wootsie73

You are so right about this. If everyone's needles are being stuck into the same saline bottle, very life threatening illnesses and infections can occur. Very bad practice.

You are sooooooooooooo right! My dad had a little tiny scrape on his arm last year and ended up with MRSA. He had to go to the doctor everyday for almost a month, then I had to dress the wound every night for several weeks. It took at least 3 months for it to completely heal. He was also on mega doses of antibiotics for the entire time. I will say again, reusing ANY NEEDLE over and over is an infection waiting to happen. I'm diabetic and I don't use the lancets more than once either. That's just not good judgement or standard of care. I don't care who the doc is, what the use of the needle is, or for any other reason, PERIOD! It's against Universal percautions, which says everything is to be considered contaminated.

If the physician is sticking you with the same needle at the same time, that is done often. However, recapping the needle, sending it home with the patient, and reusing the needle after all of that is totally unacceptable. There is no way this should be done. Being an RN, I've seen docs deadening areas stick the tissue numerous times with the same needle, but never after recapping it and sending it home with the patient. Lord knows how many things can happen to it between fills. Plus, the bacteria from the skin that will grow on the needle for several weeks or months between fills is so dangerous. They are, after all, microscopic. Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this.

Way to go Jodi! I hope things work out for you with this cop. It's interesting that he's an ex stripper, but who knows, he may be the right guy for you. Keep us up to date. MissyC, you are going to have a great time at the Denton meeting. I wish I was there to go, but I have to see my docs up here before I come back down there. I know you will enjoy it and look forward to the next one. I hope I'll be there then. Serious, I like you way of living! I wish I had the money to do that, but it sounds like you have a great time. Hopefully after the band, I will get to go back to work and will be able to travel, etc. I sure hope so. You guys just crack me up with your dating and stuff. Keep us informed about how everthing is going for everyone. This is my favorite thread! Joan

Very different questions, but I would vote for a woman, if I thought she would qualify for the job. But no way would I ever vote for another Clinton! Her husband, IMO, was one of the worst presidents in the history of this country. His wife was right there with him, so hell no, I would never vote for her!

This is a tough one, but I don't think the general public has the knowledge of what a taser gun is capable of doing well enough to own them, even though lots of people do. I know they have killed people, so I don't think I would want to take the chance of using one on someone else. I think maybe pepper spray would be safer. I definitely wouldn't carry a gun with me!

I can totally relate to everyones comments on this thread for sure. I have 2 particular incidents that stood out in my mind as I read through all of the posts. The 1st one was about 28 years ago from an ex-boyfriend. When I met him I was really thin and feeling good about myself, but what he put me through caused me to gain weight. Damn I wonder why. But anyway, he wrote me a letter telling me there was no reason for me to go around looking like a side of beef! Needless to say why he's the ex. The most recent thing that happened was said by a very dear friend of mine and I still can't believe she said it. Her brother was going through a divorce last August and needed a friend, so she introduced us. We talked on the phone for several weeks before we met, but we have talked almost everyday since then, but no romance. About a week ago, I was talking to his sister about some of the women in his life he has been telling me about lately. I think they're not of the best character for him, to put it nicely. Then, she told me that after my TRANSFORMATION, being losing my weight after being banded, he would probably be ready for a relationship and would probably pick me. I just sat there on the phone for a minute before I said anything back to her. For one thing, she is as fat as I am, if not fatter, but the fact that she's my so called "best friend" really hurt me. However, my response to her was, "who are you talking about Donny?" She said yes, so I told her immediately without thinking, "I don't think so! If I'm not good enough for him now, he damn sure won't be good enough for me then!" The thing that hurt me the most was that she just sat there and didn't say anything for at least a full minute. So I finally told her that if her brother was that shallow and couldn't love me for who I am, then I didn't want him anyway. I told him about it the next day and he asked me if I thought he was shallow. I told him I thought he was if that's how he felt. He didn't tell me that's how he felt, so we changed the subject. But, I have to point out that he tells me the weight of every woman he meets. I think I get the true message! He's told me before that my weight didn't bother him and he wasn't embarassed to be seen with me, but if that's the case, why does he point out everyone elses weight to me? Hummmmmmmmm.... Just wondering....

