Hey fellow Maysters!! I hope this finds everyone healthy and happy!

As I enter month 9 of my banding journey I am amazed at how far I have come. I have done so many things this past few months that I would have NEVER done a year or so ago. The biggest thing is probably roller derby. No way in hell would I have put myself out there like that a year ago! Last night I went through a grueling 2 hour practice that included core strengthening and endurance excercises and drills. I never would I have thought I would be able to keep up... and I did! I was even in the top 4 of the other Baby Dolls (us newbies)! I never knew I could sweat and stink as much as I do when I get in the car after practice. WHEW! I was awesome to skate with the girls that have been doing this for a long time and be told that they were very impressed with me. I was absolutley GLOWING when I left the rink last night. My hubby is just thrilled with the change in me and my giddy excitment when I come home from practice just thrills him to no end.

I had another fills last Tuesday.. I now have 2.5cc's in my band. Between that and 2 hard practices I dropped 4 pounds this week! YAY!

What about you? What can you do (or are you doing) that you couldn't do before banding??

Well I haven't made much progress in the weight loss department yet. Not losing but then I am not gaining either. So I guess that's a bonus.

However, as everybody knows, getting my dental work done has been a long drawn out thing.

But today I went for the impressions for my partial plate and it is the last bit to be done for me to have a new set of teeth. If I had truly had an idea how difficult the dental work would be I would have had it done before the banding.

The second thing I have done is make a modest start on a home based business. I am developing a product line and getting ready to deliver to my first customer. I am decoratively painting home and garden accessories.

I am mulling over making my own catalogs and developing my website.

I have already purchased my domain name but haven't started construction on the site until I have my product line fleshed out a little more.

I also ordered an elliptical machine this weekend and hope to get on the exercise band wagon.

Myra

Well I am now an offical roller girl....LOL.

I had my first derby related ER visit last night. At practice last night we were doing fall drills and I went down to do my 3rd double knee fall and my left knee turned out and I heard (and felt) a pop. I got up and iced it, thought I was fine, went to put my skate back on and my knee wouldn't bend to the left at all. I went to the ER, they did an xray and determined that I partially tore my MCL (the ligament that goes on the outside of your knee). Not to worry though! I can try skating again in a week! I am in a horrible knee immobilizer for 5 days though... that sucks! They gave me Vicodin for pain... it makes me sick to my stomach so I am going to call my doc today and see if they can switch me to something else.

Fun times! :faint:

Oh, Drew! I did the same thing last year this time......well, I wasn't roller derbying, I was running across the den.......

But those stupid knee braces suck! I wore mine for all of maybe 4 days before I ditched it. I ended up using a knee brace from Walgreens that had a metal insert on both sides and was made out of stretchy stuff that stayed on my knee better than the brace. At the time, my big ol' fat legs didn't want to stay in the brace. Actually, it was the last thing that made me determined to get my band.

Do what the dr. says and try not to twist. It will feel a whole lot better soon.

Hello MayBandsters!

It's been a long time since I checked in. Been very busy with work and school. Traveling all over as usual. Stuck in Mexico for quite a while now. At least its warm down there.

Had trouble updating my ticker for some reason so I simply took it off for now. 190 lbs. Maysters! Happy Girl. Got stuck for some time at the 201-203 mark and then finally got moving again. Under 200!! I can't even believe it myself. I'm so proud of all of us. We are doing great.

Hope all are well and good this fine day!

Get well soon Drewslou!

Woooowoooowoooo....good going! :clap2:

Isn't it great busting into onederland! It's been so rainy here...I am jealous of your nice warm mexican winter.

Just got back from Denver, visiting my nephew. He's doing so well! Just a couple more weeks and he'll be home. I can hardly wait!

While at the hospital, I noticed the long hallways and stairs didn't make me huff and puff. I can sit in a chair with my legs crossed. I got in bed with my nephew and there was room for both of us! That would NOT have happened a year ago. Has anyone else noticed that turning around in a bathroom stall is much easier? I still find myself not believing I am in the size that I'm in, I keep going to the larger sizes to look. Buying smaller undies is great, but finding a new style or size of bra kinda stinks.

I only have a few days for the Val's challenge. I haven't been on a scale for a week so I'm hoping that tomorrow morning brings good news. I only need 4 lbs more to meet the goal.

Myra – I am glad to hear your dental work is coming along. When you get your website finished, PM your link. I love to support my fellow bandsters.

Drews- that sucks about your injury! I hope everything is okay!

LapBandit – Way to go on the weightloss!

Marz – I am glad to hear your nephew is doing well. I totally know what you mean about the bathroom stalls. I used to always automatically go the handicap stall because it was so hard fitting into a smaller one. Now I go in and out with no problem..unless my son is with me (he’s 21 months).

Hey guys! I haven't been around much.. been trying to help out with my ailing grandmother and I've not really had much to update on... waiting on my fill today. I've lost a couple more pounds lately but I'm able to eat too much too fast.

Drews - hope your knee is doing better!

Marz - Glad to hear that your nephew is recovering well.

Lapbandit - Congrats on onderland! I hope to be there in the next couple of months! I still have a hard time thinking that I will ever see 1** on a scale. I've been in the 2** since elementary school!

Alicia - can't wait to meet ya today! Are you ready for you fill? See you around 2:30.

Kim - I am SO ready for this fill! I can't wait to see you there!

Help!

I'm having a hard time keeping anything down and I don't know why. It's been 4 months since I've had a fill but I have suddenly gotten restriction like crazy. I get acid all the time and I've been PBing almost every day.

I've tried to think what I did before this started and the only think I can think of is I ate some chinese food that didn't agree with me at all. And since then I've puking daily. I'm going to call my dr. tomorrow and see if I just need to go on liquids to get my stomach to calm down or if I need to go get an un-fill.

I've even been waking up in the middle of the night and have so much acid I end up throwing up what little is still left in my stomach. I'm starting to feel bulimic!!!!!! And I'm SO HUNGRY! I'm afraid to eat, though, because I hate bringing it all back up.

I'm tired of this! I want my stomach to go back to the way it was before my last fill. I didn't have the terrible acid then and the heart burn. I suppose I should go see my dr. and see what she thinks. It's just so weird.......it's been 9 months and all the sudden I'm having problems when I haven't had any before. It's just stupid............

Marci - I'm sorry you are having problems. Can you keep liquids down? If you can, deifinetly drink those.Maybe the chinese food and pbing have gotten everything irritated? I'm glad that you are calling your doc. Feel better soon!

Alicia - sorry that I didn't get to chat with you more yesterday.. I had my fill with flouro in the radiology department. You get yours in office? I don't know what happened, but Dr. Rose didn't get to the radiology department for our fills until like 4:20... it took me 2.5 hours for a 5 minute fill! Geez! I am now @ 2.5 ccs. He took 2.0 ccs out (which was the amount of my last fill), so I'm glad to know that I don't have a leak or anything. He just said to keep doing what I'm doing, that I am doing really great. How are your Clear Liquids going? I don't want to do all 3 -5 days of clears, but I might have to, seems like I'm pretty tight with the swelling and all. How much fill do you have? I was great meeting you... you look great. Keep up the great work!

Go Maysters!

Marci - I wonder if you got some food stuck when you ate chinese. I would probably do clear liquids and try some aloe vera juice to see if that soothes it. Also stress can cause you to be tight...so if you have been feeling more stress, that may be the culprit.

Kim - It was so great to finally meet you. Maybe we can try to meet for lunch one day after we progress to more interesting foods. You look great!! I got my fill in the office. It goes by so much faster. I was out of there by 3:30! He got 2.75 CC out of me so I don't have a leak either! I am up to 3 CC now. I can definitely feel it but it's not super tight. I think once you hit 2.5 in your band he only increases them by .25 which is fine with me! I'm probably going to do thick Soups today.

I missed my Valentine's day goal by a LONG shot! (7 lbs). I am setting my next goal for St Patty's Day for 168, which is 9 lbs in 8.5 weeks. Hopefully with this new fill I'll be there!

Hey May peeps!

I only lost one freakin' pound this week and now I am unable to excercise for at least a week. The knee is worse than we originally thought... I will be off skates for 4-6 weeks. I have to wear a huge hinged knee brace when I'm up and a immobolizer when I'm in bed. I am so pissed and frustrated. I feel like I just got going now I'm getting knocked down again. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Thanks for letting me vent. :drama:

Oh Drews! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this knee injury, that stinks! Don't give up! You will be up an going again soon!

Alicia - Yes, we must do lunch. I need to get Betsy (the lady that I was talking to in the waiting room) to go as well. I met her through the Weight Managment Center exercise program. She has been doing the 6 mos supervised diet/exercixe and has recently been approved for the band. She is anxious and nervous about the surgery. I'm sure she would love to pick our brains during lunch and see how/what we eat. I work near Memorial and have a very flexible lunch schedule. Just let me know. I guess I'm gonna do the clears for a while and move onto thicker liquids. Let me know how you do on the Soups. I'll join you on the St. Patricks day challenge... -10lbs by March 17th!