Whirlwind Holiday Season...

At the F-o-u-r Seasons for a "Holiday Hop" organized by a friend.

I'll admit it.... I am EXHAUSTED from the holidays! I feel like I was running constantly in December. Between work, trying to get in to the gym and holiday parties, I had very little down time during the entire month. It was a lot of fun, but it wore me out!! Hence the lack of blogging during that time.

For Christmas, my mom came up to NYC for a ten day stay. One of the highlights was our trip out to Steve's parents' house so that she could meet his family. The three of them hit it off instantly, and we had a ball! It really went much better than I'd even dared to hope!! So, that was not only a huge relief (because while you expect the best, ya never know!), but also a lot of fun.

With Steve and a zillion others at the P--ar-k Ave-nue Tre-e Lig-h-ti-ng

At Steve's dad's annual Game Dinner (they serve game, as opposed to playing games... P.S. game is not the easiest thing for a bandster to eat....I was SO CAREFUL at that meal!)

Another highlight of the Christmas season was that the lovely Bahamas-dwelling Jessica sent me my second Sisterhood care package!!! It was full of lovely things like jeans, jackets, a cute sweater and a really adorable sun dress! My camera hasn't been working properly, so I'm having trouble uploading photos -- I hope to get it working soon so I can show you photos! That said, a few things were too big for me, so I'd love to pass them on to other bandsters -- I'll post photos as soon as I can.

My Sisterhood Package from Jessica from Island Bandit!

Another highlight of Christmas was getting to have dinner with Nora, her husband and my mother! We went to a fabulous restaurant called Gr--a-m-m-e-r-cy T-a-v-e-r-n, and Nora and Kenny brought some incredible wine from their collection for us to enjoy. It added so much to our enjoyment of the meal and that beautiful restaurant! And, it was wonderful to get to see how AMAZING Nora is looking -- she is more than 100 pounds down from the first time we met, and she just looked incredible!! It was really nice to get to meet Kenny, too. I felt like I already knew him from Nora's e-mails and blog posts, and he and my mom really hit it off, too. (Nora... I have GOT to get that photo from my mom!!)

And, finally, a group of us is getting together an NYC bandster brunch on January 21st. If you would like to go, you can e-mail me at chroniclesfrombandland (-at-) gmail (-dot-) com and I'll send you the details. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

The Mother of All Comparison Photos...

I'm constantly encouraging newbies to take a bunch of "before" photos, since I regret not having done that. I have very few full-body shots from my fattest days, and they are probably overly flattering, or I wouldn't have kept them.

Cut to yesterday... I was chatting with my sister on the phone, and she mentioned that she had come across some photos from a July 2008 (3 months pre-band) visit. I was all over that... and asked her to send me the shots she had of me that showed my size. We hit total paydirt!! At last! A real "before" photo.

July 2008 vs. December 2011

WHAT A DIFFERENCE.

I admit to you that I'm surprised to see that I was this big. I remember that day, and I remember being uncomfortable because of my size, but I don't remember actually looking like this, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I am so grateful to have this photo (and one more... I'll do another comparison soon), because it really drives home for me just how far I have been able to come with the help of my band, among other things (like this blog, all of you, boot camp, spin class, yoga, friends and family). Thank you, God.

BTW, the dress on the right is a Herve Leger bandage dress (I'm wearing one of the most body-conscious dresses ever, and I felt great!! I can assure you that the version of me in the photo on the left did not imagine I'd EVER be able to do that!). I borrowed the dress from R-e-nt the R-un-wa-y for a wedding that Steve and I went to on Saturday night. The wedding, incidentally, was a blast!

Quick update!

Wow! If I thought summer was busy ... it's only because I haven't experienced the holiday party season with Steve before! We have been out and about a lot -- and I've been making very good use of Re-n-t th-e Run-w-a-y, since I can't show up in the same dress at every event, and -- even though my size seems to be set now -- I just can't stomach buying multiple expensive long ballgowns in one season. So, that site is tiding me over until I gradually build up a collection of dresses in my size.

Here is a dress from that site that I wore to Steve's big annual Christmas dinner party last weekend. That party was a complete blast -- about 100 friends at his club for a really wonderful dinner. It definitely kicked off the Christmas season the right way!

BUT, how am I talking about Christmas parties without telling you how it went over Thanksgiving?? This was Steve's first holiday with my family, and it went really wonderfully. No big surprise, but my family all loves him, and he and my brother hit it off! I was thrilled.

With the fam at mini golf!

Thanksgiving was great -- and it was the first time I've had a family holiday where I exercised every day. On Thanksgiving, Steve, my brother, my niece and nephew, and I all ran the local Turkey trot. I wimped out and did the 2 mile run with my niece (and my brother, who is recovering from a running injury), and Steve manned up to do the 5 miler with my nephew.

Getting ready to run the Turkey trot!

The next morning, I did an hour and 1/2 spin class, and the following day, my brother, Steve, my nephew and I all went for a hike! When I got home, the scale down on the low end of my bounce-range, which was great to see. Not a bad way to come home after a great holiday of seeing my family!

Birthday Surprises!

Last Tuesday was my (gulp!) 41st birthday! The week passed by in a flash! Steve had "booked" me for Monday and Tuesday nights, but wouldn't tell me what we were doing. On Monday, we met on the subway after work on our way to our mystery plans. He was so funny -- carrying a big bag of presents, pretending they (white & pink paper with Eiffel Towers on it!) were for his dad, saying things like "So, what should we do tonight?" and "This is the F train, right?" (It wasn't) and "Did you bring your snorkle and your spin shoes? I'm sure I told you to bring them!") We were laughing so hard that we actually missed our real stop and had to get off our train and transfer to the uptown one to get back to our stop!

B-day cake!

After we got off of the subway, he led me through the West Village (a neighborhood where I lived for 5 years, so I know it very well) and I was totally unclear about where we were going! Finally, we came to a spot called B-a-r-b-uta, which has a great chef's table in the kitchen... and where we've talked about having a party before. I had NO clue that there might be a party in the works that night... but when we got to that particular restaurant, my radar went off! The hostess led us over to another table... I spotted a few friends at the chef's table... and the jig was up!! What a great surprise!!

B-day dinner at the Chef's table

I took this from my chair -- they were right behind me!

The food and the company were fantastic. What a wonderful surprise, and I'm totally blown away by Steve being able to pull this off so well without me having the faintest idea!! How I love that guy!!

The next night, for my actual b-day surprise, he took me to the Theater District, to a very cute Italian restaurant called Be-c-c-o. I knew then (because he had to tell our waiter) that we were heading to a 7 p.m. show, and it turns out that he got tickets to R-e-latively S-p-e-aking, which is a series of 3 one-act plays, including one by Woody A-l-len. I really enjoyed it, and it was such a fun treat to get to the theater!

After dinner, we played "tourist" and sat in Times Square having a glass of wine (which you're not probably supposed to do..) :)

In my fabulous new trench coat that Steve got me for my birthday! It's exactly like the one K-a-te Mi-ddl-eton wears (love her..)!

What a great birthday it was! And once again, I got to have a birthday in my forties (!) without feeling freaked out about the 4 before that number... and it's only because of my band and because I'm able to be in this decade looking and feeling better than I did in my 30s. Thank you, band!!

500th Post!

This is my 500th post, so I'm glad that I have something good to report. Yesterday, I received my new license. Why is this significant?? Because it means that I can finally get rid of my "fat" picture license! I consider that an NSV... er, even if I DID kind of look better in that picture (maybe I should go back to the blonde...)!

Fluffy Goodness!!

One of the band-related things that I'm the most proud of, but haven't really posted about because I feel weird mentioning it, is that I started the Sisterhood of the Traveling Clothes back in May of 2009. Since then, I sent out many, many packages to other bandsters, paying for postage on the simple condition that they share the clothes with someone else once they no longer fit. On one or two occasions, I even gave things away by the bagful!

By doing that, I gradually got rid of virtually every item of clothing I had outgrown (in-grown?), and got to know many other bandsters in the process. And -- LOL -- the blogging bandster community got to know my dirty little secret... that I used to cut all the sizes out of my clothes!! :) Another great effect is this snowballed, and so many bandsters in our community are sharing their old clothing with one another, which is a huge help as we all move on down through a range of sizes.

For me, one of the very best things about giving everything away was receiving photos from other bandsters and seeing how great they looked in my clothes. Here's a link to a post with a bunch of photos that people were nice enough to share with me. :) My favorite one ever is the one of the lovely Sarah, wearing a shirt that I sent her as she successfully completed her first ever 5K race. I was so impressed with her accomplishment (she said she was going to run and she did!), and it felt amazing to have some small part in that day.

I didn't care that I would never receive a Sisterhood package, since I was an "older" bandster and didn't know anyone who was both farther along than me and willing to part with clothing in my size. It just felt good to be emptying my closets -- both because it was the product of my confidence that I wasn't going to just gain it all back, and because I felt like I was helping people. But... woe is me... no exciting packages of unknown new, free clothing came my way! ;) Cut to this year's B.O.O.B.S. conference in Chicago, where I finally met the very lithe, slim and fit Fluffy! A week ago, she sent me my first EVER Sisterhood package.

Here is the package. Steve was with me when I opened it, and I totally cried when I did (I know.. I'm such a crier) -- from being so happy to be on the receiving end of this wonderful generosity, from thinking about how grateful I am for how far I've come, and for feeling like something I'd started had come full circle back to me, though I'd never had any expectation that it would.

This box made me cry!!

Now, dear readers, while I may be a total mush at all things kind and generous, you know that I loves me some fashion. So, I wiped my tears, put on some lipstick, and got to trying on those outfits! And there were cute things in that box that I absolutely love!! (And a few cute things that I absolutely love... but that are a size 6, and while I could squeeze into them, it was not a pretty sight!) I'm including photos of my favorites below! :)

A white button-down that fit absolutely perfectly, and Fluffy's size 6 black pants that I managed to zip! NSV/Pre-Christmas Miracle!!) :) An ADORABLE short sleeved jacket.
Do we like it over the shirt, or would it be better with bare arms?

And, this gorgeous going-out shirt in purple. Love!

Thank you so very much, Fluffy. Not only do I love these cute clothes, but just receiving the box from you meant so much to me! I so appreciate it, and plan to have a lot of fun wearing them! And, congratulations to you on your SIXTH bandiversary!

I'll post again soon... so much more to catch up on. Steve had a surprise birthday party for me on Monday night, Tuesday was my birthday, and we've been doing all kinds of fun things. But, I really wanted this to be a stand-alone post because it was such an important occasion for me!

Celeb-Spotting Quickie Update

I only have a second to post this morning but I had to (HAD TO) post about my celeb spotting of last night. Marjorie, E and B took me out for a b-day dinner last night at Wa-v-e--rly I-n--n, and among the other people dining within eyesight were.... Camer-o-n Diaz (BTW, Bad Teacher is HILARIOUS), H-a-rvey W-e-instein and.... Rob-er-t P-a-ttinson. They all looked great, the food was fantastic, and I have to admit that having that big of a sighting really added to our fun!


Will post soon.... I want to tell you all about the package I received this week from Fluffy!!

What I'm Eating...

Steve and I recently tried out a recipe from this month's B0n A-pp-e-t-i-t Magazine... Seared Salmon with Pumpkin Seed Cilantro Pesto. And man oh man, is it good!! In fact, it's so good that I made it for a second time on Saturday night, then cooked up another filet for us to take to work today with the remaining pesto, saffron rice and steamed snap peas. YUM.

I had a great weekend. My mom was in town and met with her boyfriend on Saturday evening (when his flight got in) to start their vacation. So, we had a nice time together on Friday night and Saturday day, and then I saw them for brunch on Sunday. Steve was with his parents this weekend, and my other friends were going to a black tie event that I opted out of, so I got a weekend night at home all to myself. A rare pleasure!!

I cooked, baked some goat cheese tarts from scratch (also, yummy) and watched the movie Bad Teacher, which was hilarious. I also was able to get to yoga on Saturday and spin on Sunday, which was great. Now, with an extra hour of sleep, I'm ready to kick some A today! :)

Halloween Hijinx!

Halloween weekend this year was a blast! We got a bunch of friends together for a dinner party at another friend's costumes, then hit several parties afterwards. Steve and I dressed up like Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad (OMG .. and what a seriously scary mask!!) wolf!

Ahhhhhhhh! One of the great NSV pleasures of banded life!! Getting to wear a cute, sexy costume on Halloween!! I loved that costume! And you can bet that I wasn't going to wear this in 2008! Here is a comparison shot from me, about a month post-surgery vs. last weekend.

I was in charge of dessert for the dinner party, so I went all out.... I made a pumpkin creme brulee that I've made in the past and absolutely love. And... I made the pumpkin cheesecake recipe from this month's Bon Appetit magazine. The recipe called for me to make homemade gingersnaps (Yum! You can see the extras on the table) and to grind them in a foodprocessor to make the crumbs for the crust. It was really good, and a big hit!

The desserts!

Marjorie as Holly Golighty -- great costume!!

Party action shot!
Getting our group outfitted in snow boots, coats, umbrellas, etc. to trek to the next party in the snow! Can you even believe it was snowing here in October?!?

That's all for now! I hope that all of you had a great Halloween!

Catching Up!

Life in general has been busy lately, but filled with fun things, too. Two weeks ago, Steve and I participated in New York C-a-re-s Day with his company, and we spent that Saturday painting at a school on the Lower East Side. It was a LOT of fun. Not sure if you've picked up that I love anything arts & crafts-y, but I do, so I was pretty much in heaven the whole day!

Steve painted a classroom or two while I had fun with the murals!

Admittedly, this was my least favorite of the murals I worked on, but it's the only one I got a photo with!

Another mural I worked on...

Last week was crazy busy, both at work and socially. I actually didn't get in a single workout, which scared me a bit (I'm not going back!!!)! So, I committed to working out 3 or more times this week and have already done that (I took spin classes on Monday, Tuesady and Wednesday). But back to last week.... we had two black tie events. One was a benefit on Tuesday night for the M--y-s-t--i-c S-e-a--p-or-t, at which we were the guests of friends who had gotten a table. It was a really nice event -- the speeches were surprisingly good, the dinner was good, and the company even better.

The other black tie event was on Friday -- a very opulent 40th birthday party for a friend and ... 500 of his closest friends! It was so extravagant -- I've been to weddings that weren't even close to as nice. The decorations were cool (white sofas, hanging chandeliers, beautiful plants.. all in an old church that is now a party space), the food was amazing (lobster, crab, oysters, sliders, a million different tiny desserts, etc.), and they had a fantastic 10 piece band and an amazing DJ. We danced a ton and had a fantastic time! (I can't believe I have no photos!!)

We actually left that party to get home by midnight because Saturday was another big day. There is a steeplechase race that takes place every year out by where Steve grew up, and he has a longstanding tradition of doing a big tailgate. So, we were up bright and early to catch a 9 a.m. train out to the races to get everything set up!

At the races...

The races was an all-day event. We had about 40 or so friends come by, enjoyed a ton (too much on my part..) of food, had some bloody Marys and wine, and did a little informal wagering on the races! The event went from about noon until 5 or so, and then we went to Steve's lake club with a group of about 10 friends to see the sun set over the gorgeous lake. It was so picturesque -- changing leaves, geese landing in the lake, the works. THEN, after that, we had 12 people over to his parents' house for a casual dinner. It was freezing out, so we lit a fire, heated up the dinner, and all sat around eating and talking. It was a great group, and I think it's safe to say that everyone had a great time! People left in small groups as the night went on. Eventually, only a few of us were left, and Steve and another friend were playing, respectively, guitar and banjo together.... I was listening on a sofa near the fire and fell fast asleep. I missed the last hour or so of fun! (But thankfully, Steve tells me that I was NOT snoring.... 'cause you never know.... It has been known to happen....!)

