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Topic: Update On Stacy
hello all,
I just wanted to let you all know that Stacy is on her 3rd chemo treatment. She lost all of her hair this weekend and its been hard on her. Thank you to all who are asking about her. I wanted to let you know since I posted when she found out. Hopefully, in a while, I can post that the chemo was successful and she's going to be ok.
take care
willby
Topic: RE: Christmas
Christmas in my family is all about the gifts and the food. I get to see family I only see once a year. I go to parties and eat and drink. I am even staying off the pain meds this weekend(or trying too) so I can have a ****tail. We are slaves to marketing I am afraid. Matt and I are not exchanging gifts as I am currently out of work. No one in my immediately family is religious, so our holiday is not about that at all. It is about Santa for the kids as well. I do not have children though. I belong to a group of child free couples *****ally do not celebrate all that much. I think as we age, that will be us. Once my nieces are grown I am sure it will be different.
Oh, a 23 year old loses his leather coat by getting drunk and leaving it at the bar. Pretty standard behavior really. He shure would be buying his own coats from now on.
Happy Holidays!
Terri
Topic: RE: Christmas
Hi Barb!!
I haven't ever posted on this board but I read often and identify with the posts.
I can totally relate to you on being slaves to the marketing and mass consumerism. I hate it! Especially all the advertisments about what to get your mailman, UPS guy, teacher, blah blah blah. Hurry, buy now! Sale ends soon! Ugh.
Usually my Mom buys me and my siblings (I'm 24, my brother is 25, my sisters are 16 and 13) a lot of stuff, she says she spends about $500 per kid every Christmas. This year she opened up a savings account for my son's college fund, and is getting only one gift per person. She said that the money she would have spent on each of us, she is donating to the local food bank.
And I usually buy lots of presents for my son, who is now 6. This year it has felt like the mass marketing and advertising were just so overwhelming and way too pushy so I feel like Christmas is being turned into something it is not: making the rich richer and consumerism. It is supposed to be about spending time with your family and having fun, IMO.
So this year I am only getting him a few things, and I am concentrating more on the traditions of baking cookies and a nice ham dinner, decorating the tree, and driving to look at lights.
We do celebrate Christmas even though we don't believe in God and we are not religous at all, but we celebrate it because it is fun to have a Christmas tree and lights up, and having a nice family dinner is fun. Plus the whole Santa Claus thing too, I wouldn't want my son to miss out on that childhood experience. But we don't involve any of the religous aspects in our celebrating. Last year we went to a neighbor's house for Xmas eve dinner and they were constantly praying and singing "happy birthday jesus" oh my was that uncomfortable. Needless to say we aren't going back there, just as they wouldn't want to come to our house because we don't do any of that stuff.
OK I think I rambled enough lol!
Tiffany
Topic: Christmas
Although both my husband and I are Atheists and have never raised our children to be religious we still observe the Christmas ritual of exchanging presents and having a nice dinner. I put up a tree and trim it, send out cards and buy gifts for close friends and relatives. This year, I've really cut back. Since my children are 15, 19, 23 and 29; I've decided not to go broke this year. We used to spend close to $3000.00 each year. No kidding, we were slaves to marketing and mass consumerism. Of course if you ask me what that money was spent on, I couldn't tell you. I look in my kids rooms and I don't see a thing I've given them from years past. For the past two Christmas's (What is the plural of that resident editor?), I've given my 23 year old a leather car coat. He's managed to lose both of them. How does a 23 year old lose a coat? An expensive coat? I was a mother at 23, in the army at 23, in charge of people and millions of dollars of equipment at 23!!! ggrrrrrr. So aside from my 15 year old, I resolved to spend no more than 300 on each kid. That's it. So far I've stuck to it. I've chosen one nice thing that will last long after I'm dead and they can pass on to their kids, a couple of items of clothing, a few stocking stuffers and that is it.
Do any of you observe this holiday? Do your kids drive you crazy also? LOL
Topic: RE: Have a found a new place to hang my hat?
Welcome Karen, glad you found us. Congrats on the weight loss. It took me a while to finally admit I was an Athiest. The journey is short, long or never finished for many of us.
Barb B.
Topic: Have a found a new place to hang my hat?
Hello, I was surfing and thought I'd drop in. . . I spend a lot of time on the "Over Fifty Forum." It meets a lot of my needs and is a diverse group with lots of discussion and many different views. I don't have a problem with that. I find it stimulating as it takes all kinds of people to make a world. However, I guess I would have to call myself a "closet" agnostic. I talk about my views to people that I care about, but keep my mouth shut around ones who tend to feel sorry for anyone who hasn't seen the light. I was raised in a strict religious environment. From that I got lots of guilt trips and grew to feel that if it felt good it must be wrong. So here I am at 56 still trying to figure things out. When I went to OA many years ago I had trouble with the higher power thing. Just couldn't get beyond it tho "they" said my higher power could be anything I wanted it to be. . . Just couldn't see how that would work better than me taking responsibility. . .tho for many years I didn't. I guess I'm still too afraid to say there is no God, but I sure haven't seen any evidence such as a burning bush. I know people who claim to have had such an experience. For me, for now, that hasn't happened and I'm seeking meaning to my life. On 2/16/05 I had Lap Rny. I weighed 377, now weigh 216 and am so much healthier and happier in this new old body. I continue to work my program, and try to find healthy ways to live my life and to cope with life's adventures. I'm exercising much more, actually telling people how I feel about things, (shocks the h-e-double toothpicks out of them). Thanks for sharing and for listening. I have a feeling that I'll be back often. Karen
Topic: RE: An UGH!!! for the day.
HI There, I was surfing along. . . and found you all. I spend a lot of time on the "Over Fifty Forum". It's a great group, with many diverse people. Hence lots of good conversation with many differing opinions. A bit about me. Lap Rny 2/16/05. Started at 377, now at 216. So much happier and healthier than this time last year. Raised southern Baptist, but it never quite "took." Remember holding up my hand at age 7 when asked who wanted to be saved? However, never had that "seeing the burning bush" feeling. Had problems with the 12 steps OA program when trying to seek a higher power to turn things over to. Tho they said "a higher power can be anything you want it to be" I still got the feeling it needed to be "God." So . . . I stumble along. Not positive there is nothing beyond me. I would classify myself as an agnosti****il I have one of those "in my face" spiritual awakenings and I'm not holding my breath for that. I'm searching for meaning. I've enjoyed reading the posts tonight. I'll come back. Karen
Topic: RE: Made it through the Panniculectomy!
Thanks for the envy! My own thin sister said she was jeolous and that made my day!
I estimate it would be about the same as the WLS surgery as it took just as much time, same surgeon, and same hospital stay. My WLS was $28,000. I think this one may be a little less as there was less testing after.
Topic: RE: Made it through the Panniculectomy!
Terri,
I am so happy for you!!!! Also envious. Even at my thinnest I still had a belly. Is it rude to ask the cost if insurance doesn't pay?
Barb
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