So this is 3 weeks out. Had to have a new drain placed due to fluid collection on my back side below the incision. Doctor also had to stick a needle in my front right side around my incision and pull fluid (about 20 cc's). The drain in my back is still draining. It won't come out until it drains less than 30 cc's over a 24 hour period. The scabie (I know gross right!) area in the front is from blisters (reaction to tape) and hematoma  (darkness under my skin). Thank God it was not necrosis! This area should heal just fine but will just take a little longer to heal completely. I am still swollen, this will continue to improve over the next few weeks and months. Those shorts I am wearing will barely stay up now. Had to roll them to keep them up! 7 lbs. 14 ounces of skin and a little fat (hehehe) removed. I have also lost an additional 4+ lbs. :) please no negative comments. It took a lot to muster the courage to post these. Thank you!

surgery update....

Friday they cut the knots out of my sutures. There also was an area of skin, between my new navel and pubic area, that the doc was concerned about but after he checked he said is fine. However, the incision in the same area is a littke red and he is still keeping an eye on the whole area. He said it will take longer for this area to heal but it should be fine. I see him for another follow up on Tuesday (in a week).

Progress pictures explanation

So let's try this again... 4th time is the charm.... the progress pictures on the previous post are from the last 2.5 years. After Averi passed away in 2009 I was determined to change for the better. I wasn't sure what that would entail ( still working on me I am not perfect that's why I need God). After Ellie was born in 2010 with all her needs (visual impairment, oxygen, suction, g-tube dependant), and with Ian's new diagnosis of Autism I knew I had to do something about my health. I was always tired, had chronic headaches, high blood pressure,  sleep apnea, and severe acid reflux. The Pychologist that diagnosed Ian told me that he may do really well or may need support well into adulthood. That sealed it for me. I had to be here now and for a very long time for my kids.

When things with Ellie stabalized in early 2012 I told my doctor I was done being overweight. She put me on a medically supervised diet... I started with her at 265lbs.... during that 6 months I lost 11 lbs... then gained it back and went back up and thensome to 274lbs.... then lost that 11lbs and thensome and got down to 253lbs. I decided I was done yo-yo dieting and didnt give a crap about the stigma placed on Weight Loss Surgery patients, I was going to do it! By this time my 89 year grandma had come to live with me, and I was her primary care giver. I was already working out and eating way better per insurance and pre-surgical requirements.

The picture of me in the brown shirt is one of me at my heaviest around 274lbs.

The picture of me in the blue dress (I thought I looked so cute, my husband did not lol!) is my pre-op appointment at a weight of 253lbs. - Sept. 2012

The picture of me in  the pink tank top I had stalled in weight loss at 183ish pounds (went to Vegas and gained 9lbs went from 174ish pounds to 183ish pounds.... we really celebrated Kev's 40th birthday!!!! We ate and layed out by the pool all day then went to dinner and a show at night.... we are such party animals!!!) - June 2014

I decided I had to step up my workouts. I was doing a home full body workout with very light weights about 5 times a week. My friend invited me to bootcamp style workouts..... I was HOOKED! Our trainer,  Alex Avila, also sells Herbalife and I started that in August of 2014.

With his style of training I saw amazing results!!! Lost weight (about 10lbs), saw some definition, toning, and actual muscles. I lost inches, my clothes fit better, went down a pant size,  and a cup and a half in my bra size. I worked hard for over 6 months with the hope of plastic surgery in the back of my mind. I wanted to do all I could before taking that step. I knew no amount of working out or weight lifting could or would get rid of the excess skin, but I will be darned if im wasn't going to do my best.

The pictures of me in the blue tank tops are the results of all the blood, sweat, and tears (and trust me there were tons) that went into my workouts June 2014 - February 2015.

The bottom pictures were really hard for me to take..... so please no negative comments....

February 2015 173ishlbs. the night before surgery to remove the excess skin. Lots of people said they didn't think I needed it. If I had clothes on I felt the same way. As you can tell, when the shirt is off there was plenty to work on. The skin is there all the way around. The surgeon removed 7lbs 14oz. of excess skin and some fat too ;) I went in thinking circumferential lift and during the pre-surgery drawing learned that I was basically getting a lower body lift. Bonus butt lift, a little va-jay jay lift (yes I said it lol!) and the excess skin removed from the circumference of my torso.

I will post after surgery pictures soon. I have drains in still.... ewwwww, just ewwwww.... nobody wants to see that.... I have also had a slight complication (an area of skin with a hematoma doctor is watching for necrosis) and I am waiting to see what happens with that.

I will also post updates on Kevin and his recent WLS as well as the kids (all are doing very well!).

Sorry if there are typos... on pain meds... not proofreading!

catch up.... feel free to ask questions

Belly Picture!

18 weeks 4th pregnancy baby girl Ellie!

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!

We are sooooooo elated and can't wait to welcome our newest addition to the world! Her name is Elliana (Ellianah/Eliana/Eliannah) Eileen (Ailene/Ileene/Ilene) Gaynor. We will call her Ellie for short. Eliana means "The Lord has responded" and "God has answered me", and Eileen means "light" and also is the name of Kevin's paternal grandma. it just all seemed perfect for our new addition.

We are relying heavily on the scan for abnormalities scheduled for the 28th. The 2nd trimester AFP came back normal, but so did Averi's. I do believe I will not be completely relaxed until we get the results from that scan. Our 3D u/s went well but I felt the pictures were really blurry and hard to make out or I would post them.

I must say that I am still so nervous because there are still so many things that can go wrong. So as we wait for the anatomy scan on the 28th, we pray. I pray for peace and strength. I pray for the health of all of my babies. I pray for the protection of Ellie.

I am not very savvy with my new camera and can't figure out Picasa2 to post these pictures. I have a better one that I need to figure out how to rotate and then will post that.



17-18 weeks pregnant with Ellie girl my 4th pregnancy.

So far So good

Ok, I haven't updated this blog in awhile so I thought I should. I am 17 weeks pregnant and do far all looks o.k. I do say this with a little hesitance because we haven't had our anatomy scan yet. We will have one on the 28th of this month, but have no patience to wait for that, so we scheduled one of those 3D scans you pay for, it will be on the 5th. I want to know if we are having a boy or girl. Mostly because I really felt like I bonded with Averi when we found out she was a girl and named her. I thought of every moment she moved as time we spent together and considered carrying her in my womb as holding her. I knew we may not bring her home so I relished in every part of my pregnancy with her. I didn't get to hold her until right before she passed, so I really appreciated the time I stopped and really paid attention to every movement she made in my belly. I want to do the same for this baby. I want to enjoy the things I used to take for granted. I am so very nervous, but I don't let that consume me(or at least I try really hard not to).

I miss Averi everyday and don't understand why God took her. However, I do know in my heart that God is good and He loves me. I choose not to lean on my understanding but trust in the Lord with all my heart. Don't get me wrong I have my rough days and lately my sadness seems to have deepened. In these times I go to God, He gives me a peace I can't get anywhere else. I have cried many tears, but I praise God through the tears because His grace is sufficient.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:27 (NLT)