BJean

It's pretty tough to get Americans off high center and actually moving in the right direction. People are afraid of change and we've been very comfortable living with a car for every member of the family. We've never developed a good transit system in any place but the really major cities. We have a society that relies so much on their cars, they don't even want to get out of them to go to the bank, buy food or get their prescriptions refilled. Now Walmart (being the brilliant money makers that they are) are proposing to have drive up windows. I guess you'll be able to go online, fill out a form to order and then pay online and drive by and pop your trunk while you sit in the driver's seat and let them put your order in. It isn't really that we're all too lazy. We're just too busy. Working long hours to get ahead and buy more stuff and eating in our cars as we rush to the next place is killing us. We work more than most other industrialized countries and vacation less. We're huge consumers of everything. We've moved away from our birthplace and some of us hardly know our neighbors. What a lifestyle! And it's killing us. And it's killing our children.

It's the ultimate mystery of the decade! How they've been able to get middle class people join up to the "Tea Party" movement and rant and rave against taxing corporations and making corporations pay their fair share and at the same time preaching that government is bad. Of course the Tea Party movement was started by big business and funded by them so I get that part, but why so many regular folk support it and march in the streets when it is not at all in their own best interest is a real shocker. (Btw, there's no Martin Marietta anymore. It's Lockheed Martin. And it's made up of segments of General Electric and other various and sundry corporations they bought up along the way.)

I just can't imagine what rock you've been living under. We need a strong department of defense... everyone knows that. What we don't need are obscene government defense contracts for weapons and airplanes and bullets and crap that we stockpile and never use or only use if someone like Bush makes sure that we do. What we need in America is a healthy and safe environment for our citizens. We need safe roads, safe schools (and high quality schools for our future), top-notch health care for everyone, safe food supply, clean air and water and all the things that make a country a great place to live. What we don't need is war. And we'd like to not have terrorists in this country. But you don't stop terrorists with a massive department of defense. You can try to stop acts of terrorism by learning about them and nipping their activities in the bud. But if you think that big guns are going to stop terrorism you must have your head in the sand. :smile2:

Oh yeah... minimal governmental intrustion and regulations - look how great that worked for us. Where do you think and why do you think that governmental regulations became necessary? Because corporations have been proven to use fair business practices? This conversation would be humorous if it weren't so dangerous and irresponsible.

You just like to start stuff. You just spew crap. If someone did a poll that said, Are you Pro Abortion or Pro Life, why would you think anyone would choose Pro Abortion? Most Americans believe in a woman's right to choose. That's very different from saying that most Americans are pro abortion or pro life. You can't change this anymore than you can justfiy people's "feelings" that discrimination is acceptable in any form!!!

Free speech?? You think that ending discrimination is akin to giving up free speech? What you're advocating (no doubt without even realizing it) is having this country wind up in some kind of civil war again. You need to dig a little deeper, my dear, just using terms like "free speech" cannot excuse racial discrimination. And racial discrimination is ignorant and unacceptable. There is no way to justify it, no matter how much you'd like to do just that.

Jane gives good post!

Helen I've seen my dauther-in-law's father die from a long time addiction to alcohol. He tried to quit cold turkey when he was in his 50s. He developed a very rare disease that messed up his motor skills and his mental capacities. He died very soon after that. So you're doing the right thing, even though I know how very hard it is. Especially when you're around people who drink in a very carefree manner, with no thoughts of becoming addicted. I had a friend who became a serious drunk after her husband left her. Some of the things she did, with her children being able to observe them, eventually became devastating to her. She thought no one knew but the fact was that everyone knew. I quickly decided that I'd better get a handle on why I overeat and am so addicted to certain foods before my kids became as disgusted and embarrassed about me as hers were at her behavior. This is not an easy road we take, trying to live a beautiful, healthy life. But we have to love ourselves enough to do it for us. Not for our love of anyone else, but for the love of ourselves. Because if we love ourselves and we take care of us, we will be the best we can be for our loved ones. I'm still not sure exactly what was causing me to dislike myself so much that I became self-destructive through food. But now that I am beginning to get adjusted to an entire new way of dealing with food, with the sleeve, I am already feeling better about myself. And I have high hopes that I will be a much happier and healthier mother, wife and friend. It looks like you're doing quite well now and I wish you the very best. I know you are going to be so much happier and healthier now that you've made the decision to take care of yourself. Screw the stress - you're much more important than anything that can cause stress in your life.

ourorborus, I feel your pain. Having a little glass of wine sure makes a night of Bridge or Canasta be more fun. And if it were my birthday... darn that would suck. But you are right on when you say that being healthy and losing weight will feel a whole lot better!!

