New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

[Kaslo]

Hey. I posted an intro but I have no idea where it went. I took a quizz and I was borderline. If not totally hosed. Then my step mom had an operation and nearly bled to death. She was an alcoholic with a rare condition. This shocked the crap out of me. I started reading more and more about it, and I decided to quit. I was not drinking myself into a stupor every night, but definetely drinking enough every couple of days so that I didnt feel well. Its been two and a half months now. I hope to post here and read here and get to know people as I dont have too many people to talk to about this. My husband is kind of not there a lot of the time, (we're Canadian, he watches hockey ) my adult kids are gone, or dont really know I had this problem. Or if they did they didnt mention it. I am SO glad to find myself feeling well at last. My liver was starting to harden up! Im 56. I work alone as a contracting scientist.

[Angelcakes]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

:welcome: Kaslo.
There's great support here. Good on you for making the decision to improve your life.
Read, post & get to know the great people here. There's a lot of inspiration here.

[hillsidetime]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Hi Kaslo, and welcome, my fello Canuck! I am from Ontario, what province are you from? Now I have to say, I fealt a little guilt when I read your post, because I love to watch hockey and baseball, and tour de France, and I think sometimes my wife feels I am a little distant too.

It is great news that you have decided to take control over your alcohol use, and get the power back in that relationship. Two and a half months sober already, that is excellent. Keep adding those days together.

What are your plans or goals from here?

Read and write lots, there are many people here to help. Join any thread you like, the newbies nest is always a great place to jump in aswell. Take care,
Hill

[Lavande]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Hi Kaslo,

Welcome to MWO & Congrats on your AF success!!!!
2.5 months is awesome, I'm sure you are feeling great, feel proud as well

I understand the empty nest syndrome, big problem for me as well. I have been blessed with the arrival of 3 grandkids in the last two years so they are my new focus. I am 57 & definitely was not ready to live in isolation especially with my disinterested husband walking away last year.

Please feel free to jump on the AF Daily thread & say hello! There's a bunch of serious AF posters there including me

Wishing you continued success!

Lav

[rubywillow]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

VERY smart move, Kaslo! You're about my age, and we begin to have our own particular set of problems, not as much social as the younger ones here. But doing this NOW, is definitely the right thing, before you lose yourself. PM me if I can help in any way, OK?
Ruby

[Kaslo]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Thanks you guys, for the very warm welcome. I really appreciate your kind responses. I feel so alone in this quest, and I dont have much support at all. I honestly dont think my husband has a clue how important this has been. To give y'all a reference I am in south central BC, in the Kootenays. But not actually in Kaslo.

I am so glad to feel my health returning. Part of my problem is loneliness and boredom. However, I have a gorgeous garden which I am trying to ressurrect. I take photographs of old run down buildings and stuff in my spare time also. My history looks pretty awful in print. Lol! I have had two hip replacements since 2007, and have been going steadily downhill until recently. I was nearly killed in a car accident at the age of 17, hit by a drunk driver, and I spent a couple of years in and out of physical rehab, and before that, I had a neglected and violent childhood. I still dont know exactly why, but my first family disowned me. Some of them still dont talk to me. There was a bit of a cabal between my eldest brother and my mother. My dad left us all, then died young. My sister was a suicide. It was rough. But still, I worked hard to get back into academic life as a young adult, and practiced in my field for 30 years successfully, I am quite happily married (just lonely, as I have mentioned and see is common here, some partners of AL people are absent a lot of the time). Still I enjoy my life and if I can stay off the booze, then I see great possibilities. Otherwise it was going to be death by wine and vodka. Not a great way to go.

How about those Canucks, eh?

Kas

[rubywillow]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Oh, KAS! What a tough time. But you will find many here who have had terrible problems in their childhood, leading to their problems with AL. One thing you MUST know, is that you make the change for yourself, because you are worth the work. Others around us are important, but unless we feel like we are ourselves, we can't help them.
Don't be fooled into thinking no one notices what is changing in you. But, again, it is YOU who must save yourself, and because you want to.
It sounds like you and I, though we live in different worlds, have so much in common. It seems you have an artistic personality. We see, experience, this world in much more intense manner. I am an artist. I love old buildings, research their history, have sold many paintings to people wanting something to remember from their personal history. And gardens are another passion. So, we have to learn not to deaden how we are affected by today's world. Then, many times, we go to counselling to deal with our problems, handling the rest of the world.
I hope you will stay the course you've started. And PLEASE, reach out to me, and we can share our stories, OK? We all have such different paths to get here, but you are NOT alone, as long as you're on this site. My family is difficult too, to reach with what I experience here. But they have their own journey, and I have mine. I'm so glad you're here.

[mario]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Hi and welcome kaslo, you have come to a great community with lots of support & advice,stick around and give your self a chance.

[Kaslo]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Thanks

Just came upstairs from the dungeon (office) to see who posted. Thanks Rubywillow and Mario for the kind words. I dont want to stress the past too much. There was a lot of good stuff in the past as well. And in the present too. Before I decided to quit, I could think of reasons for drinking, like taste and food pairings and all that stuff, but really I was not enjoying that aspect, and I was tired of hurting myself with it. Simple as that. So now I want to see how far I can get with this.

My artwork is all photographic now. Used to draw. Its a real passion. I would post some here as examples, but I dotn see a facility for that, although this website seems to have just about everything from soup to nuts!

A funny thing about not drinking AL, now I find myself looking forward to that cranberry and soda at the end of the day, instead, and my family keep bringing home non AL alternatives for me, hopefully. Its a whole new world!

[Tipplerette]

New here, 2.5 months. Determined to make it.

Welcome Kaslo, from another mid-fifties Canadian. The Canucks really did have a comeback and my brother and sister on the west coast are both ecstatic. I too was really into the wine drinking and looked so forward to having my glass (or three) of red with my meal and beyond.

Coming to terms with the fact that the horrible times bringing up teenagers is over and there is no stress in my life anymore to dull with alcohol has really helped me cut out the daily drinking.

Your family history and the physical pain you experienced throughout your life must have been very demoralizing on a day to day basis. Now that the kids are grown and you have this free time in your life just to be you, isn't it great that you have decided to experience it fully and not behind the mask of alcohol.

I, too, struggle with the extra time on my hands and am now planning on some great things to do to spend my alcohol free time. I work part time for hubby who is a contractor in the Ottawa region. We live on a river in a cottage and I have a mission to have a fire burning as often as possible to clean things up down by the river and to plant a small garden and then ACTUALLY tend to it on a daily basis. Can't wait for the rest of my sober life.

Glad you have found us. The people on this site are simply amazing. Sometimes I wonder if you have to be special to be an alcoholic because, almost without an exception, everyone here is thoughtful and sympathetic, not to mention eloquent. Lots of brains here too.

Take care and post often. :welcome: