BJean

Thank you Denise. I just got back from the doc. I have a severe kidney infection and probable stones. I'm struggling with whether to try to wait it out or go on to the hospital. Thanks for your response.

Ok, So I said not attacking Iraq could never be seen as rolling over and then went on to say it could be seen as a serious mistake, when what I meant to say is that attacking Iraq could be seen as a serious mistake. Oh you know what I meant! :eek: Editing used to be so easy! Sigh.

Good Lord Green, I hope you're kidding.

Thanks, Crispy. I have a feeling it is gas pain. But so far it isn't easing. You're right. I should go to the doc. But I won't go to my GP - he tends to quack when he walks. On the other hand, my LB doc is brilliant. He should be able to give me some info.

So you're saying that the local government in New Orleans was corrupt and the people in New Orleans didn't do what they were supposed to so by damn they deserved to be treated shabbily? That's the mentality of some Americans that really shows our tough side. The side that other countries don't understand, and neither do I. We entered WWII because we had been attacked and drawn into the war. The attack on the World Trade Center had nothing to do with Iraq. So why go attack them? I know it made you all feel better and you think that it makes us look strong and fearsome to other countries. But unfortunately aren't stronger. The war has weakened us. And we haven't earned respect from other countries, just the opposite. They know we are weakened and as Green pointed out, our dollar is not strong. Both things are problems that have been exacerbated by the war. Have you seen Charlie Wilson's War? The way our government was working to try to deplete the resources of Russia at that time could be exactly what they're trying to do to us. Other countries sometimes learn more from our mistakes than we do. We certainly don't seem to have learned anything from Viet Nam. Not attacking Iraq could never be seen as rolling over. But it can be seen as a serious mistake. Finding Osama Bin Laden and taking him out might have been seen as much more productive and intelligent. But those of you who like brute force for any reason just will never get it, I'm afraid. The one thing this war may have accomplished is that we have put lots of Americans out there in the Middle East as targets to possibly keep the enemy too busy to attack us here again. That seems to have worked. But is it right or fair? I'm very curious... what exactly in Barack Obama's past frightens you?

What happened? I'm on the edge of my chair today because this sounds so familiar. My pain is all on my left side and the pain in my kidney area reminds me of kidney stone pain or a bad kidney infection. However with a kidney problem, I didn't have the pain that was also on the side but more toward the front (close to my port). Any help out there?

I've been having so much gas that it wakes me up at night and I can't sleep. I swear if you stuck a pin in me I'd fly around the room. My port area is protruding a little and the pain radiates around from the port area to my kidney area. My stomach is so bloated I can hardly wear pants without unbuttoning them. Even my underwear band puts pressure that is uncomfortable. And I haven't gained weight - I've lost some. What tha?

P.S. I've lost about 8 lbs. on the diet in a little under one week. I'm sure a lot of that was water weight.

I'm having problems. I would like to know what the symptoms are, specifically if possible, for erosion? I have been having pain around the region of my port and pain in the area of my kidney on that side. It wakes me up at night because it is so uncomfortable. I recently began a diet that is very heavily laden with soy and I thought I might be having a reaction to that - lots of gas and tummy grumbling. This has been going on for several days. I have also contracted a recurring eye infection which is often related to some kind of stress in my life. I have only been on this diet for a week. I previously had too much restriction for a couple of months, but once I had some removed, I seemed to be okay and began to lose weight again. I lost around 40 lbs. when I first had the band but then had not been able to lose weight after that. That's why I started the diet. I've been banded about 1.5 years. I'm beginning to get pretty scared after reading all this thread.

My biggest complaint right now about Weight Watchers is the new commercial that they are running where they claim, loudly "DIETS DON'T WORK... WEIGHT WATCHERS DOES!" Bull hockey. Weight Watchers is an eating plan that restricts calories and certain foods. By jiminey, that's a DIET! They are losing members to LB surgery and one reason so many people are turning to LB surgery is because we have all learned that diets really don't work in the long run for most of us. We have all been able to lose weight. But restricting our caloric intake and restricting what foods we can eat only teaches us about caloric or point counting and being hungry, and rebounding big time. The reason LB surgery can work is because it actually restricts the amount of food we can consume in one sitting. It doesn't restrict us from eating the high calorie super-foods - like candy, cakes, ice cream, etc. But it does make us stop and think when we overdo it. And if we seriously overeat, we have to physically pay for it in mega pain. I know many, many people who sing the praises of W.W., but who have been members for years and who pay their dues and who are constantly losing, gaining, losing, gaining, on the diet yo-yo that has been so harmful to all of us. So my big complaint is about their latest ad - which I find terribly incorrect and misleading! If W.W. works for someone and they're happy with it, that's a good thing. But for W.W. to make an outrageous claim that they aren't about dieting, I am highly offended.

trish: Don't you watch "House"?

It seems logical on the face of it - allow a person to sell his/her kidney - or his/her heart, whatever. It seems that it would be a good way to reward people for being organ doners. However there are powerful people out there that when desperate, they could offer quite a large sum of money to someone who is healthy but who is without financial means. That poor person may be willing to sell his/her heart to save the family. Eeeuuww. Not only that, but the old crazy urban legend that went around about the guy waking up in a bathtub full of ice in a hotel room with a large scar where his kidney used to be, might actually become a real story. I agree with Aiel that people should donate their own organs if they have that desire. I disagree that we should make cadavers property of the state though. I just don't believe Americans are ready for that. Hell, we can't even wrap our minds around the idea of providing medical care for everyone. We value our freedom too much, even if it is contrary to the greater good - as in driving gas hogs and smoking in public places, or in being buried or cremated with our innerds in tact.

Derick: I'm with luluc, you're charming. I find you hilarious sometimes and your latest is the funniest of anything I've ever read of yours. On the off chance you were being serious at all, I must say that your logic defies logic, and is contrary to reality. On the off chance you listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, it is understandable.

So spending billions of dollars (weekly) on a war we shouldn't have waged is what you think makes an economy strong? And our presence in Iraq is scaring the beejeebers out of the rest of the world and that makes us strong as a country? A more respected country than if we had a woman or a black running our country? And the economy under Bill Clinton was not better than the economy now? And the economy when the Dems were in office was just a facade - only to come crumbling down when the Repubicans took office - through no fault of their own? And the fact that your president, who was involved up to his cufflinks in one deal that left investors poor and reeling, came out unscathed in one of the worst episodes of banking corruption is nothing to criticize? Your personal wealth has grown under his "reign" and so that makes this a good economy? The Fed is having to artificially stimulate the economy any way they can and you think that this is a better economy? You think that the economy was only better under the Democrats because of the so-called "artificial conditions" on Wall Street in the 90's? Say what? I honestly can't understand much of what I've read on this thread by Repubican supporters. Yeah, I know I've jumbled some of the posts together, but that's how it reads to me. I guess that's why we have more than one choice in elections, huh? I can't blame anyone for Democratic Bill Clinton leaving a bad taste in their mouth (pun, intended) but to say that George W. Bush is the better man, the better leader, the more honest man, with higher morals, is ludicrous. And to dislike the whole Democratic party and agenda because of Bill Clinton is likewise ridiculous. At least some of you are willing to step up to the plate and come right out with it. You think that if you vote for a Democrat, you're voting for droves and droves of Americans to just stop working and live off the dole. (Btw, I thought the most promising part of Bob Dole running for office was the promise of his wife's input.) Well I guess how Dubya behaved toward the people after Hurricane Katrina could lead you to believe that there's no chance of people getting a "free ride" with the Repubicans at the helm. That's comforting. I know of no one in their right mind who thinks Americans should get a free meal ticket just for being American. We may need welfare reform, and we have had some that has helped, but Repubicans have had the power for the past 7 years to make that happen and what we got was a measley token tax cut that we all got checks for - which was pretty silly - and now it's about to happen again. Ah, the saints be praised. Want more of the same? Then by all means, vote Repubican. Yes, I do know how to spell. I'm just having fun. :wink2:

Fanny that's an awesome story. Way too common, especially for women, and I appreciate you sharing it with us. I congratulate you for going through all the work and soul-searching to try to figure out why you used food as you did. It isn't an easy path! You seem to be doing very well with the Band and I wish you the very best on your road to physical health. It sounds like you have the emotional part targeted and homed in on. Yay! :redface:

It's refreshing to see someone state outright that they're voting Repubican. Sometimes I wonder if people are embarrassed to admit that they're Repubicans. They always tend to say they're voting for the man... but then their choice is always a Repubican.