OK, one more update. Last night, Steve and I were having dinner and heard a crowd shouting in the street. It sounded like a riot. It turns out that a big group of the O--c--c-u-p-y W-a--l-l S-t-r--ee-t people were coming down my street. The p*lice had blocked off the street with a line of motorcycles (the lights you see in the photos). And, as the crowd got to them, there were punches thrown, protesters trying to push over the bikes, and a whole bunch of arrests. We watched the whole thing from my window -- and I took the photo shown below. It was wild -- and a bit scary. I am very ready for this protest to end.

That's all my news for now! I hope everyone is having a great week!

Happy THIRD Bandiversary to me!

Today is my third bandiversary. Today marks three years since I took a well-researched, calculated risk. It marks just about three years since I was able to stop feeling like sh*t about my weight every single day and since I first started breaking free from the food prison.

So, how has my life changed? Well, I went from weighing 230 pounds to holding steady right around the 150 pound mark -- five pounds under my goal. I've become someone who looks forward to exercising and who talks about her workout at cocktail parties (OK, I know that's not necessarily a good thing, but I've bonded with a lot of other women about it..)!


I also understand that working out is the key to maintenance for me. Over the past year, my weight hasn't changed that much. I've been able to easily maintain within a range of about five pounds, and as long as I'm able to hit the gym 3-4 times a week, it's no issue at all to maintain on the lower end of that spectrum. This year, I did three trips -- all to the Adirondacks -- that involved serious hikes that I would never have even attempted at my start weight, and I enjoyed all three, though even at my current level of fitness, they were challenging.


In addition to fitness and maintenance, this year also has been a lot about being in love and enjoying my relationship with Steve. It feels so incredible to be with someone who appreciates me so much, and I love not having to worry if I look fat .. or if he thinks I'm fat... or if ... blah blah blah, anything having to do with fat. It's just not a worry anymore. I can't believe how lucky I am to have found a tool that would make it possible to let that type of negativity go. I never imagined that would be possible -- or that it was part of what banded life would offer to me.


I'm a lucky bandster, for many reasons -- including that Lap Band Girl always has her bandiversary just before me, and she always posts something interesting and thought provoking that gets me thinking. For example, her post last year led to me figuring out that I'd spent $120.25 per pound to get to goal. (It was worth every penny.) This year, she wrote a letter to her "fat self" that inspired me to write a letter to the version of myself who was thinking about having this surgery, but still had a lot of doubts. Here is my letter:




Dear Me c. 2008,

Don't be scared about this decision. This is going to be the right thing for you. The surgery doesn't turn out to be that big of a deal, and the payoff is going to be so good that you would have gladly suffered through ten times worse if you could see how this is going to turn out three years down the road. The best news I can give you is that you are going to get to your goal. You are going to get to be thin, fit and healthy. Believe it or not, you're going to become someone who other people ask for advice on staying in shape -- even people who don't know you were ever overweight. You're going to be one of the fittest people in your trendy spin class, and you'll get to wear super cute outfits there... and everywhere else.

It's a FACT that you are going to get to feel good about your weight, your body, and what you eat. Your relationship with food is going to change quite a bit, but only in ways that you are going to like. You'll still enjoy flavors just as much. You'll still love going out to nice dinners, brunch, cooking and entertaining at home. It's just that you'll get to enjoy all of those feelings without feeling guilty -- or disgusting -- or sick to your stomach from overeating afterwards. You'll get to eat ice cream in public, shame-free. You'll get to shop absolutely EVERYWHERE, and they will have clothing in your size, and you won't have to make due with things that are just OK because they fit you -- you'll be able to do much better than that.

You will never have to worry if a guy thinks you are fat. (Because you'll know that if he does, the problem is all his because you are definitely NOT fat.) In fact, your 40-year old bootie is going to look so much better than its teen-aged iteration that you're actually going to LIKE it for the first time ever!! You are going to get to wear bikinis in the summer! And, shopping for them won't even leave you with post-traumatic stress-disorder!!

You will be able to wear heels without being in undue pain the whole time!! Also, your feet won't hurt all the time -- your heels won't crack -- and you won't have to stretch out your back after you've been walking around for a while. Also, your legs won't rub together when you walk. I don't want you to get too far ahead of yourself, but I can tell you that CORDUROY is in your future! (No, you don't start a fire. I know -- I'm as shocked as you are!!)

