So who the heck is Bria Waters??
"Sometimes you just gotta wear a bear hat."
My photo from August 2014
Age: 21Major: Social Work
School Level: Senior (Class of 2015)
Where I'm From: Frisco, TX
Hobbies: Bellydance, makeup artistry, tumblr, writing, drawing, reading, dancing of any kind really, giving animals love, volunteering, occasional crafting, & not wearing pants
Pets: My cat, BooBoo Kitty & my roommate's dog, Lily
BooBoo Kitty at Christmas Time
My Photo from December 2013
Lily's First Snow Experience
My photo from winter 2013
Campus Activities: Volunteer with the Women's Outreach Center, member of the Undergraduate Social Workers Association, member of Alpha Lambda Delta, member of the OU LGBTQ Club, member of the sooner ballroom dance club, & a trained Sooner Ally
My Summer: This summer has easily been the best summer I've had since I've been in college. I went camping, visited my roommate's grandma in Kansas (where we rode horses, cooked, swam, and worked), spent the night at the Grand Casino where I gambled for the first time and saw The Band Perry, had a behind-the-scenes tour at the G.W. Animal Park that ended in me getting one-on-one time with a baby tiger, swam a lot, saw my little brother graduate high school, made a new family friend and became acquainted with her four-legged children (3 dogs: Izzi, Emma, and Winston), went to my first drive-in movie (to see Maleficent with my boyfriend), made a zombie cake, cooked a lot of new/healthy food, spent lots of time with my family, hung out with my friends, and had surgery.
Trying to shake off the jitters before I go under the knife
My photo from June 26, 2014
Background:
My past two semesters have been filled with hospitalizations, injuries, absences, and frustration. I hurt my back pretty bad from falling down my staircase and had to have 2 rounds (3 injections each) of epidural spinal injections. I had bulged a disc in between my lumbar and sacral vertebrae and the resulting pain and numbness led to further injuries and the inability to walk without a cane. Along with this, my lordosis (swayback) had gotten worse, and I could no longer do any of the physical activities I had previously enjoyed. The next step was spinal reconstructive surgery, and neither I nor any of my doctors wanted to do that. So, their next option for me was to lose a substantial amount of weight in a fast amount of time. I've tried to lose weight in the past, but to no avail (I have a hormone problem) so I did some research and had the lap band procedure. It has changed my life! I am losing weight, my back is straightening out, and i'm feeling so much better!
Wow, Bria, what a great post, so full of energy and enthusiasm, and, most of all, I hope that the surgery will keep on giving you good results. I've never known anybody who had that done but it seems like such a great option, especially if it can help you to avoid the dreaded back surgery! I had a medical adventure this summer (torn retina, so I had to go to the hospital for them to zap my eye with a laser - they literally sewed my retina back down with laser stitches!), and I was so impressed at how incredibly friendly and helpful the nurses and doctors were. I am the kind of person who avoids going to the doctor if I possibly can but, gosh, they really performed a miracle for me this summer and I was so grateful. If they had not been able to do what they did, I would have lost the sight in my eye. I felt so lucky for all the people who knew what to do and also for the AMAZING technology they were able to use.
ReplyDeleteSoooo... bear hat, tiger, cat, dog - this was all just so much fun to read, and I will enjoy reading more of your blog posts. BEST WISHES for being all happy and healthy this semester!!!
This was a great introduction post! So basically, you're awesome. I've always wanted to hold a baby tiger. They're my favorite animal, and I've always been so enchanted by the power in such a beautiful creature. Animals are my favorite. Your cat is so pretty and Lily is gorgeous! Is she a collie? I always wanted a collie growing up. I'm so glad your surgery worked out!
ReplyDeleteThanks, AJ! Tigers are my favorite animal too. I just LOVE them. Also, Lily is actually a Sheltie. She's a pretty nifty little dog.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your introduction was filled with so much positive energy and such great vibes! Your blog is definitely one that I hope to be able to read often. I am so sorry to hear about your incident and surgery and at the same time I am so thankful that doctors and technology now days has grown so advanced. I'm glad that you're feeling better and close to reaching your 100% again. I'll keep you in my prayers. You're seriously such a cool person and it's so great to see how involved and happy you are even though you're constantly going through so much. I'm really happy that you had such a great summer and I hope that you continue to have a great rest of the year :)
ReplyDeleteHi Bria ! I loved your introduction. You obviously have a gift of expressing yourself through words and pictures, leaving us to get a great sense of your personality! I think it's cool you are a senior social work major, I am a senior sociology major so I think our studies have some overlap. I am so jealous of your summer! I never really get to embrace chances like you got to have those awesome experiences because I'm a mom but if I wasn't then I like to think I would be doing those things too! Your story if how you hurt your back and what needed to be done to fix it is crazy, I am so glad you were able to overcome the trials that accompanied that incident and you are on your way to normal! Also, I think it's amazing how you are so involved in school and had to deal with your medical issues. BIG PROPS GIRL :)
ReplyDeleteHey Bria. It's awesome to see that your attitude has remained positive despite all the hardships you've faced. I've seen my fair share of medical problems in my own life, so I know firsthand how debilitating they can be to both your social and academic lives. I was in a near-fatal collision about eight years ago that inevitably cost me my right leg, and I've basically been on crutches since. Having the will to keep moving forward is the most important thing to my success. Positivity can be elusive, but I just keep my head down and trudge forward. You're gonna be fine, kiddo! I know it!