Tiff I've never been able to drink OJ either! Man it does a number on me. I find it uncomfortable to even watch a child drink it for breakfast. Ouch!

When I'm feeling decadant (pre-sleeve) I loved to have a Kaluha Sombrero after dinner (sorry for the spelling). Just kaluha and half 'n half. It seemed to calm my stomach after eating anything. I've never checked the calorie count. But now I will!

You know I was a cheap date before the sleeve. I cannot imagine how quickly I would be knee-walking now! Hold onto your lampshades girls, here comes BJean! Not pretty! But I don't like the idea of giving it up totally. Although I don't blame Helen one bit. That was a nasty spill you took. I imagine since the stuff affects us quicker and with less of it, you were not expecting to be a tipsy enough to lose it like that. Glad you're okay now! Tiff, V-8 was one of the first juices that they prescribed after clear liquids! And I was able to drink some of that. Lacing it with a little Stoli seemed like a reasonable choice to me. I must say that I was at a burger joint with the family over the weekend (I heart cheeseburgers) and decided that the only thing on their menu that might work was their "Famous, Fabulous Chili." Well that was wrong! It was very spicy and I couldn't get more than one bite down. And my tummy wasn't happy the rest of the day. Yuk!

You don't need a memo for proof. Their actions are proof enough. What they're doing is immoral and counter to the entire demoratic process. If they disagree with any policies or proposed legislation it is within their powers to argue against them and to come up with legislation they like and present it in the proper way and time and venue. The president and many democrats have shown themselves to be willing to work with republicans to get the work of the people done. So if any kind of reasonable compromises or substantive legislation were to be put forth by these obstructionists, it might prove beneficial to the process of making the repairs and changes that we need. But that is not their plan. Their plan is to stop anything that might improve our country and resolve the terrible problems that we face for the simple reason that they are afraid that the democrats would take credit for those improvements made and thereby ensure that even more democrats might be elected. They're a dishonest, slimy bunch and their constiuents should clean house on election day.

patty I didn't accuse you of hating kids. **rolleyes** For you to say something that doesn't make sense only proves my point. **rolleyes** **flutter eyelids** And you're right about one thing, my dear, I don't have to comment on your inane posts, people can read them for themselves. **rolleyes, flutter eyelids, shrug shoulders** It's just that it's so much fun I can't help myself. **big toothy grin**

What you say makes a lot of sense. And I for one, am hoping that you're right!! Cheers right back and I hope you have a great week!

Ohhh, I wonder if a Bloody Mary would be a good choice. It has lemon or lime usually, celery and V-8 or tomato juice. Anybody have an answer to that??

Caralee I commend you for working to help people who need the surgery for health reasons. Good for you. But I take a little bit of an issue with your wholehearted praise of the sleeve surgery. I have had a band to sleeve revision but I did so knowing that 6 or 7 years from now we may learn that there are some pitfalls to having 2/3 of our stomach removed. Remember, 5 years ago the band was the hottest thing since sliced bread. As time passed and we've gathered more data, we've learned that there are some side effects and problems with the band that make it less than ideal for many people. We don't even know if in the very long term, having that device could cause cancer or other health conditions that would prove that it is not as safe as we all think it is. So although the sleeve seems like the answer to a prayer, only time will tell. I'm betting that I'm always going to be better off having had the VSG but I know that it may not turn out that way. A prime example of what I'm talking about are all the hundreds of drugs that are created to relieve symptoms and in so many years of use, we learn that they are more lethal and dangerous than the condition they were created to treat. I just think we all need to get our surgery and live our lives with our eyes wide open and that we should stay as well informed as our research and experience tells us. Ok, signing off. Debbie Downer. I really need to get back on my full strength Wellbutrin, right? LOL

