Newbies Nest

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Dest...my pineapple upside down cake recipe: Duncan Hines. Sorry to disappoint you, it's from a box mix! But I take the recipe of brown sugar, butter, pineapple and a cherry and spoon that in the bottom of jelly jars, then pour the cake about 2/3's up...it bakes up high and then falls down some...I take them out and seal them with lids and rings. They keep for quite some time on the shelf...sorry, not sure how long because we eat them. I am having a dinner party on the 25th and made them for our dessert. It's a novelty thing....stunning presentation and easy to do.

I tell you this whole AL is a bear...I really think what helps me is my commitment to being AF. I don't have that tug in the back of my mind anymore of can I or can't I....the answer is no. Easy for me to say, but keep trying...it WILL stick!

BigC well done on your AL AND smoke free days!!! Wow! You are showing the newbies how it's done! What has helped you the most? Is there something you say to yourself when the going gets tough? We are very proud of you! Byrdie

[finallydone]

Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters! Hope everyone is having a good Monday. I am soo wore out today both physically and mentally. My brain feels like mush after working really hard this weekend. I just feel drained right now. So happy to see success in the nest! :goodjob:

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Hope you get some rest soon FD

Destiniey, post some of your old barn pics. There's a lot of them around here too (but then again I do live in cow country

I just ran across a really nice quote, thought I'd share it here.

Confidence isn’t something we need in abundance before we set out on a new venture. It’s something we gather as we go, and gain as we grow. So gather enough for your first step and see where destiny leads you. ~ Sandra Kring

That could be a good motto for the Nest

[Destiniey]

Newbies Nest

Love the quote Lav!!!!! And i will post pics when I figure out how to! LOL

[finallydone]

Newbies Nest

A local story here on alcoholism and it's far too familiar story on where it will take us if we don't stay sober....

FARGO ? Chris Herrick?s father was 43 when he was diagnosed with liver and kidney failure.

Curt, an alcoholic, was hospitalized for three months, during which time his family was told on two occasions to prepare for hospice care.

?He was ready to accept the fact that he was going to die soon, which was tough for me to accept, as we didn?t get along with each other during my teenage years,? says Chris, 32, of Fargo.

But he didn?t.

Instead, he improved enough to be transferred to a nursing home, where he stayed for a year.

?He wasn?t able to walk, hardly could hear, talk or understand anyone because of medicine he had to take,? Chris says.

In May 2006, Curt received a new liver and kidney, but he says he relapsed when a relationship ended.

?I went as far as to tell him I wished he wouldn?t have received his transplant and stressed that someone else deserved it much more than him,? Chris said.

Curt says his need for the transplant may or may not have been caused by his drinking problem, as he also has a rare genetic blood disorder that affects the liver, kidneys, heart and joints.

?So I might have needed a transplant anyway, but about the two years or so prior to getting sick, I was just a pathetic drunk,? he says. ?My guess is I was drinking about a liter and a half of alcohol a day.?

The liver and kidney are only two of the vital organs affected by short- term and long-term alcohol abuse.

?To varying degrees, it can affect just about anything,? says Mike Kaspari, director of First Step Recovery in Fargo.

He says alcoholism can cause ?primary problems? but more commonly worsens pre-existing conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

?You see a lot of physicians trying to manage a patient?s blood pressure, and they?re kind of failing miserably, and the reason they?re failing miserably is because I?m not telling him that I?m drinking 15 beers a day,? he says.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol shrinks and disturbs brain tissue and can slow the pace of communication between neurotransmitters.

?Basically, alcohol is a poor, slow-acting anesthesia that gradually puts your brain to sleep,? Kaspari says.

Inhibitions are the first to go, then fine motor skills. Emotions become skewed.

?All of those things that are normally kept in check by your higher brain functions aren?t because that part of your brain?s asleep now,? he says.

Over time, drinking can cause significant cognitive impairment, but Kaspari says some cognitive functioning can come back with sobriety.

?Their memory returns, their ability to process returns,? he says.

Chris says his father, now 52 and living in Jamestown, is doing much better. He?s sober, he?s in decent shape, and he follows a proper diet.

?We get along pretty well now, with setbacks here and there, but I have to accept how he is now to be able to keep a relationship with him,? he says.

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

thanks Lav and Destiniey - it was a tough one, but it's over. Today is beautiful breezy and sunny and while I feel a bit drained from "hosting" all weekend, at least I feel great that i didn't drink to get through it. :-)

You're doing great honeysoup - pull out all the stops. Use every trick in the book, every tool in the box - be prepared and ready to face those tough times without wavering. Have that plan and don't let anything stop you from sticking to it. :-)

Byrdie, did you take pics of those cakes? They sound adorable!

FD - It must be in the air - as I'm drained too. I just can't take highly emotional confrontations at all...and it leaves me feeling beaten down for a bit. I should be better tomorrow after taking some down time just for me, today.

Lav, that IS the perfect motto for the nest. I love it.

Yawn......I think we'll have an early dinner but then I have plans with my boy tonight!

[akaMonique]

Newbies Nest

Monday greetings, everyone.

My home Internet is on the fritz so was off the grid all weekend. Lots of Sturm und Drang in the nest today! I want to thank those who post links to resources they find helpful; I'm always up tools to help kickstart or reinvigorate this journey.

I'm at 90 days as of yesterday - very grateful for that, but not riotously celebrating; not wanting to drink either. Feeling like I should be further ahead in other areas of my life. While things are OK, it's not like I've experienced a 180-degree turnaround in other areas. As someone reminded me, it took a long time to walk into this forest; it's going to take a long time to walk out again. Where's the damn shortcut is what I want to know.

My counselor attached a name to this lingering angst/malaise and, for me, continuing fatigue - and I'd seen it referenced here and there. PAWS - Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. This non-commercial blog, What me sober? that explains why we sometimes don't feel immediately better after the initial pink cloud lifts. And why the first 3 months sober are so critical and put us at our most vulnerable. It also references a book, Staying Sober -- there are so many out there -- and reading the table of contents, it sounds interesting and got good reviews from those in longterm recovery.

Congrats to everyone in their initial days AF; and if you're not where you want to be, it just means you haven't found that one key ingredient, the inspiration, the word, the goal, the regret, the last straw, the drug - that's going to turn the tide for you. Keep looking and keep trying - it's there. And it's here. Most importantly, it's in you.

[finallydone]

Newbies Nest

Thanks lolab...just need a good nights sleep and i will be back to the go getting me tomorrow...glad to see your doing well.!!

[finallydone]

Newbies Nest

akaMonique;1360864 wrote: Monday greetings, everyone.

My home Internet is on the fritz so was off the grid all weekend. Lots of Sturm und Drang in the nest today! I want to thank those who post links to resources they find helpful; I'm always up tools to help kickstart or reinvigorate this journey.

I'm at 90 days as of yesterday - very grateful for that, but not riotously celebrating; not wanting to drink either. Feeling like I should be further ahead in other areas of my life. While things are OK, it's not like I've experienced a 180-degree turnaround in other areas. As someone reminded me, it took a long time to walk into this forest; it's going to take a long time to walk out again. Where's the damn shortcut is what I want to know.

My counselor attached a name to this lingering angst/malaise and, for me, continuing fatigue - and I'd seen it referenced here and there. PAWS - Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. This non-commercial blog, What me sober? that explains why we sometimes don't feel immediately better after the initial pink cloud lifts. And why the first 3 months sober are so critical and put us at our most vulnerable. It also references a book, Staying Sober -- there are so many out there -- and reading the table of contents, it sounds interesting and got good reviews from those in longterm recovery.

Congrats to everyone in their initial days AF; and if you're not where you want to be, it just means you haven't found that one key ingredient, the inspiration, the word, the goal, the regret, the last straw, the drug - that's going to turn the tide for you. Keep looking and keep trying - it's there. And it's here. Most importantly, it's in you.

Thank you for this! It's a great resource. And I know I am going threw much of this right now as I head into month number 6.

