Marimaru

travelgirl, there's a link on that thread now :scalesno: I'm glad that helps. I'm always telling people to look at those parts of their body, because that's where the biggest changes seem to appear (especially in the evil mirror!!)

Yes, there were birds of paradise, and blue iris, and all sorts of other things. Here's a link to a directory of images I just got up for anyone who's interested in browsing through it :scalesno: joygraffix.com - /joygraffix/wedding/

Diane, you have a very important message. I don't think that divorce should be a first, second, or third resort, but a last resort if things just can't be worked out. I don't think people should go into a marriage with the attitude that "well, if it doesn't work, there's always divorce". I just also think that once someone is thinking along those lines, it's better to move with it than drag on it. My husband and I had many conversations before we got married about that specific topic, and both agreed we were getting married because we firmly planned to be together forever, not just because we were together now and there's ways to get out of it later. My sister is of the other mind set. Her and her husband have been together a little over a year, and are going into counceling, but she said to me the other day "I'm willing to let it work if it's going to, but I don't think it is, and I can't stay married like this". Yikes.

I did not have to go off of my birth control for surgery. Why did you have to do that? I didn't have to go off my anti depressants either. You *can* drink gatorade... but any beverage with calories in it is generally to be avoided. I hope your stuff gets worked out for you!

"Hey, I have bones!" is on of my favorites. The fact that my collar bones are in my wedding pictures is one of my favorite things about them LOL. I also like my wrists and my ankles. I can see the bones and the muscle movement under the skin n' stuff. Honestly, the weirdest one is thinking I look pretty. I say weirdest, just because it's not like I was ugly before, just fat.

I just went to Hawaii for 10 days, and didn't give a single thought to not eating or drinking something because I "shouldn't". I didn't gain a single pound. I would never get unfilled before vacation, unless I'd already been contemplating an unfill (too tight, etc), then I'd get it just to avoid problems. It just sounds really counter productive, and kind of against the point of the band.

I'm currently reading 2 series. The first one is the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, I'm on the 5th or 6th one, it's really enjoyable. The other series is the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. It's FULL of satire, it's really funny. I've only ever gotten to the 5th book in the series, I'm actually re-reading up that far. It's got 20 some books in it. My mom bought me the first 5 books of the Pern series when I told her I hadn't ever read it. I think she nearly fainted, lol.

I'm the token barista for my family. I worked at a coffee shop as a teen, and my family loved the drinks I made better than anyone elses, so there's an espresso machine at the office (I work with my family now), and people make orders, lol. The espresso machine I have now is okay, but someday I'd like to get one of the REALLY nice ones.

I think this really is a compliment. I don't think he's saying he doesn't see the changes in the other areas, there are just some areas that really stand out as you lose weight. There are bones in your face and your collar bones n' stuff that start to show as you lose weight, and, you know, your tummy and other areas just kind of get smaller. I actually really love looking at these areas on my body and seeing how they turn out. My wrists, ankles, collar bones, etc, are all starting to be nicely defined. I hope that helps. I'm fortunate in that I don't get too many backhanded comments. My mother actually told me once that I was getting HUGE. I know she was trying to wake me up, but it just sucked. I have another friend, who I sometimes can't tell what she really thinks. She always says things like "oh you're melting away!" or when I'm eating and start to get full she laughs and says "you're so cute!'. She's like 350lbs or so I think, and I can't tell if she's really happy for me, or if she is saying those things to mask jealousy, or what. I love her to death, and I know she'd never try to say anything to hurt me, but I don't talk with her about my surgery or my weight unless she brings it up, because I'd feel like I was kind of rubbing it in her face, whether she felt that way or not. "You'd be really pretty if you lost weight" seems to be pretty standard. One I've been liking lately, is that I look younger as I lose weight. I'm not sure how that works, and I'm only 25, so I don't really need to look much younger than I do, but hopefully it's a good sign for 10 years from now, lol.

Maybe tell your FIL next time he says something "If she wants to go with me, tell her to give me a call". That way it's not on you, and she'll probably never call you (unless you think she will, in which case it turns out not to be a good idea). You could quit answering when she asks how much you've lost. Just say something like "I'm not paying that close of attention, but my jeans fit great". It would be a lie, since we all watch the scales like crazy, but still.

I will update my avatar soon. There's none of the types of picks you are looking for from my honeymoon, lol. That picture is when I'm kind of hiding in a corner so Mike doesn't see me before the ceremony. I was all shakey, lol. I designed that dress, and my mom made it. The design was significantly altered by the finding of the lace with all of the feathery things, but it's still similar.

Based on a lucky guess and a Quick Google search, I believe it is S Vassileva, for Silvia Vassileva. Some of her prints are available here: Silvia Vassileva Prints and Posters at Art.com

Mark, I don't know about the port pain, you should have that checked out, but you may just need a fill for the idea that you can eat more. Have you called your doctor?

Woo!! Congrats! That's a great feeling! A few more lbs and you'll have less to go than you've already done!

faith, If you sleep naked, try getting a sexy nighty to wear to bed instead. It's weird, but sometimes wearing something can be sexier than being naked, even if it isn't covering much, lol.

If you are sure it's your band, and you are sure it has moved positions, you probably should have it checked out, because it sounds like it may have slipped...

We're supposed to eat somewhere around 1100 to 1500 (depending on the doctor, but those are the general guidelines for dieting women anyway), which is plenty of food for our bodies to not freak out. I find myself shaky pretty often, but only because I see my hands shaking, not because I actually feel shaky. It's rather odd, but it doesn't really concern me.

Hey sorry, hehe. I've been back since Thursday, but I wanted to wait until I had more good pics online. I'll attach a link to this one though: http://joygraffix.com/joygraffix/wedding/sarah2.jpg I'll update with more pics as I get them online. Everything went really, really well. I was afraid of some family feud issues, but my family handled themselves well also. After the wedding, we went to Hawaii for 10 days for our honeymoon, which was also very nice. We went scuba diving with Manta Rays, and then spent a good amount of time just relaxing and unwinding. I will admit, I'm glad the wedding is over. I've never been so stressed, lol. Other than that, since hubby (hehe) and I have been living together for some time now, everything is just business as usual, with the exception of me needing to get my name change done (waiting for the marriage license).

Edie, It's highly likely that as they hear about you doing things they have trouble/aren't able to do, they'll reconsider. You know, hiking, roller coasters, etc, etc. We all head our 'wake up call', they just haven't had theirs yet, even if you think it's standing right in front of them...

Honestly, the first thing that struck me was the idea that she's breaking rules by pointing out patients to you that have had certain procedures. Telling you about "someone" who has an issue is way different than "And that person over there...". I may be misunderstanding that part though. Living with you, I would say to her "look, this is a tough time for you and I am trying to be helpful. If you can't be helpful regarding this tough decision I've made, please just don't talk about it. And if you can't not talk about and continue to be mean spirited about this, I'm going to have to ask you to find another place to crash." As for messing around with your paperwork when you needed it, I would make an appointment with the doctor, and discuss it with him if it happens again. It's his job to make her do her job, not yours, even though she's your friend.

This is an amazing thread. I feel for everyone who's posted. Nume, Your husband sounds alot like my dad. My mom had other issues with him that lead to a divorce, but he was one that always tried to be the victim. My mom sat me down when I was 9 and laid it all out to me. It wasn't a 'bash the dad' session, but just facts, basically. This helped prepare me for lots of things down the road (it was a nasty divorce). My youngest sister fell into his "poor me" mentality and was very angry with my mom for a number of years, but eventually saw on her own how he is. I don't know about your kids or anything, but if you are holding on just for them, I honestly recommend against it. The adult 'children' I know who's parents got divorced after they grew up don't seem to adjust to it well at all. They are confused, and wonder how much of their lives their parents were lying about their relationship, etc, you know? I think the neglect can be as harmful as intended emotional abuse. Regarding not being held in bed; sometimes when I want to cuddle and I get the feeling he doesn't, I just lay with my head on his chest or stomach for a while. It doesn't really require any work on his part and it makes me feel good. I count myself as very lucky in the intimacy department, and I just hope it can stay that way..

I imagine there are doctors out there who'll do it for some cases. It seems awfully young to me though. I think there has to be a certain maturity in the person (no matter what their age is) for them to be able to follow the rules enough to not cause themselves trouble. Also, has anyone had any conversation with her about this? What does she think of it? I don't think it will work well if it's something she feels forced into. I know that's why the diets I was on at her age did not work for me, I'd just sneak things when I wasn't around my dad...

To the best of my knowledge, it's not FDA approved for people under 18 in the US yet... I know there are some surgeries going on, likely FDA trials...

I agree. I think that people see this punishment as 'harsh' because so many other celebrities are given a little slap on the wrist and sent off. I think it's great if the judge is trying to make an example of her. He's not imposing any EXTRA punishment on her, just saying that she has to serve the sentence she was given. I really don't see what's so unfair about that.

Butterfly, It sounds like you are doing much better than from your first post and I am glad to see that. I'm 25, not a parent yet, so this is the 'kids' point of view. When my mom left my dad, I was 9 or so, and she sat me down and told me she was leaving. I demanded to know why, so she told me. She told me in a factual way, not in a 'bash the dad' way. I think that if you feel your kids are mature enough to handle it, you could tell them the factual reasons behind the divorce. Knowing what was going on with my parents help me deal with a lot of things at my dad's house before my mom got custody of my sisters and I. Your kids are older than that, but it still might be good for them to know. Both of my sisters went through some kind of 'falling out' with my mom or some period, and after that happened, they came back to her, and they are closer to her than ever. I've always been very close with her, and I'm actually moving away this year in order to do some of the growing up my sisters did while they were away from her. It's hard for me, since we aren't fighting and there's know 'reason' behind it, but we both know it is a good thing. My mom did everything in her power to raise people she could be friends with, which has worked, but there's still some of those parental things we need to get through .