enterprise01

Yes, it seems that prejudice toward fat people is the only socially acceptable prejudice left in our society. And unfortunately, I don't think it's ever going to go away. I'm so sorry he ruined your evening.

Another peeve is people who rip out pages in magazines in the doctor's office. Get a piece of paper and write down that recipe that you want! Don't ruin the magazine for the rest of us.

I've had the same experience at an emergency vet clinic. My dearly loved cat had an embolism, so I rushed her to the clinic in the middle of the night. I was beyond hysterical, blubbering to the point that no one could understand me. I don't cry easily, but I knew how serious her condition was. Thank god my boyfriend was with me to do the talking for me. The vet kept telling me that the prognosis was not good and repeating that it would cost a lot of money to stabilize her. With the way I was crying, couldn't he tell how much I loved her? Money didn't matter, and I had to tell him that at least 5 times before he got the point. Sadly, the treatment didn't work and she passed away, but at least I did what I could to help her. My cats are like children to me. I spent 9 nine years giving one of my cats chemotherapy for lymphoma, and I currently have a 16 yr old cat with kidney disease. The cost of keeping him alive and comfortable is about $600 per month. It may be a strain on me, but I couldn't live with myself if I did any less. I just can't understand people who treat their animals like objects instead of the sweet, loving, sensitive creatures that they really are.

Oh my gosh!! First of all, go get that poodle neutered immediately. It's the only responsible thing to do. Then talk with your vet about getting him on a diet and exercise program and about seeing a professional trainer/behavorist. Do you ever watch the Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan)? http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/ He's amazing. He often states that he rehabilitates dogs and trains people because he believes that the source of a dog's problem is actually poor leadership, which comes from the owner. He advocates exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order. Cesar has a DVD specifically about canine agression. That could be a good starting point for you. It will take some time and dedication, but you can turn him into a good pet. Please get the help you need and don't give up on him. And please remember that very few animals who get turned into shelters ever find a new home.

How about people who abandon their pets because they are having a baby or moving? What a lame excuse for their callousness and laziness. Pets are a lifetime (their lifetime) commitment. A friend of mine, who has 14 cats, was considering having a baby a few years ago. When we were talking about, I said that I hoped her child would not be allergic to cats. She said, "I hope so, too, because I'd hate to have to get rid of my baby." I thought that was hilarious.

I think we are all willing to give slack to people who aren't native English speakers. It's quite admirable to learn another language, especially one as difficult as English. And it's understandable that their grammar and spelling would not be perfect. The irritant is the people born and raised in America (or Britain, Australia, S. Africa, and any other English speaking country) who can't seem to master the language. There's just no excuse.

Some people are just fine a couple of days and others aren't. I'm 3 weeks post-op and there's no way in hell I could do a tap dance number. I was very weak for the first 5 days and needed a great deal of sleep. I even had a fever for the first 3 days. While you're younger and may bounce back faster, you just never know how it's going to affect you. It's not just the surgery that takes its toll on you, it's the anesthesia, too. I have a friend who is an actor and does a lot of local theater. I know that it can be grueling. You also have to consider the costumes you'll be wearing. I'm still not in regular pants because 2 of my incisions are at my waistline. I think it will be a couple of weeks before I can wear anything without an elastic waist. What about costume changes? You're going to be sore and will not be able to move as quickly. In fact, you may not be able to bend over at all. And most doctors recommend no strenuous exercise for 3-4 weeks. I'd consider tap dancing strenuous. If I were you, I'd either reschedule the surgery or opt out of the musical just to be safe. You don't want to over extend yourself and hamper your recovery.

Audree, despite my jealousy, you give me hope that someday I'll be doing as well as you. Since you were banded about 2 weeks before me, your progress is a good benchmark for how I should be doing. Keep up the inspirational posts.

Intercourse has not been a problem, but having an orgasm causes contractions of my abdominal muscles, which in turn causes pain. I'm 3 weeks post-op and orgasms still hurt. But so far it seems that that problem is unique to me. I haven't heard any other bandsters complain about that issue.

That's one of the best stories I've ever heard!

You'll find a lot of Dr. Spivak's patients here. I'm only 3 weeks post-op, so I haven't had any fills, yet. I really like Dr. Spivak. I had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia, and he came by 3 times to check on me after surgery. One time was around 8:00 p.m., so I'm sure he was foregoing his personal time to check on me. His office staff has been great, too. Also, I have three doctor friends, and I asked for their recommendation for a lap-band surgeon. Dr. Spivak was their number one choice.

Here's is HJTx's post from another thread that explains her problem with Dr. Spiegel.

I got some of those Thermacare heat wraps, and they worked wonderfully. Stayed hot for a full 8 hours.

For the first day, I needed help getting in and out of bed. I also needed help putting my socks on for the first 10 days. I'm 3 weeks post-op, and it's still a struggle to get that left sock on by myself. And I have 4 cats, so I needed help cleaning out the litter boxes for the first week because I simply could not bend over. I was not able drive comfortably (and thus safely) for about 5 days, so my boyfriend had to go to the pharmacy for me a couple of times.

Well, I do have a bedroom which is painted a steel blue. All the furniture (desk, table, chest of drawers) is a rich chocolate brown, so the blue complements the furniture very nicely. My style is somewhere between European contemporary and modern -- no patchwork and no crockery anywhere. However, each room in my house is a different color, and I'm sure that would drive you nuts. I'm with you on Angelina. She's a total freak, and it irritates the hell out of me that she thinks she knows anything about anything. Movie stars have no sense of reality because they live in a totally fake world. The only subjects they are qualified to speak on are 1) hair styles, 2) cosmetics, 3) fashion, 4) plastic surgery, and 5) drug/alcohol abuse. The mere sight of Ben Affleck angers me. And Tom Cruise, too. What a freak! Keep you mouth shut, Tom. We're all sick of you.

I'm right there with you. I ate 3 large bowls of chili on Superbowl Sunday because I was so ravenous. Fortunately, I'm scheduled for a fill next Thursday. I just hope 1 fill is enough to give me some restriction. I'm starting to feel depressed about being hungry all the time. The stomach growling is getting louder every day, and yet the scale is not moving. And you're right, water is not satisfying at all.

I went for my consultation on a Wednesday and had my surgery on the following Wednesday. I was very glad he was able to fit me in quickly. Also, I did not need any pre-op testing, so that helped, too.

He has lost most of his accent, but I still remember him fondly from his Mad Max days. Regardless of accent, I'll probably always love Mel. Can you explain to me why many Australians are so very good at imitating other accents? It seems like Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, and Lucy Lawless (I know she's from NZ) can so easily and flawlessly switch from one accent to another. I've been in Texas for almost 20 years and still can't do a Texan accent. In X-Men, Hugh Jackman even nailed the Canadian accent, which is only subtly different from a northern mid-west American accent. Very impressive. By the way, after reading your peeves, I'm now scared of you. :biggrin1:

I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and currently live in Houston, Texas, and I have the same complaint about southern accents. Anytime a Southerner is portrayed on TV or in movies, they make us all sound like stupid hay seeds. I might have a slight accent, but I don't sound like an idiot. And people in Hollywood who don't know the difference between a Southern and Texan accent also irritate the hell out of me. They are 2 different things. Another peeve as far as language is concerned, is the expression "fixin' to." I hate that. You're not "fixin' to go to the store," you're planning on it or preparing to do it. There's no "fixing" involved. And the use of ain't. While I love Reba and her TV show, her Okie-isms irk me, especially when she says "cain't" instead of "can't." For the record, I find all derivations of Aussie accents to be charming, even Steve Irwin's. He was always a pleasure to watch. And let's not forget Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Peta Wilson, Jesse Spencer, Cate Blanchett, and dozens of other actors from Australia who have presented the Aussie accent in such a beautiful manner. At least none of them say "cain't."

My understanding is that at this point, many of us don't actually have that "upper stomach" or pouch since we don't have any restriction yet. We won't have a pouch until we get a fill. So if there isn't a pouch, there's nothing to stretch out. The food is going straight through to the regular stomach, and hence we are not feeling full. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to get your doctor's opinion on this.

And that's exactly why I love this forum. It gives me some insight into other people's opinions and thoughts and helps me learn about something that I might not otherwise understand. An exchange of knowledge, information, and ideas is always a good thing. I'm very sorry I made you cry. I thought we had a good discussion going. Sometimes I wish I was one of those people who married her high school sweetheart and lived happily ever after, but the circumstances of my life just didn't make that possible for me. (I never even had a high school sweetheart.) From suffering a lot of disappointments early in life, I rejected the idea of marriage because I don't think I could ever trust someone enough to put myself in that position. So I hope you can see that my posts have been an honest reflection of my own situation, and not a judgment of those with different opinions.

Then I apologize for not communicating better. I do respect your opinion and was just trying to show that other people, like myself, have different value systems. I was not criticizing or making fun of you in any way.

No, my answer was quite honest and sincere. This is, after all, a forum for discussion.

Excellent article. Thanks, L8BloomR. If only more scientists like Gieg were getting media attention....

And we were just answering.