NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

[evergreen]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Hi ODATers,

Janice - so nice to hear from a familiar "face." I remember your inspiring string of 60 days this fall. I did about 17 and then fell off over the holidays. Had some periods of mods but also seemed to be making up for lost time and had a harder time getting back to AF. Lurked around but didn't post for weeks. Now I am back and trying hard to remember how really good I felt AF!! I lost my dad several years ago and was so busy worrying about my mom that I to this day have not really grieved. It hits me at unexpected times. I feel that there is much I never said to him. I also am beginning the empty nest process - sent my first of 3 off to college this year. I am trying to start a list of things I want to do - stop drinking is at the top. (Others are learn to play the guitar . . .certify in scuba diving things that don't require a glass of wine!) This is a long winded "HI" I am glad that you are here. You may not realize it, but you have helped me!

tlrgs and Bessie - Hi!! Welcome. I look forward to hearing from you!

Suki - way to go a week of vacation and AF. You must feel great! I am sorry for the loss of your mom and all the family crap! It is amazing to me how complicated the aftermath of a death is.

Rustop - You are too hard on yourself. I salute 23 days. I am with you on your plan. I want to complete January AF. I have a series of obstacles in early February. I want to complete 6 weeks of Lent AF. In past years I have given up alcohol in various ways in Lent but never was completely successful. One year I gave up wine but found myself when I went out drinking martinis - not really the whole point!

Sweetpea - my AF buddy. We are day 3!! Wohoo!!! I cannot tell you how hopeful I feel. We can do this together.

Cowgal - another familiar "face." Hang in there girl. Don't let your toxic husband drive your habit. Break free! Here's a hand out. Come with us!!!!!!

Love you guys.
Evergreen

[evergreen]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Hi again,

OK so I had not made it to page 2

Cindi - again another source of inspiration for me. Flick that "failure" off your shoulder and jump back in. You have it in you!! Learn from your glitch.

Reteacher - look at how far you have come from last year at this time!! You have always been my beacon of hope. You have done so well. Do not let this pull you back down. ODAT. Today we will not drink!!!

Miss October - great advice!!! I dropped my daughter off at school today and said let's go to the gym this afternoon - now I will have to follow through. No excuses. Exercise is kind of like alcohol to me - all or nothing . . . . none or in excess. I can't mod alcohol but I need to mod exercise.

Happy Wednesday, all . . . . Happy humpday!

Evergreen

[happydog]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Hi janice,
Just like to say welcome back.... Today i'm not drinking.... startng again.

Wishing everyone best wishes.x

Love
Teardrop.x

[cowgal]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

teardrop

Hi Teardrop, haven't seen you here for a while also, I haven't been around as well, so shouldn't talk much:yeahright:

Thanks for the positive thoughts and encouragement.................just called an outpatient rehab to see if I can work out a payment plan...........it is 4-7 every evening for 2 months, Thursdays are family night.............cost $4500.00 though.............but should be worth it if it can help me quit, cuz I need to...........just don't know about the $$. Hopefully can work out a payment plan.:argh:

Talk to you all later, another BORING day at the office, don't know how much longer I can stand this either!!

Love :h

MA

[FinallyRN]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

A tracker for who gets to start ODAT? .....hhhmmmmmmm, lets do it!

Sweetpea, I thought you like me............I have a VERY good reason why Bessie beat me, after days of not sleeping through the night I took a sleeping pill, something I never do but felt I needed last night................so thats my story and I'm sticking to it!
All joking aside, I'm doing really well. In fact I'm amazed how well I'm doing. I forgot what it was like to be sober for any period of time. I forgot how amazing it feels. I have been obnoxious at work..................."RN, you dropped an instrument of the floor" ..."Its ok, I'm not drinking!".........."How are you today RN?".........."Sober" Do you follow me?
I do have a challenge the next few days, my sister is coming into town and is staying with me. If I can just remember the feeling I have right now, this minute, I'll be ok.
Ok and just to rub salt in the wound..........I lost weight!...hahahahahahaha. I told you I was obnoxious!

[sweetpea]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

RN I think you are fabulous BUT after you said you have also lost weight MMMMMMMMMMM might have to rethink LOL only kidding - Whats your secret on the weight front?!!

Sweetpea xx

[universal]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Hey guys - RN you make me howl.

Mary, Cindi - good for you guys at recognizing that slips are just bumps on the road to success - and you will remain successful in my eyes at least.

I'm feeling okay today - DAY 3 and I'm happy about that. I do still have this brutal cold though so I'm waking up feeling crappy which I'm not liking but I know that I will get over the cold and feel great because I am AF - good thing is, with this cold, the last thing I feel like doing is drinking! If I can get through DAY 3-6 I know I'll be fine to make it till the end of the month.

Hope everyone has a great day!
Love and hugs,
Uni

[paula]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Hi everybody, welcome back Janice, it's so good to see you again. I'm doing fine, in spite
of the fact that my brother is desperately ill, and every time the phone rings I'm expecting
bad news. I refuse to drink today.
Love Paula.x

[FinallyRN]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Paula, I'm so sorry........
You'll be in my thoughts today.

[retteacher]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

ODATers: That is what I am having to do...one day at a time staying away from drinking. I cannot think about the future. I will not be counting days. I just have to make up my mind not to drink today. Of course, like everyone else, I can think of a million reasons to drink, but it doesn't help anything. I explained in the monthly abs daily thread a major relapse I just had. I went right back into the whole craziness of the drinking life. That isn't what I want now that I've seen the other side. Let's be there for each other. MWO has been my last & best hope. Love, Mary

[Janice]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Goodness, what a welcome back!! Over the last couple of months - esp November when I was not drinking but on the anti-depressants, I felt as if I didn't have a friend in the world......how wrong I was! You guys are all amazing.....each and everyone of you - old faces and new and all with your own problems - thank you so much for your lovely words of encouragement and support. Evergreen, thank you, your words meant a lot. Why on earth did I stay away? In November I was doing really well Af wise but have never felt so desperate. So so lonely and missing Dad, missing my kids and missing mam - the old mam, I feel I've done my grieving for mam already, I lost her some time ago yet physically she's still here. Maybe I should have given the prozac longer but second week on them, I found myself typing out my last wishes!!! I was logging on and reading posts but I just didn't have the energy to think about a reply never mind type one....I just couldn't be bothered to do anything. Its been nearly 7 months now since Dad died but I do think the last 10-12 years of mam's drinking and all the problems that created, and my poor dad at 86 having to move out of his home because he was getting so much abuse from her - it just all caught up with me. Mam is still very ill, I don't know how her body can take so much abuse. She's 80 this year and is waiting for an operation to take a kidney out. She continues to drink heavily every day. I know now that whatever I do, I cannot stop her drinking, its far too late - used to think I could solve all their problems, and boy did they test me!! Anyway, a new year, a new start!!

Been out all day looking for an outfit for a wedding in March (yippee!! A happy event!!) and driving home, that little voice reared its ugly head....."Janice, there's no one in, no one coming in, you've got the house to yourself, it'll be sooooo easy to have a drink, what a day, you deserve one!!". First test!! Thanks to you, the kettle went on and I was straight up on the computer!!

Paula, so sorry about your brother, you are both in my thoughts. Cindi, we started a good run together at the beginning of October remember?? We can do it again!! Rustop, great stuff on 23 days, Cowgal - that first day is the hardest!! I'll confirm that later this evening!! Mary "mam" I've missed you too!!! To everyone, sorry for rambling but thank you again!!! See you later!!

Janicexxx

[retteacher]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Janice: Come back whenever you need us. We need you as much as you need us. We're here. M

[Cinders]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Janice,

Yes, I reiterate what Mary says. Come here whenever you need us. We will be here.

I cannot imagine life without my parents. They are such stalwarts against the wind. When they go, (not if, when, they are both very old) I will need all of you for my sustenance. and I will count on it.

You will be here.

Thank GOD for MWO. MWO has saved my life. I truly believe I would not be here without this site and my friends. Truly.

Love,
Cindi

[FinallyRN]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Ok, Sweetpea, don't be too envious, I only lost 2 lbs...........

Janice, welcome back. I look forward to getting to know you.

[Deena]

NEWBIES IN NEED - ODAT- WEDNESDAY

Hi Paula,
Hang in there, ok? I lost my only brother with whom I was very close about 7 years ago after a long battle with cancer. I remember the jolt I would feel every time the phone rang for the last 4-6 months. I can honestly say I know how you feel.

Stay strong.