BJean

Oops. Busted!

katir: Enjoyed your post. You made several important observations. I actually road a BMW semi once and believe me it was thrilling.

P.S. When I have a problem with gas, my port gets very uncomfortable and protrudes so far out that I have to press on it with my hand, sometimes for a half an hour at a time. You should speak with your doctor about it. You might find that you need something like Metamusil - a lot of people here at Lap Band Talk use it regularly.

Margi: Gas is one of the most painful parts of this whole experience. I haven't really been able to pinpoint specific triggers. I know for sure that overeating causes it, but that isn't the only thing. I think you should stick to your guns about finding an alternative food source. I was on a liquid diet for a while that was absolutely disgusting and it took years before I could look at another liquid supplement of any kind. The one I used (not everyday now) is absolutely great tasting. It's called Peak Nutrition and it is "bioengineered ion-exchange whey protein." I get it from my doc's office. However, I peeled off a sticker at the bottom of the container and found the manufacturer's website. It's simple: www.peaknutrition.com My dietician says it is the best on the market as far as the amount of protein it provides, with the exception perhaps of "Iosopure" which everyone says tastes terrible (although I haven't tried it.) Good luck getting this straightened out and I hope you have a good experience on the rest of your lapband journey.

Over there. Over there. Nothing like a good camp song.

Drewslou: I like Blake too. I was wondering if someone was going to bring him up as being one of the last ones standing. I think he has enormous potential. I wonder if he can write music as well as he performs?

P.S. Looks like your surgery date is coming up soon! Exciting stuff, Wenjea!

Wenjea: You're so right about Melinda's new haircut!!! Who knew something like that could make such a difference for her. I actually thought with the new style, she actually looks very attractive.

Wheet: not to debate the merits of sheets, but I used to think that anything above 400 was just silly and I had learned that some of the higher thread counts weren't exactly just that, but only a different way of calculating the threads so they could charge more for them. And I always chose the softer 400 count ones. Except recently I came across some at Yves Delorme that will melt your Cookies. They're the nicest I've ever found - they don't actually say that they have a satin finish, but that's what it feels like to me. I've always thought Egyptian cotton were deemed to be the best. What's the benefit of Pima over Egyptian? Inquiring minds need to know. Remember, over 1/3 of your life is spent in bed. Unless you're airwayman. :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: laurend, hot sheets... I thought that was just an expression! :heh:

Sounds like perhaps Jack agrees with me that addictive drugs should be legalized. Afterall, it is obvious that the laws we have that prohibit the sale and use of them aren't working either. We have laws so that citizens will have a set of rules to abide by that will keep people from infringing on others' rights. If we didn't have laws and consequences for breaking them, people without scruples would have no reason to care if they interfere with other people's lives in this society. If our laws aren't working, we need to take a good look at them and figure out why they aren't accomplishing the goals for which they were written. Just because laws aren't working doesn't necessarily mean that NO LAWS for a particular activity that harms other people, is the answer. Even with the question of (currently) illegal drugs, some rules would need to apply if society chose to legalize their use. Just like guns. Some rules need to apply for the protection of society. Maybe not the rules we have on the books now, but we must figure out what guidelines and rules WILL deter mass murderers and other people who commit crimes with guns. Guns are quite lethal, that's why they're able to be used quickly and efficiently to harm others, before the perpetrator can be stopped. That is what makes guns such a huge problem. With that huge problem comes a responsibility for the government to do all that is possible (short of banning them altogther) to deter the use of guns in crimes. If no laws work, then we may collectively come to the decision that for the benefit of society, all guns must be banned. Although frankly, I have little hope for that solving the problem and I dislike government removing yet another one of our freedoms. BTW Jack, I tried to edit my post to not read from "...assassinations committed by guns..." to read, "...assassinations committed WITH guns." However the program wouldn't let me undo my initial posting. I quite understand the distinction and I also understand that gun lovers tend to use the stupid argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." DUH! People don't kill people with bullets unless a gun is employed. Guns are instruments of death; intentional death or accidental death at the hands of the people who employ their use. Drugs can be instruments of death as well. Let's face it, unless a person is involved, drugs are generally harmless. Like a gun. But the harm from illegal drugs is so bad, we've tried to protect society from them. Drugs don't kill people, people kill people. Why don't you hear that argument for legalizing drugs?

Jordin definitely IS the complete package. I'm afraid Melinda is lacking something, hummm what is it??? Oh yeah, it's a neck. Just kidding!!!!! I would be very happy if Melinda won. I think she's extremely cool. I think Jordin could give any of the former Idols a run for their money.

airwayman: sounds like the voice of experience talking... :paranoid Green: not to one up you or anything, but my current best new set is made with 600 thread count Egyptian cotton and has a satin finish. Very luxurious. They must be washed in cold Water with a delicate detergent though. Very easy on the knees. I'll never go back to those stiff ones that leave marks on you after a night of super-hydration. :heh: :heh: :heh: I said stiff.

DynamoMini: Don't worry about what anyone else says, listen to your own doctor! Especially if you're doing well. Perhaps he is more experienced and knows that there is no need to have us do all the protein shakes for so long. I actually didn't do them pre-op either. I did the low-carb, high protein routine too. I was very slow to eat much after the surgery. I just wasn't hungry anyway so it wasn't difficult at all. I certainly did wind up needing more by the time I was allowed mushies. Got real tired of sugar free jello!

I agree with teacher!

I'm guessing you're counting the days pre-surgery as part of your liquid diet?

This is really fun and uplifting, but I have to run. Thanks for keeping things civil. I certainly respect that.

A fetus isn't a self yet. Sorry, that's a fact. I suppose if the medical profession came up with the ability to grow a fertilized egg into a living breathing human being, you'd want those women with an unwanted pregnancy to submit to withdrawal of the fertilized egg and grow them to term and then have them be wards of the state? I do not believe that the government should be involved in people's right to take drugs. It hasn't worked thus far, has it?

Ah but if there WERE a medical condition that would endanger her life, it wouldn't really matter to you would it? You're completely for making abortions illegal, aren't you? I mean it's obvious that a fetus has more value to you than an adult woman. I get that. But I just don't get it. Anyway rest assured, you don't have to bother trying to convince me, I will NEVER get it. I told myself I would not go here again. But I got sucked back in. It's a sad, sad argument. The saddest part is that we are actually having to have this discussion again in my lifetime, thanks to the Republican party and George W. Bush. His mamma sure didn't bring him up right, did she? She believe a woman has a right to choose. At least that's what she said many moons ago. I haven't had a recent update (since her boy has been in office.) I can't imagine her being vocal about it as long as he's president.

Oops. Goofed again. I told myself to let the women's rights thing go. You obviously feel so strongly about it that nothing I say can make you understand why no one should pass a law saying that the government has the right to make decisions about what goes on inside her uterus.

That last sentence wasn't made with the intention of hatefulness. I am just really trying to understand how people think it's okay to inject themselves in a decision about a women's uterus and that they think it is a sin to kill an innocent fetus, but that it's okay to kill anyone else who may threaten them. It seems like a double standard to me. You love babies, but you don't have compassion or understanding for people with troubled minds or souls. Don't you know that an unwanted pregnancy can be just as much a threat to a woman's life as a criminal with a gun pointed to her head?

My son and DIL lived right in LA during the riots. After that, my son went out and purchased a number of guns, took lots of target practice and bought a huge commercial safe for the guns. I only hope that he doesn't actually kill someone someday. I don't want his family to be victimized by gun-totin' criminals, but I know how much it would change his life if he actually killed a human being. I just wonder if it's more likely that someone they know and love will be one day shot with one of his guns or if it is more likely that they will have a criminal intruder and need to protect themselves? I guess that's why you aren't worried about the stats. You don't want to take any chance that you won't be able to kill someone who is a threat to your family. I understand. You don't believe in killing babies in utero, but you do believe in killing.

I guess I'm not sure why you made the comment about statistics being immaterial to you. The number of killings that those two snipers committed in Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia is a statistic. The number of assassinations and attempted assassinations committed by guns in the U.S. is a statistic. The number of assaults and deaths committed in Waco is a statistic. The number of killings and injuries in Blacksburg are cited as statistics. Do you think that those statistics have nothing to do with the way guns are purchased and used in this country? I doubt very seriously if the individuals who committed those crimes were unschooled in the use of firearms.

I'm talking about the statistics as they relate to gun use. What you're saying about training having a causal effect on proper usage of a gun seem to make perfect sense. Unfortunately I don't think you have to have training and qualify to pass a test on proper usage and storage in order to buy a gun. The consequences of using a gun improperly are extremely bad. (If one considers being shot and suffering injury and/or death to be bad.) I don't blame honest, well-trained gun enthusiasts for not wanting additional laws passed for gun ownership. However I believe the laws on the books that aren't being enforced are not being enforced because they may be badly written laws or impractical laws that were enacted because of knee-jerk reactions to things like the horrific Blacksburg incident. What we need are better laws that actually protect people from improper and inappropriate use of firearms. I don't believe we should take away the rights of Americans to own guns, but there are too many accidental shootings and there are too many cases of nut-balls committing heinous crimes with guns. (understatement)

I don't become legless, but I do tend to do some knee-walking. At least I think that's how I get the rug burns.

Carlene: You're very sweet and you're being very generous. Nice to see under the circumstances. It can be very frustrating to watch people embrace things that they hope are true even when those things are not supported by facts. I've been guilty of jumping on the wrong bandwagon too. But there are so many myths going around about Social Security. It's been going on practically my entire lifetime. Everytime a Republican takes office they use Social Security to try to incite their constituents. If they were serious about SS reform, they wouldn't tell people that putting Social Security money back in the taxpayers hands for them to invest, is a viable answer. It's a political gambit.