[rooniferd]

Newbies Nest

Day 3 of taking Antabuse, and so far so good. My brain is still in the "let's go have a drink" mode, and I keep having to remind myself that I cannot give in - whether I want to or not. I guess it will just take a while for the tug of war to stop. I mean, gosh, this game has been going on in my head for so many years, I can't just expect it to stop. I've actually been obsessing about having a drink all day, only to find myself constantly reminding myself about the Antabuse....

But the good news is, regardless of what's going on in my head in these early days, I am not drinking. That is my goal - get off the booze and make some good habits. Start ditching the drinking buddies and make some new friends. Find some new places to go. Get busy with healthy things. I want to ride by the bars and not feel compelled to stop. I can't wait to be there.

But it won't happen overnight. I have a LONG way to go.

I have really enjoyed everyone's posts today. So inspirational.

Love you all.....:h

[finallydone]

Newbies Nest

rooniferd;1360880 wrote: Day 3 of taking Antabuse, and so far so good. My brain is still in the "let's go have a drink" mode, and I keep having to remind myself that I cannot give in - whether I want to or not. I guess it will just take a while for the tug of war to stop. I mean, gosh, this game has been going on in my head for so many years, I can't just expect it to stop. I've actually been obsessing about having a drink all day, only to find myself constantly reminding myself about the Antabuse....

But the good news is, regardless of what's going on in my head in these early days, I am not drinking. That is my goal - get off the booze and make some good habits. Start ditching the drinking buddies and make some new friends. Find some new places to go. Get busy with healthy things. I want to ride by the bars and not feel compelled to stop. I can't wait to be there.

But it won't happen overnight. I have a LONG way to go.

Just stick with it rooni. Get better and worse...than alot better than alot worse...than a whole lot better when your cross over 90 days...at almost 6 months...the worse gets alot easier to handle and the better gets a whole lot better.
I have really enjoyed everyone's posts today. So inspirational.

Love you all.....:h

Just stick with it rooni. Get better and worse...than alot better than alot worse...than a whole lot better when your cross over 90 days...at almost 6 months...the worse gets alot easier to handle and the better gets a whole lot better.

[finallydone]

Newbies Nest

This post is for a person I admire more than anyone on MWO. A person who posts alot here. And a person I care about. She is a person who has become a good friend of mine. Not only that she has always taken time to help out others. She is such a wonderful contributor and supporter of others in the NN. Today I want to give a big shout out and big huge apprecation to someone who is a wonderful human being. The one and only K9. Who has helped me stay sober but soo many others. This is your day K9 for being a stand-up person. Thank you soo much for your support to me and to everyone else in the nest. :h

[rooniferd]

Newbies Nest

finallydone;1360894 wrote: This post is for a person I admire more than anyone on MWO. A person who posts alot here. And a person I care about. She is a person who has become a good friend of mine. Not only that she has always taken time to help out others. She is such a wonderful contributor and supporter of others in the NN. Today I want to give a big shout out and big huge apprecation to someone who is a wonderful human being. The one and only K9. Who has helped me stay sober but soo many others. This is your day K9 for being a stand-up person. Thank you soo much for your support to me and to everyone else in the nest. :h

Amen to that!!! We all love you K9!!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

CONGRATS on your 90 AF days Monique
Hang on extra tight the next couple of months to prevent complacency from creeping in. You have no idea how great the future is going to be for you!

FD, I agree with you - K9 is definitely da bomb :H
So happy to have her propping up the newbies while forging her own great future AL

rooni, time to get your brain occupied with other things.....
Find a good book or TV show, get the knitting needles out or whatever you like to do. The obssessing over AL will stop. honestly!

I was just outside for maybe 10 minutes & I think I got half a dozen mosquito bites

[Destiniey]

Newbies Nest

akaMonique;1360864 wrote: As someone reminded me, it took a long time to walk into this forest; it's going to take a long time to walk out again. Where's the damn shortcut is what I want to know.

Hey Monique....Congrats on 90 days....that is awesome! I love what you wrote about the forst too....makes sense!!! Ha! I got a book at my AA meeting called Living Sober..it's pretty interesting so far!

FinallyDone..what a nice tribute to K9.....she was one of the first people to talk to me on here wayyyyyyy back when and she is such an inspiration! We LOVE you K9!!!!!!!:h