BethFromVA

If what you describe above is a civil union, then I guess I am for that. I believe two people should be able to determine those things that you list there (and probably more) without somebody else intervening and telling them they don't have the right to determine those things. I define marriage as one man and one woman, not otherwise related. And yes, my reasoning is religious in nature. Like I said, if my world changes around me, then it changes, and there's nothing I can do about that. But as for me, I can't support it with a vote for yes.

I see now what got modified in this post, and I guess I have to ask: Why is it if somebody doesn't believe in something, it automatically makes them homophobic? Or are you just speaking of some people? People can be anti- something and not be phobic.

Lapbandtalker, you don't want to mess around with that! I know it can be hard financially to get care when you either don't have insurance or insurance doesn't cover this or whatever your dilemma, but if it IS a slip, it can do permanent and dire damage to your stomach that is irreversible! PLEASE get in to see somebody. Your issues are not the norm, and I worry for you that you could end up with permanent damage which could have been avoided.

Kat, I don't know how hungry you are in the mornings (I usually am not, but I know I need to have something to get my metabolism going), but do you do protein shakes? That way you're not forcing food down when you're tight but still getting something in.

Oooh, my birthday too! July 22 is the best! I wish I could say I'd be anywhere near a 1-anything by then, but maybe I might be peeking in on onederland by then...

Omg, inch loss is fantastic! I've often said I wouldn't care if I was 300 pounds so long as I could fit into size 6 jeans.

This soon after surgery is your healing phase. Many doctors say not to expect any weight loss right now, but if you have some loss, you are ahead of the game. Your body is still recovering from surgery, may still have swelling and/or Fluid retention due to the IVs, etc. Don't get frustrated or discouraged yet. It WILL happen, and right now you just need to heal. Let things happen in their due time and you will be happy in short order.

And omg, how he responded to Miss California, calling her a "dumb bitch" on his blog. He's a piece of crap, pure and simple. Oh, and the weight gain thing? You're so right. And until recently, he was a fatso himself. Hypocrite.

I laughed out loud on this one!

You would be a doctor's you-know-what dream.

For me, I just can't support it. Like I said, I wouldn't riot in the streets or picket or anything if it passed, but when asked for my vote, I can't vote yes. It has nothing to do with how it may or may not/does or does not affect my marriage, it's just a moral conviction on my part, and I would stand by my conviction the same as she did. And I do agree here. I don't know why marriage has to determine who can visit whom in the hospital or how property gets disbursed if one were to die, etc. I believe two people living together should be able to legally and contractually determine that ahead of time, which then trumps any family wishes. They should have that right to determine things between themselves, and that should be able to be done legally.

No problem, Jachut. Thanks for clarifying.

My concern, Claire, is does your lapband doctor know what happened, or were you only dealing with an emergency room or hospital doctor? I can't tell from your post if the right doctor is treating you. A hospital doc won't know the details that your lapband doc will about what you need to do to not further harm yourself. And were you in the hospital all this time?? If so, that's a very long time! As for what the others said, they are a thousand percent right. You should not be experiencing less problems -- you should be experiencing NO problems.

You'll do great! But honestly, I think to some degree we ALL compare ourselves, and that can really hurt us. I know I've done it -- I look at somebody who either got banded near the time I did or look at how well somebody did in the same number of months and start doing the math... It's not good for us to do that because we aren't competing. I know you know this, but I just wanted to reiterate it. That's what I mean by it's a journey, and you correctly said it's YOUR journey. though it's not dieting, I find that I go through a lot of the same things as I do when dieting -- plateaus, temptations, etc. So even though it's different, a lot of the underlying issues are still there.

Sorry, I saw the word "bigot" and lost track of everything else that was said. My fault.

I have a Victory Vegas and just rode it for the first time today since last fall. Of course, I live in an area where it was put away for the winter (I'm still a fair-weather rider), but today felt good. Nothing strange or weird at all. And it felt nice fitting in my riding clothes so much better. Went from size 24 to 20 jeans, and my riding jacket (mesh with protective material) is LOOSE now, baby! Oh gosh, sorry! You already know how it feels. I didn't notice this thread began last year. *blush*

Nothing to bear with, we all do it. Sliders are fatty foods like cakes, ice cream, chips, etc., which are easily tolerated by most.

Any pounds lost during this phase is a bonus only. Don't stress it. And remember, this is a journey, not a race. That's what helped (and still helps) me.

Well, I just asked my Majik 8 Ball and I hafta tell ya... it's not looking good for you. Sorry.

Glad to hear that may be all it is, Susan! At least you're not talking another surgery just yet. Keep us updated.

That may be, Jachut, but it is how some believe. And they're entitled to have a nation the way they want it via voting, etc. I wholly believe that partners should have rights, legally and otherwise, to, say, visit their SO in the hospital, make legal decisions, own joint property, etc. I truly don't understand that, where people who have been together for years are then treated like a stranger if their loved one is in the hospital, for example. I have a great set of neighbors who lives right near us. They've been together as long as DH and I have. If gay marriage passed, I wouldn't riot in the streets or anything like that, but if ASKED via a vote, I could not in good conscious vote for it. It's my right to vote as I believe, and I won't be bullied by the PC police into doing otherwise. The last time I checked, I was entitled to vote with my conscience and believe what I believe.

Perez Hilton is a shameful little flit who is, what? Anybody? I have no idea what he is besides a bitter little gay man. I too am all for Miss California and how she stuck to her beliefs regardless of how one feels about the topic in general. People like Hilton ask one's opinion and when it's not the "RIGHT" opinion, chooses instead to show what pond scum he is and calls her derogatory names for giving an HONEST answer. I personally don't care what Hilton thinks of her answer at all. He had an agenda, and it blew up in his face. I believe more people are supporting her than him at this point.

There's a new format?? :thumbup:

I could tell. HEHEHE!! Lived there for 27 years myself, though people HERE seem to think they are in the south. lol

For me personally, it got ugly when we who choose not to announce it to the world were told we were socially and morally reprehensible and misleading. :thumbup: