Donna113

Hey! I resemble that remark! :thumbup:

Plain, you just make too much sense!

Hello ladies. I'm having one of those hmmm? days. Has your OP, Evilah, disappeared? The July Butterflies OP, PennyLane, appears to have given up on this site as well.

Steph, you are awesome!

If you haven't lost any weight, then what's the point of the band? Having an unused tool sitting on a shelf isn't going to get that house remodeled. How much is it for you to get a fill? I understand about the money thing but you have to come up with something. Can you figure out a way to adjust your budget so that you can set aside a certain sum every week/month until you get the amount you need? If all else fails, beg your doctor for a fill. I bet if he/she finds out that you haven't lost any weight since being banded because you couldn't afford to get the fill you needed, he/she would make arrangements with you.

Wow! :rolleyes2::thumbup::thumbup:

Juli, 3 woots to you for reminding us "The only last thing I'm going to say is regardless on money/taxes/economy find joy in your life that is not money-polictal related. Be it through God or walking in the grass. It's really quite an amazing place and it's great to be alive." Babygirl, those scammers and cheaters exist in every level and facet of the socio-economic ladder. They just cheat differently. I don't think it's a sense of entitlement that causes them to act that way, they act that way because they are dishonest, cheaters and thieves.

I'm not blaming the needy and I don't believe there are very many with a sense of entitlement to welfare. I think the reason why the needy aren't getting the help they need is because of the red tape bureaucracy of government. What we need is someone to fix the government. I hope Obama is that man.

Lovesgrapes, I'll be thinking of you and hoping for the best. Please let us know how things go.

I freely admit I put my own wants above others' needs. I am not a selfless individual and I will always put my husband, children and myself above any others. I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy the fruits of my labor and that I am glad that my children have very comfortable and even luxurious lives. Both my husband and I work very hard to provide this lifestyle for our family. There is nothing shameful in that. We pay what we feel is more than our fair share of the taxes and we donate to charity throughout the year. We also give blood and help out extended family members financially. Why are you trying to paint people like me with a "shame brush" because we say we don't want any more of our money taken from us involuntarily?

I think Joy has resigned herself to the fact that she's an old hag so she's decided she's earned the right to be grumpy and bitchy. She gives post-menopausal women a bad name.

One of the best things about this thread is that it helps me realize I'm not alone. For example Bella's post: "I WONT MISS my thighs rubbing and being sore." That happened to me this past June when I was on vacation. That was the final deciding factor for me in making my decision to be banded. I got banded exactly one month later (self-pay so didn't have to jump through insurance hoops of fire). My vacation was ruined for me by my weight. I can't even begin to describe how I felt but I know here I don't have to because you all undertand. I WON'T MISS being fat and all the heartache, embarrasment and physical discomfort it brings.

Beth and April sitting in a tree... In all seriousness, it's good to see you two sharing warm fuzzies.

It's probably a good idea to switch up our diets from time to time. Have you noticed any weight loss since you've been refraining from meat consumption? Are you also eschewing fish as well? How are you getting in your proteins and iron?

I like meat.

Wow Sue, you've done phenomenal yourself! Do you have any b/a pics you'd like to share? I find them so inspirational.

That's great Orea! Nothing is worse than hunger. When you're hungry, it distracts from everything.

Might as well make that a pitcher! :smile2:

Joiful, please don't go away again. I know you might be a bit upset right now but everyone here means well and we all want to see you succeed. Stay on this journey with us, even if you feel like going it alone. It really does help to have support both positive reinforcement as well as constructive criticism.

Great news! I plan on starting the 5 Day Pouch test next Monday and getting back to exercising today! I had to lay off the exercise to rest my knee for a couple of weeks but those couple of weeks turned into a couple of months. I really need to get back into the swing of things. Before I go back to the doctor for a 5th fill, I'm going to do the 5 Day Pouch test to see if that helps. I really don't want to be overfilled to the point I start turning to slider foods. I think that's a slippery road.

The video wasn't working so I couldn't see it. It's amazing what people will do to cope with differences. I guess it's better to come up with ways to cope than to simply destroy something that is strange and unfamiliar because of fear and ignorance.

I have been a strong McCain supporter for well over 10 years so I was disappointed with his loss yesterday and felt really bad for him personally. However, we now have a new President Elect and we must all rally together and be ONE America. Remember, "United we Stand, Divided we Fall." Even if you can't embrace Change, I know you can embrace Hope and Optimism.

Change can be a good thing... Change can be a bad thing... I've decided to embrace Hope!

Australian cultural anthropologist Sharyn Graham Davies explores a culture that recognizes five distinct genders in her book "Challenging Gender Norms: Five Genders Among the Bugis in Indonesia" (2007). These include makkunrai (feminine woman), calabai (feminine man), calalai (masculine female), oroané (masculine man), and bissu (embodying both male and female energies, revered as a shaman). Wow... but it makes perfect sense.

Great post! :biggrin: