Where it all began……

So, I want to to start by saying I’m not a writer. My grammar and spelling suck…just a warning lol. I am who I am. 1% BETTER everyday.

My story starts at a young age, not even sure of the EXACT age but I know was in school. I used to miss a lot of days because I was “not feeling good”. I remember being made fun of and had my share of “Mean Girl” scenarios. THAT is a whole other blog subject lol. My parents chalked my stomach issues up to being stressed. Looking back now, I suppose that could be true but it’s not 100% the entire reason I was having these painful belly problems. So years go by and I tolerated my pain and covered it up with antacid meds and Rolaids. That’s just how I dealt with it.

In 2013, I noticed things started to get worse. I would wake up 2 or 3 times a week with terrible stomach pain even BEFORE I would eat or drink anything. About 6 months of this I started to keep a journal of what I was eating. It was inconclusive. One time I could eat guacamole with no issue but the next I was in pain within 10 minutes. I know this may be TMI but I was not going to the bathroom regularly either. 2 MAYBE 3 times a week. I started to REALLY diet. Like, not even dieting, STARVING myself because food just HURT me. Could not eat our with friends or family which was HORRIBLE and not to mention embarrassing that I’d have to cut the night short because I was miserable. This went on like this for a year……..

In 2014, I decided that something has to be done. We finally had good insurance so I started scheduling doctor appointments. The 1st was just an ultrasound. the 2nd, 3rd and 4th were a little more extensive. A swallow test that I had to eat oatmeal substance and lay flat for an hour and 2 separate surgeries where they scoped my upper and lower intestines. ALL came back with no answers. Oh, but believe me….they threw every medication they could at me. By 2015, I was up to 8 pills.

So when my mom passed away in 2015, I basically just gave up hope that my life would ever be fun again because let’s face it, when you feel sick to your stomach 24hrs of the day….IT’S NOT FUN. It had completely broken me. I gave up. I had already packed on 15 lbs and my entire body was full of fluid.

By 2016, I was 30lbs heavier than I have EVER been in my life and I was a MESS. Not only did I still feel sick and bloated all the time but I was gaining weight like crazy! HOW? I wasn’t eating ANYTHING.

So this conversation was a rerun every time my friend Karah and I would get together. She also was having some fat gain issues and could not understand the problem. We travel a lot together and talk to each other through text more than we speak to our own husbands so it was nothing for us to have this talk EVERY DAY..

I spent my life like this for 2 more years😩

Jan 14th 2018, Karah and I are traveling to Nashville, TN to attend the yearly PPA(Professional Photographers of America) Imaging convention. We are walking through the convention Expo and we see this man and woman talking to a group of people. Karah says to me….”do you see that woman? I know her but she didn’t look like THAT last year”. We walk over and start listen to the BEST CONVERSATION this world has ever, will ever and NEEDS to hear. A year later, I’m a COMPLETELY different person physically, mentally, financially and emotionally<3