Thanks, Anika. I know I need to accept myself more, and truthfully, as bad as the stretch marks are, there could be worse kinds of scars, or I could be terminally physically ill. Certainly, I'll take stretch marks over those choices. As much as I hate the marks, I'm not suicidal over them; I enjoy some parts of my life. I also feel, if I can just get my home clean (long story, but it's mostly because of my OCD that it's not as clean as it could be--it's not a hoarding situation, just messy), I will be able to get a dog or two, so I'd be valuable in that I'm saving another animal from needless suffering, because I'd be a great pet mommy!