You'll get to go to foreign countries and feel like a sexy jet setter, instead of a fat American. You'll get ushered in with a smile and great service at the Hotel C*stes in Paris, among other spots. It will actually feel GOOD to be hot in the summer, and you won't have to be nervous about wearing your swimsuit. Bumping into old friends will be a pleasure. You won't look ridiculous dancing (well... as long as you don't break out the robot... AGAIN. Seriously, you're 40 for crying out loud -- no one needs to see that)!

You're going to get to feel lovely -- and healthy -- physically strong, mentally strong, attractive, admired, and proud of yourself for finding a way to solve this lifelong struggle with your weight.

Also, you know that @$$hole saying "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"? I know -- totally obnoxious, right? Well, it turns out that it's true.

So, my dear self, circa 2008, please don't be afraid. Don't worry about the surgery -- you're doing the right thing, and all of the things you are so worried about really don't turn out to be a problem. I know that not everyone gets lucky like this, but you fall in the right percentages during at least your first three years.

Go ahead with confidence. There are so many good things waiting for you.

Love,

Catherine

BYOC!

1. What's your most favorite noise and your least favorite noise?

Most fave > I love the *POP* of a champagne cork!

Least fave > Hearing the "clip" noise of fingernail clippers IN THE OFFICE. Seriously!! Raised. By. WOLVES!!!

2. If you were a character in the movie Grease – who would you be?

For sure Sandy.

3. What was the name of your best friend in elementary school? Are you still friends?

My best friend was this girl named Patty, who I thought was The Bomb. Her parents had the sickest house, and she had the best birthday parties. Plus, we lived in Holland at that time, and her parents always had VCR (or VHS?) tapes of American TV shows and would let us stay up till all hours watching tv when we had sleepovers. We snuck our first cigarettes together (and pretended we burried a dead bird when we burried the butts), tortured the guys we had crushes on a bit (my favorite was a note "Do you like [guy's name?] Yes No." We'd check "NO" and then "let" the guy get the note from us... Terrible!!). We also invented a ton of secret code languages and would write out elaborate keys to them and send each other notes in code -- totally awesome stuff. After I moved back to the states, she turned out to be a rotten pen pal, and we fell out of contact. Years later, I found her through the Internet and we e-mailed a few times --- she was an architect, living in London, and I'd just started my first job as an attorney in NYC. She was still as bad as ever about keeping in touch though, and the acquaintance fell off. Earlier this year, I saw that my big brother friended her older sister on FB, and I found her and sent her a friend request.... which she ignored. WTH, Patty?!?!

4. Who is your current celebrity crush?

Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling.

5. Repeat question: How was your week in real life and in blog land?

I'm not going to sugar coat it. This week was stressful in real life and I've been feeling cranky, sick, tired and fed up as a result. I am dealing with some seriously annoying bullsh*t at the place where I go (as Dinnerland calls it), and I've been engaged in some irritating apartment lease renegotiation -- and, while I've talked the apartment folks down from the INSANE increase they proposed, this has forced the issue of Should-We-Be-Talking-About-Moving-In-Imminently ... and I'm left with the fact that my boyfriend isn't ready to move things forward yet, though we've been together constantly through the past 10 months and have been really happy. So, I'm left wondering whether this is another PP situation and I should just run for the hills right now, or whether I should be patient and give him some more time. And I'm turning 41 next month and I want to have kids. .. so tickety-freaking-tock. And, to add to the sh*tstorm that was this week, I have a miserable cold. AND I had to go to the OBGYN this week for my 6 month check-up, which I'd forgotten or I would have moved it. And the OBGYN kept me waiting for over an hour. And I can not even tell you how f-ing sick I am of those stupid freaking "Occupy Wall Street" protesters. AND, waaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Aren't you so glad you asked?? But seriously, I would totally be Sandy. (Because in spite of all of this stuff, I can't help thinking that I did get in an awesome workout last night, my weight is good, there is a Sidecar with my name on it at a restaurant that I'm going to be at within the hour, and even with all this bullsh*t I have going on, life is still pretty good.)

Chicago! (Post 2 of 3)

Sooooo! Finally, I'm going to put up some more Chicago trip news! On Saturday, after Jazzercise and brunch with Joey, Nicole and Susan, we did a bit of shopping, then head back to the hotel. I took an hour or so to just rest and relax, then decided to invite some of the girls over for a little pre-game glass of wine! Ten or so of us congregated in my room, where we enjoyed the lovely bottle of wine that Joey made beautiful commemorative labels for -- a great way to unwind!

And, at some point, we all realized that it was time to get dressed and head over to dinner! Again, I have to hand it to the organizers! This year's venue was even better than last year's, the food was delicious, and the company was even better!!

With Krystal, who I got to hang out with quite a bit on Friday night -- so great to finally meet her in person!

With Beth Ann (link to her blog in my earlier Chicago post), who introduced me to Jazzercise, and who looked stunning in that red dress!

With the adorable Angela! I had such a great time hanging out with her, Fluffy, Maria and so many others at the ice cream and PJs after party! (Donna, I'm so curious about henna now!!)

With Barbara, Thelma and Louise!!
Amanda and Maria -- I loved seeing those girls!

Angela, Dawnya and Jessica!
What a fantastic trip!! I loved the whole thing, from start to finish, and I was so happy to see so many bandsters who I've met before and to meet so many others for the first time. The entire weekend was so positive and so much fun, and I'm really glad that I went. I feel like it helped remind me of how far I've come during the past nearly-three-years, which I sometimes forget now than I've been holding steady just below my goal for more than a year.

Summer Weather!

Before I finish posting my Chicago pictures, I have to tell you guys that it was in the high 70s and low 80s here this weekend! On Saturday, Steve and I went out to a friend's house in Wainscot (the Hamptons) to spend the rest of the weekend, along with several other friends. We lounged on the beach, soaking in that last bit of summer sun (so nice after a few chilly weeks), cooked some really good meals, and felt very lucky that we were somehow given one last summer weekend! The cold, rainy weather starts again on Wednesday.... am very thankful that we got to hit the beach before then...

Great Time In Chicago! (Post 1 of 3)

Chicago was really fantastic! I'd had a ton going on in my personal life and at work right before the trip, and I was really not sure that I wanted to go because I remembered how overwhelming last year was (in a good way, but it was a lot to take in)! Then I looked at the "cheat sheet" of everyone coming, saw so many familiar faces, and decided to go. -- And I'm so glad I did!!

I got in a little late on Friday -- the party had been going on for a while -- so I went right up to my room to quickly drop off my bag. But -- guess who I saw in the hall as I got to my room?! Joey and Gilly, two of my favorite bandsters! It was so fantastic to bump into them... and we got to hang out (and have a little wine -- thanks, ladies!) while I put down my bag and freshened up a little!

Joey and Nicole at the meet & greet!

With Tessie Rose, who had a fantastic new hair style!I have to hand it to the organizers. The conference was put together so well, everything went so seamlessly. The gift bags were AMAZING, thanks to their efforts to find sponsors and put together really great treats for us (I've already worn my blue pashmina twice)! Also, they put together door prizes and awarded them on Friday night, which was a lot of fun! I won an awesome Hydros water bottle, which not only filters water -- but part of the profits go to sustainable water projects and to provide clean water to people who need it most.

I was so happy to see my favorite old bandster friends -- everyone I'd met last year, and others who I've met in New York through the year, like Tina and Justine.

Here is a photo of me with Kristen, who I really loved meeting! She told me that something I wrote motivated her into blogging again and getting back in action with her band -- and she's lost 50 pounds since then! We were both standing there crying when she told me! It was one of the best moments of the whole trip for me because it just made me so happy to hear this.

Check out these bandster beauties I'm posing with!! Lynda, Jessica and Amanda! (Amanda, can you comment with a link to your blog? I need to start following you!)

With Tina at the Friday night meet & greet!

