Summer 2006

Jul 09, 2006

April 19, 2006
As promised I come to you today with my story. Mike got my laptop back last Wednesday, but I have been waiting to share my story with you until after my local group heard it first. No disrespect to my family here, it is just that I felt like I needed to share it with my group first.

I would like to clarify a couple of things first though. Someone started a rumor that I have cancer; I DO NOT HAVE CANCER! Praise God for that. I have also received several emails advising me to and asking if I am going to sue MY doctor. That is the most hilarious thing that I have ever heard! ABSLOUTELY NOT!!!! I love him just as much today as I did the beginning of March. I feel God gave him the knowledge to save my life and that is exactly what he did. Dr. Bryan Freeman and his personal team saved my life with God’s help.

Now, to tell you what happened; I had seen a gastroenterologist on March 7 who advised that I needed an EGD (if you remember I had been sick since 2/20 with a stomach virus). He wanted to make sure that I didn’t have stricture. He also wanted to do a lap procedure to look for adhesions since I was having a great deal of lower abdominal pain and while he had me asleep he was going to do a colonoscopy. I listened to all of his advice and told him that I respected everything that he had to say, but since I work for Dr. Freeman I would like to discuss this with him. On the way out I told Mike why have second best if I can have the BEST!!!! So, I went straight to doc’s office. As Mike and I were going in Doc and Tim were coming up the stairs. He said, “What’s wrong Precious?” I told him that we needed to talk and he put me in room three. Within a few minutes Doc, Tim and Dr. J. (my joke) were in the room with Mike and me. We told them what the other doctor said and all that was going on with me and Dr. Freeman said, “Well, let’s get this taken care of, we can do it tomorrow!” So on March 8th he did the EGD and told me that I have a very beautiful stomach (pouch)! The lap procedure for adhesions, I only had a couple, but during the colonoscopy a hernia shot out! So he repaired that. I was doing fine in short stay so Mike was allowed to bring me home. The next day I started to develop PAIN!!! Mike called poor Tim several times. I tried to just stay asleep because when I was awake I just hurt to bad for anything. The only thing that I was eating was the broth off of chicken noodle soup and vegetable soup at that time. Mom (Brenda Abernathy) called and said she was coming down Monday to stay with me. She stayed the night and got the children off to school the next morning.

That brings us to March 14th. I woke up at 4 AM and told Mike that I was dying. I remember telling Bradley good bye and to carry on with his dreams and to take good care of his sister. I remember calling my real mom trying to tell her good bye, but she was too sleepy to talk! As Sarah came in to tell me good bye for school I will never forget kissing that little forehead and telling her goodbye. I truly knew that this would be the last time she would see me. Mike had called the office and they told me to be at the doctors building at 8AM for blood work. Mom/Mimi had me there at 8! I didn’t think I would ever be able to walk to just get inside the building and we were not parked that far away. They told me to go back home (nearly a 20 – 30 minute drive depending on traffic), I told Mike and Mom, heck no, I was going to the office and would go to sleep on doc’s sofa. The ride to Anniston was miserable. I had nothing that would fit for I was swollen so badly. I do remember going to the office and doc coming in telling me how bad I looked and that I was going to the hospital. Because of all the hog wash with insurance I had to go to through the ER to be admitted and there were people lying everywhere. I remember telling Mike that there was no way that was going to be able to sit there log. About that time they called me back; told us that they had no rooms available, but within just a couple of minutes I had a room! I remember the nurse who gave me my IV because she was so good I didn’t even know she had it in and I have terrible veins. I don’t remember much after that until I was inside the OR and I remember Tim coming in with new head gear, of course it was Alabama and everyone was making a big deal over it! I remember Doc coming up to the left side of my bed telling me that I was going to be fine and he and Mary just squeezed me tight. Then they prayed with me.

Next I was in recovery of which I don’t remember being there at all, but I had a WONDERFUL experience while there! A couple of the staff came up to my room and asked me if I remembered talking in the recovery room. I told them that I didn’t remember being there and they told me that I had an awesome experience. Well, when they said that I told them not to tell me to let me tell them what I saw. I saw MY Lord Jesus Christ! No picture that you would ever see here on earth compares to his beauty. He never spoke to me He only looked at me with such a huge smile and a glowing light. I kept going toward Him to touch Him and He kept backing up. My dear Mamaw passed away August 27, 2003 of cancer. When she died she did not have one hair on her head. I want you to know that my Mamaw walked right through Jesus and took both her hands and placed them on my face and pulled me forward and kissed my forehead. She said, “Go back home, there is work to do!” That is just like her, she was always the person to push me to do my very best. I could hear someone singing and standing back behind the right of my Mamaw. It was Wynona Judd singing How Great Thou Art. This was so strange because this is the song that was playing on my Mamaw’s tape player when she went to be with the Lord. A few nights ago, I woke Mike up and told him that I now knew why my Mamaw looked funny; she didn’t have her glasses on! Of course not, when you get to Heaven you are PERFECT, she didn’t need those glasses and oh, her hair. She had baby fine black velvet hair that she used to roll on those tiny sticky black rollers. Well, she had a head full of hair and every curl was in place. I can still feel her touch and smell her sweet breath. I know that many of you think I am crazy and you are right, I AM, but what I experienced on this day was REAL.

