Effexor I took that for 5 years and

If a person hasn't had a period in 13 years, doesn't that [2008-07-01]
My money is riding on the tumor theory posted below.

drinking for 2 years is not trying it out [2008-06-30]
Your daughter is headed down the wrong path. If she Apparently, both of these new habits fit and she The fact that she says she feels relieved not having to hide it anymore is a sure sign she has no intention of quitting. I strongly urge you to discipline her. Children need discipline. She may hate you for it now, but your job is to be her mother, not her friend. Both of these habits carry dire consequence over the long-term (which I Yes, I tried alcohol and cigarettes when I was 16 (no drugs) but only a couple of times. To this day, I still don When my mom/dad found out what I was doing, I was severely disciplined - grounded, spanked (yes I said spanked at 16), and was stripped of any privileges. This definitely deterred me from participating in these things after I was allowed to resume a normal life. This may sound harsh, but I I intend to do the same with my children. I think that's the problem with a lot of today's youth -- they're parents are too worried about being their friend, instead of doing their job as a parent.

What I have done for years and it works - sm [2008-06-26]
I have an alert with all 3 credit reporting agencies. You do have to keep it in place by calling every 3 months, but it DOES work because I tested it by applying for new credit and the store said they had to call a phone number (mine) to verify it. Sorry this happened to you.

2 years? How did you come up with this? [2008-06-23]
Isoon. Can you back up what you're saying?

MI's been in it's own one-state recession for years [2008-06-18]
All forgotten here. Rumor has it MI was once a super-power, but not in my life-time. Boarded up, gravitti-ridden, poverty-stricken. Highest in unemployment, top-ten in foreclosures, top-ten in high gas prices. Our warted governor certainly is not spending our tax dollars wisely. My only salvation has been to not get in over my head.I drive a $700 car and bought my house for 13K. Gotta love the clean beaches, too.

How your likes changed much over the years? [2008-06-16]
It depends on what age range, 15-20, 21-25, 26-30 etc... like every five years, in regards to anything.

I did 2 years ago. BEST decision I ever made for myself. [2008-06-04]
I was 44 when I had the surgery. I went from a 36 DDD/E to a 36 B/C, and I'm ridiculously happy about it. No more aching back. The grooves in my shoulders are almost gone. Clothes fit, and I am much more active, so I generally feel better. I had my surgery as an outpatient. Surgery was at 8:00 a.m. and by 3:30 I was home. I won't lie to you. It was pretty painful immediately afterwards, but that's what meds are for. These are extensive incisions with layers of stitches and staples. You have to expect pain. I also had an On-Q pump for pain medication. But to be honest, I really don't think that helped all that much. I was part of a study for that, and I know that our hospital has recently stopped using it. I guess the feedback wasn't very positive. Mostly, I took Percocet for about a week. I had drains on both sides, and the pain was MUCH better once those were removed about 3 days after surgery. So the worst of the pain was during the first three postop days. After that, I was usually pretty good during the day with just Tylenol and an occasional Percocet. I did take the Percocet at night. Sleeping was tough for a while because positioning comfortably was difficult. After the drains were removed and then all of the staples and sutures (about a week), I was up and out of the house and doing my normal activities. I just wasn't doing anything high impact. A month after the surgery, I did a slow but steady 8-mile hike with a daypack on and even camped in my tent and slept on the ground for two nights. I was fine. Not absolutely pain-free, but active and happy and looking great. I gotta tell ya! To be 46 and have perky breasts makes me smile. My scarring isn't bad at all. (Thank you Mederma!) But I never planned to do a layout for Playboy, so a few red lines under my clothes don't bother me at all, especially because I'm able to walk about without a bra, if I really want to. :) The pain is just a distant memory now, and soooo worth it. My plastic surgeon told me that breast reduction surgery receives the most positive feedback from patients, more than any other plastic surgery procedure. I can't remember the exact figure, but something like 95% of women say they are pleased they had the surgery and are happy with the results.

Almost 2 years. Problem has sometimes improved slightly, [2008-06-02]
.

Yes, yes!! for years...sm [2008-05-29]
I thought I was the only one! For years iprefers the couch although most of the time I find him sprawled across the floor when I get up in the mornings. I also cook, clean, work 2 jobs, take care of the kids, etc. He travels and is gone during the week so you would think when he came home on weekends that he would want some - not so. ho hum...

I started this at age 19 -- 25 years ago [2008-05-24]
I don So many companies, so many lines. My advise: Break it up, work two hours, then take a bubble bath. Work two more and then go to the beach. Get the kid to bed, then type two more. It Realize that we are free from people, no boss breathing down your neck, free to go on field trips, free to take a nap in the middle of the day if we so choose. We The best thing about this mundane, tedious job is the freedom.

Effexor works wonders for me...sm [2008-05-21]
I I have chronic depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and social anxiety disorder.Effexor pretty much cures all of these things for me. It was only prescribed to me for itplus. It hasnor lose weight, so no problem there. Now, Effexor was not the 1st antidepressant I tried. There were others that seemed to workedfor me but the side effects (constant headache, stomache ache, drowsiness, insomnia or what have you) were too much to deal with. After trying many over the years, Effexor is the one that works the best for me. I have heard that Effexoris awful to stop though, and I believe it. I take it at night because it makes me drowsy and if I ever forget to take it - woo boy! I wake up feeling practically like I have a hangover (very dizzy and groggy) and I have to take it right away.Ido worry about the long-term effects of it, but it helps me so much I don Now ~Wellbutrin~ on the other hand, made me feel like I was going to die after just one dose! (See my post about in on the Mental Health board here.) I wouldn So, everyone is different. It can be very long, tough process of trial and error finding the med. that works best for you, but it can make a big, positivedifference in your life if you can find one that works well for you, whether you just take it for a little while or (like me) long-term.

Stay away from Effexor --- Run from it!!! [2008-05-20]
A little background history: I am married and had just had my third child 6 months before this. I was juggling 1 PT office job, 1 PT MT job at home, and 1 per diem job in a clinic 2-3 days a week. I felt overwhelmed dealing with my 3 jobs and my 3 kids, then ages 5, 2-1/2 and 6 months. I went to my doctor and told her about my stress and the mood swings especially during my period. I was started on Effexor 5 years ago this month. At first, I was kind of afraid of it and didn After taking it a week or 2, I decided to stop. I just quit taking it cold turkey. About 24 hours after my last dose, the problems started. First the awful headache came and then the lightheadedness and vomiting. I immediately took one and lied down for the rest of the evening. I decided I would just stay on them until my next doctor Several months later, when I saw my doctor again, she asked how it was going and I said fine. I decided to stay on them, thinking I needed them. After a couple of years of being on Effexor, I began to notice breakouts of acne on my face. I I mean serious almost bullous-like breakouts on my face continuously. Now I had never had acne in high school or after that until now. I also gained about 50 pounds, probably partly my fault, but a lot of blogs I read also noted this. But most concerning were the brain tingles I felt at odd times. At any rate, after 5 years of being on it, I was ready to stop. I began to realize that my problems couldn't be solved by a pill and that I needed to change myself and the way I dealt with stress (I'm not suggesting that's what you need to do). Remembering the problem I had initially when I tried to stop the Effexor, I scheduled a visit with my doctor. She gave me a taper and I started it. At first, I was okay -- just taking it once a day every 2 days and then skipping a day. But when I was supposed to take it just every other day, I noticed the same problems - headaches, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting. I called my doctor back and she suggested a slower taper again. We tried with no success. After much research on the internet, I asked my doctor to prescribe a single dose of Prozac to counteract the withdrawal effects. After a lot of discussion, she agreed to do so. I took my last Effexor on December 18, 2007, and I will never, ever, ever take that medication again. I also will never take another medication without fully knowing the side effects as well as the withdrawal process of it. I strongly urge you to research any drug your doctor prescribes fully before beginning it. I wish I had. I only hope there are no long-term side effects of Effexor that have yet to be unveiled.

Not only that, but a few years back the USPS sm [2008-05-09]
sponsored the Tour DE France and was a MAJOR advertiser spending MILLIONS of tax payer dollars to advertise. Who the he** doesn't know who the USPS is? That ticked me off. I know: Try NOT advertising and pass some of the savings on to the consumer!!

Effexor caused strange buzzing feelings in my head when trying to stop it nm [2008-05-08]
x

Effexor -- I took that for 5 years and [2008-05-07]
My doctor started me on it because I told her I was really stressed out with my 3 kids. Of course, at the time of the office visit, I was PMSing and couldn She started me on it that visit and I took it, thinking it had to be okay because the FDA approved it, right? I took it for 5 years and when I tried to go off it, I couldn I got really sick and dizzy and kept getting these brain freezes. My brain actually felt tingly all over. After doing a lot of research, I realized I wasn My doctor kept telling me I had to wean off it, but slowing the taper didn I was even opening the capsules up and counting out the little beads inside to make the dosage smaller, less noticeably to my body. Finally, after much pleading with my doctor, she was willing to give me a Prozac tablet to counter the effects of the withdrawal from the Effexor. It worked and I was able to get off and I said never again!!!!! I don Ibrain freezes have finally stopped. I still cringe when I have to type it in a medication list on a report I I keep thinking these poor souls have no idea what it will be like to stop it.

I used to let it slide, but I've been married 23 years. [2008-05-05]
Probably about year 5 or so, when we had children and she felt it necessary to comment on my mothering, I finally just gave it right back to her. She has four children, and the only one who turned out well was my husband, and I'm quite sure it's because he spent a lot of time away from home when he was growing up. She lives just down the street, and now that we know where we stand, we have no problems.

One time years ago we did CCCS. [2008-05-02]
It did help with interest rates. We made one payment instead of many, but not all companies will play along with CCCS. It all depends on what you It does put a dent in your credit score as well. I We were current, but struggling and needed help with all of that interest. It worked for us. Have you considered snowballing your credit debt? I wonder if this could work for you?

My kids are 7 years apart too and I forgot everything also... [2008-04-29]
but it comes back really quickly and the older sibling will be a big help...Good luck!!

Mormons in this country have not been polygamists for MANY years. [2008-04-18]
Stop making excuses. Either live with his rules, or stand up for yourself. You're a human being, he doesn't OWN you.

I've been married 13 years and [2008-04-17]
I would never allow my husband to tell me who I can and cannot see. If I were you, I wouldn As you said, who is he to say where your sister can and cannot go. As the time approaches, a week or so in advance, I would simply tell him that your sis will be in town next week and you are planning on seeing her. If he throws a fit, let him. It seems to me, he gets away with this because you let him. If the situation arises where he becomes intolerable, perhaps you could spend the night at sis Let him stay home. It's his loss, but it doesn't have to be yours as well.

I was a grocery checker several years ago while going to school... [2008-04-08]
and he was my Sunday guy. I used to see him every other Sunday and he would always come through my line. If I was on break or lunch and would see him come in I would open my line up just for him. I could tell that he was single by what he was buying, plus he wore no ring. We talked all the time. He came in on a weekday and asked me if I got his message; he had called the store and left his name and number for me with the bookkeepers because he wanted to ask me out. We went out to lunch and I found out he only came in every other Sunday because he lived rurally and only shopped every 2 weeks after church. Nine years later and couldn't be happier.

My son was on Accutane a few years ago [2008-04-08]
He was over 18, so he made the decision himself, but he was wise enough to bring us into the decision and asked us to meet with the doctor as well. We were definitely counseled about the possibility of depression and were told to watch for signs of depression. My son was 19 at the time, and he never suffered any depressive symptoms, but the link between the drug and depression seemed very serious to us.

I am 30 years old and have my first cavity - I am freaking! sm [2008-03-31]
I It's a small cavity and he said it would be done in 15 minutes?!

My wake-up call came a few years ago [2008-03-31]
I, too, live in a very rural area -- farming community just like yours. My husband was working late that night and I was home alone with the kids. My road isn I never really heard much traffic that night. I did hear a few gunshots, but just figured it was my goofy neighbor shooting target practice. He does that all the time. The next morning as I pulled onto the main road (about 2 miles from my house),I noticed an ambulance heading in. No sirens or lights. I thought it was rather odd since there I went to work that day and thought nothing of it. I came home from work that night and noticed a state police car coming out of my road, but didn When I got home, my answering machine was lit up like the 4th of July. My phone was ringing as I walked in. Everyone wanted to know what was going on on my lane. I had no clue but didn I hung up the phone and answered the door to a state trooper wanting to ask me some questions. He wanted to know if I noticed anything unusual last night. I said no. Any traffic? Not more than usual. Any loud noises? Just my neighbor shooting his guns. What time was that? About 9:30 or 10:00. That's where the story gets interesting. Apparently 2 vehicles met at the top of my lane for a drug deal that went seriously wrong. The one couple shot the other couple and left them for dead. They then proceeded back down my lane and up the road about a mile where the girl stopped at my friend Not knowing her, they didn After using the phone, they sped off down the road. The next morning, some hunters found the dead couple and called 911. This all happened just 2 days after Christmas. Needless to say, I lost my sitter for New Year I agree about locking your doors, but more than anythingI believe your dogs saved your life. I She barks anytime someone comes on our property. She She

Have been married a little over 20 years and [2008-03-26]
couldn't be happier. We knew after just a month of dating that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We married a year later and have never had any major problems what-so-ever. We renewed our vows at 10 years (just the two of us at a small chapel) and then at 20 years did the same thing but included our children. This man is truely a gift from God. He does not have a temper, he has incredible patience, and is a wonderful father. I just wished he liked yardwork a little more. LOL!

I think she means [2008-07-03]
that with unstable dry sand, or even with sand of a wetter consistency, if a hole is too deep (over a child make whatever limit you feel safe with. There's nothing to fear if they keep it shallow. This happened to a man I knew years ago with dirt, not sand, but I agree it would be possible in sand and probably easier done. He was working in a ditch deeper than he was tall, and when it collapsed on top of him, it killed him. I do believe that is what 'SM' is warning against.

Well, my better judgement said [2008-07-03]
My better judgement says to pay down on the CCs. My H wants to take 15k out of his 401k and be done with it. He says we are still young and we can still make it up. We are in our 30s. I really really hate for him to do that because I see how my Dad, Mom and MIL struggle with just living on SS alone. Also, it is a nice Band-Aid but if we don As far as this house goes, that is the one thing I am proud of is that it is almost paid off. The only thing wrong with this house really is that it is 200 small. 890 sq feet and there are 4 of us living here. 2 littler girls and H and I. It is 2 bedroom 1 bath and that 1 bath is getting harder and harder for us to deal with. H and I looked into another house a few years ago and we were shocked that the owners wanted 130k for a house that stunk and was trashed, i.e., holes in the walls, unfinished projects, a huge mess everywhere. We bought this house in 1999 for 29k. It is a rock house. It was newly remodeled, it has central heat and hair, it has a big fenced in backyard and a huge storage building H uses as a shop. We do live in West Texas so I am thinking houses are cheaper here. I have heard relatives say that up north in the bigger cities this house would be worth 100k or better.

My sons have been in Scouts for some time now...sm [2008-07-03]
My youngest (11 years old) was in Cub Scouts for about 3 years and crossed over into a newly chartered troop. My oldest son (17 years old) joined the troop also, mostly out of necessity (we needed his warm body in order to have enough boys to charter). My youngest loves it and my oldest is kind of lukewarm about it. I have also been a leader at the pack, troop, district and council level for over 4 years now. We are basically a scouting family and love it. With that said, however, I will say that scouting is not for everyone, and everyone does not get out of scouting what is there for them to learn simply because everyone is not interested in learning those things or because of poor leadership within the scouting unit. In your case, it sounds to me as if the latter may be true. You didn't say how old your son is or how long he has been in scouting, but it sounds to me like he has a very poor leader if he makes them camp this way. Some overly self-glorified scout leaders try to turn scouting into junior Army training which is not what it is meant to be. If there is another pack or troop in the area, you might consider changing and see if that improves his scouting experience by a new leader and better camping conditions. When we camp, each boy has his own tent (can be bought at Walmart for about $15) and we always have a campfire in a designated fire ring that burns pretty much all night. Each boy is safely enclosed in his own tent that zips up which greatly reduces the chances of spiders, snakes, bugs, etc. Of course the boys have to be trained to keep their tent flaps zipped closed at all times so that nothing gets in. My advice from a scouter's viewpoint is to talk to your son and then you and your son and husband talk to the scout leader and see what can be done to improve the scouting experience for your son as well as the other boys in the unit. If the leader does not want to chanage his ways to more closely follow the scouting ideals, then find another troop or pack to join. Sounds like there is a LOT of room for improvement here. Here is a link that may help, too. http://netcommish.com/askandy.asp

I have had two Aussies [2008-07-03]
My first one I had for several years and then he started to act sick and wouldn Not sure exactly what that was all about. I kind of wonder if he had gotten into something. I Aussie I have now has never had any problems. I have had him for about 5-6 years now. No problem with my vet either. Maybe your friend should look into a different vet?

This one has struck a chord with me. [2008-07-03]
I have been an assistant scoutmaster for 8 years now. Yes, I am a mom, and there are women scout leaders out there! My job with our troop was Webelos-to-Scout Transition Coordinator. My job was to help our youngest boys and their families become part of our troop and to make sure that the boys have fun and get all that they can from the scout experience. Summer camp was always the make or break time for the youngest boys. You didn't say if your son is a new scout, but I assume this is his first time at summer camp. Homesickness and living in the outdoors are always the biggest hurdles during the first summer camp. You are not over-reacting because your son is having a bad time. That's a simple fact, and he deserves to have those feelings validated and addressed. Since I'm female, I tend to approach the first-time scout's misery in a different way, and over the years, a lot of men have disagreed with my methods. But, they work. Men seem to like the stick-it-out approach, and I've seen some of the worst leaders actually tease and belittle homesick boys or boys who don't take easily to the outdoor experience. That really finishes off the boy for scouting. He quits. Do you think that is what is happening with your son? At summer camp with our first year scouts, I always listen to them, validate their fears, and then try to help them overcome their fears with knowledge. If spiders or animals scare them, we go to the nature lodge and find out all about them. We do a good cleaning of their tents or lean-toWell, it I and my fellow adult leaders have spent a lot of nights sitting around picnic tables talking to scouts, sometimes making a game of listening for owls or watching spiders crawl across the table in the lantern light. And if boys do call home, I would run like crazy to the camp phone to call the parents first to let them know what was going on and to tell them to expect a call from their son. In that way, parents were prepared, and we could coordinate our efforts to help their son. Basically, it just takes some compassion. The hard core approach doesn't work. Why do I go through all the trouble? Because I know the value of the scouting program. When it's done well, it goes a long way to help parents raise up honorable men. In our troop, our scouts learn to be compassionate, because we've modeled that sort of behavior for them. They learn about living in the outdoors, and learn to take care of themselves and others. That gives them a sense of accomplishment and makes them feel capable. They learn problem-solving skills and teamwork. These are all important life skills, and when scouting is done well, boys who come through are lightyears ahead of most of their non-scout peers by the time they are 18. But that only happens when it's done right. There are great troops and adult volunteers in the BSA, but there are unfortunately some real losers, as well. It's true that scouting is not for everyone, but there is no reason for so many boys to be pushed away because of issues that just need a little careful thought and attention. This is one of my most passionate issues with scouting. Even the BSA knows that the first year scout is the most likely to quit, and they spend a lot of money and time training volunteers on this subject. It seems that some adults don't learn as quickly as others, though. And there is a core of leaders who like to remember what it was like when they were boy scouts, and won't move ahead or adapt their techniques for the boy of today's times. A new 11-year-old scout should not be expected to act like a man and tough it out. He's still a boy, and living in the woods is usually a totally new experience for him. MOST boys are scared at first, but the men and other boys hate to admit it. A new scout just needs some patience, understanding and time to mature. He needs to feel safe even when he's struggling, and he needs to know that he is supported. I don't know all the details of your son's experience, but if you think that what I've said might apply to him, you might consider looking for another troop, one that will provide him with a good, supportive program. Not all scout troops are the same. Each has a different personality, so perhaps another troop would suit your son better. If that's not possible, or if at this point he is completely turned off by scouting, there are certainly other activities out there that can teach him the things that are learned through scouting. Encourage him to find out what his talents are and help him to explore all of the possibilities that life has to offer. I'm so sorry to hear that your son is not enjoying scouts. It really breaks my heart when I hear such stories, because I know that the adult volunteers could handle the situation better. My own sons had a hard time the first time they went to camp, which is why I got involved. I knew there was a better way to deal with such a common problem. My oldest, who is now 20, still works with scouts, and my youngest will receive his Eagle Scout rank in just a couple of weeks. I have seen many, many boys' lives changed for the better by the scouting program, including my own sons. I hope that your son can also have a great experience in scouting. I'm always happy to talk about scouting, and if you'd like to send me a private message, I'd be glad to share more of my thoughts on the subject.

A very small town in West Texas [2008-07-03]
I live in an 890 sq foot rock house. I am guessing at the sq foot actually. It is close to 900 but not quite there. It ihas 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Metal roof. I live close to the schools. I live 2 blocks from the local hospital. I just applied for a job there in fact. I worked 8 years for a big 300-bed multispeciality hospital that was 35 miles away. I left because of the climbing gas prices and I thought I needed a break from the office politics. I started working for an on-line transcription company and for some reason just cannot seem to produce the lines or make half the money I was making at the hospital. I have been here 6 months already. I applied to another company to try my luck there and they offered me a job but I read in the paper yetserday this little hospital here is hiring. They do light transcription, filing, I forget what else it said. The best part is I will have benes. As I was applying a nurse recognized me and was telling me about them and they have improved since I worked there 10 years ago. I hope the pay has as welland I hope they still like me. LOL.

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved pet [2008-07-02]
That was so sad to hear your story. The worse part of it was that your beloved pet died and I feel such sympathy for you and what you must be going through. What has this country become when so many people are sue happy. DH and I have talked about wanting to start a business growing veggies and raising talapia fish to sell but I said in today's day and age there is no way I will sell anything anyone eats as there are too many people out there waiting to creat a law suit. Makes me ashamed to live in a country with so many scam artists out there trying to make a quick buck. You know what, whether your dog bit her or a bone scratched her, there were no marks or anything. If her foot was mangled or something I could understand but please - give me a break. I'm glad for you it wasn't any worse (money wise), but am deeply saddened you lost such a wonderful pet. I still grieve for my cats (and they died 8 years ago). I hope things get better for you and hope that person will get her comeuppance.

Your little girl - sm [2008-07-02]
I can't blame you about the bill. That was unconscionable to be so petty about the money. They're lucky their dog wasn't put down and they should know it. About your daughter - I wouldn't dismiss out of hand getting her a dog. Not right away, of course, but after some time has passed. Let me explain. I saw my sister attacked by a dog when I was five, and although I wasnmagic cure for your daughter's fear as she finds out that most dogs are friendly and loveable. This also worked for our son, who was nine when we got our first puppy. He was so scared that he actually spent the afternoon in the garage rather than come into the house with Sam (who incidentally was a three month old golden retriever!). Now he owns his own dog and is considering going into veterinary medicine. Good luck to you and your family. And I pray the owners of the dog that attacked your daughter have an attack of conscience and do the right thing by your family.

Unbelievable sm [2008-07-02]
$87 was all they planned to give us. Her medical bills totalled $800, $87 was our portion. The other portion we figured for pain and suffering. We always wanted to getpain and suffering for our daughter. This was no surprise to the owner. Read the thread. I don My daughter was standing on the sidewalk in front ofthe ownerhouse when the dog attacked her. Again, if you will read the thread you Her dog has been loose on more than one occasion since the attack without a leash. The police were called, and there is a police report, along with ER and doctor notes. It is unbelievable how uncaring people are here on this board. Even though my daughter didn This is an 8-year-old child. The owners should be penalized because they are allowing their dog to be loose without a leash on a street filled with young children. I don't have any sympathy for them. It amazes me how people on this board show much more compassion for the dog that attacked my daughter than for my daughter. No one seems to care that this dog has been loose since the attack or that there were no penalties for this owner. The dog has never been impounded. A friend of mine lives next door to a dog that bit someone, and that dog was never impounded either. I think I I have been coming here for years, but for people to be so cruel here to my daughter especially is just unimaginable to me. I will do whatever I have to do to make my daughter feel safe in her own neighborhood. I have consulted with an attorney and will probably proceed in small claims court unless this owner wants to try to settle this with us. I pray that nothing like this ever happens to any of your children or family members. It It I'm done here.

Thanks -- sm [2008-07-02]
My kids love our local water slides, so I We It Thanks!

Okay, don't want to be a stick in the sand [2008-07-02]
We lived near the beach for many years and saw this one time too many. So, instead of being afraid of the ocean be more afraid of the sand. Please don't let your sons dig holes in the sand, at least not deep ones. We have seen children and teenagers have serious accidents or worse with this. The sand collapses into the holes and consequences can be fatal, so just heads up on that. It was also just on the news so I hope a lot of parents watched it. What seems like fun can turn quickly into a serious situation. It was just a known fact in our home..... no deep holes at the beach. Sorry to be a downer....just want to make sure the boys AND parents enjoy themselves. Do have a good time though!!!

debt [2008-07-02]
I agree with transferring to 0% when the offers come. I have been doing that for years. Now, I just got an offer for 6.99% for the life of balance up to 12,000 dollars. Going to take that offer, (we are going to remodel our main but small bathroom) and pay off 2 1/2 cc; then what is left over, oh, and going to give my hubby 1000 to get out bike out of shop, so, what ever is left over, which should be 6 to 7000, will redo bathroom, payments won't be bad, like 190 a month and don't use your cards for a good while, just steadily pay. Hope this helps, and life is too short to stress over bills. Keep them in mind but at the same time, think of what you have.

former teenage alcohol user [2008-07-01]
I donharsh for your daughter, but have you thought about showing her the results of drinking and/or driving?I drank A LOT in high school, starting around 15 when my mom got sick and continueddaily drinking through graduation and then some. Did my fair shareofdrinking and driving or riding in cars with drivers who drank, thinking that nothing would ever happen. My sister who was 5 years older than me died from drinking and driving when I was 18, and to show me and my teenage cousins the consequences, we went with my uncle to see her car thathad not been cleaned afterthe wreck(nasty, and I still see it to this day which is about 18 years later)...she was in a little 4-door car and fell asleep and drove underneath an 18-wheeler. That sight was burned into my brain and I never forgot what drinking and driving could do, that we weren I did hear of a school that was doing shock presentations to students, arranging to have 10 or so students missing from classes for the day, then the other students were told that they were killed in accidents from drinking. While that is a bit extreme, I really think that shock works best on teenagers as I always thought I knew best and that nothing would ever happen.

Is this possible? [2008-07-01]
Okay. I have an in-law who is in her 40s, had a partial hysterectomy (just left the ovaries), hasn Did I miss something here? How is this possible? Yes, I understand that the ovaries still produce eggs and they can be fertilized if sperm would get to it but from everything I've seen, there is no way she could possibly carry it to full-term....nor should she want to as it is very dangerous not only to her but the unborn child(ren). I just wonder if she doesn All I know is I hope to God this isn She is just not fit to be the mother of the 2 teenage girls she has let alone a new baby or twins. Sheesh! I truly hope this isn't possible!!!!!!!

Several things [2008-07-01]
Ectopic pregnancies are possible in this situation--the babies can grow on an organ. However, this creates a very high-risk situation. Babies have been carried to term this way. In this case, though, if she has been 13 years without a period, I would wonder about a tumor, especially if she found out about her pregnancy with a home pregnancy test. HCG (what the home pregnancy test measures) can be produced by tumors, which also may correlate with a growing abdomen, giving one the false idea she is pregnant. How did she determine she was pregnant with twins?

I'm not really sure. [2008-07-01]
She said she was and then went to the doctor who said she was too. I don I was just under the understanding that you could get pregnant but the woman Now, I have heard of some rare cases where they have attached to organs, but that is at a huge risk for the mother and the unborn fetus with internal bleeding being a huge complication and more often than not they are miscarried. However, with her not having a menstrual period for 13 years.....I I don My MIL said she wouldn There are much more deserving people who want a baby so bad and can This woman is just a complete ignoramus. She is just white trash. I hate to say that....but she is. She lies. She smells of BO and tobacco. My sister-in-law met the supposed father of her twins in an internet chat room. He is a truck driver. Now that she told him she is pregnant, he won What the heck? I mean really! Should I just call Jerry Springer and get it over with? LOL

I think it is a combination of things. [2008-07-01]
For one, parents don Secondly, some people just aren Thirdly, people are just lazy. I have told my husband that he needs to teach my stepson something useful that he can use later in life like wiring something, building something, etc. My husband is smart enough that he pretty much does everything around here. In fact, he is currently putting up a fence for our horses. To pay to have that done would have cost us 3K more than him doing it himself. Needless to say, we opted to do it ourselves. I truly hope that he doesn At 14, kids don You start them young and they think it is fun.

Well..... [2008-07-01]
She had a partial and they took her uterus and left her 2 ovaries. This was done about 13-14 years ago and she has not had a menstrual cycle since that time.

Our dog bit a girl "that was pulling his hurt ear" [2008-07-01]
Well the girl So, you need to contact the police again and find out how you can go about filing a claim. My parentsprovoked the dog. The provoked part didn So, I guess what I am trying to say here is that my parents were your neighbors and they got sued and their insurance premium went up. We I would have to bet though that the foster parents of the bitten dog probably got legal assistance for free too, since they had about 10 foster kids and were getting a fat check each month and obviously not supervising these kids for that girl to have pulled my dog My dog jumped our fence and cut his ear, that girl pulled on the dog I highly doubt that child really need the surgery and probably never even got the surgery, but those foster parents I That may sound harsh and by all means I know that not all foster parents are irresponsible, but in my opinion, my parents got the raw end of the deal. Good luck whatever you decide.

I do understand. [2008-07-01]
I understand that you were trying to avoid litigation on this matter, but the bottom line is either you avoid it or you don There is no in-between. Did the hospital file your daughter If so, what would you do with the $800 that the dog owner would give you? I don He has 2 dogs - family dogs, mind you - a golden retriever and a lab, both on the small side. He had friends over and his friend The dog got excited and jumped up on the child (who was about 7 years old), catching his claw on the child It tore the skin, but nothing severe enough to require stitches or anything. My brother He even called from the hospital telling my brother about the treatment his child would need. My brother was very empathetic and concerned over the child Then the friend told him he would be getting the bill. My brother did get the bill, but when he contacted the hospital to pay it, the hospital told him it was already paid by the insurance company. My brother then contacted his friend, who said he could just make the check out to him and he would see to it that it got to the insurance. Yeah, right. People in this world are always looking for a way to get something for nothing. I hope that In any event, I hope your daughter heals without scars, emotionally or physically. I have a feeling if you take this to court, your daughter will be reliving this nightmare for a long time to come. I would be more concerned about getting the dog impounded than I would be about lining your pockets.

The end of a friendship [2008-07-01]
My girlfriend came over one day and was chatting with me on the sofa. I had just gotten home from the hospital from having a hysterectomy and she came to pick me up to go see another friend of hers who was in the hospital having just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer (I couldn't drive yet). My 2 dogs started scuffling over a bone and my friend got an extremely tiny, a little larger than a pin prick mark on the back of her ankle (either from one of the dog's teeth or a sharp end of the bone, hard to tell). I gave her antiseptic wash, a bandage, said I was sorry and thought that was the end of it. We went to visit our friend. Awhile later, I answered the door to be served with a summons. We were being sued by my friend. I want you to know that this bite did not even bleed. She had a tattoo right in the area and when she took pictures of the bite for her attorney, it was very, very hard to see a mark at all. So, anyway, by the time it went to court (and here is a very ironic thing, the day my husband and I got up and ready to go to court, my sweet Barney, my Schnauzer, died). Well, between pictures of the injury and her poor performance on the stand (oh God it was unbelievable the way she tried to beef up the whole story), the jury came back with a guilty plea for us. They had to, because our dog or the bone did bite her. They awarded her the amount her insurance did not cover and I believe 1 or 2 missed days from work. It came to about $1,500. We saw her in the parking lot when we left, she was crying. She was expecting the big payday and it didn't happen. However, the 10 year friendship did end. We were Girl Scout leaders together for most of those years, our daughters were best friends, but I could never want to be friends with someone who would do such a thing and consider it well, after all, the insurance will pay. So be careful what you are expecting. Expect the whole thing to take a long time to get to court and the results to be perhaps less than you expect. Now, maybe your daughter is significantly scarred by the dog bite. I don't know and don't want to offend you with my story. Also, hopefully you have pictures that you took right away when it happened. You will probably need them. Plus you will have to be able to find a lawyer who will take it to court for you. My ex-friend's lawyer was about as inept as could be. I almost felt sorry for her.

If it was really significant, I would [2008-07-01]
think the final cost would be more than $800. My niece was mauled by a dog and spent about a week in the hospital. She was 4 years old at the time. It was the saddest thing seeing her in that hospital bed with her whole head swollen up. The dog bite ripped out a couple of her still-forming permanent teeth and she ended up with quite a nasty scar along one cheek. Most of the stitches were in her scalp. My sister and her husband had to sue the homeowner It took quite a while to sort it all out. They ended up with a settlement that would after 15 years of very modest growth pay for her college and also any future medical bills. She has had revision of that scar on her face, but she is 19 years old now and still hasn She ismissing bone where theimplants need to go and so will need grafting to be able to accomplish it. She was not emotionally scarred forever by the incident. She is fine, and it didn Just keep loving your daughter and shebe back to her old self. Money won Try not to let your anger overtake you. I know they are responsible, but there is no need to try and take them for as much as you can. You could conceivably ruin their future. Accidents happen. What exactly were the circumstances surrounding the bite?

If it was really significant, I would [2008-07-01]
think the final cost would be more than $800. My niece was mauled by a dog and spent about a week in the hospital. She was 4 years old at the time. It was the saddest thing seeing her in that hospital bed with her whole head swollen up. The dog bite ripped out a couple of her still-forming permanent teeth and she ended up with quite a nasty scar along one cheek. Most of the stitches were in her scalp. My sister and her husband had to sue the homeowner It took quite a while to sort it all out. They ended up with a settlement that would after 15 years of very modest growth pay for her college and also any future medical bills. She has had revision of that scar on her face, but she is 19 years old now and still hasn She ismissing bone where theimplants need to go and so will need grafting to be able to accomplish it. She was not emotionally scarred forever by the incident. She is fine, and it didn Just keep loving your daughter and shebe back to her old self. Money won Try not to let your anger overtake you. I know they are responsible, but there is no need to try and take them for as much as you can. You could conceivably ruin their future. Accidents happen. What exactly were the circumstances surrounding the bite?

Birthday [2008-07-01]
I turned 50 two years ago and that was definitely the worst. 40 I could handle - I still felt relatively young. Also in the years between 40 and 50 I had several surgeries and my brother, father, mother and an aunt died (actually all the deaths happened in the last 3 years). Boy, it is really traumatic when you start losing your family members. I know this happens to people at a younger age than I was and I feel for them. (I also had a brother who died when I was 10 and he was 13). So ugh, 50 is worse. And you know the old saying would you rather have your birthday or the alternative. Gag. That doesn't help much. I hope you have a very happy birthday!

True, but she is not going to get that much, - sm [2008-07-01]
maybe a few thousand, Iwhat could have happened, etc. in the end though I just let it go and switched doctors to the one who saved me. But yes, people are sue happy, but sometimes it is warranted.