With Justine, who had done so amazingly well with her band since I last saw her that I couldn't spot her at the meet & greet at first! One thing that I really noticed was how people had physically changed since last year! A few of us older bandsters hadn't changed much since last year (which is great!) but some of the newbies had done so incredibly!! I want to give a big shout out on that front to Maria (down over 100 pounds!!), Jessica (who looks like a model, see above -- I love that striped dress!) and Justine! I'll also include Fluffy (she is six years out -- looks AMAZING) in that too, even though I hadn't seen her before! She's so tiny, trim and fit that she said that she would send me my First Ever (!!!) Sisterhood package! I know I've sent out a ton of them, but since I'm nearly three years post-op, I've never been able to receive one! I'm totally psyched! (Er, but no pressure Fluff, if you can't find anything!!) :) :)

On Saturday morning, the awesomely motivated and fun Beth got a group of us together at 8:45 A.M. (yes, a.m.!) and we went and did a Jazzercise class together!! It was Beth, me, Dawnya, Debi, and Becky -- what a great group of women! The most awesome part of that was that we actually got up and did it. Actually, during the workout, I started thiking about how amazing it was that we'd all changed so much that we actually were the kind of people who would get up for an 8:45 workout on a trip -- and I totally got choked up.... right in the middle of some move where I had to skip back and forth toward the instructor. AWKWARD!! (But kind of wonderful .. er, and I just pretended to have allergies...!) LOL

After that, I joined Joey, Nicole and Susan for brunch at this great restaurant near Millennium Park, which was awesome. I love those girls!! We did a little shopping after that, then headed back to the hotel for a little R&R before dinner!

Brunch pics!

Walking to the shops!

More on the rest of the weekend soon!!

WHEW!

I have good news!! I heard from my doctor's office yesterday afternoon, and the CAT Scan didn't show anything wrong with me. They looked at the whole thing, and my stomach, esophagus, ovaries, etc. all look good, and there was no fluid collected in my abdomen. WHEW!!!!

It seems that this may just have been a pulled muscle. Thank God!! Funny enough, yesterday is the first day in a week that I woke up feeling good, without any pain. Maybe the CAT Scan has medicinal effects?? Maybe the thing that was wrong was in my intestines and the barium (er, sorry.... gross) flushed it out?? Who knows? Not me, and not my doctor.

Regardless, I'm glad that I got in to the doctor for the scan -- even if choking down a quart of barium (seriously, it was so much .. and it was just SO SO SO gross) was one of the most unpleasant things I've done in recent memory. It's just comforting to know that they were able to take a look at my guts (!) and see that all is well.

Thanks for all of your concern and well-wishes!! Am so happy to report that this seems to have been less serious than anticipated!

Baby Steps...

I finally got my CAT Scan yesterday. The actual procedure was nothing -- I just had to lie down on a very comfortable moving plank, and it slid me in and out of a doughnut-shaped scanner (it wasn't the full-body-type scanner shown in the photo in my last post).

The worst part of the whole thing was having to drink two GIANT containers of "berry smoothie" flavored barium. The containers were each bigger than a container of Gatoraid, and the texture and flavor of the drink were just disgusting. It took me a good 35 minutes to get both of them down (oh, how I wish my band would have let me chug them to get it over with). I seriously almost hurled several times. And then, (sorry ... TMI...) the barium actually gave me an upset stomach, so I couldn't go back to the office afterwards due to that, er, side-effect. Lovely!

The results are supposed to be sent to my doctor today. I am going to do my best to find out what they are TODAY. I don't want to wait through another weekend feeling like this. I just want to get patched up and back in action. I can not let this derail me from my gym plan. I will not let this mess up the really good routine that I've had in place for so long. It freaks me out a bit not to know exactly what is going on and how long it's going to take to get back to normal. Hopefully I'll get some more clarity today.

Time for a CAT Scan... Meow!

For as much as I'm not looking forward to having to be in one of these machines, I'm psyched to be getting a CAT scan of my abdomen today. I am SO ready to figure out exactly what is going wrong in there and get it fixed!! I am frustrated that this process is taking so long. I wanted to be patched up by now and back on the road to recovery!

The other annoying thing is that my insurance won't let me get the scan at NYU, where my doctor is. Instead, I have to go to some random spot on the other side of town that is pre-approved by the insurance company. This just seems so inefficient.... but since it will save me about $1,500 by following the insurance company's rules, I'll suck it up and do it how they want. But I don't have to like it! :P