Thanks Daniella. I was gonna try Chantix - until I spoke to my friend who had such a bad reaction to it. She said she had to go sleep it off. The others says it makes them sleepy, tired. They're slowly getting used to it. Baby aspirin is about where I'm at - except for excedrin for migranes (has caffine) - otherwise - unless it specifically says for daytime - it's gonna put me in the drool zone. (Eyes glased, drool from my lip.) And unfortunately, I've got one of those jobs where I have to stay/be sharp. Can't be thinking through cotton. I wasecited until she told me she started thinking about it and what it was doing to her brain, and what it was attaching itself to, and why she felt so awful. She almost took food out of her mouth in a restaurant because she didn't think she could swallow it. I'm thinking the patch and gum is gonna be my route again. I just need DH to agree to do it with me. Whole family smokes. I won't be able to do it in the face of everyone else smoking. And I can't ask him to do it right now - heavy stressers in our lives right now. Soon though, very soon.

So sorry to hear about your friend. DH is currently hospitalized for a severe clinical depression.One of the reasons I decided to get him in to the hospital was that he was talking of hopelessness,and that he couldn't see any way out of it.This sent alarms off in my mind.Dr's had allready experimented with a couple of anti depressants that wern't working for himHe was fortunate that I noticed and reconized the symptons right away.Since his depression started in June,I had read everything I could find which I'm sure helped me a great deal in making the decision.He did admit to the Dr that thoughts of suicide had crossed his mind,so it was a huge relief for me to have him in a safe place where he was being helped and monitered 24/7. Some people either don't have the support of family,or are able to hide their despair so well that the family isn't aware of how desperate they are. I've had two close friends who have recently lost a close family member to suicide,so I see the pain it leaves the family with first hand. I would imagine it's a feeling of total hopelessness that in the end drives them to commit this final act. DH is making progress ever so slowly,but at least for now I know he's safe. Hugs..Granlan.....

Hi Kerry, There are many thoughtful, considerate, caring people on this forum, that send good thoughts and hopes to other participants when they are having problems, illness, or are hurting on behalf of difficulties being undergone by their loved ones, etc. ... and quite a number offer prayers on others' behalf when they are undergoing stress and choose to share it. Also, they have undergone a great variety of experiences in living, including much confusion, hurt and pain, sometimes of the physical or mental kind, and sometimes of emotional and spiritual nature. Many offer some suggestions that others may not have thought of, or didn't look at from various perspectives but which they find quite helpful - that lowers the pressure on them substantially. I've been known to suggest on here (as have others) that two or three heads are better than one ... even if they are cabbage! And when dozens, scores or even hundreds of concerned people offer their good ideas, suggestions, etc. usually some that show up turn out to be really useful ones. Some desperate people may look at a suggestion and think that it has just the answer that they need and accept it holus bolus, without examination, or even discussion with the originator, sort of like a drowning person grabbing any life preserver ... and sometimes it turns out to have been less than very useful. Perhaps if they'd examined the situation, considering various aspects of it, esecially in discussion with someone who knows them well, they could have worked out a somewat similar course of action, which was re-worked to be more relevant for their particular situation. Which would likely result in the problem being resolved more successfully than if a ready-made solution had been followed without careful examination and some amendments. By the way ... I've often said to folks, even strangers, that one of the best stress-relievers around is some humour (that isn't aimed at someone's ribs) here and there. That when people in an office are going crazy with work, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, as Dad used to say ... when someone says some silly little thing and everyone chuckles or laughs a bit ... ... the emotional pressure has gone down several notches, and everyone feels better, going about the same tsks as before, but with a lighter heart. While it may well be extremely difficult to find a story or situation which a person considerng taking their own life would find funny, I wonder whether, if someone in that situation could find something to laugh about, it might well help them feel somewhat more optimistic about their life and reduce their resolution to end it somewhat. I send good thoughts and hopes that you may consider some things which will help you feel that life is not as bad as you've been thinking, and some prayers that some rays of sunshine may penetrate that dark hole in which you've seen yourself to be, just now. I have faith that you may come to believe that there will be some, in fact, many beautiful days ahead for you, should you choose to continue that life that's been yours, up till now. Plese don't put out the light shining from your candle - maybe it can help some other people find light for their path and some beauty in their days in future. May God give you, and help you find, a blessing, today. ole joyful

@OllieJane - those are just sticker covers you put on the pod. Having the pod be white has never bothered me and I prefer it that way than putting something cutesy on it and I'm beyond caring if other people think I should hide it by coloring it the same as my skin tone. It's too expensive of a device to manufacture in all the different skin tones people have so putting stickers on is something people can do if they want to hide it or want it to stick out more. I have seen them bedazzled for prom BTW so she could have done that, but keeping it in it's pure form she is more likely to allow others to identify with her and recognize what it is. I would never display it in certain areas, but it is visible when on the back of my arm and I wear short sleeves. I wear a different CGM - mine is more of an oval shape where the tape is white and the transmitter a light gray. That showing also doesn't bother me. Very rarely am I asked about it, but I have at times had some smart a** comment that I have responded in kind with a smile and then gone on to explain what it is. I like to say it is a human tracking device and I'm testing it for the government when I get the smartie comments. It always gets people curious and I go on and explain what it really is. I think the dress is kind of tame from what I've seen of others, since she does have a body suit on. Kind of like a swim suit with a bedazzled swim cover up, but I'm not big on fashion from these kind of events and find most of the clothing so far from anything I'd ever even consider wearing. Thankfully I'll never be a celeb so I don't have to worry about it. Oh for those that are interested. A pod lasts for 72hrs + an extra 8 hrs and then you have to replace it. They are expensive so it is not something that you just take on and off either. If you need to take it off for something such as an MRI you need to take insulin using a shot with longer lasting insulin than what is used in the pod and thus you often wait until it is almost out of they system before putting another one on. There are other ways to deal with it too, but the only thing I can think of when the pod has to come off is for an MRI.