Hello world!!

I have to say that I'm truly blessed. I have a great husband who loves me, a wonderful home, and an awesome family. We went home over the weekend to visit because my parents' birthday is coming up. Yep, they both have the same birthday! We got to see Jaylee, who is growing like a weed and walking everywhere and getting into everything!! As I sit back and look at my life in the last 10 years since the 9/11 attacks, I have grown into a woman with a husband and two fur babies to take care of. They all mean the world to me. I also look back thinking wow! I never thought I would be writing a blog about how UC changed my life. UC has really changed my life for the better. I care for my life and health more now than ever. I don't wish this disease on anyone and if someone you know has it pray for them. It is something that no one should ever have to know the hurt, pain, suffering it can causes. My UC took over my joy of life from my first two years of marriage. I know now that I couldn't have made it without Andrew and our families. I know you are thinking why are you bringing this up now, well it is because I do still read a blog of several people that share on a weekly biases about their struggles. I want to share this one with you. Click on this link to watch a video of a girl who was diagnosed at the age of 9 with Crohn's disease. UC and Crohn's patients have a very different life that most cannot even relate to. It is a disease that once you have it you have it for life unless surgery is done. I have told you several times that I have talked to several people about having the surgery done, about my experiences, and how I would do it again. When I say that I would do it again, I really mean it. I talked to a wonderful lady about a week and a half ago about it. She is in her 50's and is not sure that she should have it. I didn't push her, I don't think, but I did try my hardest to tell her how much her life would be better because of it. No more taking pills every day, not having to go to an outpatient clinic for an IV treatment, and no more going to the bathroom over 50 times a day. I'm so glad God pushed me into the nursing field. I know now that UC and Crohn's patients need to have someone in their corner that has gone through what they are going through. My experience may not be the same as theirs, but it will be very similar. I really feel that this is my life calling. I can't wait to start my nursing classes in the Spring. It doesn't seem real to me yet but I know that my life will change again due to the papers and studying that will be coming my way.

Birmingham and NKOTBSB

I had a great appointment with Dr. Cannon. Andrew and I drove up the night before and spent the night with my aunt and family. We had a great time playing Life and UNO. I won Life but UNO you won by having the highest score I would have won that too!! In Life, I was a Dr, and a had over million dollars at the end of the game and I lived in a mobile home with a nice RV and lake house. It was so much fun hanging out with my cousins! Dr. Cannon told me everything looked great and wants to see me in a year. I was so excited! I didn't have to do a prep!! I asked her what I did to deserve that and she said everything I have been through that she felt as though I had had enough prep. After my appointment, Andrew and I went to our favorite place in Birmingham. Nikki's West!! It's so yummy. You should go if you are ever in Birmingham!!
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After the trip back to Tupelo, we stopped by my parents' house to get my sister. We went to the NKOTBSB concert here in Memphis that night!! We had a blast sing, and dancing to all their songs. It was an awesome concert. I was hoarse for about four days after the concert!! I really enjoyed it!! We got front row and when I say front row I mean front row!! They had an area where they could walk off the stage and go into the crowd if they wanted!! We got to touch Nick, AJ, and Howie of BSB and all the members of NKOTB!! Here are just a few pictures of the concert: We both took a lot!!

I can now mark one thing off my bucket list. Going to a Backstreet Boys Concert!! Thanks Carlie for going with me and experiencing a great show!! I love you and hope you had a blast just as much as I did!!

