Newbies Nest

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Wow, lots of new birdlings! Awesome! And a big welcome to all of you!

How was everyone's weekend? Busy, busy here.. and no better today! Hence, I better keep going before I lose momentum!

Just wanted to pop in quickly - take care, all you nesters!

Tweet at ya laters!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good afternoon Fellow Nesters,

Hey Chops, Sunni, SD - my weekend acquired red itchy bumps did turn out to be poison ivy - eeewww - I'm not doing anymore yard work, yuck!

A great big hello to all the newbies
So glad to see you all here, it's a nice place, you'll see! Just take it one day at a time and let us know if you need some help, that's what we're here for........

Have a great AF day everyone!

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Ohhhh no, Lav!!! What the heck are ya doin, rolling around in poison ivy??? Sheeesh! :l
Hope you're feeling better today!

[renewal]

Newbies Nest

hey

Poison ivy Lavande?? Sheesh, that brings back childhood memories.....what was that stuff? Calimine lotion or something? Still remember the smell...............Sun, great to see you my dear. Hope all in your world is right. Chop, thanks for your kind words and your care for G...he means the world to me as do the people who show him love.
To you newcomers.......welcome!!! The nest is a special place....where love and support emenate daily.....judgement is left at the door as we understand each other's journey and celebrate each's triumphs.....hope you'll stay plugged in here. I am 'the inkeeper' so to speak, but everybody else here is what makes the nest what it is....the people you find here are precious, genuine, caring individuals who truly care for one another. I am proud to be associated with everybody here.....you newcomers will feel the same. Happy to have you join our family!
Pops.........and G

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Pops and Sun,

I wasn't actually rolling around in the poison ivy, but you'd never know that by looking at me GEESH!
We have a rather large property and the stuff keeps popping up, gets me everytime..................

Good night all, and Bless all the Newbies

[ChickenNumber3]

Newbies Nest

Goodmorning all,newbie reporting in for day 2 AF!!! All going well so far, have a busy day planned with the kids (school holidays for 4.5 yr old ) and an energetic 2 year old!! keeps me on my toes. Wishing everyone a wonderful day.Hope to check in this evening to report another successful day! Fingers crossed.
All the best
Chicken

[Camra]

Newbies Nest

Just starting out sort of

I tried a private councelor in September of 08. Worked with her until late December of 08 when she kind of just disappeared. I did a 24 day stint of a 30 day try from September 27 until about the 20th of October and had a binge and she told me to check into the ER. I did and returned to work the next day. She had been bugging me to join AA. So this time I did. Got a sponser that was about 5 months sober (3rd time around). After a few talks he asked if I was sure that I was an drunk. I said that at times I control it, you know 4-5 beer a day but on weekends it can get worse, you know 12 plus a botle of wife shared with my wife and maybe part of a pint of vodka hidden in a guitar amp. Mondays sometimes felt bad. So he said well if yu are not sure why not go out and drink again. So I made a plan with my wife we would have a couple of drinks on Saturday and Sunday. I did add to that sometimes but for the most part it worked until about February 09 and I had another binge. Back to AA. All they talk about is how many years it took them to recover and how many relapses and how many times they would go out after meetings and drink in the early days. All this talk of drinking and the 3 or 5 year plan. I could not take it. I did have 2 home groups to get different perspectives. I stayed away for awhile from my meetings and nobody called. I closely monitored my intake withthe little airplane bottles and the little 4 packs of wine. Sometimes beer that I really love but getting rid of the bottles are a pain. I agreed to go to a treatment center for an assessment. They wanted me to do either a 2 week out patient 9-4 for 2 weeks; out of the question for work projects etc. They said they could do a 3 day a week 6-9pm for 10 weeks. I wanted neither. We had a vacation planned to drive to Yellowstone this week but the 4th weekend was a major binge (nobody could tell including my wife!) but Monday, Tuesday I could not go to work. I made good excuses. Wednesday, my wife said go to work and we go on vacation Thursday or go to detox. I did not want to get on the road with the 500SL with little bottles and possibly kill us so I opted for detox. I got out yesterday and am back taking Campral. I took it while drinking and was really gittery and to cure that I would have a drink. Now free of alcohol and 1 day doing OK and going to work tomorrow with the vacation canceled (I am so pissed at myself for doing this) I am wondering is all of this going to work. Is Topamax a better choice?

Signed,
Been tring, not successful, dissappointed in AA, this has to be it. There are no more chances. Any and all advise is desparately needed. Tears rolling down my cheeks

[Fernanda]

Newbies Nest

Hi,

Chicken, I actually don't know how ithe combination is affecting me. Anyway, I went to the "chemical Dependancy Recovery Program" at my health care provider & they suggested the 3-week inpatient detox, followed by nightly group meetings. Yikes. Bottom line, they do not believe in moderation, so no meds for me unless I agree to quit under supervision. I agreed to attend a group for people who were 'ambivalent about their recovery' and then called & said I wasn't going. It just seemed like I would be judged for wanting to moderate, rather than quit. Soooo...here I am - hoping the supplements work for me.

Today is Monday. I am not going to drink until Thursday. That seems like a small thing but I have not gone more than one night AF in a long time because I can't sleep. I'll post on my progress.

[choppersmom]

Newbies Nest

Hi all Nesters! Unusual check-in for me, as I usually post in the morning. But, I am extremely busy at work.

Lav, so sorry that you have poison ivy!! Ugh...that must be the pits.

Camra, hello and :welcome:! You have found a great support team here. I have never been to AA, so I can't really give you advice there. What I can tell you is that if you want something to work, then you will make it work. It is going to take a lot of hard work, but I sense you have that in you. I have had the tears rolling down my cheek too. Keep posting, reading, and asking questions. As for the Topamax, have you checked out the medications thread? I have never used the meds, but I know there is great success. YOU can do this! :l

Hi Fernanda and a big :welcome: to you! Yes, please post on your progress. Small goals are good goals. Have you checked out the ODAT (one day at a time thread)? You have set a goal, let us help you achieve it and beyond.

Chicken, thanks for checking in! Congrats on day 2! Well done!!! :goodjob:

Hiya Sunni! How are you doing? Busy is my choice of word today!

Papa, so glad to see you back. Hope you and G had a great day! Who couldn't love the both of you?

I will see all of you tomorrow! :l

[ChickenNumber3]

Newbies Nest

Goalposts keep changing!

Hi All!

Thanks for that Fernanda. I am back posting right now as the cravings have just started to hit and I need something to take my mind off it. Am a bit tired so might go have a rest too.
Hoping it will pass and I will reach Day 3 AF. Good luck for getting to Thursday,you can do it!

At the moment I keep swaying between 'moderating' or complete abstinence! I think for me it should be complete,at least for awhile.Who knows maybe after a certain amount of time I wont miss it? Does anyone know if there is a 'magic' time frame where cravings reduce or go away?I have done much researc h as yet,but do intend to!

Thanks for saying hi Choppersmum and chin up Camra, this time it will be different.
(Good,I feel better now! Will go have that rest while my 2 year old is napping),
Bye for now
Chicken

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Hello to all you nesters!

My, my, it's wonderful to 'see' so many new faces! Not, that I don't enjoy the 'OLD' ones (Dillie, Chops, Lav, Papa R, etc.) :H

3rdChicken - GOOD ON YOU! For coming here and reading/posting when the cravings hit! That's exactly what you need to do. And, please don't be afraid to send out an SOS to have someone in chat with you... cravings are 'just' thoughts... they will pass.

OMG, I'm having such a hard time typing... PR you'd be in heaven right now! My son brought home this tiny, abandoned kitten a few weeks ago (left by the side of the road, in a box it couldn't get out of, in the blazing sun, no food or water) - she's not the prettiest little thing, but gosh, is she ever affectionate. She's sitting in front of the keyboard right now.. purring like a little diesel engine, licking and biting my NOSE :H

Ok, I better get moving and get some more work done - I'm only here until lunch time today. Taking my 33year old mare to the vet this afternoon *cringe* a rather expensive 3+ hour affair, I'm afraid. But, it's gotta get done.

Again.. welcome to all of you starting out - be kind to yourselves... this isn't for the faint hearted!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good afternoon nesters,

Hope today has been a good one, so far!

Yeah chops, I was up all night scratching..........how annoying. I can't remember the last summer I didn't have poison ivy. It just seems to be getting worse every year - aging, maybe???

Sunni, I thought Vets made house calls........ there is a small horse farm across the road from us, I do believe their Vet comes over....... Wow, I have a hard enough time taking my dogs in for office visits. Hope your trip went well

Chicken, good job, hope your day 3 is going well. Stick with it, you'll be glad you did.

Camra, sorry you had to go through so much to get to this point - but - you're here now, working on Day 2, good for you. This will work for you if you really want it to and you will feel proud

Fernanda, best wishes on your 3-4 day AF plan. See how you feel by Thursday, you just may surprise yourself and want to stay AF. I know I did. I decided to go for 30 days, when I reached that goal I asked myself if I really wanted a drink at that point and my answer was a resounding NO! I felt so good, so happy, so much calmer, relaxed, etc. I did'nt want anything to mess that feeling up!

Wishing everyone a good AF day!

[Fernanda]

Newbies Nest

Tuesday

Thanks, Lavande-
Sucessful day 1 AF, although I had a weak moment when my partner suggested beer was not really an alcoholic beverage. He seems to be able to go AF whenever he wants but he's quite the enabler. I had trouble sleeping until I got up & took a bendryl.

Goal 2 - get to work on time! Goal 3 - exercise!

I'm listening to the subliminal "you like to exercise" CD right now. It's giving me a headache! I wish we could get the CD's as podcasts. I need to remember how to put a CD on my iPod.

[Fernanda]

Newbies Nest

Oh - thanks everyone else who said hi - I didn't scroll up far enough!

[NoraC]

Newbies Nest

Well - yesterday was a horrible binge. So, today I am deciding to recover my life. It looks like there is some great support here. I have a feeling that I'm going to be needing it. :upset: