I WAS IN THE BAND...NOW, THE BAND'S IN ME

Sure 'nuff she said. I marched in the band, played in the band, ran with the band, performed with the band and stayed in the band through my second year at BaylorU. Fun, challenging, enriching and carefree. Lots of hard work and practice hours however, but we never minded that at all.

Today, the band is playin' me like a fiddle instead of a clarinet. Some days it's happy and some days it's not. Some days it cooperates, other days it punishes me. Some days are good days, some days are yuck days. Some days I look forward to food, other days I wonder if I will ever really appreciate food again.

The learning curve has been about 18 months now. The band is still teaching, I'm still learning..and most days IT'S THROWING CURVES RIGHT AND LEFT. Not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing, just sayin'. When you've reached a point where you see food in your mind and drift away into, 'I don't really care to go there...that's when you recognize change in yourself." When you've bought some food and eaten a serving of it and two days later , toss it...that's when you know you've changed. When mealtimes approaching and you'll be happy to slurp a Kellog's Protein Shake instead...that's when you wonder...have I really become this?

I see my surgeon again next Tuesday. First time in three months. He and I are definitely gonna have a 'come to Jesus meetin' with my band leading the CHORUS! I have 9.5 cc's of sailine in there, I have tossed cookies/tea/potatoes/okra and numerous other items more than I care to acknowledge in the past three months. Somethin's gotta give and me be thinkin'...might be the band for the next three months. It's time to 'band' together and decide how to get the weight loss movin' again.

Nope, haven't been abusive, haven't ignored vitamins, haven't this, haven't that...dosen't seem to matter what I do or don't do, I remain in the same ballpark with the band playing it's own special tune..."I've got me around your skin!!!" That's a truth!

So, here I sit on a drizzly afternoon contimplating my opening speech next Tuesday.
Dr. Sherman and Learning Interns...
I'm glad we have this opportunity to sit and stare at each other in this examination room. However, it's time to discuss this journey where I immediately dropped right at 50 and the minute you gave me the first fill, I became stagnant!
I've been thinking...how would it be if we backed a lot of the fill out today and revved our engines as we come outta the gate tomorrow? I don't ever want to aBANDon the BAND. But, we must BAND together and do some problem solving.
Therefore, toss the dice and see which intern gets to practice the STICK! Rules are, three strikes, he/she's out!! Once you puncture the tummy the third time and still have not found the port...YOU ARE GOING TO THE MEDICAL DUGOUT. That's when the STICKYING COACH comes in and hits it the first time.
I know, generous of me, correct! HA! I just love to see a greenhorn sweat bullets over the band! When they stab that long needle in my tummy and, nothing...they break into a little line of perspiration above the forehead. Then, the apologies come rollin' in.

Anyhow, next tuesday, my team and I are going to begin a new approach on this challenge. Thus far the band is winning, I'm eating far less and even the right foods and staying status quo. that coupled with life events in the past few months is becoming a pain in my b>>>a n d!

So, here's to a symphony orchestrated to a tee. Instead of being a stand alone band, I want the band to become a cooperative ensemble! Nuff said....
Here's to you and here's to me.
Here's to the band and giant glass of tea.
Yep, it's a natural diuretic, it makes me ....oh well,
You get the drift.
A funky band mode today on a funkY rainy afternoon.

Here's to the bands
rubber bands, gastric bands, marching bands, and MY BAND!!! Squeeze me, teeze me...just don't sit there and appease me!!

Later...the funk's over!