Wheetsin

Kat - the meniscus is what I tore, back in my sports days. I begged for the operation then because my sports were a big part of my life. I had a full ride scholarship to play, and had been recruited into the Olympic scouting league. I wasn't ready to stop playing. I went to 4 different surgeons and all refused to operate, and assured me I wouldn't find anyone willing to do it on someone my age, and on someone who was just a "hopeful" and not yet dependent on the sport as a career. Will, I never would have been a career player, so there went that. The ligaments can sort of "stick" themselves together, but re-tearing is always a risk. My original tear was around May of 1993. It has retorn 6 times since then. Most were within the first few years. The last one was about 7 or 8 years ago. I don't have daily pain, but my knees will get "stiff". And sometimes I know I've bent wrong because there's a sharp pain. The doctors aren't sure if this is stress on the ligament, or if this is some of the "disjoined" cartilege coming loose and wedging where it shouldn't be. It's kind of like when you have a joint that has to pop. You can feel it has to pop, but you know the pop is going to hurt... so all you can do is try to make it as gentle as possible.

Yepyep, wallet in the purse.

If you need an interim treatment steep some colloidal oatmeal and either add it to a bath (making sure you get the surface oils in the water) or rub the surface water over the affected areas. The oils released from colloidal oatmeal work wonders (Aveeno products use this, so you could also buy their treatments if you can't find the oats). At the very least perhaps something like witch hazel, hydrocortizone cream, or calamine can give you some temporary relief.

One of the better treatments (or rather, disguises) for ketosis breath is parsley. But who wants to chew up a bunch of raw parsley?

You guys are hurting me. I have a torn ligament in my knee, and "disjoined" cartilege. I did it back in 1993. I begged for an operation then to fix and and I was told no for two reasons: 1. It almost always leads to arthritis, and at my age they would rather I deal with occasional explosive pain of a re-tear, than the daily pain of arthritis and 2. Having the surgery guarantees nothing. I could not have it and never have a problem again, or I could have it and 5 days later it tears again. It isn't knee replacement, but thinking about our bad joints really does give me chills.

I'm really bad about the purse in the top of the cart thing, and about walking away with it still there. But not far, and I do remain aware of who's around. If I'm using a cart that has one of those child straps, I will hook it through the straps on the purse so it's "belted in". :girl_hug:

No idea on your approval. I don't even like to pretend to make a guess. Third, I would like to know what a typical day in the life of a bandster feels like. Could someone let me know how much you eat, what you eat, when you eat, how you eat, and how quicly you feel full since you've had the surgery? I am very curious. Honestly, it's like a typical day in the life of a non-bandster, only you get full faster, may have some pain to contend with, and might not have certain things that some surgeons outlaw, e.g. carbonated drinks. I eat twice a day. I know I should eat more frequently than that, but I just have no appetite. Here's what I ate today: lunch - two bites of a tuna salad blend, and about 4 oz of a salad bar mix consisting of tofu, chicken breast, bleu cheese, sesame sticks, egg, and cottage cheese topped with a small amount of balsamic vinaigrette. dinner - went to Chili's and ordered the chicken fajita quesadillas, substitute mashed potatoes for the rice. Skipped the Beans. Ate about three bites of mashed potato and two pieces of the quesadilla (which equals about half of a small tortilla... the soft taco size).

I agree. Especially with the whole white/black thing. It's just annoying, really. But sure enough, the first time you aren't PC, someone will jump all over you for it. I think that by being such a PC culture, we're causing more harm than we're helping. We're forcing people to remain conscious of the differences rather than just promoting an environment of "being". We're almost making it taboo to rcognize honest and true differences in our backgrounds and upbringings.

DH learned King's English in school, and I converted many of my Americanized spellings to the British to make things easier for him. "Ou" vs. "o" (colour, favour). "Re" vs. "er" (even though his native language recognizes er more frequently - litre/liter, etc.) He writes "aluminium" but says it his native way which is aloom-ee-neeum, instead of aloo-min-ium. The poeple in his country have very distinct accents when they speak English... not really mistaken for any other, with the exception of a Dane speaking English, because their languages are very similar. But it's weird because there's a distinct British flavor to it... "brohdcost" vs. "brawdcast", etc. Cracks me up!

I was banded 3/1 last year. I have lost 130 lbs (give or take 2 lbs). I have gone from a size 34+ top/pant to an 18/20 top and 22 pant. I have not had any problems. Overfilled once, but that's a fill issue, not a band issue. I LOVE MY BAND.

In the area of tact, I am not a great advisor. Although I can advise trying to ignore it, because like cockroaches and twinkies, it will never go away. I want to be a looser!! Any guys out there, preferably over 6'3, who would like to help me out?

We've (my parents... the dog DH and I have is thankfully still with us) always had our dogs cremated and them my mother would bury their ashes in a hole and plant a tree or bush on top. When I was a child, I would always carve my initals & the dog's name in the tree trunk. I think it ripped my mother apart when we moved and she had to leave all those trees behind.

Puddin - you are lightyears ahead of others in your shoes. Most people would stop at, "I don't know why I do this" but you have some really great insight. Because of that, the best I can say is "go with your gut". Your brain is moving in the best direction possible. Let it be your guide. You know what you're doing, and you know how to get there... you just have to see it through and fight all the things (ex'es) that will tempt you along the way. Good for you. You're a strong woman. And I think I'm obligated to hate you because you're in an 8. :girl_hug:

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Yes, that's a biggun here. I don't think people realize how "I'm a looser!" could be taken. :girl_hug: I hate it when people don't get to the point. So much so that I may have already posted that one. My husband is really bad about that. Yesterday I asked him, "What did you have for lunch?" He proceeds to tell me about his meetings, and how he didn't get out for lunch until late... he drove a co-worker to a nearby furniture store... that guy looked at a new kitchen table... it was laminate and $600... he has a big family and right now they all eat around a little table because they have lots of kids and his wife doesn't work and their money is tight... we're now like 3 minutes into the story and I still haven't gotten an answer to my question.

Refried beans. Add water or sour cream if you want them thinner. Very moist "meat salads" (tuna salad, chicken salad...). Cottage cheese. Applesauce. Yogurt. "Cream of" soups. Eggs. Egg salad. Tofu. Mashed potatoes. Quiche.

I hope they let the lobster cool down.

And dirty minded youngish broads too.

TOM, if you're in heaven, I'll meet you halfway. Maybe this will be somewhere around Jupiter. Or Nepal. Or Gutenburg Discontinuity. Whatever. I don't know what we'll do. Who needs plans. You'll be perfect so I'll leave the "winging it" to you. But you better come up with something fun, or I'm going back downstairs.

Do you believe you can know happiness without also knowing sorrow? What significance does happiness have if it is just "how it is"? It's kind of like the dark. It only means something if you know what light is like. Otherwise you don't know any different, because things just "are" dark, and you know them no other way.

I grew up in an affluent area where whites were -- well, if they were a majority, it was a very small one. Half our school was from military housing in southern California which means a lot of mixed families and people from the Phillipines, Samoa, Thailand, etc. I didn't grow up with racism. There was racism, but it wasn't so much "black-white" (as it was in my later highschool). It was very sad and a very transition to move here and have to relearn how the races intermingled. :confused:

Allow me to play Devil's advocate. The kids are kids. You're 47. Aren't you a little better than that? Say something to the parents, sure...

Yes... kind of my point exactly. :confused:

And because I'm already on my own tangent... you may have already heard this story, maybe not. ASn intramural basketball team in Northern Colorado named their team the "Fighting Whites". Their mascot is a 50s style father type. This is in a heavily Native American population. One of the founders of the team was married to a teacher in the local school district. Their school's team name was the "Fightin' Reds" and featured an Indian characture complete with large nose and deep set wrinkles. People protested. White people. They Fighting Whites originally chose "Native Pride" for their team name, but decided to make a point. "The Fighting Whities" issue is "to make people understand what it's like to be on the other side of the fence. If people get offended by it, then they know how I feel, and we've made our point." Their mascot: untitled.bmp

I believe that - for the most part - the only people who care whether or not black people are called black are whites. I don't say either hyphenated phrase unless I have to. I've never, ever, ever referred to a black person as "black", while talking with a black person, and had it taken as negative. Why on earth would I call someone from Wahington an "African American"? They're black, I'm white. I also hate the whole "I don't see color." BS. If you don't see color, you're blind. There are huge differences in skin colors, and we're all different. Whether or not our skin is different is not the point. What significance you allow that to have, and how you react to it, is. No more tree hugging hippy propoganda. :rolleyes And then you have your real gems who don't realize that oriental is a kind of rug, Asian is a descent.