MrsFlipFlops

Pix, I should clarify... I am in agreement for holding people responsible when they give/buy drinks to underage drinkers... knowingly.

I so agree with this. We need to make people accountable. I remember reading a study in on of my theory classes that stated this in order for laws to be effective that had to de three things: 1) be applied immediately after the crime, 2) be harsh, and 2) be guaranteed. After thinking about that for several years and working with offenders myself, I think that's true. Of course, given our justice system and people's right to a "fair trial" those three things will never happen. We may get one, or two but not all three at once. I used to be under the philosophy of being lighter on first offenses. Sometimes I wonder if by being lighter the offender is thinking it's no big deal and offendes again and again. Why not be real harsh the first offense? Just a thought, still working our kinks. :thumbup:

You shouldn't... I agree with you. Drunk drivers, especially chronic offenders, shouldn't be able to drive and should be required to serve time.

lol... yeah, I don't know if I could take that. Even if there was nothing but niceness, I'm so danged jealous and un confident! Good for you! I want to be more like that!

I can understand how your feel... it is so difficult to watch a parent prepare to leave this world. My mom has had a degenerative neurological condition for awhile, and each episode she has we think it's going to be our last time with her. How lucky we are that she pushes on and we can relish each moment with her. Someday when she does pass away from this earth, it's comforting to me to know that her pain has ended and that this earth life is just a blip in time. I belief I will see her again. Good luck. And it's okay to cry! :thumbup:

I was SO scared of surgery. I kept telling myself I could say never mind any minute and they'd just wheel me out the door and I could go home... but I never could bring myself to say it. Boy, I'm glad I didn't. Anesthesia isn't all that bad. Most people go under and wake up with little to no side effects. I can't say too much about scars... I was banded on 2/11/08 and I still see my cuts, so I don't know the consequences for WAY down the line. I never wear anything revealing and won't even when I'm skinny, so I'm not too worried. After surgery you'll be on liquids... then thicker liquids, then soft food, then hard foods. I don't really do Pasta, steak, or bread any more. When we eat out I tend to get chicken fingers. Sometimes the length of time it takes for me to chew something just isn't worth it. I guess my laziness has finally paid off for something! Oh, start now looking for a Protein shake you like. I spent WEEKS finding one I could tolerate, until I determined that I can't stand any of the ones you make yourself. I'm a prepackaged kind of gal I suppose (New whey and Atkins are my faves). You'll be glad to have something you can enjoy. Soon after banding a shake and some ice was the BEST food I'd ever had. :laugh:

Well, I wish I could say my household is the same! I keep trying to be organic and healthy... but my husband just doesn't want to come on board! :laugh: I buy organic stuff and local produce (Dallas has a great Farmer's Market) and he teases me for being "green". hee hee... Hey, I can keep trying, right? Someday I'll report he's been converted... :biggrin:

I've been putting off getting together with some girlfriends for this same reason! They keep trying to gather us, but I say I'm just too busy hoping that I can push it just a few more months out... oh goodness, I hope none of them read this. :w00t:

Allergies. I asked my doctor about unexplained tightness, he said the usual- stress and what not. But he also encouraged me to take allergy meds (given I have really bad ones!) I felt really tight last night and couldn't shake it. I remembered to take a pill and lo and behold- no more! Of course, now my pill is wearing off so I'm starting to feel tight again. Apparentely the mucus builds up and hangs out down there. (ew!)

Well, I don't know the laws in the country where they gave birth, I'll grant that... however, abandoning a child in a hospital in many states is considered to be giving them up for adoption and making no claim on them. I was making assumptions based on the laws I know. The concept I believe is the same.

Well, I'm not a jazzy june, I was banded in Feb. but I found this post in the unanswered posts... I drink something. That helps keep my mouth busy. The other thing I do is get going with something with my hands. Organizing my coupons, cleaning, polishing my nails... helps to stay distracted.

I had my first fill about 4 or 5 weeks out. I didn't limit my intake to 1/2 cup or anything like that. I ate until I was satisfied- not stuffed, but no longer hungry... when I drank Water in between I had special k water with Protein to keep me full. The first few months are rough because you're expecting to not be hungry anymore, but for me, it was opposite, I was hungry all the time! I'd eat, and and hour later I was starving again. Not head hungry, but stomach-is-growling-and-I'm-pretty-sure-it's-nibbling-on-my-liver-hungry. Don't beat yourself up... just do your best on will power. I would probably ask my doctor to give me a reasonable explanation as to why no fill. Maybe explain that you're starving all the time. I tell my doc how hungry I've been the past few weeks, and he uses that as one factor to help know how much to give me for my fills. After my third fill, I'm FINALLY feeling some restriction.

Yeah, um... I don't see how this article does any of that gadget. The couple gave birth to the babies. It doesn't matter the reason they gave them up, they did. I don't think it speaks to how people don't value life in utero, I think it speaks as to how a culture values female life perhaps. Actually, it speaks to how strong the drive is for a male to want his "seed" or line to live on. If anything it's proadoption, we assume that they didn't know the sex of the baby previously (I really didn't know that Aphrodite, very interesting!). So... my vote is- it doesn't have anything to do with abortion. Are we now going to get on all the people who have babies and give them up? Even I'm not willing to fight that fight. :thumbup:

Hm, interesting. I know I didn't know what any restriction felt like until this last fill, it was my third. I go every four weeks. My doc doesn't do them any more often than that either, but I don't mind because it has given me time to adjust my eating habits. I don't think I could go from eating everything to nothing in a day. Of course, when I go in, they give me more than .5 cc.... Have you talked to other people in the office that are patients to determine their experience. I know everyone I talk to is different, I like being filled up slowly because I have time to mentally adjust, but others I've met wanted to be filled up right away with full restriction from day one.