LMAO! My daughther wears thongs all the time and I've always said they were butt floss! And I gotta tell ya', I think my whole body is gonna need a lift after I get this weight off. Love the pic! LOLOLOLOL

I hadn't read this in a while, but I wanted to clarify about the younger people being different than us old ones. LOL I felt totally different at their ages than I do now, so that's why I said that. When I was in my 20's, I dated a lot and some very long-term relationships that I haven't had since then. So, I know we all have our issues, but the younger people have an entirely different perspective about them than we do. That's all I meant. Joan

Hi Missy, My appointment went really well. Fortunately, my daughter and I had gone down on Wednesday to give them my paperwork, so I didn't have any problems finding it on Friday. Now Wednesday, that's a different story! Anyway, I got there and was called back in just a few minutes, but I had to sit there and wait on Dr Provost for almost an hour. I didn't like that much, but it's the norm for docs, as you know. He was sooooo nice and friendly though. He talked to me about the band and had a little model thing there to show me. The only question I really had was how I was going to take all of my meds, since I take like 30 pills a day, no exageration. He said I would just have to take them 1 at a time. That will take all day, but he also said he hoped to get me off of most of them soon. So, that made me feel better to. He said all he would need is a letter from my cardiologist clearing me for surgery! I hope they don't come up with lots of tests I have to have done, but no one said a word about testing. Of course, this past summer I had 3 stents placed, an echocardiogram, non-exercise stress test, and a CT Scan, just at the cardiologist. Plus, I had and EGD and 2 colonoscopies at the gastroenterologist, and just about every kind of blood work you can imagine, so I've been through the wringer the past few months, but it is sure coming in handy now. I'm sure I'll have to have more blood work done, but that won't be a big thing. Anyway, things went very well. Thanks for asking! I hope to get together for lunch as well, but I will be in Amarillo until around the middle of February as of tomorrow. I have appointments there next week, but I have an appointment here on February 15th, so I'll be back. It sort of sucks not having a permanent home. I just go back and forth all the time. LOL Joan

OK, I voted, but I never posted, so I'm going to be honest and say Yes I have considered suicide. I'm not sure it was totally because of my weight, but I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. My thoughts of suicide started when I got sick at work and became disabled. It was horrible! Of course I lost my job, I had no income at all for a year and a half, and I eventually lost my house and car due to it. So, yes I had some serious things going on in my life. But looking back on it now, I knew then and I still know that my weight was a large part of the reason I became disabled to begin with. Yes, I got the infection in my lungs from a vent patient at work, but I was also morbidly obese and had other health problems, like hypertension, congestive heart failure, etc. If I hadn't been so obese, maybe the lung infection wouldn't have disabled me, but I really do seriously doubt that. I was on oxygen 24/7 for 2 years after that, so even though I know my weight didn't help things, it didn't initially cause the disability. I'm still disabled and I may always be, but I'm hoping that being banded and losing weight will help enough where I can go back to work. The fact that I'm most likely bipolar doesn't help with the eating either. I've always been an emotional eater and every time things don't go right, I eat and eat and eat.... So, not only am I getting banded, I'm seeing a psychiatrist next month and I'm going to get into private therapy to help me deal with some personal issues and deal with stress better. It's like my PCP told me, if I don't get help with the issues that caused me to get this way to begin with, then being banded won't help me. You can eat around the band, just like others on this board have done. I have been to my surgeons support group meeting and was told by numerous people who haven't lost all of their weight years after surgery, that they didn't deal with the problems that got them to this point to begin with, so they didn't lose the weight. It makes perfect sense to me. Just some thoughts and I hope it helps someone on the tread. There have been some amazing stories on here that have inspired me to at least tell part of my story. I hope everyone gets the help they need to make them be successful with the band. Joan

Hey Guys, No one has been posting here much and I think we should keep this thread going. We all need all of the support we can get, so please keep posting. I have seen my surgeon now and I'm waiting for a surgery date. I have an appointment with my psych doc Feb 15th, so I'm trying to hang in there until I see him. Wish me luck!