I knew what I said would be very unpopular. And I certainly do understand, like I said earlier, I understand why people would choose to go to Mexico for surgery. And I do not criticize them for it. We all do what we have to do. But I've lived on the border of Mexico and Arizona and I could tell you stories that would curl your hair. Now you may think that I place the blame on Mexico but I don't. We are guilty of doing things that have helped to create the situation in Mexico. Not the kidnapping, of course, but the drugs wars and other things that make many places in Mexico dangerous. In fact, the danger is usually played down. And many Americans buy homes and retire there, which I also understand. If you know the score in Mexico you can mostly avoid problems. But most of us do not know the score. We have friends who technically live in Mexico city but who keep a home in Houston for their wives and children because living in Mexico city is so dangerous and these are native Mexicans, not native Americans. Lots and lots of Texans vacation in Mexico without a thought of it being dangerous in any way. And that is mostly true - if you stay in those wonderful vacation spots you won't have a problem. And you can vacation there for less than many other places, just like you can get surgery for less than in most American places. I do not mean to malign our Mexican neighbors but it is what it is and we shouldn't pretend that it isn't a foreign country with language barriers, social differences and the differences in how the police and government do business which is very different from what we're used to in the U.S. I hope and pray that this current administration will work toward straightening out our relationship with Mexico and try to remedy the broken down immigration problem which as far as I'm concerned has been created by big business in the U.S. and the lack of jobs in Mexico. We have as much as invited people to immigrate here without the proper papers by virtue of the breakdown in our broken system and the lack of attention our government has given it. In fact, we've encouraged people to come by making it easy for them to stay, giving them jobs, giving them aid, etc., and now people want to be mad at the individuals who have taken advantage of this situation. THAT is what is crazy about the whole thing. We shouldn't be mad at people for wanting to come here. If we want to be angry, we should be mad at the politicians (backed by big business) for not fixing the problem. Enouigh of that rant! I didn't mean to go off on that I just wanted you to know why I said what I did. Keeping American dollars in the U.S. is impossible. But for each of us individually, it's something we might think about before crossing over the bridge.

Or better yet, keep American dollars in America.

kabinkitty... I'm sayin'!!! And can you say "drug wars"? And abductions and ransom demands? Not the safest place on the planet right now.

When my daughter decided she no longer wanted to go to a private Catholic school, we agreed to send her to a public middle school. One day I went to take her something she'd forgotten and I was astonished at the physical plant that they called a middle school - in Orlando. There were ceiling tiles caving in from being wet from roof leaks, mold creeping everywhere along the hallways, peeling paint, everything that you would absolutely not expect to find in a school. The place was dangerous! And the brilliant governor we had allowed the advertising to promote the lottery to claim that a certain percentage of lottery profits would go to the schools. Well because our schools were often in poor condition and our children were having to share books, etc., we all voted for the state to bring in the lottery. Oops, surprise... they forgot to tell us one very important thing. Yeah, they were planning to give schools a certain percentage of lottery winnings but they were planning to take the usual schools funding out of the budget. So instead of getting more money for our lousy schools, we got less!!! So the comment that the photo just means somebody needs to do a little painting is absolutely frickin ridiculous. What in the world would someone know about it if they home school their kids? Don't make big proclamations when you don't know what the heck you're talking about. It just makes you look very stupid and hateful.

Great information!!! You just answered some of the questions I've been wanting to ask the dietician but my next appointment isn't for another 4 weeks. I have been totally shocked to find that I just can't tolerate coffee. I really enjoy a nice cup of coffee so I've tried 3 or 4 times since my surgery - but I have to throw it out after a couple of sips. Now I know why and I will stop trying. Thank you so much for shedding light on this for me. I also usually have a couple of glasses of red wine once a week on Bridge night. I haven't even tried that yet but knowing that it wreaks havoc on Iron absorption will keep me from wondering any further. What about white wine or chanpagne? Bad for other reasons I suspect? I've also tried to drink tea but haven't been able to do that either. If I get desperatge for a warm cup of joe I will try tea with lemon instead and see if that is tolerable. If you were right here I'd try to give you a big hug. This has been so helpful! It's amazing what we don't know and how much easier things are when we have the information we need to do this thing right! Thanks!!!

Well I hope you find out that you are within the normal ranges again! My dietician said that if I become anemic I will need to take an Iron supplement in addition to the Centrum chewable that already has some iron in it. Interesting about the fact that you've been taking Biotin for so long!

My dad and brother have Crohn's. I know what that's like and I feel for you. I don't understand the politics at all in this thread. I understand that money and politics always seem to raise their ugly heads when it comes to nearly anything these days. But for a newbie I just want to hear the personal stories from real people. And I appreciate hearing yours. thanks.