Well I'm new at this. I haven't really ever done a blog before. I tried once but only ended up doing one entry. So thought I'd give it a go here. I thought I'd start with my story.

My name is Amy, I am 24 and live in South Australia, Australia. I have been big all my life. I have photos of me as a baby and I was a chubby little thing. I have always loved all the junk food and hated most of the healthy food. I was a fussy eater as a child and still am today. I used to dress up as Fat Cat as a 4 year old, until one day my Mum says I was teased and never wore the costume again.

Growing up, chocolate, chips, cakes, soft drinks and all those bad things were favourites of mine. I loved fast food and didn't do much sport. I did do Netball for 3 years in Primary School but never did enough to actually loose any weight. I gave that up when I entered high school. I did Archery for a year in grade 10 but gave that up as well.

I tried a lot of different diets through high school but could never stick to them. I lacked the motivation, something I'm still struggling with today. All my friends would say I didn't need to loose wight, that I looked fine how I was.

In 2008 my Mum got lap band surgery and in 6 months she had lost 60kg. I wished I could do that but knew that even if I could get the surgery done that I'd never be able to loose weight as fast as her. Mum's problem wasn't that she liked junk food and not healthy food, she loves all food and is rarely fussy, her problem was the amount she ate. I knew it'd take longer for me if I ever got it done.

In 2008 my great Aunt came to visit, she had had lap band as well. She offered to pay for me to have the surgery and told me to think about it and have a look into it to see if it was something I'd like to do. I researched for a few months and asked my mum, great aunt and uncle (who also had it done) about it. In the end I decided I'd like to do it but knew I wouldn't be able to afford the 12 months health insurance that'd I'd need to go through the private system. So I told my Aunt and she said she'd pay the insurance if I really wanted it done and I agreed.

In late 2009 we got some bad news. My Dad had been diagnosed with Lung Cancer. The doctors weren't sure he would make it to Christmas but thankfully he did.

In March 2010 I had the surgery. I stayed 3 days in hospital and then went home. It was really hard at first but I slowly made my way through the liquid and mushy stages. I managed to get down to 82kg (from a starting weight of 118kg) by June 2011.

August 2010 I moved to Brisbane, QLD, Australia, hoping to find some work as I was unemployed. Unfortunantely I was unable to and was planing to move back to South Australia in late September, but by May I just wanted to go home. I booked a flight for June 21st 2011 as I wanted to be home for my birthday the next day, but because of a volcanic ash cloud my flight was cancelled and I had to get the plane the next day on my birthday instead.

During my time in Brisbane, I found out my Nana also had Lung Cancer but had decided to forego treatment as doctors had told her that other health issues she had would take her first.

I will always be thankful that I went home when I did, instead of late september like I had planned to. I got to spend those last few months with my Dad before he passed away on 12 September 2011. On the Saturday night (10 September, Dad had been rushed to hospital earlier that day) we got a call from Mum saying that the doctors didn't think Dad would survive the night. So my brother and I went to stay with him and Mum for the night. Thankfully he did survive the night and my sister (who was visiting her boyfriend in another town 2 hours away) was able to come see him on Sunday, 11 September. I will also be thankfull that on that day, Monday 12 September, I had a kickboxing class and my brother insisted that I drop him off to visit Dad on the way to my class and pick him up after. I visisted my Dad after the class, though the original plan was for my brother and I to visit him the next day (Tuesday 13th September), as I got to see and speak to him one last time. My Dad passed away that night just after 10pm, unfortunantely it wasn't a case of him falling asleep and not waking up, Mum says the doctors were shocked at how violent it was. He had gotten pneumonia and had burst a vessel in his lung and was coughing up blood for the three days before he passed on (sorry for the details).

The next few months weren't much better. We had just lost Dad and the doctors had found another cancer in Nana just behind her stomache and she was getting worse as the days passed.

On 15 March 2012 Nana lost her battle with the Cancers. doctors say the second cancer accelerated the Lung Cancer which is was took her. She passed away in her sleep.

I will always love them and miss them both but they are no longer suffering or in any pain. I wish they were still here and healthy but I know that will not happen.

Since then I have had trouble once again with junk food and soft drink. I am slowly getting back on track. I have great friends and family that help me and also Canteen (The Australian Organisation for Young People Living with Cancer) have helped lots. I have put on 20kg but I am working to get that back off now.

Well that's about it I think.

Take care all

Amy

My Dad and Nana

Some before and after photos

This was taken about a week ago