Marimaru

I read all sorts of stuff. I'm reading a series called Dhampir, who's authors I can never remember, but it's a husband and wife couple. I like the Anita Blake books by Laurel K. Hamliton. I'm currently reading the 3rd book in the Dragonriders of Pern series (my mom bought me a compliation of the first 3 books when she found out I hadn't read them). I started the Xanth series by Piers Anthony a long time ago and never finished it, so I've bought the first view to start when I get through the Pern books. I love the Alex Delaware series as well. There's also a number of Terry Brooks books I have read, and a number I haven't that I want to. When I was a kid, I'd stay up late with my reading lamp on and read until 2 or 3 in the morning. If mom and dad were out late, and they came home, they could see that my window was on. I guess my dad used to get mad, but my mom just said "She's reading, what's the matter?" I don't have as much reading time as I'd like (mostly because I don't MAKE it), but when I do, I pour through stuff when I do.

I've mentioned that I still see myself as big as I was, but we've only really touched on that. Mostly I've been working on *feeling* things instead of stuffing them down, which I've been doing with, or without food. The other thing is working on not feeling guilty when I shouldn't, like when I do something nice for myself every now and then, etc. And being more confident. She basically says, "Do the actions, no matter how you feel about them, and the feelings will come after that". The topic was my wanting to be a graphic designer, and not wanting to undercut myself in pricing. She said "If the company you work for charges X for your work, then charge at least that much when you are doing it on the side". I think that fits into the BD thing, by pointing at the idea that we have to tell ourselves that we are looking good, and tell ourselves we are fat like we were, and if we keep doing that, the feelings of actually believing it will follow. It's started to work for me... a bit... What helped me also was to have my mom show me old pictures of about what size I am now. The pictures she was showing me were from the summer before my Senior year (I believe). In my mind, I don't look like that, but having seen those pictures has helped me to get a better view. I still feel bigger than I am, but not as big as I was, if that makes any sense. Beyond telling myself and trying to believe it, having the people around me help me compare, has been helpful.

I hate stuff like this. I had one where these 2 little kids were saying all sorts of stuff, using most of the same words your offender used. The worst part was that their mother didn't do anything about it and just told me to ignore them. I always think in my head about what I might say the next time something like that comes up. Today there was a truck that drove by me as I was walking that honked a bunch of times. I have to wonder if he and his friend were doing that cuz I'm overweight, or because they thought I was cute, lol.

I usually try to stay out of this kind of stuff, but I have a question. For all those saying that the Iraq war is necessary in response to the attack on 9/11, I ask this; The death count from 9/11 is roughly 3000 people, with a number above that wounded. How is what we are doing in Iraq justified by that (especially since it's the [wrong country]), when the Iraqi death tole is about 150,000, with countless more wounded? Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/09/iraq/main2165206.shtml I'd also like to add, that I don't think that it's unpatriotic to disagree with your President, and I don't think that it's dishonorable to our troops to think that the war is the wrong thing, and that it can't be won. I have an insane amount of respect for our military, and they are doing what their Commander in Chief tells them to do, and I think he told them the wrong thing to do. pa‧tri‧ot  /ˈpeɪtriət, -ˌɒt or, especially Brit., ˈpætriət/ Pronunciation Key - [pey-tree-uht, -ot or, especially Brit., pa-tree-uht] –noun 1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion. 2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.

My first thought was, why does the cousin care? If the BIL is against it, and your husband is kind of on the fence, they just need to work it out with their mom, right? I wonder if it's possible for you to arrange tours of some of the Medicare accepting facilities. Then she would have a better idea what she would be going into, if she were receiving gov't care. It would be horrible for her to be all gung ho about this, and then regret it once she's actually in the home. Personally, I don't think I could do it. I know for a fact that my mom is specifically saving money so that we'll have something when she passes on. It's far more than we'll need for funeral expenses or anything like that, she wants to make sure that we're doing well for a while after that. Whether that was the case or not, I'd plan on getting her the best care I possibly could, and if that means it dips into the money she's saved for us to inherit, then so be it. (btw, I HATE talking about that stuff with my mom. She's started to tell me that I need to nag her to write a will and stuff. eww)

Vicky, 100 lbs in a year (or just a little less) is NOT slow losing!! You are doing great!!

I've been overweight as long as I can remember. Pictures show that I wasn't as big as I thought I was, but I was still overweight. I gradually went up over the years, jumped a fair amount when I started on Depo, and then jumped a bit again when I started on Paxil. Right now, I'm about the same size (maybe even a little smaller) than when I graduated high school. I'm currently aiming for Jr. High, lol. When I was a kid, I was 'aware' of people who were overweight, but it was never really something that occurred to me as a problem, or something different that should be brought to light with teasing, or whatever. I was teased for it, along with being poor and not having the variety of new clothing one "should" have. I went to Subway today for lunch, and there were 2 women there who were rather large, and each got a footlong sub. Each sub had mayo layered on both sides of the bread, and then a 3rd layer on top of the meat once it was put on. Again, it wasn't something I thought "make fun" of, but more I felt a kind of pitty for knowing that there was a very good chance they were going to end up miserable in the future.

1. What is your occupation? Graphic Designer and Project Manager 2. What color are your socks right now? Fuzzy Slippers! Blue, hehe 3. What are you listening to right now? A party mix that my fiancee recorded at a party a long time ago. Evidently it was like 8 hours long, lol. 4. What was the last thing that you ate? A few bites of my Subway Sammich 5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yup, it's the only thing I own. 6. Favorite Color: A dark teal/blue color. 7. Music Preference: I like lots of stuff, but techno type stuff is my favorite. 8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Mike 9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? It was posted in the forum by Penni, rather than sent... but yeah, I like Penni 11. Favorite drink? Depends on the day. My favorite liqueur is amaretto. 12. What is your favorite sport to watch? ick. 13. Have you ever dyed your hair? My hair is never NOT dyed. I let it grow all out once and realized my natural color is horrid. It's like a mousy brown color. Besides... I'm going gray too... 14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Contacts. I should wear my glasses more, but I don't. Hopefully someday I can get eye surgery 15. Pets? 2 kitty cats. One of them got sick and has a feeding tube right now, but she's getting better. 16. What will you stay home to watch? nothing, I have TIVO . But I like Stargate and NCIS, and I'm always up for Law and Order (whichever flavor). 17. What is the best movie you have seen? I don't really have a single favorite... 18. What is your favorite day of the year? Any day that is an excuse to hang out with my family in my mom's backyard. 19. What do you do to vent your anger? Usually I bitch at someone, or vent to someone that isn't the offender. 20. What was your favorite toy as a child? Hmmm, I remember having a Rainbow Brite doll, and a Teddy Ruxpin. 21. Fall or spring? Well, I live in Southern California, so really they are both the same, lol... I recently saw the fall leaves in Oregon, and they are gorgeous, but I think I like spring better. 22. Hugs or kisses? Both... 23. Vanilla or Chocolate? depends... vanilla more often than not. 24. Do you want your friends to email you back?? Surely 25. Who is most likely to respond? *shrug* 26. Who is least likely to respond? *shrug* 27. Living arrangements? I live in Gardena with my fiancee. 28. When was the last time you cried? Last week. My cat is sick, and there are issues at work with the building's landlord that are causing stress. 29. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes, and a couple of storage bins. 30. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Truly, my mother. 31. What did you do last night? Read my book :Banane33: 32. Favorite smell(s)? Almost anything my mom is cooking, lol. Some of the meals she makes are nostalgic though, and those are the best. 33. What inspires you? My mom more than anyone. 34. What are you afraid of? Not being the kind of person I can be proud of. 35. Favorite food? heh... I think I decline to respond to this one... 36. Favorite car? Well, I have a honda civic that I really like right now. I don't really have a 'dream car'... 38. Least favorite person right now? The landlord of my work building. 39. How many years at your current job? almost 5 40. Favorite day of the week? Saturday. 41. Where you WANT to live? Currently, I want to live in Portland, OR.

Easy bruising, and bruises that last for a long time can be a sign of anemia, which is often caused by low Iron levels. My iron is one point lower than they like it to be, and my doc wants me to start taking extra iron. My legs have bruises all over them, but I would think bruises in specific places might have a different cause..

I don't wear them. If I HAVE to wear something like that, I get thigh highs. I don't wear anything short enough to need more than that... Usually, I wear open toe sandal type shoes, so I don't wear them at all.

It really depends on the medication. If it's Water weight, try and up your water intake to try and counter it... maybe go over the side effects sheet that should have been given to you by your pharmacist... If it doesn't balance out, try talking to your doctor about an alternative? I'm pretty sure though, that it's not fat weight...

I think that I would not be able to go on the stand FOR my friend in a case like this. I really don't think that a poor upbringing is much of an excuse for things like this. I think that there are kind of people who are prone to this kind of thing, and at one point or another some sort of button gets pushed. My fiance is the youngest of 10 children. 9 of those children are prefectly normal, don't get in trouble with the law, etc, etc. One of them has been in jail many many times, for various things, including sexual crimes (he wont detail them for me, and has implied that his brother did something to him and his siblings, but wont go into it, and I don't ask). I think sometimes some people are just going to be a certain way, almost no matter what. I think there are lots of people who do things like this who are sick and can be helped. I think there are lots of them who are sick, but don't want to be helped, don't really think they are sick, and nothing anyone says or does is going to change their mind. It's hard to tell the difference...

I agree that you probably just irritated something. I know you are relatively knewly banded, but you shouldn't have to crush medications forever. I take 2 pills every morning, without any issues. I have a really large antibiotic I'm supposed to be taking, and that one I have had to start crushing (after feeling like you discribe for a number of hours). I have yet to find a way to take a crushed pill that doesn't make me gag, lol.

I think that you'll only have to avoid the issue for a while. They are bound to be happy with you on some level when you start losing and they see that it works. At THAT point, they might even be convinced to join you :girl_hug:.

Surgery and anesthesia itself can cause that, let alone being on a strict diet for a number of weeks, let alone all of the thoughts you go through about what you can't have, etc, etc. I think almost all of us went through it. You'll feel better :girl_hug:

This just happened a couple of hours ago... Both of my sisters are pregnant, which is the whole reason this happened, but she still said it and it still counts, lol. One of my sisters and I work with my mom, and she came in to work this morning and gave us each of a hug, and when she gave me mine she whispered "Both of your sisters' tummies are bigger than yours". Now my little secret goal is to keep it that way after they have their kids, lol. One of them is 7 months, and the other is 4 I think. :girl_hug:

I'm 2 years and a few months out, and I've lost 65 lbs. Losing takes alot of effort, which is the same problem I had before surgery, however, maintaining takes me little to no effort if I don't REALLY overdo it. THAT is why I am thankful for my band. I have to work just as hard to lose, and I lose the motivation that I have just like I used to when I used to diet, HOWEVER, when I get my motivation back, I'm right where I was when I left off... not having gained more that I have to lose again. Of course, I say all that, but that doesn't mean there aren't a whole bunch of days where I am depressed and disappointed with myself, but, from 24 to 16/18, 280 to 215, class ring was too small, now it's too big, etc, etc, are all good things, and nothing to discount.

Everyone in my family was very supportive, and when I told them I was having surgery, I found out they'd been worried about my health. It was kind of wierd.

1. Does anyone feel they have traided in one eating disorder for another? (like we use to eat our feelings now we starve them?) I feel that I still have the same eating disorder, I just can't feed it the same way that I used to. That's probably why I'm a slower loser. I am in counceling to help deal with the feelings, so that hopefully I can deal with the other party more easily. 2. Does anyone chew there food and spit it out? Only if I'm chewing something that isn't chewing up very well. Usually this envolves fibery veggies, or grizzly beef. 3. Does anyone feel like a bulimic? I haven't felt exactly bulimic, but like if things kept going the way they were, that I could be. I was PBing alot, because of a stressful time where my band tightened up, and I eventually got a slight unfill.

Yes, a surgeon is going to tell you the good points about being banded. Hopefully tell go through the risks as well, but I'm sure you've read about most of those in your own research, at least being on this board, if nothing else. I think probably there is that element of "if we have to suffer she should too", which isn't nice, and they probably don't think it up front, but more in their subconscious. Maybe just quit talking to them about it altogether. And if they bring it up, just say something to the effect of "Look, I'm doing this, and I really don't want to hear what you have to say on the subject anymore". *hugs*

You need to go back to your liquid diet. The liquid diet isn't there because you shouldn't be able to eat solid food it's there so that your stomach doesn't have to do much work while you are healing right after surgery. 16 oz of liquids in 30 minutes is no big deal. I can drink a 24oz bottle of Water in 5 minutes, if I'm thirsty, and I haven't eaten recently. Also, the meat out of a sandwich isn't probably as much food as you think it is. But, like I said, you should go back to the diet perscribed by your doctor, as it was perscribed for a reason. But without a fill, the band really isn't all that restrictive in most people.

Food begins moving through the band as soon as you start eating it. The goal is to feel satisfied faster, on less food. I too have felt that wierd sensation of feeling the food pass from the upper stomach to the lower stomach, but that doesn't mean that the upper stomach is now empty, and it doesn't mean that what you felt go through is the bite you just took, it could be the one before that, or the one before that. If you are getting stuck on stuff often, evaluate what you are eating, how well you are chewing, and how fast you are eating.

Those are great NSV's!! But I will say that I hope your hubby says something to his kids if they constantly treat you bad...

Hot tea or broth will probably work better than something cold. Especially if something is going on with your sinuses. Hope you feel better soon.

Honestly, it sounds pretty dumb to me. If you have your surgeon, or other fill giver giving you the fills, you have someone to talk to to help you decide if you need one, and whether it should be big or small. In my mind, when I think of people giving themselves fills, I think of people making themselves way too tight, and causing problems... or on the other side of it, there's one couple that I read about who would unfill themselves before vacations and whatnot, and then refill themselves when they got back. I need a tiny tweek, and I haven't gone to get it because I really hate the idea of spending almost $300 on .1 or .2 cc's of Fluid, and because I don't really have that money to toss around. That makes the idea sounds good in theory, but I think in practice it's just setting yourself up for failure, one way or the other..