My Sister's Story

Here are a few pictures from when my sister had her surgery. I didnt take any pictures during my stay but she took plenty. So, here we go!

This is my beautiful mother, Dr. Alberto Aceves, and my sister, Ashley.

   

Ashley and Sergio. He was my nurse as well. He was the kindest person ever and I knew that he had my best interest at heart. He is also the one that is in charge of making sure you are doing your breathing exercises and trust me you better do them! He is relentless! =) 

Dr. Campos and Ashley. He actually had the Gastric Sleeve done and has lost alot of weight himself. He looks very different now. He is in charge of educating the patients on nutrition and making sure you understand how different your eating habits are gonna be and how important it is to begin a healthy diet from the start. He also is such a nice, caring, compassionate person.

This picture comforted me every time I began to think "What am I doing? I cant do this. I am not strong enough." I was reminded that I was strong enough and everything would be ok because God would guide  my surgeons hands and clear his mind. He would allow him the peace that he needed to focus on me. Dr. Aceves actually mentioned that God deserved the credit for the success of his surgeries. His faith in God, comforted me and relieved me of all my worries.

Ok. Now I will show you what my beautiful sister looks like now! She is currently on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and has taken her second chance at life to share the gospel with others and share of message with them of Christ's love fore them. If you are interested and want to learn more about our faith, you can visit lds.org.  She is so happy now. She is living life, loving life, and loving herself!

My sister has always loved outdoor activities but could never enjoy them because of her weight but her companion, Sister Elaina McCombs challenged her to go hiking with her on the "P" day. Ashley said that it was quite the challenge but she is glad that she did it because when she got to the end of the hike and was able to look back on what she had just accomplished, it reminded of her of when she was over weight and she knew that if she hadnt had the gastric bypass surgery she would have never been able to do it. 

To date, she has lost about 170lbs. She is such an inspiration to me and a great example of strength and courage. She is still working to improve her health. I think that is the key to being healthy and reaching your full potential; you have to work on it constantly. Always think of healthier options. For example, if you have some free time and the weather permits it, go for a walk. It doesnt have to be anything major. Also, when you go to the store dont circle the parking lot a hundred times looking for the closest parking space. Park far away from the entrance. The exercise is worth it. You can also choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator or maybe you can choose to drink water with your meal instead on soda or you got grilled chicken instead of fried. All of these choices are beneficial and will add up. Small changes are the key to healthy living. 

So, I challenge you to think about something that you are doing that you could change in order to be healthier. Maybe you could go to the gym during your lunch break, give up soda for a week, drink more water, start taking vitamins, etc. Please participate in this challenge and then report back to me. I want to hear your stories and I want to know how these changes are effecting your life.

Live life, Love life, Love yourself.

-Emily