Congratulations! That's got to feel good, being in the one hundreds!! Wow, awesome!

I'm 5'7" and was 380. I agree with you on the bits of stomach thing... I just didn't agree with permanentely altering my body. You never know what technology we'll have in 20 or 30 years....

Wow, I had never even thought to ask that, or even thought that there might be some kind of limit! Though, the research I've done since state it's a couple hundred punctures.

It may not be called dumping, but I've def. had something similar. It seems it happens when I eat greasy foods and then drink a lot of water. It's like it's being pushed out of my stomach and then about 30 minutes later I get cramps and bad bathroom issues. I am learning to stay away from the things that make me feel that way.

Allright, here are some pics from Feb when I got surgery and May... about 45 pounds lighter. I don't know, I can't really tell the difference in these pics. The last one is a pic taken this Saturday! I haven't fit in that shirt for a year! I was so excited. We walked in downtown Dallas to the Farmer's Market for a few miles! I LOVE my band!

Breakfast: slim fast shake snack (if wanted/needed) yogurt Lunch: Tuna with lite mayo and six crackers dinner: sm. piece meat, couple tablespoons veggies or sides late night snack: sf popsicle or ice cream

Ah, yes, the new wardrobe ploy. Been dangled in front of me for many years by my parents. By me staying fat you'd think I'm being purposefully rebellious!

I think this is totally normal. I did the same thing. Pre op and post op diets are hard! I'm slowly learning that food is NOT my best friend! :sad:

The purpose of law is to protect people from other people and to protect people from themselves. If a woman is not in physical danger by having the baby, by her choosing to abort the baby, she is potentially harming herself. It would be like asking her or any individual to put on a seatbelt, not do drugs, not participate in prostitution... all seemingly "victimless" crimes that are put into place to prevent the person from hurting themselves. Putting a law into place that prevents freely performed abortions prevents her from hurting herself. I'm not going to get into the details of when the child becomes a life. My whole point is that a healthy woman has a choice before getting pregnant. Should that choice turn into an unwanted pregnancy- the law should prevent her from hurting herself. We already know the horrible damage an abortion can cause a woman. I'm feel sorry for the woman who carry the baby and then give it up for adoption. I cannot imagine the pain it might cause throughout some years to never know where that child is. But that is a personal emotion she must overcome, even with assistance from a psychologist. I'm not willing to allow a woman to harm herself in order for her to pretend a problem doesn't exist and move on with her life "complication-free". Our choices have actions. Do I ever think we will have a law banning abortion- no, I don't. What I'm really hoping for here is that people on their own will come to their senses and make good choices that will lead their lives in the direction they want to go. I'm all for women's freedom and equality, but women, wake up! You're not doing yourself any favors by getting yourself into a bad situation. I'm for changing women's actions for better- not attempting to change the natural, biological consequence.

Tommy- by you advocating FOR abortion means your trying to shove YOUR beliefs down MY throat. Everyone here can be accused of exactly what you're saying. By wanting to change the law or advocating for keeping the law, you're pushing your beliefs onto a society and individuals.

Ug. I first should preface this by saying I LOVE my mom. But I'm so annoyed every once in awhile. My mom has an unknown neurological condition that has affected her ability to walk, her moods, and various other things. I am one of her primary caretakers, so I spend a lot of time taking her places, cooking for her and my dad, cleaning their house and what not. We went to the grocery store today. We go to the same store every Tuesday, so we see the same people. They're all very kind and helpful to my mom in her wheelchair. I find most people are annoyed that she is in a wheelchair and they cut her off or brush by her, or stand in front of her in the aisle when she's trying to look at something in the store, so I'm particularly grateful for these kind people. We were checking out and my mom was watching the prices. My mom started yelling at our checkout lady saying "How can you charge these kinds of prices? Don't you feel ashamed to work here and steal money from people?!" And on and on. I got on my mom and said, "Mom, she doesn't control the prices... if you have a concern about the prices, let's go home and write a letter to send to the company." The poor girl said, "I know they're high, I guess because gas prices have gone up so have groceries too." My mom said "That's just the lies they tell you... blah blah blah" I'm just annoyed that a perfectly pleasant trip to the store turned into a bad situation. I told mom once we got out of the store that all she did was make that lady's day worse. My mom is not a mean person, but her neurological condition makes her mood change from pleasant to angry in moments. I work a full time job and have a disastrous 4 day schedule so I can spend my 5th business day with my mom, along with weekends and evenings. I hate my job, but I stay because they allow me that flexibility to take care of my mom... but when I have days like this, it makes me want to scream! I guess I'm just frustrated because I take care of mom, work full time, and have a household and a husband to take care of. I feel guilty for being upset with her. I feel bad that I'm feeling like I make a huge sacrifice for her and she doesn't even care. I know she's my mom and has made tons of sacrifices for me too, but my mom has been sick all my life and it makes me feel like I never really had a mom! Okay, that's all. :smile2: