DevilMayKare

Okay, now don't tempt me or I'll go get out my old "Fabric of Existentialism" textbook and start typing some pithiness from "Of Being and Nothingness" and you'll all REALLY go to sleep! No Xanax necessary. (Anyway, I vote Kierkegaard--unless you want to consider that the Empericists really started the whole thing.)

OMIGAWD you are such a doggone tease with the titles!

I don't disagree with that. I know when I was 312# and someone brought up the fact that being that fat could kill me the only emotion I felt was relief. That being said, if I ever decide to commit suicide I am sure as hell gonna have a BIG HOT FUDGE SUNDAE FIRST!!!!

I think you need to go to a doc who will. My levels are low--but within the "Normal" low range. My doctor said symptoms also count (metabolism shut down, listless, easily cold, dry skin, hairloss) and put me on some thyroid med to see if it would help. I think it has--not in any drastic way, but every little bit helps. It doesn't hurt to TRY something! I think you've been more than patient. It's time to get more aggressive about some help from your doctor. I'm about to start tearing my hair out FOR you (& it just finally began growing back!).

Yeah, it's heartbreaking to read, isn't it? I remember I first read her site about a month ago when I was alone on a Sunday and I just cried and cried the rest of the afternoon. To day by day "watch" someone's life fall apart and watch them literally starving to death. And her poor little boy! I so respect her for sharing her story, but it's haunted me every since.

The band can be taken out--not so the bypass. There's no going back. Anyone thinking about the bypass should read Jessica's story... http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=O1024075523

Last month was the Harvest Moon--did any of you see it? It was so gorgeous. One of the things I really like about walking at night is that I get to enjoy the moon. Last month there was a beagle howling while I was out around the track marveling at the moon. We had a beagle when I was a kid so I have kind of a soft spot for them and I started howling back. My dog looked at me like I was crazy but I kept on howling--and I started howling and laughing and tears came down my checks for all the horrible and all the wonderful things I often feel like howling about. It turned out to be such a cathartic experience! I noticed earlier in the week that tonight would be a full moon and have been looking forward to howling at it tonight. Wanna join me?? HOWL in frustration for all the pounds gained--howl in regret for all the thoughtless words spoken--howl in anger for all the cruel words heard--howl for a cleansing of every nick in your soul and then howl with JOY for your legs to walk, your lungs to breath, your tongue to speak and your eyes to see the beautiful, full moon and think of me--and everyone here with our battles lost, our battles won and our LBT chorus raised in sister and brotherhood to the sky! I'll be listenin for you!

I really love pearls and opals. One of my best friends brought me an opal from New Zeland and another brought be a rose gold chain from Italy. I put them together and always wear that necklace when I'm facing a hard day. It gives me courage knowing I'm wearing something given by two people who love me. I have no idea what the signifcance of opals are. Can any of you tell me?

Oh--I missed this message until just now Zoe. I seriously doubt YOU would win THIS contest, but I tell ya what. I'll just concede. It was humiliating enough to take a pic in my stretch stirrups. If you think I'm gunna take a pic of my cellulite you are outa your mind!!! Talk about a horror flick--YIKES! LOL. Just think, if we all had perfect bodies there'd be nothing to laugh about.

Oh, I thought you just had a "punk" do. (hee-hee) That might be kinda cute now, wouldn't it? Maybe you should gel your hair straight up like that for Halloween--go as a "Hoover Dam Tourist." BTW... totally off topic, but I HAVE to mention that my grandfather was a construction foreman on the Hoover Dam. My mother lived in the workers camp when she was a little girl and her family was considered hotshots because they had a CEMENT FLOOR for their tent. (My grandmother refused to live with tarp over dirt.) I never met him becaue grandfather ended up dying of TB caught during that time (the dust & smoking lifestyle made TB rampant among the constructions guys.)

CONGRATULATIONS Jamie!! It really is a milestone, isn't it? Every ten pounds now is going to make SUCH a difference in the clothes you can wear. I noticed your goal is 150. That was mine too when I started, but it felt so good to get under that 200 mark that I decided JUST FOR FUN to challenge myself to get under the 150 spot on the scale. Of course I may never get there and honestly I could be happy at 160 (I've maintained there before for long periods) but it would be nice to experience the thrill of a halfway decent ass again. And possibly that's the biggest drag of maintaining--you don't get that THRILL of pounds down. Anyway--good for YOU! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!!

DARLING tootsies Penni! I've been getting pedicures a lot more regularly since I found a place that does the toes for $12--and for another $10 another girl stands behind the chair and rubs my neck for 15 minutes. Omigosh--it feels so decedant! I really just go for the neckrub. I've never had fake nails or even a manicure. There's no way I could have long nails like that with all the gardening I do.

Okay WHAT the heck are you guys talkin about?????

Good Heather, good. It doesn't FEEL good right now--but it WILL. I promise, it will. With or without food you have to find some things in your life to feel good about. It's a full moon tonight--should be pretty. Go out and enjoy the moon. (TRY not to think of it as cheese--or a big vanilla cookie!)

Well weigh-in is MONDAY. I'm wanting to EAT SO BADLY right now! Luckily ya'll on the forum are pretty entertaining this morning so it's keeping me from moshing until lunchtime. Only...um...87 minutes to go... Gotta have a loss this week--only 6 wks til my bro's wedding and I've gotta be down more than 10 to FIT into my dress!!

Okay... we've finally gotten around to PLACES... Let's hear 'em, what was your BEST? I would have to say among my top ten is while the middle of Salton Sea (it's big so you can boat & ski stark naked w/o anyone around) leaned over steering a ski boat at TOP SPEED w/ my BF behind me. Now THAT'S a ride. Oh, to be 23 again! (Perhaps I shoulda stuck to Pastor's wives??) (And Vines you stop all that blushin' n' sputterin'... I'm not buying it for a minute!) Next?

Well you know I'm not a church-goer or do not consider myself a Christian in the usual sense of the word, but I was very involved w/ the church at one time so I can speak from experience. Crystal, I can see why you might wonder why Kelly would go to her pastor's wife, but actually this is quite common. In the fundamentalist churches wives are considered "helpmates" and a pastor's wife often functions in conjunction with the paster as a counselor for other wives. A pastor's wife considers herself part of a team. It's really an expected part of her job as a helpmate--unlike a plumber's wife. Whether or not she has a formal degree I am sure she has attended many studies and prepared herself for this. I'd have to say I have often thought the wives were wiser than the pastors. (But then... I guess that isn't really much of a surprise.) If you've never been involved in a church I can see where it might seem strange.

Everyone gets 3 pieces of Bubbalicious Bubble Gum (not all gum works as well for this game)... chew until soft and then sculpt a pair of breasts that look most like yours. The variation on this (like for a 40th or 50th bday) is to make them most like the birthday girl's. Another variation for an "adult" bridal shower is to sculpt what the bride's intended's penis looks like and she gets to choose which one most closely resembles himself. I've done all the variations and believe me, they're all a blast. You'd be surprised what a life-like penis you can make out of gum!

AHem...among Miss Dahlin's tirade... It's acceptable that men scratch their balls in public??? Not to ME! Did their mothers never tell them to stop playing with themselves? Seriously, Michael J & the rest of the ball-scratching, dick-stroking performers look totally ridiculous to me. Just had to get that off my chest. Thank you!

Christine, Please forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but your problems may be hormonal or thyroidal (is that a word?) all I can tell you is that my hair stopped falling out & has thickened up some since I've been on both. If you do a search for "hair loss" on the web somewhere (don't have it, but I've seen it) there is a site that will list the BLOOD TESTS your doctor should order for you. The list says what your levels should be in those areas and you can check against it. I know it is upsetting. Don't depend on your doctor--do the research for him/her. Hope this helps.

He looks kinda SKINNY in that picture, doncha think?

Thought I'd give an update on this IPL (Photorejuevenation) stuff. It's been just over three weeks now and the results are MARVELOUS. I am a very happy camper. I was told it would take 2 or 3 treatments to rid my forearms & hands of the hideous age spots (also called liverspots--yuk!) and I'd say after the ONE treatment they have faded at least 60%. My next treatment is 10/4 so we'll see a few weeks after that if another is necessary. But I can tell you even if they don't fade one bit more I can live with this just fine. As far as my face... well, my skin looks good, but I didn't really have much in the way of age spots on my face before so it's not as dramatic. The dmg wasn't visible yet. It seems like my pores look smaller--I guess. Freckles on my neck and chest are much faded also. Wish I'd taken a picture of everything before. I'll get the lapband scars zapped too next time if the IPL tech thinks it will help fade them. Seems like it should. I'll let ya know!

Merci Beaucoup Pretti Penni!

That's a SCARF??? Are you sure it's not a muppet character?

So Penni, How do I get the little pic into my avatar? I don't seem to be able to save it to my system by clicking on it. No doubt there's something simple here I'm missing. Nothing like TECHNOLOGY to make one feel stupid.