UpDate on My Health

Hello to all! I hope you are enjoying this Memorial Day Weekend. We plan too!
Yesterday, we went to Cherokee to celebrate Pawpaw Billy's 80th birthday! He'll turn the big 8-0 on June 5th! We love him every much! We took Lady with us, and he was hoping that she was his present. She's my new baby and I'm not going to part with her!
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Now that I have gotten you update with what is going on here. I want to let you know what my health is doing. I'm doing great, but other than this yeast thing (I think) that is driving both me and Andrew crazy. It's not fun. It's like I get an infection at least once every two weeks. I'm planning to call my OB/GYN tomorrow to schedule an appointment. Something has got to give. I don't think it has anything to do with my J-pouch ,but I'm not sure. It's become so annoying that I have used almost three tubes of anti-funigal and anti-itch cream in the last three months. I don't think it's yeast anymore. I don't even eat bread anymore. If I want a sandwich, I make it on flour tortillas. Who knows what it could be, but it's getting old.
I feel like I have gotten to personal with this post but living with a J-pouch everything comes a bit more public. I have enjoyed my J-pouch and would do it again if I had to do it all over. Like I said earlier, I don't think it's my J-pouch causing the problem.
I have my next appointment with Dr. Cannon on June 20. I can't wait to go to see everybody! They have helped me so much that I could never in my life time be able to give them all that they deserve for helping me in this way. They gave me my life back, and I'm so grateful for that!

I'm in love!!

I love the snow and the everything that comes with it! Being out of school, spending the day with the hubby, and sleeping late. I have the flu, so that means no playing in it this time!! It is beautiful though. I did snap a few pictures of it yesterday afternoon when it all began.




It started snowing yesterday at about 11;30 and didn't stop until almost six. It was coming down hard, and the roads started to get really bad. Wrecks were everywhere on 55, 51, and 240. Andrew left work at about 2:20 and didn't make it home until 3:45 almost. It was nuts! He carpools with a friend from work, and at 3 I texted Andrew to make sure they were ok. They were going 7 mph on 55 due to a huge wreck. By then, hwy 51 had been shut down due to wrecks. I'm just glad he made it home safely. He is a home with me today and helping me out since I'm sick! I promised he has truly earned his wings in the sickness and health and for better of for worse part of our vows at we said almost three years ago. I hate being sick. I feel so useless, and the house becomes a huge wreck because I don't want to clean. I'm feeling better today so laundry is on my todo list. I've also done some home work.





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Sunday night was the Superbowl between the Greenbay Packers and the Pittsburg Steelers. We have a chili cook-off at church. This year, I made chili and potato soup. i didn't when this year, but I'm going to work on it for next year. The potato soup as always was a hit. We had one bowl of it left which Andrew ate. I guess I'm going to have to make it again so I can finally have a bowl of it this winter. It was fun though. I even got some really sweet cuddling time with Jake!! I just love him and the cuddles I've been getting the last few weeks. He's teething so this won't be for too much longer so I'll take it!

We also had some awesome desserts at the party.

They were made by Mrs. Phillis!! Man, they were good!! The first one is a chocolate cupcake with coffee frosting, and the second one was the strawberry cupcake with strawberry frosting!! I think the strawberry one was my fav!! They were both wonderful though!!


The last picture is of Jennifer, Jake's mom, Jake, and me!! I love this family!! Oh and for my family, Todd, Jake's dad, is also in the picture. He's in the light brown coat behind us. The really tall one!

UpDate on My Health

Good morning all!! I feel the need to share how my health is going since I started this blog to document what was going on in my life due to a J-Pouch surgery. I'm so glad I got to have this done.
I have been doing great since the last year and a half. I wished that my doctor in Tupelo would have sent me in December of 08 to have this done. Yes, I do still have a lot of bowel movements, but hey it's a lot better than being in all that pain that I was in. It makes so much sense to me now on why I needed this done. I needed my life back and that's what I have gotten through having this surgery. I hope and pray that any patient out there who is having a hard time trying to figure out whether to have the surgery or not go for it!! It is well worth it in the in!!
Many of you know that I would love to have children of my own, and I don't think I have shared this on here or not. Due to the surgery and were it had to be done, I fully capable of having children some day. I have become about 30% less fertile than most people, but who is 100% fertile anyway?! I had several serious conversations with my surgeons in Birmingham about being able to get pregnant. I was scared that this would not allow me to have them some day, but they all reassured me that I can have children.
My friend, Brandon, told me to think of it that I would have more room than other women to carry a baby! Most of you know that I would love to have twins so maybe this is another way of God getting my body ready for that some day!! Ha!! A girl can dream can't she!!
One big thing that scares me to death about having children some day is that how are they going to be brought in this world. I know what your thinking the normal way, duh!! I have other issues to be worried about. I also had a serious talk with my OBGYN about this situation. She told me that she would let me go as naturally as possible however if it came down to it I would have to a C-section. I'm praying that I won't have to have one because they would use the scar that I already have to get the baby out!! I know how that feels and don't want to go through that again if I can help it!!!
No, Andrew and I are not wanting to get pregnant any time soon, but we do want to eventually. Once I'm finish with school!! We also want some more time just us so we can go to Hawaii the summer after I graduate! That's our plan! Anyway, I just wanted to share this because if were the person who hadn't had this done this would be one of the questions that I would ask! If you ever have any questions about this please don't be afraid to leave a comment to ask!! Until next time, Ambere

The Journal Can Come to an End

Today marks the one year anniversary of my last surgery in Birmingham. I was finally going to get rid of the bag forever! I have never wanted a surgery so bad in my life. I knew then that all my pain and suffering would finally come to an end.
I had to be in Birmingham at 7 that morning to be prepped and ready at 8. My parents had already told Andrew and I that they wanted go drive over the night before so we could sleep for as long as we could that next morning. We stayed at the hotel across the street from the hospital. It was very nice and that's where my parents had stayed before.
We got up the next morning and went across the street to get checked in. I was very excited that I didn't sleep much the night before. Why did I need to sleep when they were going to put me to sleep was my thought! I only sat in the waiting room for about 15 minutes before I was called back to start getting ready. I went back again without anyone there to hold my hand. I was much more calm about this surgery than I was with any of my other ones. They have me a gown to put on that didn't cover anything. I was starting to get a little nervous but tried to stay calm. Andrew and my parents got to come back when all of my prep work was done which didn't take very long.
Once they came back, my drs. that were going to be in surgery with me came by to check in as well as the nurses. I worried about my care due to the fact that two of the nurses were wearing Auburn scrubs! I just looked at Andrew, who was wearing the script A of Alabama, and asked them why do you like Auburn? One nurse said well I'm paying them a lot of money right now so my daughter can go to school there so I thought it would be nice if I showed them a little of my support. I let her go but the other nurse just said because she liked them! And of course in my mind I was thinking Roll Tide the whole time!! I told her that we were going to beat them that year in Football!
Also, the person that puts you to sleep came in (I'm not even going to try to spell that word!). I can't remember his name, but I liked him. He made me laugh to keep me from thinking about what was going to happen next. He sat with me until they took me back. He was a black guy. At that point, I didn't care who was in there with me. I know that almost every dr. in GI had seen me naked, and I could careless if anyone now sees me naked! I have lost some of my modesty! I have also heard that when you have a baby that you lose some too but by then, I may not have any left! Ha!
I was in a nice size room with a tv and my own private bathroom. I loved this room. The last few times I've been down there, I have had to walk across the whole floor to get to the restroom. I felt like a queen that day because of the privacy of my own bathroom!
I was only in that room for about 30 minutes before they were ready to take me back. Then the nerves really sat in. Kissed Andrew and my parents bye and told all of them that I loved them. I knew I would be back in a little while. All of them seemed to be strong and they didn't seem worried at all. Knowing that they were ok, made me feel more comfortable!
Andrew was rather calm this surgery. He was thinking I can finally have my wife back and was ready for me to get back to my old self again.
Surgery only lasted for about an hour and a half. I was in post-op for about 5. Andrew was really worried because they said that surgery would only take about an hour. They wanted to make sure that everything was right before they let me out of the OR.
I remember waking up and asking for Andrew and some water. My nurse, who was just wonderful, gave me some ice chips because I couldn't have water yet and told me that I was just waiting for a room and then I could see Andrew.
I had be waiting for about 30 minutes awake when I noticed someone was placed in the cubby next to me. My nurse was talking to the nurse for that patient to see what floor they were going to and she told her 7p. My nurse told her that was where I was going.
That patient got in a room before me! I was hurt. That patient sat down there for about an hour before they got a room! It kind of made my nurse mad. It's not that she didn't like me, but I was down there first and she felt that she had been over looked. She got all of it straighted out and I was there for about another 30 minutes before I got to a room.
Once I finally got to my room, I got to see all of my family again. They were nervous because at one time they had be told a room, and it turned out to be the wrong room. UAB just didn't have their stuff together that day.
I had the sweetest nurse that night until 7. I called her several times about itching! I clawing myself! I was also on a morphine pain pump. She finally talked to my dr. about getting off of it by this time I had just had my second dose of Benadryl and was asking for the Benadryl cream. They brought me the tube and in five minutes we had used half the tube! I was miserable!
My dr. was Dr. Phillips. He was from Vandy and liked Tennessee. Bless him is what I thought for liking TN. He also had a girlfriend. I thought he had the cutest red hair. He took me off of it and told me that he wanted to put me on oral pain relievers because I would be on them when I got home. Yes! Finally some relief from itching!! So, my nurse came back and asked if I wanted anything for pain before she took me off the pump. I told her I was fine but she insisted that I take something. She knew that it was best because it's hard to get the pain level down once the pain reliever has worn off some! I took something, and I'm glad I did.
I had been doing well. I had started solid food again. I walked the hall the night of sugery. I was ready to get out of there! Until Saturday rolled around. I was doing ok until I didn't eat breakfast when I asked for something for pain. Yep, it made me sick! I was going to go home that day because I had been doing so well, but Dr. Phillips wanted to keep me to make sure that that's what caused me to be sick.
My nurse was from Russia! She was sweet also! I asked her if she like here or Russia and of course she said here! I also walked to see my nurse Sharonda from the first two surgeries. She was so excited to see that I was there to have the reversal and hated that I wasn't on her side of the floor. She told me that her and the other nurses argued over who was going to get to have me as a patient. They said I was the sweet patient on the floor!
I got to go home on Sunday! I was so excited! Andrew and I stayed in Tupelo that night and drove home on Monday. I was finally going to get to have some time to heal! God was with me the whole time. I could feel all the prayers that had been said for me! I was finally going to have a UC free life!

As the Journal Continues Part 2

Well, the day has finally come that I got to go back to Birmingham. I would actually go back tomorrow if I was really keeping up with the dates. I have had many sleepless nights because of the stupid bag and have cried myself to sleep so many times I can't count! I called on Thursday before my Pouchogram to ask Emily, Dr. Cannon's nurse, a few questions. I can bet I know what you're thinking. And yes I did ask that question! I asked if everything looked good the next day could I have surgery next week. I wanted it done before Labor Day. She said I could and put me down for 8 am the following Thursday if everything looked good! I was so excited. I called everyone and told them that they needed to keep next Thursday down on their calendar for me for surgery! Plus Andrew had something going on at work on Labor day weekend, and I really wanted him there. Everyone in my family wanted the surgery to be the last weekend in August because of everything going on. My dad was working 60 hours a week and that's about the same for Andrew. It just so happened that everything kind of claimed down that weekend.
I went to Birmingham on an empty stomach. This now made about six trips to Birmingham on an empty stomach!! I was starving! I went in with a huge smile on my face because I just knew that I would be having surgery next week. I went to the third floor to have the test ran then upstairs to Dr. Cannon's waiting room. Mike, my father-in-law, went with me again! Everyone else was in school, and my parents wanted to keep their days for when I had surgery so they could be there the whole time to help us. I was finally called back to see Dr. Cannon, and she could tell on my face that I was sick of the bag and was ready to get reid of it!
Dr. Cannon told me that the problem spot, which was scar tissue, that she saw last time was still there, but it was fine! I could have the surgery! I was so excited!! My prayers have been answered! She left the room to check her calendar. When, she came back she said that she could do it on the week before Labor Day. I wanted to cry. I asked her, "What about the reservation that I made yesterday for last week?" with tears in my eyes! She said oh yea that is you at 8 a.m. next Thursday morning! She went to get Emily to start my paperwork for next week! I have never been that happy to know that I was going to have surgery the every next week!! I know I'm dumb for wanting to have surgery but with all the trouble that I had had with that stupid bag I was excited about that surgery!! Dr. Cannon kept telling me that I would more than likely have the hang of it when it was time to get reid of the bag, and she was right. By this time, I was myself getting a bag to stay on for about 3 to 4 days!! That was great because it had been every day or two!
When we got out of the dr., I got on the phone with Andrew to tell him the news then my parents so they all could take off to be there! Then as my father-in-law date day was going on we went to our favorite restuarant for lunch!! Nikki's West!! That was such a great meal!
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Before I went to the dr., the ladies at church started a bible study on Thursday nights. I started not knowing what I would learn from it! The study was Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. I was excited about this class because it gave me something to do because Andrew and I thought it would be best if I sat this semster out of school due to the surgery and recovery that I was going to go through. Like I said in earlier post this was a really hard time for the both of us. This study also was hard for me to do. It was exactly what I needed that put me closer to God and my husband. I cried while reading most of the first few chapters. I also was still in some ways still mad at God. I was yet to figure out why I was going through all of this. I also kept telling Andrew and everyone at chruch that I wanted to come home to Hernando to recover from this last surgery. I wanted to be home because that's where I thought I need to be.
One day before I left for my last surgery, Paige and I went to eat lunch, and we spent the rest of the afternoon together. She told me a few days before to be reading Isaiah 43. We discussed this over lunch. For the ones of you that don't know, Paige was in a really bad car wreck a few years ago. She's in ICU for over seven weeks. Her husband, Brian, was told everyday that she wasn't going to make it. When she finally got out, she was like me mad at God. She went to these verses that helped her through this really tough time in her life, and they really help me as well.
One Saturday night I was sitting in my bed asking God, What am I suppose to learn from this. I was almost in tears. Then, I started thinking about all the nurses that helped me while I was in the hospital. I was thinking God are you serious that you want me to become a nurse. He was telling me yes. I was thinking I don't know if I can do this. I'm just one year away from graduating from U of Mississippi with a degree in Education! You mean you want me to start over! That's what He wanted. I told Andrew the next day because he was working late and wasn't home until about 2:30that next morning. He was happy for me and this idea. Christina, whom I go to church with and have gotten really close to, had told her mom several months earlier how much you want to bet that she will change her major to nursing after all is said and done! I was shocked to know that so many people had started to think this. Andrew had had the feeling too! I know why it took me so long to understand is because I didn't want to hear it! I didn't want to be a nurse now. I did when I was young but not now. It's hard to get into, and it's hard to go to school for it.
I was so happy with all the support I had gotten from everyone about changing my major! God will do anything to put you on the journey that He wants you to go on. I have also noticed that He hasn't ever left my side during this whole journey when at times I thought He had!

Wow is All I Can Say....

It's been a crazy weekend here. God has been so good to my family and I. He has really shown me how much He does really care for me. I love Him so much.
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Sunday night started VBS at our church, and it has been going great. There has been on average about 40-50 kids every night!! It's Amazing!! The kids are really enjoying it too!! Here are some pictures of the decor that is put up at the church:

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On Monday, I had my yearly check up with Dr. Cannon to see how my J-pouch is doing. It was so go to see them and for them to see how well I had been doing. When I got there, I was a little nerves about everything. They asked me if I had done any prep before I had gotten there, of course I didn't. So I was given an enema. It made me really uncomfortable because I saw a little blood. My nurse came back in the room to see if I was ready, and I asked him if that was normal because seeing blood to me brought back painful hard memories. I didn't want anything to be wrong. So about 3 minutes later, Dr. Cannon came in the room to start the test. This was the coolest things I have ever seen. I was wide awake the whole time and could ask all the questions I wanted too. WOW!! I saw where my small intestines makes the J(the stitching that was done), how it curves around, and about an inch of my rectum that is left. Before we could see the inch of my rectum, we noticed something silver. I still have staples!! COOL!!! I was so excited!! I loved it!! Andrew was there can he watched the whole thing with me!! He even said it was pretty neat to look at!! I know you're thinking this is weird to be this way!! I love knowing about what's going on!! Dr, Cannon said that everything looked great! It was such a blessing to hear!! God has been so good to me over the last year, but to have asked me this time last year you would have heard different!!!
Emily, Dr. Cannon's Clinic Nurse, also came by to see us. I love her!! I can call her for anything!! She's thinking about going to become a nurse practitioner!! I kept telling her in December how one day I would like to have her job, and she said that it might be a possibility!! I would love to work with my surgeon!! It would be the best job in the world if you asked me!! Only God knows the future. It would take a lot for us to know what would really go on!! I don't have my hopes up to much, but I'll just pray for God's will to be done!!
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Yesterday, emotions were running 90 to nothing!! Everyone in my family were so excited!!!! It would be Jaylee's birthday!!!!!!!!!! Brooke, my older sister, was put in at 6 am and was put on potocine. At nine that morning, they broke her water. They checked her about every two hours after that. She made it to 3 cm just before we went to eat some lunch which was about 1:30 or so.
We came back, and they had just checked her. She had made it to 4. They still came to checker her about every for hours. She was still at 4. Until about 5 or so she made it to 6.

Jonathan, my brother-in-law, with Brooke during a contraction. She was such a trooper!!

Me, Brooke, and Carlie, my younger sister.
During all this time, one of my good friends from high school, who was also in my wedding, was having her first little girl. Kayla and Jon Howard are now the proud parents of Harper Kay Howard. Her stats are 7 lbs 12 oz and 20 in long!! She's beautiful!! Here are some pictures of the Harper, her proud Daddy, Jon, and her family!!:

Things were going slowly on our end. Brooke was checked again at 7 pm, and her nurse and dr both thought she could start pushing in about an hour. We were really excited then!! Then once the hour past there still was no change. She was still 6cm. At nine they checked her again.
I took a book to read, but there was so much going on that I could concentrate on what I was reading. We got bored and started taking a few pictures:




By the time nine rolled around, we all were getting hungry again!! So, Andrew, Carlie, and I went to Sonic right down the street to get us something. We didn't want to go far because we knew if we did we would miss something. Just before we got our food, my mom called and told us that we needed to get back. Brooke was still at a 6 and hadn't done anything in about 3 hours. Jaylee was also sitting very high and wouldn't come on down.
Carlie and I came running back into the hospital to find momma and daddy so we could go in the C-Section waiting room!! It was much smaller than the others. Only 6 people could be in there. We took our food back there to eat because they said it would be about 20 or 30 minutes before the section would be done.
We were back there about 15 minutes and heard something coming down the hall we looked out and this is what we saw:



WE all started to cry!! It was such a beautiful sight!! This was one of the happiest moments of my life!! My niece Jaylee had made her entrance into the world!! I will never forget it!! Brooke had to be put to sleep so Jonathan couldn't sit in there with her!!
Here are the pictures of my beautiful niece, Jaylee Brooke Betts. She weighed 7lbs 11 oz and was 19 in long!! (Warning LOTS of pictures!!!):















































We didn't get a chance to hold her last night so I decided that I would go back this morning!! I could not leave Tupelo without hold Jaylee for the first time!! IT stinks sometimes to live an hour and half away!! This was Carlie after we went to check on Brooke and leave:
She would have stayed there all night if the hospital would have let her!! One proud aunt, I tell ya!! She and I both!!


I walked in Brooke's room to this morning to find:

It was such a great picture that I couldn't pass it up!!
Here is what she will be going home in:



I also got a chance to hold her before they took her to see her dr. I just love my niece!! She was spoiled before she even got here!!


Look at her feet:


Jaylee we love you and can't wait to see your personality!!