ReplyDeleteHi Bria. I am glad that things are turning around for you. It must have been difficult having to go through all those medical procedures in so short a time, but at least things are looking up now! I love the pictures that you have posted. They really help to show aspects of your life. Your summer sounds like it was a lot of fun! Playing with a baby tiger sounds amazing! I hope things continue to look up for you, and I hope you have an awesome year.
ReplyDeleteHi Bria. Wow, it sounds like you've been through a lot recently but you seem like you've kept a positive attitude and made some good come out of a bad situation, and that's great! Other than the surgery bit, I'm totally jealous of your summer - baby tiger!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a really beautiful dog too! I have a cat as well, though admittedly I'm more of a dog person, I just don't have room for a nice big dog in my apartment... love my kitty though!
I think your major is really cool, and it sounds like you're already very involved in programs on campus to help people. I'm sure you'll do a lot of good in your career.
I think all of your posts exude optimism, and that's something I wish I had the chance to see more often on the internet. It looks like you had an awesome and busy summer. I'm very happy to hear the progress you've been making. I've been lucky enough to avoid most back problems, but I know from others that the experience can hamper most physical activities. Good luck on your endeavors!
ReplyDeleteBria, it is nice to meet you! Just from beginning to read your profile I can already see your personality showing through. I noticed we have some things in common too such as loving cats and using tumblr! I can tell the major you chose will be something that you will not only be amazing at, but definitely make an impact. I am so sorry for the amount of health complications you have been through, you are so strong to endure all of that pain! I'm glad you are feeling better and keep moving forward!
ReplyDeleteYou took a different route to introducing yourself, but I feel almost like I know you now, haha. You have quite a variety of interests, and seem like you have a lot of fun in your life. But I am so astonished at all of the health issues you have, and the fact that you have been able to overcome it all. It's amazing that you could endure all of that and still have such a positive outlook! I hope your health continues to improve, and I look forward to reading more of your posts!
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ReplyDeleteHey Bria, I just finished reading your into and I must say you had pretty intrigued. The whole part about you falling down the stairs and pretty much breaking your back had me on the edge of my seat. I hope it all works out and you can get back to doing all the activities you enjoyed in the past.
ReplyDeleteHello Bria! I can understand your frustration with medical problems. I've missed two semesters of school and had several surgeries because of cancer. School is hard enough without medical problems, so I hope your health improving. Working with the OU LGBTQ organization must be very interesting in such a conservative state, especially considering the social stigma faced by many members of that community.
ReplyDeleteHello Bria it is great to meet you. Wow, you have a busy life. I hope your back is better. Seems like you volunteer for a lot of social programs on campus which seems to fit right in with your major. Seeing your first drive in movie a huge thing in a person's life. When I was a kid we used to goto the drive in all the time with my family and it was AWESOME and I hope that someday this form of movie watching will make a come back because I talk during movies and being in my own vehicle makes it better for the other people watching to not have to listen to me say "Oh no don't go in there, he is hiding behind the door" lol. Well it was great meeting you.
ReplyDeleteHey Bria! It is really nice to meet you. Your pets look amazing. They both seem really great and really well behaved. Your summer sounds like it was really fun, but your past two semesters don’t seem to have been that fun. I have always wanted to go to the Grand Casino. I just have never got a chance; hopefully I can find some time to go there.
ReplyDeleteHey Bria! Nice getting to knowing a little bit about you. Im actually from Plano, Texas so I guess we are kinda neighbors back at home. I'm sorry to hear about all of the troubles you have had with your back and the physical issues it has caused. However, its great that the lap band surgery is working out for you and that the weight loss is beginning to help your back. I hope all continues to go well for you and that you have a great semester.
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