Hi, I'm in Sherman. Even though Denton is a good distance away, it's a lot closer than Dallas. I'm not banded yet, but I have been to a seminar and seen my surgeon, so I will hopefully be banded soon. Joan

Chrispy - Oh the stories I could tell from the dating experiences!!! Let's just say that it is a pleasant surprise to find guys that look like or better than their photos....because it is an awkward situation when you do not even recognize them when they look SOOOOO much worse than their photos! Ain't it the truth! I have to tell you guys this story that happened to my niece a few years ago. She was on UDATE and was talking to this really good looking guy on there, according to the pic he posted. So anyway, she had a webcam and he was wanting her to come visit him in Houston. Well, when she saw him on the webcam, he was at least 15 years older than he was in the pic he had posted. He was also a magazine porn guy, I guess you would say, that did European magazines. He sent her pics that were supposed to be him with women that were in these magazines. :omg::omg::omg:You just would have been shocked is all I can say. And, you could never see his face in the pics, so we didn't know rather it was him or not. It's really funny to look back on now, but at the time it was kinda scary, if you know what I mean.

Ok all you single bandsters? Where are you?? This is a great thread, don't let it die off. I don't know about ya'll but this single gal needs all the kindred spirits support she can get!!!!! MissyC, I'm still here! No one else has been posting, so there really hasn't been much to say. LOL My life is still the same, so I don't have a lot to report to you guys, but I did see Dr Provost last Friday! He was very nice and he said he will do the surgery, I just don't have a date yet. I'm sure they have to clear it with Medicare before they can set the date, so I'm just on hold right now. I've also noticed that most of the last 2 pages are my posts. It looks kinda funny since they started out on page 1. LOL Anyway, that's all that's going on here. Still talking to Donny everyday and I still haven't heard from Steve, so like I said, that's all that's going on here. I do agree though, this is a great thread and we shouldn't let it die. I love to read everyones dating stories. Joan

Janice, I will be happy to elaborate for you. I'm not yet banded, but have seen my surgeon and am currently waiting for a surgery date. The reason I said the Protein shakes may have to be changed is because most surgeons want you to eat solid food as soon after banding as they allow. The Protein shake will run right through the band, so eating solid food would be much better. You can buy turkey bacon and sausage that is much lower in fat than the regular kind. I have to add that it was my cardiologist who told me to absolutely cut the fat as well as the carbs. It clogs your arteries even if it has no carbs in it. I agree that with the blurred vision, you need to be tested for diabetes. I was glucose intolerant for a long time, but my last lab work said I'm definitely diabetic now. Keeping your blood glucose level under control is vital to your survival if you are diabetic. Not only does it affect you eyes and extremities, it also attacks every vital organ in your body, especially your kidneys. This damage can be minimized by taking care of yourself and keeping your sugar levels down.