Edwards actually has some very sound answers and his strategy for handling the economy impresses me. No one running for office is oblivious to China. How could they be? They're the elephant in the room.

If we should vote on someone who is a strong financial leader, I'll hang with Edwards.

Over the past 28 years there have been Repubicans in the White House 20 of those. The best 8 years economically and in nearly every other way were the 8 years of Democratic control. I'm voting for a change and the only way to get that is to vote Democrat. When the Repubicans are in control we always seem to have huge problems that they fix in such a way that it winds up causing recessions, huge government budget deficits, gas prices out of control, insurance companies out of control, less attention to anything having to do with preserving the environment, education problems getting some kind of ineffective bandaide, mortgage companies and other lending institutions and banks getting into trouble, and the list goes on ad naseum. I know you'll argue with me, but that is what I have experienced. Now go ahead and shoot me down - and please use specifics.

bert: I hear you. I have been in that much pain because of the losses of my mother and sister, very close together. My sister and I were like twins in many ways and I felt as if a part of me was cut out when she died. I still feel a huge hole in my life from not having them with me. Didn't you feel a little helpless that you weren't able to control the desperation, anguish and exhaustion that you were going through? Didn't you feel that you weren't able to feel any better? Didn't you feel that your exhaustion was due to reasons that you weren't able to control? Didn't you want desperately to be able to either numb your pain or get rid of the pain somehow? Wouldn't suicide be one way to do that? Am I just being obtuse or are we just looking at the same anguish from a little different perspective? I am sorry you weren't able to get any help from antidepressants and that you felt that you were a guinea pig for those meds. I didn't take them when I was the most desperate. I didn't have the presence of mind to even go to a doctor. However years later I am taking Wellbutrin and finding that I feel that I am in control of what I'm doing and where I'm headed. For instance over the Christmas holidays this year, I was able to go visit their graves and decorate them for the first time since they died - which was quite a few years ago. It did make me feel better although I'm not completely sure why. I'm guessing that it was because I made the decision for myself - I didn't feel like I was just having to endure the torment. I was in control and choosing to deal with their deaths on my terms. Everyone is different. We all handle how we deal with life in different ways. Whatever works for each of us is what is right and good.

A coincidence? I think not. :frown:

Your friend was square on as far as I'm concerned. And you are about how the thing actually usually works once the election is over. Although in some cases, it does not hold true, as in the case of George W. Bush. He didn't go to a place where it was workable. He made his agenda work. The rest of the world be damned.

There might be a healthy black and gay backlash if Romney were to be nominated. Of course conservatives wouldn't mind that one bit. I'm about to decide that I trust Edwards the most of all the candidates, both Democratic and Repubican. There is no doubt at this point that McCain has sold out. There is some evidence that Clinton has. And the only way that Obama could have gotten where he is so fast is that he's sold out too. There's no one left on the Repubican side that I would walk across the street for and the fact is that I think Edwards can do the job. He has actually come off as the most intelligent in all of the field. I would be totally shocked if he were to be able to get the nomination though.

Merry Nymph Trixie I find that very sad. Are you just too conservative to like her? Or don't trust her or what?

Friends of mine keep sending me irreverant material about aging and I used to think those things were very funny. I used to send it to my Dad all the time, thinking he would get a big kick out of it. He might have just wanted to give me a big kick! I'm not as old as you, but close enough, and the whole idea of aging is seriously getting me down. The idea, as well as the aches, pains, loss of eyesight and hearing...too, too much! We're in the process of taking care of my DH's aging parents and there is just no real happy solution to this aging problem. We're having people come in and help on a daily basis but it isn't a perfect scenario, just better than putting them in a nursing home which T.O.M. swore were breeding grounds for bladder and kidney infections. On that happy note, I think I'm going to do all I can to enjoy my feedom as long as I can - that and my ability to be totally self-sufficient and my ability to keep the things that I love around me. In other words, the things that you'll have to pry from my cold dead hands. Or something like that.