BJean

Reminds me of the time in Norfolk, VA, when I was at a bakery picking up my son's birthday cake... a woman stormed in and demanded to be waited on because she was running late. Seems she was in some way affiliated with a church that was having an event for an outgoing priest. The clerk was a little rattled by the interloper's behavior. I said I didn't mind waiting so the clerk excused herself and went to the back to check on the church lady's cake.
She was gone longer than it should have taken and when she came back, she sheepishly said that she was very sorry but the cake wasn't ready yet. The church lady exploded. She ranted and raved and screamed and hollered, ending with the statement that they would never get the church's business again. The baker in the back room heard all the fuss, came from the back and stepped up to the counter. He said, "Mrs. Blake, I am sorry that you are running behind, but the cake was not promised until 11 AM and it is only 10 AM now. Could you please come back in about 20 minutes and I'll have it ready for you."
Well no, that wasn't good enough for the church lady. As soon as the baker returned to the kitchen, she started reaming the clerk's arse again. I couldn't stand it anymore. I stepped between her pointed finger and the clerk and told her that she was being very rude and that she should not take her frustration out on the clerk and that she should calm down.
Oh boy! She threw up both her hands and looked at me and screamed, "This is none of your business and you need to butt out!!" I stared her straight in the eye and said, "Lady, you are very, very ugly. If I were the owner, I would throw you out of my store."
That did shut her up. She stormed out saying that she'd be back in 20 minutes. I picked up my cake from the shaking clerk and went on my way.
The next time I went in the bakery about a week later, the clerk yelled into the back room and the baker and 2 other people came out. She told them, "This is the lady that took up for me when Mrs. Blake was here!" They all 4 gave me a round of applause and big thank yous. It was a very rewarding experience. My cake that day was on the house. :whoo:

Hard to relate, I'm afraid. But isn't pot an appetite stimulant? And what the people said above, about smoking hindering blood flow and lung capacity is something you should be concerned about. If I were you, I would definitely tell my doctor about your habit. It is something that your anesthesiologist should be aware of too. And smoking can cause you to heal slower and I haven't heard a thing about there being a difference between nicotine and weed in that regard.
Or you can just pretend you don't have that habit and throw caution to the wind and hope that you don't get into some life threatening situation that your medical staff has no idea what they're up against. Nah. That would just be foolhardy.

Going through it is usually the only way you can understand it. People always say they'd never forgive a spouse that has sex with someone else, no matter what the circumstances. I'm here to tell you that couples can get past the sexual transgression, it's the intimate psychological connection that busts us up.
Hope you're doing okay, dude. I miss reading your posts and your rapier wit.

I'm curious. Are you deaf and dumb or just stupid?
You've posted a lot of the usual lies and misdemeanors perpetrated by the tea baggers, fox hounds and limbaugh lug head, but this is genuinely ridiculous.
The biggest shame going on this country is the derision, discontent and outright blind obedience to the right wing extremist rethoric of those who are unable to broaden their media horizons beyond the Rupurt Murdoch machinery. Buck up kiddos, do think hard about how your leaders have impossibly stalemated themselves into a corner and standing in the way of America's rebuilding. Any way you look at it, you lose unless you try to understand and work with your president and leaders in some kind of conciliatory manner.
We won the elections and until things turn, you're stuck with us. We disagreed with nearly everything Bush had to say but we worked with the idiot as best we could. We complained but we didn't refuse to do what we could to make this country safe and better for everyone. They sold us down the river and we kicked the bums out - why are you nut balls thinking that you're the majority who knows best. You had your chance and you blew it big time.
And unfortunately you continue to blow it with comments like yours above.

Btw, Sunshine, our bodies have become very efficient at saving calories. I am not sure if it is from all the dieting we've done as obese people or if we're just built that way. But sometimes it helps to trick your metabolism by eating a little more (not at one sitting) one day than what you are normally eating. It often works if you've cut your calories drastically and you're not cheating at all - and you know for certain that your calorie intake is a whole lot less than you were ingesting before surgery. Just try eating more calories one day and I'd be willing to bet you'll see a weight loss on your scale the very next day.
And if you're still having a problem and you know that you are following your doctor's plan, have someone hide your scales. Don't weigh for a month. That's hard to do, but I promise that you'll lose in a month - and it won't be just a pound or 2 - and you'll be happy with the speed you're losing overall.
Also, you might be surprised to learn that all these weight loss tickers can show lbs lost that were actually taken off right before the surgery and some people don't have any more weight lost since surgery than you do in the same amount of time.
Don't lose heart. I've been experiencing some scary thoughts myself and have had several people reassure me too so try not to be hard on yourself, try to enjoy the ride.
Oh yeah, and another thing is that if anybody is having any hunger (head or otherwise) are you drinking caffeine? Cut out the caffeine - it's an appetite stimulant and even worse, my dietician (and others on this site) says it can interfere with absorbtion of nutrients.

ouroborus I was asking because of a post by Lisalu, above. She seemed to think that there was a risk of getting the sleeve because of developing ulcers that ultimately lead to cancer. I don't know where she got that information. I had not heard that anywhere else. But I am not a researcher. More of a dingbat really. :-)
I am please to read Dr. Jossart's reply and yours. And I totally get what you're saying about the risks of being obese.
Thanks for the info!!

He also tells us that we shouldn't speak about our beliefs loudly to others.

I really enjoyed all three David Cook's performances. You just can't take it away from Archuleta though. The boy has some pipes. I hope someone gets 'hold of him and helps him create a better image.
I wouldn't be surprised if David C. threw it so that he could be more independent, however isn't he going to be under the thumb of American Idol anyway? I mean once they agree to the terms and conditions in order to compete, they're committed to the tour, etc., and I would imagine that Idol gets part of the take of anything they wind up recording for a certain period of time.
My DS used to be in the rock 'n roll biz and the powers that be are very, very adept at keeping most of the money. The artist is so thrilled to be able to perform, they wind up signing away lots of stuff that bands used to automatically get. It is a very tough business.

I'm unfamiliar with their suggested method of discipline. If you have a moment, enlighten me.

Well any discussion that poses a question about fear and a personal belief is bound to wind up in an argument.
I understand how infuriating it is to be accused of saying stuff that you haven't said and I also know how irritating it is to be accused of directing your words at a specific participant when you haven't singled any one person out.
Some people are just very personally affected by what people post and that's why so much of the time any topic that is political and/or religious is going to digress into some kind of p$$ing on someone else's punkin' contest.
I am delighted that I, for once, am not at the center of it and catching the wrath of those who are holier than thou. But it's fun reading - ya'll keep it up. Wish we had a smiley icon with a halo so I could use it now. :thumbdown:

Abuse in any form is bad. I think this has been a great forum. I have read lots of very interesting stories and different perspectives.
I have always thought that parents should have the right to educate and discipline their children by their own set of rules. I've also observed so much abuse, both physical and emotional, that I wonder what we as a society are going to do to help the children and stop the horrendous cycle of abuse.
You all are giving me some hope that it can be done without laws that interfere with parental rights.
It has many of the same pros and cons as the question of gun control, doesn't it?

luluc: That was one of the most heart warming stories I've ever heard! You're married to a prince. My guess is he isn't perfect, but the man has a heart as big as outdoors! He's a keeper!
I hear about cats sleeping with you and having several in the house and I sneeze just thinking about it. We had 2 cats, Mamie and Cecil, and I loved them, but I just couldn't have them on me for very long because I'd start sneezing and tearing up and rubbing my eyes and nose. Our DD took them when she went to college.
We now have 2 miniature schnauzers. Maggie and Sophie. Yep, they're yappy. But they're fantastic pets. Brilliant and non-allergenic and affectionate and did I mention brilliant? I get tired of them freaking out every time someone walks by or comes to the door but I'm thankful that people know there are dogs inside my house that will protect me. We have a very safe neighborhood, but you never know..... right?

Karey: You've been busy all your life doing things for others. Raising your children, looking after your husband's needs, your philanthropic missions, etc. Now you've turned 53 and you're realizing that life is rushing by at an unbelievable clip and you don't have a whole lot of time life to be well, HOT and SEXY and the exciting beautiful woman that you've always wanted to be. When's it going to happen if not now? You've worked very hard at losing weight. You've had some cosmetic procedures done and you see what some work can do for you. It feels good to take the bull by the horns and do some things that make you feel and look younger and more beautiful. And yes, beauty is skin deep and we know it, but that doesn't mean we should be happy with this aging process. It can be selfish to fight it if the family sacrifices for your choices, but you have sacrificed for them for years. It is your turn.
I am not suggesting that you pursue plastic surgery until you turn into catwoman or Michael Jackson, but a nip and tuck here and there and a little skin rejuvenation isn't being obsessive.
My suggestion is that you get a plan in place for what you feel you need. Focus on doing those things and continue to look at before and after pix. Have a goal date set for when those things will be accomplished, including the healing process. Then work toward that goal and when you reach it, get on with your life. Plan what you're going to do when those things are done. Stick with the before and after plan.
It is a good thing to take care of yourself and to have pride in your appearance. When you've gained a lot of weight over the years, your looks have taken a back seat to everything else. You've probably spent a lot of time avoiding mirrors and cameras. Well now that you've lost weight and your kids are grown, get back into enjoying being YOU! You don't have to be the most voluptuous woman on the planet, just a woman who is busy enjoying her life to the fullest extent. Make a plan. Go over the plan with your mate and get his support. And in fairness to him and yourself, stick to that plan and then go forward without so much thought devoted to your appearance. Just enjoy the fruits of your labor and seduce your man on a regular basis as a reward for his support. It'll be great!!

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.