Very good question and I do have some answers and possibly thought provoking ideas about it. I'm obviously from a very conserative Christian back ground and am totally honest about it. Personally, I believe the morals in this country are going to hell in a hand basket, which will eventually be the demise of the USA. I'll explain why I feel that way, so you may possibly understand where I'm coming from when I say that. You may not agree with me and I'm not asking you to, I'm just explaining why I believe what I do. I agree that there are many "conservative Christians" who end up in huge scandals. However, they are definitely not the majority. Unfortunately, they give all of us a bad name. However, one of my major issues right now is the gay marriage issue. I don't care what people do in the privacy of their own homes at all, but I don't believe they should have the same rights as heterosexual couples. The Bible strictly states in several books, such as Leviticus, Romans, and I believe II Corinithians, that homosexuality is an abomination before God. If God had these scriptures put into the Bible, I don't believe it is genetic. Animals don't choose to be homosexual, just humans. Another huge liberal issue is abortion rights. I know it is believed by most liberals that it is the woman's right to choose, but did that baby have a choice rather it was conceived or not? No, it didn't. Abortion is just being used as birth control, which they make all kinds of that can be used to prevent pregnancy. There is also much controversity about when a baby becomes a human being. Well, as a nurse, I can assure you that by the time most women find out they are pregnant, the fetus already has a brain, a spinal cord and nervous system, plus it's heart. So, it can feel pain! Watch a video of the egg being fertilized and you will see that it immediately starts growing and separating into many cells. So, I believe it is a human being from the moment of conseption. I know many feel differently, but there are websites about abortion that the general public would be horrified at if they took the time to view them. Even Roe, in the Roe vs Wade case is totally against abortion now. Another very liberal idea that I totally disagree with is the right to disipline your children. I do not advocate child abuse in any way form or fashion, but the government has way to much control over how parents are allowed to disipline their children. The Bible states that those who spare the rod, spoil the child. No corpral punishment is allowed in our school system or at home in todays society. Children are taught in kindergarten that if their parent spanks them, they can be turned in to CPS and removed from the home. Well, I'm sorry, but children need disipline to learn the rules of society and how to be decent human beings as adults. As I said, I do not advocate child abuse in any form, but most of the children today have no respect for their elders, no respect for their teachers and run around acting like brats disturbing everyone around them and being rude. Therefore, we have more crimes and school shootings, etc than ever before. There need to be standards every child has to follow in school, and those have basically been thrown out the window with the law suits over dress codes, hair length, etc. by parents who think their child should be able to do whatever they want to. Prayer has been taken out of school, the Ten Commandments have been removed from public display, and many liberals believe that everything having to do with God or religion should be taken out of our society in general, especially our schools. People are even wanting to take In God we Trust off of our money. Our forefathers based the Constitution on Christian values that are being taken out of our society completely. I don't believe saying a prayer at a football game is harmful to others. If they are not Christians, they have that right; however, the majority of this country claim to be Christians, so the manority should not rule how everyone is treated and what they should be able to do. Liberals have introduced those ideas into our society and into legislation. Even a moment of silence so everyone could pray in their own way would work. And, don't even let me get started on the Christmas issue. No Natavity scenes on public display in the city, but other religions have the right to display theirs. Holiday tree instead of Christmas tree, Winter Holiday instead of Christmas. The list goes on and on. Those are just a few of my feelings about current issues and I know differ from the majority of liberals. But, they do represent how MOST conserative Christians feel. My brother is a minister, so I'm very much aware of the differences between conserative and liberal ideas. I just wanted to explain why I said what I did.

It is confusing to try to eat high Protein, low fat, and low carb. What you basically need to do is eat very lean meats, like chicken, fish, and very lean beef occasionally, but not often. Beef is higher in fat than other meats. Shrimp is very high in protein, but lots of cholesterol if you have a problem with that. The shrimp need to be boiled, grilled, etc. If you sautee them in butter, that will make them high fat to. You also can eat salmon, but in moderation due to it having a higher fat level as well. meat and lentils are very high in protein. That's how you do the high protein low fat part. I agree that the low carb is the hardest to follow, so you have to really learn to read labels. For example, Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk dressing has fewer carbs in it than any other brand of salad dressing. Trust me, I've checked them all that are available in my area. Most canned and raw vegetables are very low carb, but you have to cut out ALL white flour products, potatoes, corn, carrots, and beets. Sweet potatoes are also full of carbs. Most fruits are good, but there are a few that spike your sugar levels. These are pineapple, bananas, and watermelon, which are my favorite fruits. But, I have to avoid them all together because I'm now diabetic. Things like low fat sour cream and yogurt are very high in carbs, so if you are going to have them, you are better off with regular sour cream, but there are a few brands of yogurt that are low carb. Again, you have to read the labels on everything. A typical meal for me would consist of a chicken breast, either baked or grilled, yellow and zucchini squash with onions sauteed with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil, and salad with the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. Other veggies and meats were used as well, that's just a good example of a meal that fits all of the catagories. My cardiologist told me not to eat things like bacon, sausage, or lots of cheese high in fat. String cheese is very low fat, for example. He said to drink whey Protein shakes made with fruit or fruit juice, ice, Water, and splenda mixed in the blender. They are yummy if you make them right. However, I have to add that this diet was not with a band, so the Breakfast would have to changed, but I think most of the other foods would be allowed in small quantities. It would depend on the person and what foods they can tolerate with the band. I also ate no bread, Pasta, rice, or anything like that. Cool Whip free is also a great alternative to the whipped cream. I've also read several posts that talk about the South Beach diet. Has anyone ever read the Suzanne Somers diet books? Her philosophy is the combinations of foods eaten together. I've done it before with success, but as usual, I gained it all back when I started adding the carbs in. I hope this explanation helps you with your food purchases. Again, read read read the labels and you will discover which foods are low carb and the ones that aren't. The carbs in most veggies are minimal and you can have them. Sorry this is so lengthy, but I tend to rattle. LOL

DevilMayKare, LMAO at the comment about you knowing everything at 18 and knowing little now. That's just way to good, but absolutely true of most of us who are a little older. However, you will know everything again when you get to be 71 like my mom. She never fails to tell us she knows everything and not to forget it. People WRITE IT DOWN when she admits she doesn't know something! LOL

I have to say, this is a very interestng subject and discussion indead. We all have diffrences of opinion on these subjects, which makes the bantering back and forth more fun. I have to say though, no one has said they were sorry Hussein was executed, just the manner in which it was done. So, at least we all agree on something. The most important point is that each of have our own beliefs and that will not change. There is respectable evidence on all sides of this issue. If you are a Bush supporter, the evidence was there to go to war. If you aren't a Bush supporter, there is equal evidence that we should not have gone to war. We are all friends here and we are never going to agree on political issues. If you are a Republican, your beliefs are goiing to be totally different than a Democrats opinion. Personally, I agree with Tired_Old_Man about the decrease in Christian values due to the liberalism in our own country. Our morals have gone down the tubes in the past few decades, IMO. These are also issues that should also be causing an uproar by all Americans. Although we have lost 3,000 + troups in Iraq, it is so many less than any other war fought by this country. Regardless of how you feel about the war in Iraq, we are there and I don't see any president, not even a Democrat, going in and pulling the troops out immediately. It is indead a very sad situation all the way around. Anyone up for a debate on the Kennedy assination or the war in Vietnam? Those are truely very interesting subjects as well, and I'm sure there are many differences of opinion on them to. It's been fun, but what's done is done and none of us can change what is happening, not even by electing a new president. So, I'm out of here for now. Ya'll continue to have fun!

Very good GrannyAces and Mousecrazy! I only get involved in these discussions occasionally to stir the pot some. However, this is a subject very close to my heart, because my little Billy (my only nephew) just got out of Iraq safely after being there for a year, thank the Lord. I totally agree with GrannyAces and Mousecrazy on this subject. Even though no weapons of mass destruction were found, there is a huge amount of evidence that they were removed following 9/11 and before we attacked Iraq. Most believe they were sent to Syria, which is a very scary thought to, since Saddam's wife and daughters are there being protected. He had refused to let the inspectors in for years and we had satellite evidence that he had them, so this isn't something our president just pulled out of thin air. The entire world thought he had the WOMD, not just the US and the UK. There is also a strong possibilty that many of them are still there, after all, Iraq is not a small country. I'm quite sure there are many holes like the 1 Saddam was found in that have yet to be discovered, and probably never will be. However, with that being said, I believe many mistakes have been made in this war. The biggest mistake was not putting enough troups on the ground when we first invaded Iraq. Donald Rumsfeld was a total idiot and I'm glad he's gone to. But, if you will remember correctly, there are pictures of Rumsfeld shaking Saddam's hand many years ago. It's always been the policy of this country to keep the dictators of this world on our side. Saddam just made a huge mistake by not taking the UN seriously and let the inspectors in to do their jobs. His mistake, not ours. It should also be pointed out that the UN is worthless to the world now and is a total joke. Back during WWII, they didn't think Hitler was a threat either, and look what he was able to accomplish before he was stopped. We have foreign representatives of all nations of the world over here not having to follow the laws of our country and causing all kinds of problems in Washington DC. If they are going to live here, they should have to follow our laws along with their families. My nephew has made it quit clear to me that the majority of the troops in Iraq are there because they want to be there. They believe in this war and what they are doing to protect our country in the future. We do not have a draft in this country and no one was forced to join the military. The Michael Moore's in this country are not on the money with what the troups are saying. My nephew worked in Saddam's palace for a short time and was in total disbelief at the things that man had in his palace while the people of his country suffered at his hand and did without necessities, like food. With keeping all of these issues in mind, I'm glad Saddam is dead. He was an evil man who deserved exactly what he got. He was probably executed on a holiday because of the way he treated of his own people. I don't feel sorry for him or his followers. The people of his country sure didn't deserve the treatment they received from him. And, keep in mind that he was found hiding in a hole like the true coward he was, not standing up fighting for his country like he forced his people to do. As for Bin Laden, he will get his in the end. It was Oliver North who was laughed at by former senator Al Gore when he said he believed Bin Laden was the worst terrorist threat to the US many long years ago and absolutely nothing was done by the Clinton administration when they knew exactly where he was. So, it's not just the Republicans who caused this war on terror. We have to protect our country on the terrorists soil, not our own. And for those who believe Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, I'm sorry you feel that way. They have found terrorist training camps in Iraq, not just Afganistan. He was totally involved in it, even if it was minimally. I agree with Carlene that other countries were more involved, but Iraq was right along beside them. I agree that Bush Sr should have done away with Saddam years ago, but he's gone now and the world is a much better and safer place without him.