Now, back to returning to my room from the recovery room; Mike said I looked like a corps. My blood pressure at one time they said was 50 something over 40 something. I don’t remember any of this. Mike said I received 6 units of blood. Mom/Mimi never left my bedside that first week. She stayed right there with me. The only part I remember of that is taking the call button one night and knocking on the table for her and now I don’t remember why I wanted her. She and Papa stayed several nights with me. Bradley stayed with me during Spring Break during the day so his dad could work. Mimi and Papa had Sarah. I am being told that several of you visited and called and I am so sorry, but I don’t remember any of it. I remember getting so upset with Doc because I missed my first support group meeting and they had to give me something to calm me down. I was 3 years out on April 8th and I have been going to support group meetings since 2/03. I was in the hospital for two weeks. I know Doc and Tim came in everyday and talked to me, but I only remember bits and pieces. Doc came in on that Monday morning and said,” Do you want to go home?” Of course I said yes! He told me that over the last THREE days that miraculous things had happened with my blood work!

After returning home and getting off of the strong medicine while at a doctors visit I asked Doc what exactly happened to me? He said that when they did the CT scan it showed fluid in my abdomen that should not have been there. He said that he thinks that he nicked my small bowel while repairing the hernia.

I would also like to mention Tim! I NEVER really realized what all Tim did until this visit to the hospital. Tim is a very special person. How many people would call all hours of the night to check on you or to offer to drive you nearly two hours to someone’s home? I will tell you this and of course it is only my opinion, but Freeman and Company would not be Freeman and Company without Tim and Joyce Johnson (Dr. J.) I have very deep feelings for the entire staff. They each have a special place in my heart. Just one word of advice whether you are a patient of Dr. Freeman’s or of another doctor, if you are in pain, DO NOT put it off; call them! That is what they are for and they can’t help you unless they know you need their help!

That is my story! I am not angry with anyone. If anything I have more respect for the entire Freeman team. The only thing I ask from you is to stop the rumors. He is a wonderful, very competent doctor. He is human! At least he was honest enough to tell me what he thought happened where many doctors would try to cover up. If anyone in my family or myself needed surgery and it was something that Dr. Freeman could handle you bet your bottom dollar he would be the surgeon of choice.

I have not mailed out any Thank You cards yet, but I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the cards, flowers, stuffed animals, candies and all the other goodies that you sent to me and my family. I still get weak at times and have been told that if will take a while to get over this. I have been very sick, but God sent me home so I know I am going to be okay and eventually I will be back to posting just as before. I love each and every one of you more than you will ever know. That goes out to you “lurkers” who email me from behind the scenes too. You are very important to me also! Have a Blessed Day!



June 14, 2006
I went into see Dr. Freeman for my three month check up today and all my labs were good! He changed my medicine for two weeks to see if it will help with the pain and I go back to see him in a couple of weeks. These last months have been very hard for me in more ways than one. Getting over this last surgery has been very difficult. Please know that it had nothing to with my weight loss surgery. I would do that all over again right now. So much has happened this year it is just hard to believe that it is half over. My son graduated high school with honors and my daughter is going into the second grade. Gosh, they grow up too fast!!! Bradley is now working in Dillard's as a Men's Sales Associate. This is a full time job and he kept his job at Chick Fill A as a part time job. He is staying busy!

May God Bless all who take the time to read my profile and if I can ever be of help to you, or if you need someone to talk with or just someone to say a prayer for you, please email me. My address is [email protected]. Please remember me in your prayers. Skinny Wishes~ Becky



July 10, 2006
Just wanted to drop a note on here to let everyone know that I am doing fine. Battling headaches these days and I have had a flair up with my fibromyalgia. Other than that the new medication that Dr. Freeman has me on is working wonderfully. I continue to get stronger everyday. I am now doing my housework, well; most of it! LOL I have been enjoying these days with my daughter who is forever attached to my hips! It is great watching her grow and become interested in new things. We went shopping last week for school clothes and low and behold what did we end up shopping for???? Baby clothes!!!!ROFL I told Mike it kind of felt good, but there is no way we can have more children! Bradley said to not look at him, he didn't have time for girls; they cost too much!!! LOL So I guess for the time being I will just play babies with Sarah. Bradley works ALL the time! He worked 16 hours yesterday! I told him to do it while he was young, because once he got 40 he would not have the energy to do so!

We had a wonderful July 4th holiday. Bradley was able to spend it with us. Spending time with family is so important to me and I enjoyed our long weekend so much. I hated to return home! God has blessed us so much.

I continue to maintain my weight loss! YEAH!!!! I got down to 3 pounds from docs goal and then back up 2. I'm not giving up though!!! I will make it to 160 and then I hope to go on down to 149. I am big boned so I know that I will never be a "teeny tiny person" like some of my dear friends! I love watching the success of others! It just thrills my heart when a new person starts to post their journey and we are allowed to share in there journey!

Well, I guess I better get back to work. I posted a new picture that Bradley found a few weeks ago. That was my all time heaviest! My aunt said she believes I was at 375!! The picture was taken in July of 1999. My total loss is a little over 200 pounds!!! Gosh, that is so hard to believe! Until next time, May God continue to bless each of you and as always if I can be of help to anyone please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Skinny Wishes~ Becky


These were taken July 18th, 2006. That was the last pair of jeans that I bought prior to having weight loss surgery! Allison, Sarah and I had a BLAST getting into them. I could not believe that I could get my ENTIRE body in ONE leg!!!

0 Comments