shoulder for someone to lean on! By doing these things we could be saving someone's life! If you find yourself struggling with anything please talk to someone! Chances are there's someone more than willing to be that support for you! It's a hard pill to swallow when you realize you can't do it alone, but the good thing is that you don't have to do it alone! We all want to be independent and be able to manage our situations without needing help but it doesn't mean you're any less of a person if you find yourself struggling and needing help! There will be times in our lives when we are able to help others and there will be times when it's us that needs the helping!