wootsie73

I'm not banded yet, but my surgeon has already said no gum. His reasoning is it getting stuck if you accidentally swallow it. I will probably chew it anyway though. ~Joan~

Well, I'm not going to disagree with you about the taxes, but I think we should have an across the board income tax. It shouldn't matter if you make $2,000,000 or $20,000 a year. I think that would help a lot. I don't believe anyone should have to pay 90%, just because they make more money. I do think they should have to pay taxes though instead of having so many loop holes that they don't have to pay at all. Of course, you and I totally disagree politically. I'm a Republican and you are a Democrat and that is never going to change, so our beliefs on what should be done are also going to differ. However, this thread started out about nursing homes and how the patients are treated, not about President Bush. Everything that's wrong in this country is not his nor the Republican party's fault, just like it isn't all the Democratic party's fault. It's a combination of the 2. ~Joan~

TOM, I totally agree with you about the pay issue. Look at what happened to Enron here in Texas. It's a shame Ken Lay died before they could send his sorry a^& to prison! I agree that we pay top executives way to much money and the actual workers very little. I have been a nurse for 15 years now, and I've never made really good money. In fact, my first RN job was for a little over $11 per hour. As I've said before, they need to pay the people who actually do the work instead of all the big wigs who sit on their butts and do nothing. It's a sad world we live in and this particular subject makes it even worse. I wish I could do something to fix the problem, but I can't. I would agree with turning them in every time you see something wrong, but I have to add that doing that might cause your loved one to be mistreated when you weren't around. Like those black eyes from "falling". I also agree with paying our teachers more money. What they get paid is an embarassement to this country. However, the same is true for nurses. They do all the work and the docs get all the money. Makes sense to me! From Baptist to Catholic? I find that a difficult one to grasp, but I guess to each his own. Talk about many opposite beliefs! ~Joan~

I have been on Glucophage since Dec. 18, 2006 along with Byetta. I have lost some weight, but I believe it's because of the Byetta I'm on to go with it and not the Glucophage. My doctor told me Byetta is now being studied as a weight loss drug because most people who are on it lose weight. I haven't had the side effect everyone has talked about on it, so I'm very lucky. I am diabetic, so I take it for my blood glucose. Joan

I have to say that I agree with everyone here. Hopefully, I will be healthy enough, like Carlene, to care for my parents when they become ill. But, I'm already disabled from a lung infection I caught at work about 5 or 6 years ago at work from a ventilator patient, so I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do that. However, I believe our country as a whole has it's priorities all mixed up. I'm again talking about the professional sports teams. We pay sometimes thousands of dollars a year to attend these games, which makes the prices keep going up. We kick people out of their homes to build fancier football stadiums, so they can charge more money, thus a vicious circle. That's where a lot of the money to cover these expenses should come from. Why should a team pay their quarterback 40 or 50 million dollars because they can throw a decent pass or call good plays. That's just stupid, and I believe something could be done about it if the American people would stop supporting them. Again, I have to say that under staffing is soooooooooo bad for the patients. It doesn't matter if it's a nursing home or a hospital, the facilities should not be allowed to get away with it, but they do. And, they will continue to until the patient population throws a fit and puts a stop to it. There need to be laws passed to prevent the exact things we are talking about here. If no one does anything, then nothing will happen. Joan

Well Kristi, It sounds like you had a good time on the blind date. I don't blame you for not liking the body piercings on the face. I think those are gross. I loved the joke BTW. It's kinda like Tequila makes your clothes fall off! LOL Joan

Wheetsin, Where do you get the Six Star protein isolate? I haven't heard of it before. Please let me know. Joan

As a nurse, I feel very strongly about this myself. I'm an RN and I can tell you there is no way I would EVER work in a nursing home. First of all, all of them are under staffed. It doesn't matter how expensive the home is to the patient and/or family, they are under staffed. Governments fault? Maybe to some extent, but I can assure you that most of it is from the greed of the nursing home owners. This has been going on ever since I was a kid and my poor grandmother was in a nursing home, so it's not only something is President Bush's fault. It's been every president we've had in my lifetime. The nursing home owners don't want to pay the staff they have, plus they won't hire enough people to actually take care of the patients properly. No matter how good the aid or nurse is, they are only human and can only do so much in their shift. It's a sad situation, but I'm not sure how to correct the problems either. Here are a few ideas though. 1. Start paying nurses what they deserve to be paid. Nurses are the most under paid professionals in this country for the education they are required to have and the job they do. 2. Stop paying athletes astronomical amounts of money for playing a game. They should make a decent living, but just that, not millions! Spend the money on people who deserve to be paid better, like nurses. 3. Don't support professional athletic teams. If people wouldn't pay tons of money to attend their games, their salaries would go down. 4. Have state and federal mandantory staffing requirements per the acuity and number of patients in both hospitals and nursing homes. Especially at night, they staff much lower because the patients are supposed to sleep at night. Ha! What a joke. I've always worked nights and especially elderly people get confused at night and are much more likely to get out of bed and fall or something. 5. Have the surprise visits as suggested by Tom. 6. But most of all, have huge fines and penalties for not doing complying with the rules properly with no exceptions. 7. Have state and federal facilities to make sure the rules are followed. This is a really bad problem and we are going to have to do something about it, and soon. The baby boomers are getting older now and the number of senior citizens in this country are going to greatly out number the younger population. You are absolutely right, it won't be long until we are the ones being treated this way. No human being should ever be mistreated in a healthcare facility of any kind. Hopefully, I will never have to put either of my parents in a nursing home. Both my daughter and myself are nurses, so hopefully we will be healthy enough ourselves to care for them at home. Joan

This sounds strange to me to. I'm not banded yet, but I have ordered lots of Protein powder already, so I will be ready after surgery. I haven't heard anything like that at all from my surgeons office, but I haven't been to a nutrition class yet. I'll just have to wait and see. Joan

Ok everyone, Where are you? No one has been posting on here and we want to know the juicy gossip about your love lives. Fill us in guys! Joan

Thanks for all of the input guys. I have ordered some of the unjury samples, but I haven't tried them yet. I am sure gonna check into the others you guys mentioned. I am trying to find my favorites before surgery so I will be ready. Thanks again for all the help. Joan

Well, today is January 29th and I'm still smoke free! WHOO-HOO! It's been hard today, but that will pass. It has become more difficult with Mom smoking in the house again, but I will just have to get used to it. I can't and won't start smoking again this time. Everyone is really proud of me except Donny. He probably is, but he just tells me I shouldn't have started smoking again to begin with. A MAN, go figure. LOL Things are going a little better in my personal life to. I'm not sure why, but Kandace and Sandy, both of Donny's girls, are leaving. Sandy is moving to Amarillo, and Kandace is quitting her job. So, maybe things are looking up a little. Donny came over last week and took me out to lunch, Red Lobster, Yummy! We had a really good time and we exchanged our Christmas presents, finally. He gave me some really good perfume and my cute little bear. He sprayed his cologne on my bear, so it smells like him. And I can tell ya', he smells really good. I thought I was going to have to attack him when he got here the other day. I love men that smell good! Anyway, I don't know why I would think Sandy moving to Amarillo would make any difference, because I live in Amarillo. He could come over here to see her just like he does me. And, he doesn't come over here that often. Maybe he will start coming more often after he gets glasses. He had his eye surgery on the 18th and the doc told him it would probably be about 3 weeks before he could get some glasses. Maybe he will come see me in Dallas after I go back. I sure hope so. I have to be back in Dallas before February 14th, so I can go see Dr. Carson, the psychiatrist. I've really been looking forward to this appointment, but I'm a little afraid to. I'm afraid he is going to tell me I'm bipolar, but I guess it's better to be diagnosed and getting medication than going untreated like I am now. I think it will help me. At least I hope so!

