StarPrincess: Can you name names? I live in Portland, too, and I wouldn't mind driving 45 minutes to save $2000!

I don't mind at all. Will Vision is the one that quoted a small fortune, so even though they're reputable, I didn't go with them. I ended up going with King and Mokovack. They've been wonderful! www.kmlasik.com

Let me know if you do decide to go with them. I have some $100 off coupons that they gave me. I'll be happy to give you one and help out a little

Where in Portland are you?

Thanks, StarPrincess! I'm out in Columbia County, near the river. I'm still looking into lasik, and I've had two different opinions from two different opthalmologists about whether I would make a good candidate, as I have some problems with the right eye. But I'm bookmarking kmlasik.com right now. Did you look into Casey Eye Institute at OHSU?

Yeah. I used to work at OHSU. I just wasn't as comfortable with them for some reason.

I'm not too far away from you! I'm out in Hillsboro.

Starprincess.....first of all I have been logging on here for more than a year... and I wanted to tell you that your posts are very motivational and I actually look for them. I think you are great for not only this website but in your daily life you must be surrounded by people who love you very much...Keep up the great work...you are truly helping some amazing women. Thanks for being there.

I too watched the Swan last night I am in love the show (Reality Freak talking)....might not like it so much when it comes down to the pagent show but at this time I am all in favour for it. These women have applied to be on it....whether its to be what they deem beautiful or even just to make their spouses love them more. Anyone who has gone through the same thing ends up realizing that it's not going to fix everything...Surgery is a dangerous and scary thing and you have to feel pretty desperate to go to those lengths. I am proud of the women you have chosen to go that far in order to make themselves feel better and I agree that it shouldn't be that way but once it happens...I for one know that no matter how much weight I lose I will still have the droppy boobs and the tummy that if pregnacy didn't destroy it all the hysterectomy took care of the rest. I would if I could and My ultimate goal is to realize that I am beautiful no matter what they say (stolen from Christina, sorry) but life sometimes says..."yeah! now how do you feel?"

So who ever chooses surgery I too hope chooses therpy in some form or another but GO FOR IT if it makes you happy. I know I would.

Okay that's my opinion, now can I borrow a million dollars? I need alot of work done...oh well I think I will just keep focusing on eatig healthy, exercising and winning the lottery!

Dale

I didn't see "The Swan", but I do often watch "Extreme Makeover". I think it's wrong to look to plastic surgery for the answers. To have your self-esteem so linked with your appearance is downright disturbing to me, but I know I'm an odd duck on that one.

Would I have plastic surgery? Depends. I will seriously consider asking TriCare for a breast reduction once I'm done losing weight. My breasts are so big that I cannot buy a brasseire in a store, & if I want a button-down shirt I have to buy it about two sizes larger than I really am to have it fit without the buttons gaping. That said, I've had two c-sections, and they were both necessary (footling breeches; you're not going to deliver that presentation vaginally). And even though they were necessary, I really hated having to have the surgery, I loathed the pain afterwards, and I chafed a lot at having to be bedridden for only a bit more than 12 hours. So to willingly put myself through surgery for what's essentially vanity...I just don't think I could do that.

I have been put under more than most...tonsils, exporatory surgey, tubes clipped, wisdom teeth (right side) more expolatory surgery, wisdom teeth (left side) again exporatory surgey (it wasn't really that big of an area imagine how many I would have to have now) and a hysterectomy....next time it's my choice and I would do it......I think I just like sleeping lots



Dale

LMAO!!! Trixi I was kinda thinking along the same lines as you Ive had surgery 8 times in the last year they know me by name in the outpatient surgery in our hospital and look forward to when I have surgery so they can see my daughters lol...I think i could do some elective surgery too, my husband says that it is cuz I like to sleep lol

Trixi - Thank you so much! You made my day

Did anyone watch last night? Boy did I ever identify with the girl who's in the Army. When she said - "I don't want to go to certain places because I don't know how to dress, or how to fix my hair" - I got tears in my eyes! Ok, that's my confession for the week!

Emily that is what I was doing too. My hubby was sitting next to me and I asked him who that sounded like and he knew I was talking about me. Of course his next question was if I was crying. He knew I was. What she said really got to me. I don't think I want to go through what she did but I would like to have a life coach and someone to help me really get in shape. It wouldn't hurt to have someone show me what I need to wear for my body shape and what type of things flatter me. I was a tom boy when I was younger so I never really got into what I should be wearing. It was always t-shirts and jeans and know that I am almost 30 I am still wearing the same things. I am a broad shouldered woman so some things that I think are cute make me look like a line backer and that is not very flattering.

Wow, me too! The linebacker look in particular. It's not wasy learning how to dress if you didn't spend a lot of time in what I call "girl world." You know what I mean, the really femme girls with nail polish, makeup, high voices, that snippy sneering expression, the way they squeal at each other when they meet-and-greet... the type of girl who infests department store makeup counters and hair salons. Bergdorf blondes. Guess girls. I just can't relate, sorry.

But at the same time I love fashion. The April issue of Vogue gave me a clue, however. They showed a variety of women of different sizes for once, and the article on Lokelani McMichael really inspired me. She's a triathalon competitor from Hawaii. Strong, but very sleek looking, in a Norma Kamali swim suit. That modern look, sort of Calvin Klein meets Donna Karan. Feminine but natural and outdoorsy. Surfer girl meets tennis pro. I think that's where I want to go this year.

hahaha! I love your definition of "girl world" As I was walking across campus today, I got held up in a doorway where two groups of girls from the same sorority happened to meet each other. It was very squeely and pretty much unbearable. I also noticed that I was atleast a foot taller than all of them. My mom always told me that my height was a blessing, but I've always felt kind of awkward in really girly clothes. I was never one to wear little skirts and tank tops in the summer. I've never had my nails done, I usually cut my own hair. Going to a school where a good majority of the kids have INCREDIBLY wealthy families is kind of overwhelming. These girls don't have Manolo Blahnik, Kate Spade, and Gucci knock-offs, they have the real stuff. My best friend's freshman year roommate had a shoe collection that was worth more than I had to pay in tuition a year. Me, I shop at WalMart, Target, and any place where no shirt is more than $30.

When I saw last week's episode the first thing I did was tell dh (half seriously) I wanted to be on the show. I was having a horrible fat day.

After talking to him tho, he reminded me that I have to work so hard at my health (I have cf, diabetes, asthma, pcos and other stuff) and have had so many surgeries that I would be foolish to even consider going under the knife for something so superficial.

So no, I would not have plastic surgery or lipo. But I tell you, sometimes a quick fix sounds really appealing.

I would however, love the chance to have professionals help me get started. That would be cool.

Kitty

I actually watch that too. I am kinda torn on how I feel about it but I like seeing how happy they are at the end. I would take the teeth whitening and the 3 hours a day with a personal trainer and not having to deal with husband and work for 3 months??? How could you say no?