Alexandra

If clinical abortions are outlawed, we will see a decrease in SAFE abortions. If insurance can no longer cover elective abortions, we will see a huge increase in black-market negotiations and criminal traffic of providers and patients. The risks of outlawing abortions are vast. There would be MANY MORE women who become unable to carry future pregnancies after amateur or untrained abortions. How on earth can anyone see this as a preferable state of affairs? I'm with Wheetsin and Laurend in not caring why someone wants an abortion. IT IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS. The fact that a procedure is abused (and will continue to be, legal or not) by some extreme practitioners doesn't mean the procedure is itself immoral. This decision has outlawed a procedure used only in a tiny fraction of situations, and only when it is the least horrible of several horrible options. All that's been done is to narrow the medical options for people in dire situations. What does anyone think the chances are that this decision will result in any actual healthy babies being born? I'll be watching for that study. Educating women as to birth control AND how to recognize pregnancies as soon as possible would do more to prevent late abortions than this law will. And I too have little sympathy for women who somehow don't realize that an abortion means terminating a pregnancy. As in, there will be no baby born. Obviously women should examine all their options and feelings beforehand, but abortions in professional clinical settings are safe, fast, outpatient procedures and there is no reason they should be made into huge life-altering events. Many women (me included) who found themselves inadvertently pregnant have had early abortions and were grateful for the ability to keep their lives on track. I hope and pray that saner heads will prevail and women's right to self-determination will be solidified in future court decisions.

How much do your kids weigh? When I was banded I was lifting my then-2 y.o. after about two weeks, even though she was slightly over the limit I'd been given. You're right, it just isn't always possible to completely avoid it when you're feeling fine and there's no one else around. But why do you need to lift them to put them to bed? If they're little enough to still be in cribs, then I'd imagine they are not so heavy as to do you harm. Can they help you themselves?

I have never been "slim" and understand to the core of my being that if I were to attempt to get there, I'd have to think about nothing but that 24/7. Every morsel to cross my lips would have to be analyzed and I'd have to exercise every moment I am not at work. Personally, I don't feel the tradeoffs would be worth it at this point in my life. Maybe that will change when my kids are grown and gone, but for now I just want to be "healthy." "Slim" has no value for me.

I've never heard of an 11cc band. Are you sure she wasn't referring to the VG band, which has a capacity of 10ccs?

All I can say about this decision is that as a mother of daughters I honestly fear for their future as self-determining citizens of this country. :confused: :cool:

Hi Dancing, I'm sorry to be a wet blanket, but I doubt the problem is with your band. I believe that over time, the nerves and muscles in our esophagus become less sensitive with the unaccustomed pressure caused by food staying in the pouch, and it causes us to be less aware of the "full" signals. Thus we can eat more, because we are unknowingly using our esophagus as a storage facility once the pouch gets full. This can cause dilation of the esophagus, slippage, and various other negative consequences. So it's not that your band feels different, it's your BODY that is different. And we long-time bandsters have to learn how to work with that new reality. My band slipped and had to be removed and I'm thinking this loss of sensation was at least partly to blame. The mantra "just because we can, doesn't mean we should" rings really true now. The challenge is to learn what really is enough food without getting the stop signal. Being able to eat more in no way equates to still being hungry, and that's a very hard lesson to internalize. But I know if I get another band that's going to be my number-one mission.

Click here for info on rep power.

This is a "fun" feature of the new software, and will come clear in time. I'm not sure of all the details, but I think that "rep power" is a function of how long one has been a member and how many posts they have. To give rep to a poster you click on the white icon in the upper right of any post. Comments left by people who leave rep can be read in your User CP. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see them.

This happened to me over a year ago, and I called my PCP and got some narcotic cough medicine. It worked like a charm (and put me right to sleep, too). Can't you call someone just to phone in a prescription? It's very important that you get the coughing under control.

Lynn, what exactly are you trying to accomplish? If you're not interested in participating, you can just not post. If you are receiving e-mails of new posts, that's different and I can help you with that. But you don't have to eliminate your membership completely to stop participating. I'm a little confused. Enlighten me?

HI Ginger, A LOT of people find that as they take in less bulk and less fiber constipation can be a problem. Taking a fiber supplement can really help, but be sure it's not one that bulks up in your stomach. (Basically, if it thickens upon standing you want to avoid it--like Metamucil, for example.) Look for a brand that dissolves completely, like Benefiber. Take one dose every day and you should be (pardon the expression) good to go!

Another YAY vote for the black text, Alex. My eyes are older than I care to admit.

My theory is that it's Fluid in the body that moves: Our stomach tissues respond to the additional pressure from the band when fill is added by thinning out or something, and then over time it sort of returns to its usual thickness, thereby increasing our restriction. Remember, the level of restriction we experience is a function of more than just the amount of fluid in the band. Our bodies' responses to various stimuli are much more complex, and IMO are way more directly responsible to the sensation of restriction than we think.

The six-month medically supervised diet doesn't have to be anything more elaborate than visiting your PCP every other week or so for a weigh-in. Why wouldn't your carrier pay for those visits? Do they have an exclusion for all weight-related treatment?

That's a good suggestion, Louise. Thanks! I'm sure Alex will see this and take it under consideration.

The meetings are on the 2nd and last Wednesdays of each month and are held down the hall from the office in Florham Park. Turn left off the elevator instead of right. I'm feeling great, my removal surgery was a breeze! My next appointment with Dr. A is on the 3rd, and I just hope we'll be able to schedule a day to install a new band at that time. Fingers CROSSED!!

As I understand it a VA magistrate said in December of 2005 that Cho was a danger to himself and others, and he was committed to a mental institution for a time. He wasn't just someone with occasional destructive thoughts. He was a whackjob and lots of people knew it.

I completely agree with you Marjon. When I heard today's Iraq death toll as I was driving to work, the tears just started pouring down my face. It's appalling in the extreme. The story about VA Tech is very close to home and at this point we're all waiting for the complete victim list to be released so we can all find out how close. But the drama will pass, and innocent Iraqis will still be dying in droves. And I completely agree with you, Laurend (which is no surprise). Cho's psychological history should have set off red flags in any situation where he tried to buy guns. Sure, he could have gone and bought fertilizer and made a bomb, or driven his car into a crowd, or whatever. But he went and bought an automatic handgun made for no other purpose than killing people. And that's exactly what he did with it.

Yikes. The conditions you describe would certainly make me think about wanting some sort of home protection. Thankfully, not all Americans live in such areas. Your community might want to think about investing in some more law enforcement personnel.

Jack, is your neighborhood particularly crime-ridden?

I don't think anyone here has advocated eliminating private gun ownership completely, Jack. Much as I may agree with Green and wish our society were more gun-averse, I understand the frontier mentality will never leave us completely. And certainly there are situations where it makes sense for responsible homeowners to be protected, such as in Sunta's story where there are known risks. But it should be MUCH harder for people to obtain guns, and there should be rigid national standards.

Carlene, it's good news indeed that you don't have a slip! I hope your treatment works beautifully and you your esophagus goes completely back to normal. Good luck and good vibes comin' atcha, babe!!

I have gone to many and try to go every month to the first one. (I'm one of the moderators.) I plan to go to both each month for a while, as I definitely need it!

You may or may not have anything to worry about, but you should get it checked out and treated. Over time reflux itself can damage your esophagus. It may be band-related or it may not. But you owe it to your health to find out what the problem is and act to make it better. Good luck!!

No. Schools aren't battle zones and we shouldn't proceed as if they were. Kids prone to violent behavior seem to be identifiable, and better action should be taken to prevent these tragedies. We can't protect everyone against everything, sadly enough. But unbalanced people shouldn't be allowed to purchase firearms.