Well, today is January 29th and I'm still smoke free! WHOO-HOO! It's been hard today, but that will pass. It has become more difficult with Mom smoking in the house again, but I will just have to get used to it. I can't and won't start smoking again this time. Everyone is really proud of me except Donny. He probably is, but he just tells me I shouldn't have started smoking again to begin with. A MAN, go figure. LOL Things are going a little better in my personal life to. I'm not sure why, but Kandace and Sandy, both of Donny's girls, are leaving. Sandy is moving to Amarillo, and Kandace is quitting her job. So, maybe things are looking up a little. Donny came over last week and took me out to lunch, Red Lobster, Yummy! We had a really good time and we exchanged our Christmas presents, finally. He gave me some really good perfume and my cute little bear. He sprayed his cologne on my bear, so it smells like him. And I can tell ya', he smells really good. I thought I was going to have to attack him when he got here the other day. I love men that smell good! Anyway, I don't know why I would think Sandy moving to Amarillo would make any difference, because I live in Amarillo. He could come over here to see her just like he does me. And, he doesn't come over here that often. Maybe he will start coming more often after he gets glasses. He had his eye surgery on the 18th and the doc told him it would probably be about 3 weeks before he could get some glasses. Maybe he will come see me in Dallas after I go back. I sure hope so. I have to be back in Dallas before February 14th, so I can go see Dr. Carson, the psychiatrist. I've really been looking forward to this appointment, but I'm a little afraid to. I'm afraid he is going to tell me I'm bipolar, but I guess it's better to be diagnosed and getting medication than going untreated like I am now. I think it will help me. At least I hope so!

Thanks for sticking up for me Carole. I know I don't always have the popular opinion, but that's what the rants and raves section is all about. We all have a right to our own opinion and just because our opinion differs from the majority, doesn't mean our voice should be silenced. That's what makes America such a great country. We can differ in our opinions and not be incarcerated because of it. Joan

In all honesty Carlene, neither of them should be on the streets. I don't personally having anything against Leslie Van Houten, but I know at the time she committed her crimes, she was an evil person. In my opinion, which I know only matters to me, just because she has grown up and changed doesn't mean she shouldn't continue to pay for what she did. Those were some of the worst crimes in the 20th century. However, I do agree with you that there are people they let out of custody that should never be released. It doesn't make sense sometimes. Joan

Your welcome Green. I'm sure everyone in Canada feels the same way I do. It's just to bad the legal system there didn't keep her in prison where she should be. I hope she doesn't kill or hurt anyone else since they were dumb enough to let her out. Joan

Welcome aboard Amelia40. This is a fun thread, so I hope you stick around. I hope you find someone to date soon to. Joan

I accept your apology, because I thought you were rude. People tend to get that way in this section, so I totally understand. I still disagree with you on execution. Some of us believe in the death penalty and some of us don't. I doubt we could ever change the others mind on the subject. Joan

I just wanted to add to Tired_Old_Man, in the state of Texas, there is no life in prison without parole, at least there wasn't until a few months ago. So, if someone was sentenced to life in prison, they would always be eligible for parole. I believe a new law went into effect recently changing that, which I think is a good thing. I don't necessarily believe everyone should be executed who commits murder, but I do believe they should never be able to get out of prison. Joan

Green, I got my information from Court TV and the national news channels. Karla Homolka is a very evil and demented individual who should still be in prison.

There is a huge difference in being present at both of the crimes and actually being accused of murdering someone. Linda Kasabian was present, but was never thought to have been involved in the actual killings. She was just the driver of the vehicle. I am well aware that Leslie Van Houten has been in prison for almost half of her life, but that's where she belongs, along with the others in that group. Just because she was only accused of killing one person dosen't mean she should get out of prison. How many people do you think she, or anyone else for that matter, should have to kill to get the death penalty? Just curious. Joan

The reason I know Darlie Rutier is guilty is I follow criminal cases very closely. The blood that dripped off of the knife on the floor next to her dead son's body was DNA tested and belonged to the mother. So yes, I do my homework. As I said, I have followed all of these cases that I mentioned very closely. Lumiol was used in the kitchen and she had cleaned up a tremendous amount of blood from the floor and counter top close to the sink. Very sad case. Yes, I do believe the O J Simpson jury was wrong. Not because he wasn't convicted, but because of the evidence in the case the jury chose to ignore. He got off because he had money and he was a celebrity. The jury dismissed every bit of the DNA evidence. And no, I don't believe juries are wrong just because the aquit. I believe they are wrong when they ignore the evidence in the case like they did in the O J case. Will Sharon Tate or Abigail Folger get a chance to come back to life if their killers are executed? No, Sharon Tate nor Abigail Folger will come back to life if the killers are executed, but their families would not have to relive their murders every few years by having to go to the parole hearings tryin to keep them in prison. And, if you have ever seen an interview with Charles Manson, you would absolutely believe he was a monster. They all were at the time. Scott Peterson was convicted on the flimsiest of evidence. Will you change your tune if someone else is found to have been the killer prior to Scott Peterson's execution? NO, Scott Peterson was not convicted on the flimsiest of evidence. You should read the book A Deadly Game and I think you might change your tune on that one. I watched that trial, and the testimony was given out almost word for word using a Blackberry on Court TV, and it was very convincing evidence. The problem Peterson had was he had a flamboyant attorney that had absolutely no believable defense at all. They couldn't even get his former friends to testify in his defense. Who should we execute in those cases? Should we pick someone at random? In cases like the JonBenet Ramsey case, absolutely no, we shouldn't just pick someone at random, but the police department and district attorney's offices should be held accountable for the errors that were made. In other words, heads should role there. So you not only wanted people on death row executed, but also people who were found innocent? You claim the opposite in your last paragraph. Should I be executed for pointing out these faults? No, I don't believe we should be executing people who were found innocent, but O J Simpson was not found innocent. He was found not guilty because the jury had reasonable doubt. Plus, some of the jurors said they walked into the case knowing they were going to aquit, so I absolutely believe he is guilty of murder. He was found guilty in a civil court for causing their deaths and ordered to pay $36,000,000, which he has not paid a dime of. And many people have had their death penalty overturned because they were 100% innocent and it took many years in many cases. One, I believe took 18 years before the death row inmate was proved to be 100% innocent. Would you care if he had been put to death for the crime he didn't commit so that you could have your "die and quickly" wish? No, I don't believe people who are innocent should be executed. I just believe with people who are convicted and there is no doubt they are guiltym they should be executed more quickly. And yes, I would very much care if someone who was innocent was put to death. But, our judicial system does work most of the time. 12 jurors are chosen from the community where the crime occurs, so people like myself and mousecrazy have just as much right to be on a jury as you do. I believe having the 12 people ends up making the jury balanced.

I have very mixed emotions about the death penalty, but I do think it should exist for the worst of the worst. I totally agree with Carole about the Darlie Routier case. She murdered her poor children and they didn't get to grow up and live nearly as long as she has. Back during the early 70's when the US did away with the death penalty, people like Charles Manson and his "family" had their death sentences reduced to life in prison. These people still get parole hearing approximately every 2 years. The scariest thing is they expect Leslie Van Houten to be released in the next few years. Did Sharon Tate or Abigail Folger get a chance to come back to life. What about that poor baby Susan Atkins wanted to cut out of Sharon Tate. These people are monsters and should have been executed years ago, but the families of these victims still have to attend parole hearings trying to keep them behind bars. And, I have to add a few more death penalty cases in here. Did Laci and Conner Peterson deserve to die so Scott Peterson could get out of the responsibilty of having a wife and child? They expect it to be at least 25 years before he's executed. That is a crime in itself. Her family and friends have to live with her death everyday and will have to know he is still alive probably after her parents are dead. Although he did not receive the death penalty, Gary Ridgeway should have received it. He killed more people than any other serial killer in US history. Do you think Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Timothy McVeigh should have had their sentences reduced? I would hope not! You also need to think about the cases that have never been solved, like the JonBenet Ramsey case, which by the way, the parents are no longer suspects. Just because the Boulder police department messed up the case, someone is walking free and has probably killed again. And the most notorius of all, O J Simpson. It should be a crime that he is playing golf everyday and not paying 1 penny to the familes of Nicole's and Ron's families. And this joke of a book he recently wrote, he was paid a million dollars for it, but he laundered the money through fake companies and will not have to pay a dime. Now that is injustice! What about the Karla Homolka and Paul Bernado case in Canada? Karla has been released from prison after helping her husband kill her sister so he could have sex with her, and many others. She is thought to be in the US with no supervision at all. That's scary! She should have at least had a stipulation in her release that she couldn't leave the country. We sure don't need her down here. The list goes on and on, but I think you get my point. Do I believe innocent people should be executed? Absolutely not, but I do think those who are guilty deserve to die and quickly. This man in Dallas had his death penalty over turned on technicalities. That in no way means he's innocent of the crime. His victim doesn't get a second chance, and neither should he! Joan

Hi Mattie, I am 50 right now and will be 51 on February 1st. I'm not banded yet, but I've seen my surgeon and am getting there on setting a surgery date! I've spent the past 25 years not dating or enjoying life at all. I'm looking forward to getting healthy and possibly finding someone to share my life with. I can't wait for the new me!

Like who? Joan