Sunta, I'm so sorry ANYONE had the nerve to send you a PM like that! How dare they. I would be frightened to, so you are not alone my friend. I hope this guy is kicked off of this website and very soon. Although I disagree with others on here a lot of the time, since I'm a Bush supporter, I think people like him should be ashamed of their actions. It's so sad that just a few people can hurt the website. My sincere apologies for his rude and uncalled for actions.

Welcome Madden! This is a great place for help and support. Hope to see you here often. I'm not banded yet, but have seen my surgeon. Just tick-tock now. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Hello all of you new comers! You are absolutely right about the great information you will find here. I had my consultation with my surgeon last Friday and had very few questions to ask him, because I already knew it from the website. Hope you hang around for awhile. Joan

Dear Paige, What hell you have been through over the past 5 years! I can't even imagine all you have gone through and are still alive. I admire your strength and courage to post your feelings here. I believe some are being very judgemental, but they are probably having good luck with their band. I'm not banded yet and I have to say, this thread is scaring me to death. But, I am also going to see a therapist to help me deal with the issues that got me here to begin with after I'm banded. Fortunately, I do have a choice of surgeons and have chosen one of the best in the country, hands down. So, I feel confident about going ahead and having the surgery here. Even though you and many others have had complications with the band, I know a woman who has had hers for 15+ years and still is doing well. So, not everyone is so unfortunate with it. Here it the US, we complain about our healthcare system and the cost of medical care, but we do have choices here. It may be costly, but we get to make our own decisions. I think maybe that's why you have received some negative input here. People here don't understand what healthcare is like in other countries. I'm a nurse here and have worked with many nurses from Canada. I believe their healthcare system is very much like the UK, and they hate the healthcare system in Canada. The waiting lists, not being given choices about your own healthcare, etc. I know it must be very frustrating to try to make people understand that things are so much different there. I am so happy to hear you have been seeing a psychiatrist there. I know you are probably not fully aware of the effects your childhood had on your mental health. It sounds like you life had been pretty bad. I'm so sorry for that, because no child deserves to be treated so poorly, but I know you are dealing with it the best way you can. I do understand your depression though. I am depressed all the time because I'm single and 50. I haven't been on a real date in 25 years, so I totally understand feeling bad about yourself and no one really understanding what you are going through. I have an appointment to see a psychiatrist in February, so maybe I can get some help myself. I just wanted to let you know how much I admire your courage and stamina. I think part of your mental state is caused from malnutrition. If you can't keep any food down, it effects the chemical balance in your entire body and more specifically your brain. I would try to give you some healthcare advice, but I know you are not allowed to see a doctor and demand the blood work and things you need right now. I do know that you need some good nutrition and Vitamins to maintain any kind of health. I hope you are able to try to drink some Protein drinks and get some multi- vitamins and probably B vitamins as well. That will make you feel better and your skin will be much healthier. Most of all, I want you to know there are people out here who care, whether we totally understand what you are going through or not. I just found this thread today, so I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner. Please keep us posted on how you are doing. I know you are miserable right now and I'm sorry for that. I know things have to get better for you and hopefully they will soon. You will be in my prayers! Joan