BethFromVA

The stalker got away (Monkey, I WILL get you!). Welcome, new playpen person!

BJean, instead of continually being an infantile bitch, can you explain how we're going to PAY FOR THIS on top of all the other debt we have and continue to incur? You wonder why no dialogue can occur, but look how you act! I put out some legitimate concerns, some sincere thoughts, and you act like a fucking kindergartener. I guess that's the left's answer to everything. You can't answer the hard questions, so you act like a child. Way to go. And you're OLDER than me? Good lord, woman, you are mentally regressed. Very sad.

The system is financially unsustainable. Resources will be scarce. When that happens, they will HAVE to ration healthcare. There is no other way around it. When that happens, the ill, the elderly, and the very young will be deemed not worthy of care because the return on the investment won't be worthwhile. I don't think Obama wants to kill grandma -- I just believe that once they've taken over and the unsustainability of it becomes obvious, they will HAVE to make decisions such as this. It is simply history repeating itself. How is it that we will do it any differently than Nazi Germany did 60-some years ago? It began with the devaluing of the marc back then (just like the devaluing of the dollar) by an increase in printing more money (just like what is going on now). The other factor we have working against us now is all these bailouts, owning car manufacturers, banks, and mortgages. WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM?? Medicaid was expected to cost $9 billion by 1990, but unstead it cost $66 billion. Given the trend that the government has CONSISTENTLY SHOWN of underbudgeting and overspending, what will this $1.3 trillion really amount to?? I say it will absolutely amount to a number we can't cover if ever single taxpayer dollar goes into the system. That said, something's gotta give. What's it going to be? HOW are we going to pay for this, especially on top of all the OTHER debt this and prior administrations have racked up? Can ANYBODY answer that? It tells me the one way they can cut costs is by cutting those who are deemed not valuable enough to receive care. We already devalue life in this country. It's not a far stretch to devalue it to the point of believing that certain people need to give of themselves for the greater good of the whole. Those people will be the very young, the very old, and the very old/infirm/handicapped.

They warned me not to tell you. And they also told me to tell you that you need Teflon, not aluminum foil.

I only hear voices. And they tell me to do things.

Chiner? Wow, you wus REEL hungee, wuzn't you?

DAY-am, you's lookin GOOD! And I'm not even homersexual!

As much as you can shove in you. You wanna really TEST the pouch.

She always shows me up, saying what I say almost exactly... except without the snark... and the disdain... or the F word. But other than that, it's EXACTLY THE SAME.

Nothing to worry about. Just don't watch America's Most Wanted for a while. No reason.

Catherine, if you're feeling indigestion, you MAY have slipped your band. I would call your doc.

As your "after"? Sure! Why not!

Brittany, it's more than simply slipping up like on a diet. The liquids phase is for healing, and it keeps the stomach from churning like it typically does to digest food. If you eat too soon, you could slip your band -- today, next week, next year -- due to its inability to heal right. Just giving you info to hopefully help you make the right choices.

I've had two mojitos and I'm trying to cut fabric for a sewing project. Thinkin' that's a bad idea.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

By the way, Monkey, you've done a fantabulous job thus far. Of course you know we hate you now, right? And by "we" I mean me. Beotch...

Shoot, she wrote the book. She's my hero. I think I love her.

Well, and that was my hope -- that it would speak to those other than the naysayers who thought I was being mean by not saying how fine it was to cheat. That SOME out there would read this and think twice because of the information behind it. But you and I both know that all too often, people WOULD rather smile and wave as somebody else walks over the edge of a cliff because, let's be honest, we are all about the PCism of life rather than dealing in reality. It's better to be nice -- and WRONG -- than to be "mean" -- and honest.

Now Monkey, don't be mean. But I have to wonder: With as often as I read this type of thing (cheating), are the patients that uninformed OR is it simply doing what one wants? OR are the surgeons not telling their patients what's going on? Very alarming how many don't seem to know (or care) what they should NOT be doing.

You'n me both. Mom said I started talking by 9 months and never quit. Dunno... would they do anything about her? What is not good for her is copyright infringement where those photos are concerned, especially since that Erika gal is a professional.

I'm sorry to hear that. I thought maybe something recent happened with the switch to no avi (your choice, not saying anything about it). And if it makes you feel better, you were plenty fat enough. Wait...

Lu, did something specific happen?

I totally understand, Lu, and it's a very personal decision. I have not posted photos either, and I don't know if I will (though I have through my blog, which is linked here, so...). But still, I have had a female stalker online as well and try to keep on the down-low to some degree myself, though I'm not horribly careful. But I find it very... odd... to post photos of some model as yourself! Hey, if you don't want to post photos of yourself, that's one thing, but to post photos of a model and say it's you?? That's... well, that's just plain weird. I've never spoken with her and had stumbled across her pics a couple weeks ago (whenever she posted them) and commented about how great she looked! Had "Speck" not posted what she did, this girl would have perpetuated this lie. And if her weight loss stats are in question too (based on some info from others), then it makes me wonder... what gives? What's her intent? Very strange.

"Speck" called her out on it here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/before-after-lap-band-surgery-pictures-only-4642/index111.html

The before and after thread -- somebody got popped for posting pictures of "herself" afterwards and it is, in fact, a model (MySpace link here: MySpace - Erika Garza *La Huerquilla* - 69 - Female - L.A., Nuevo Leon's Finest, WORLD-WIDE, California - myspace.com/huerquilla ) She goes by Sexylips. If you check her albums, her photos are of this Erika woman. Numerous photos. Very bizarre indeed. Some people are also now finding discrepancies in the weight loss info she has provided, as if she lost 60-something in the first year and then 75 pounds just since March or something.