BJean

Yeah the anti-choice folks really do not like Planned Parenthood. They say it's because the people at Planned Parenthood tell women how to go about getting an abortion. But that's really dumb because if a woman wants an abortion she will find a way to get one. But Planned Parenthood counsels on all the contraceptive devices and that's what makes anti-choice folks really mad. They want women to have unplanned pregnancies. They prove it when they lobby against sex ed in schools and the dispensing of condoms at schools.

Do you think that the healthcare reform bill is a good thing or a bad thing? Or do you intend to reserve judgement until you learn more?

patty: "It is right there in God's word. It's your choice to believe it or not. I choose to embrace it." Of course you choose to embrace it. It gives you an out for any and everything in this life that you've done that is not right. People like you always like to say: If I'm wrong nothing happens but if I'm right I'm going to heaven and you're not. Nothing happens? Well what if you're wrong? What if you've lived a life believing that you're forgiven of all your sins (like lying to and cheating the government, for instance) and the fact might be that you are NOT forgiven just because you say that you believe in Jesus and accept him as your savior. What if you are wrong? What if it turns out that you've spent a good part of your life thinking that you've been excused of everything. What if it turns out that you have to atone for some of the sins and omissions toward your fellow human beings, like not giving food to someone who is hungry just because they have a cigarette in their hand? What if YOU are wrong? Something does happen. What happens is that you think that good deeds are not necessary to get into heaven and that you do not have to account for the sins you've committed throughout your life. What if your life turns out to have been wasted on proclamations of redemption when in fact you have NOT been the best person you can be?

I do not know one person who is cheating the government (actually cheating me because I pay taxes), not one person. And I have to tell you that I know a lot of people. One of my projects is a women's league that raises money for charity. We come in contact with people who need help all the time. We research thoroughly the organizations and people that we help. Over 20 years I have only known one organization that asked for funding from us that was not worthy. That group refused to go by government guidelines because they didn't want "big brother" breathing down their necks. In other words, they did not want to have to have any oversight over their organization. You can't help but wonder why. So we visited their facility. They were way understaffed, marginally clean and offered nutritionally inferior meals. They are the only ones I've come across that weren't doing good and they weren't even taking money from any government program. And I have a neice who worked for WIC for several years. She counseled young mothers on nutrition and breastfeeding. Some of them were comletely ignorant about both of those things and yet they were bringing babies into the world. You can't tell me that that wasn't a worthwhile thing for WIC to be doing for the small community there and for the good of the future of the United States in the broader view. I can't help it, patty, I feel sorry for you.

Good question. It works it's way through your body like other gas you have in your body. At least I believe that's correct. That's what happened when I got the band. That is one reason why it helps to walk. It helps it move around and on out of your system faster than if you are immobile. Anybody can correct me on this if I am wrong.

Well thank goodness you're here to tell the Pope what he must do to get into heaven. I hope you're corresponding with him as we speak.

lisalu, I'm getting ready to have the revision surgery from band to sleeve and I am hypersensitive about any potentially negative problems with the sleeve surgical procedure. So I am glad that you brought the subject up and got some feedback. Before I got the band, I just read all the positive comments and literature and conveniently ignored the problems one might develop with the band. I don't want to make the same mistake again. I want to be aware of anything that could cause me to eventually regret the surgery. Btw, my mother and my sister both died from breast cancer. I was very worried for several years about developing breast cancer myself. I finally decided that I was wasting a lot of years living in fear. In fact it has been 20 years since my mom died and 17 since my sister died. So I'm glad that I let it go and stopped worrying about breast cancer. Now don't get me wrong, I do get yearly mammograms and I do self-exams on a regular basis, but I just don't think that I am bound to get it because members of my family did. For what it's worth...

patty: "It's not religion that I speak of, for religion is made of man, this is God's truths straight from his word. It is a relationship with him for all eternity after your physical life ends here on earth." It isn't God's word, my dear. God doesn't speak or write - except in people's minds. So it is actually about "faith" in the Bible - and "faith" that God influenced the writings in the Bible. That is a very important distinction.

rodriquez I agree with you about the reality of that last sentence by the person who critiqued the ad. And I really think that they are advertising something that insinuates a lie. It is typical of the anti-choice gang - they'll do anything to heap guilt on a woman who has to deal with an untenable pregnancy. And I totally agree with Leigha - if they were truly concerned about the children who are aborted, they would be working to prevent pregnancies so as to curb abortions. But they WANT women to have babies that they can't take care of and don't want. The anti-choice movement promotes women giving their babies up for adoption. If they weren't about adoption, they would be encouraging women to keep their children, not adopt them out. They would be spending money on seeing to it that these women would be able to take care of the babies. They also want control over women. They like to tell women that they're bad people if they choose to have an abortion. They're even telling women that if they have an abortion, they will never be the same. And they're thinking of babies as a commodity that can change hands with no detrimental effects on the child or the mother. Now THAT's a lie! Like the Republican party has become, the anti-choice movement is disengenuous in their arguments and they will stop at nothing to get their way. But like the Republican party, they have ulterior motives. If they didn't, their arguments and campaign would be completely different.

patty I have an interesting observation to tell you about. I had never paid any attention to your personal info until the other day when I noticed that you're 48. I was frankly very shocked. From the first post of yours that I read, a long time ago, when the real green was still alive, that you were some crabby older woman, probably in her 60s or 70s who was just mad at the world and set in her ways. Someone who thought she knew everything and was unwilling to listen to anyone else or consider any viewpoints that were different from her own. Ever since I saw how old you are when I read one of your posts recently I can't help but think you're just a really, really misguided soul who is fighting every day to justify her life and live down her past transgressions. You've conveniently structured your faith to do just that. You can't allow any differing views to influence you because it would mess with who you were and who you're trying to become. I used to feel sorry for you because you were a crabby old woman but now I just feel sorry for you because I think you're a desperate person. Someone who is striving to find her way but is losing ground every step she takes in the wrong direction. I know this sounds judgemental but I am not trying to judge you. I am simply trying to understand you. It seems I may be starting to figure out where you're coming from.

"BTW, you are so wrong about Christrians." sez patty. I don't clump all Christians together as one and the same. I don't expect you to understand my post. It seems there is no end to what you don't understand. But that's for you to handle. I didn't take you to raise.

Thanks you all! I am sorry that it's interfering with your surgery. And I sure hope no one was hurt! I'm shocked that Yuma realized a 6.9 from the quake. That would be a really big deal in L.A. They're so tightly packed - like sardines. I'm in Texas and quakes are virtually unheard of here. I can't even imagine what it is like to experience one. Hope you don't have any aftershocks! And best of luck to you with your surgery.

ouroborus I was asking because of a post by Lisalu, above. She seemed to think that there was a risk of getting the sleeve because of developing ulcers that ultimately lead to cancer. I don't know where she got that information. I had not heard that anywhere else. But I am not a researcher. More of a dingbat really. :-) I am please to read Dr. Jossart's reply and yours. And I totally get what you're saying about the risks of being obese. Thanks for the info!!

I've been confined at the courthouse all day on jury duty. I hadn't heard that there was an earthquake. If someone's lurking who knows about it, I'd sure like to know where it was. Mexico? Arizona? I have a son in LA and I tried to call hiim tonight and couldn't reach hiim. That's why I'm concerned.

Thanks you all. It really helps take some of the mystery out of it to hear what's going on with you.

pnw218, I don't know how tall you are but our weight is in the same range. I hope I am as successful as you have been in your first month!

Thanks Amy! I appreciate the info. You sound excited. I am too. Hope you get your surgery date soon. Waiting is hard.

thinoneday, thanks for the response. Sounds like it wasn't an issue at all for you. And your weight loss is terrific. Congratulations.

Cool! Just what I wanted to hear, of course. But from the look of things, you're not doing too badly yourself mister!

Oh, okay that makes sense. Thanks!

Thank you, Susan.

That sounds heavenly!

Thanks, ya'll.

Oh thanks Jaffa! I had no idea. Btw, which is better?

Hi Macmadame, I used to read your posts at LBT. I'm getting ready to get the conversion from band to sleeve and I've noticed that you're very happy with your sleeve. I just read a quick post that suggested there may be a correlation between the sleeve surgery and some cancer. Do you know anything about that? thanks!