Newbies Nest

[LavenderBlue]

Wow, congrats to LilBit and Matt, woohoo!!!

Londoner, I'm glad you poked your head in, and sorry you're still in a tough place. The others have already asked some great questions, they're well worth taking time to answer even if only to yourself. I had to be painfully honest with myself to quit, and it was hard. I also needed a plan. I think most importantly though, I had to take all the effort I used to put into drinking, and put that plus more into NOT to break the cycle.

Otherwise just checking in here. Pretty off today, I've got a toothache and this was the last time the dosage went up for my meds, at least until my next appointment in a month. I'm not sure if the meds feel better this time, but at least I was prepared for it. I have an easier time feeling rotten if I know that's just how it'll be for a bit, maybe?

I'll be figuring out a dentist appointment tomorrow, hopefully they can get me in soon!
Take care all!

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters!

I had a busy but fun day with my daughter & three grandkids here. My DIL joined us after work so it was fun. Still too hot here but the weather gods are promising some relief soon. I sure hop so

Ava, send me your cold & I'll send you some of this blasted, humid heat - phew!

LavB, I hope you get to see a dentist soon - toothaches are just nasty.

Matt, why not celebrate for 2 days? Yay!!!

Londoner, I would love to see you hop on the sober bus with us. You can beat this, lots of us have. You really sound like you are ready to commit so let's get going!

Wishing everyone a safe & comfy night in the nest!

Lav

[Pavati]

Hi, Nest:

Matt - CONGRATULATIONS on your huge achievement. You are a straightforward no bullshit kind of sober person, and I really admire that in you. I also respect the way you talk about your family and your love for them. And finally, you have one tough job, and somehow rather than find excuses you have used it as fuel for your steadfast determination. Thanks for sticking around and hanging with us - and so glad to call you a sober friend... Speech, speech.

Lil - 5 months! Another one who has had to deal with a LOT of crap, and yet you determined to stay sober. I love reading your funny and insightful posts - thanks so much for being here with us, too.

Londoner - you know the drill, right? 90 days is a great start, but as you say, you don't have a great record of stopping after one AFTER 90 days. Set your sights on a better life - hang it up for good. You'll never regret it.

LavB - Hope that tooth feels better.

Stay cool, Lav.

Good night, nest.
Pav

[lifechange]

Hi Nesters,
Just a quickie for me as I run off to a doctors appt and work.

Matt!!! Congratulations on 1 wonderful sober year! You're such an inspiration here...
you, too, Lilbit!! Congratulations on 5 months of freedom!

Londoner, I really hope you'll find the strength within yourself to carry on with not drinking.. like the others have said, a plan is necessary.. avoiding those things that cause you to want to drink. It's hard work, but you CAN definitely do it. How are you today? Why don't you make it a priority to check in here each and every day to let us know how you are.? I find writing it out helps wonders..

big hugs to you all!!

[Matt M.]

Thanks again everyone, my second family for making my days special.
This is a team effort and I'm honored to wear a MWO jersey!

I am going to get a one year speech prepared asap!

Pav- Thank you and the admiration and respect you have for me is mutual sweet lady....

I am flattered by all the kind words by so many today, more than I can remember. Please no offense if your name is not mentioned, however there are several in here that I really connected with and have guided me and invited me into their personal lives, and made themselves available any time I and prob anyone else needed advice or vent to. So just a special shout out to
Byrdlady , the P-Ava twins, No sugar, Lav, the" Lil" twins Beagle & Bit Thank you!

There are many more that I'm getting to know on a different more personal level. And many that I don't know yet always enjoy what they have to share in our rooms...

For now Stay Hard!

[Lavande]

Good morning Nesters & happy Hump day to all!

Matt, have a great day 2 of celebrating your milestone 1 year AF
I remember feeling pretty damn sure if I could do one year AF that I could keep going. I am sure you will as well! It becomes habit, the new normal & easier to maintain without constant thought & effort - you will see!

Hi there LC, Pav & everyone checking in today.
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF day!

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Morning, Nesters!
Lav, you've got that right, it IS a blessing when "NOT drinking" isn't a constant on your mind. Having turned that around to HALLA-LOOYA, I'M FREE OF THIS BURDEN is a great way to proceed.
Got some heavy burdens piling on for some people that I love. My next door neighbor had a stroke 2 weeks ago and was admitted to the hospital. He had one several months ago (a little one) and this one seemed relatively minor also. We went to see him a couple days after and he had double vision and some movement issues, but was able to carry on a conversation with us and was looking forward to coming home. He had another stroke, this one was more serious. We went to see him last Sunday and he couldn't walk or feed himself and he laughed occasionally, but I'm not sure he followed the conversation. This morning we learned they moved him to ICU and he isn't expected to make it. He is 69.

My brother in law is in hospice and isn't aware of his surroundings, so he is not going to make it either.

We are going to help my step daughter move into her new house this weekend and this morning on the way to work, someone rear-ended her! She is ok, but yet another layer of crap!

I am able to sort thru and prioritize these issues. I am able to volunteer to help people who really need it to get thru these crises. I can be depended upon to follow thru and no one (including myself) is making excuses as to why I can't. I can help move people around to where they need to be (remember I started drinking at 2:30 or 3 on weekdays and 10:30 am on weekends). I can be support for others without being reduced to a blubbering, wailing pile of useless drama. I can help make rational decisions. I am fully present.

This is priceless to me. This matters. I am so glad I soldiered thru the discomfort of getting sober and I stayed true to the goal. To say I'm thankful just isn't enough ...I am humbled by the whole experience. Once again, Lav, thank you for not giving up on me.

Matt, happy day 2 of your big anniversary! Many more, next year at this time the Rio Olympics will be starting, so we'll have 2 reasons to be blowing our horns!!

Hope everyone has an easy day. Do whatever it takes to get thru this day AF. Byrdie

[frances]

I am able to sort thru and prioritize these issues. I am able to volunteer to help people who really need it to get thru these crises. I can be depended upon to follow thru and no one (including myself) is making excuses as to why I can't. I can help move people around to where they need to be (remember I started drinking at 2:30 or 3 on weekdays and 10:30 am on weekends). I can be support for others without being reduced to a blubbering, wailing pile of useless drama. I can help make rational decisions. I am fully present.

This is priceless to me. This matters. I am so glad I soldiered thru the discomfort of getting sober and I stayed true to the goal. To say I'm thankful just isn't enough ...I am humbled by the whole experience. Once again, Lav, thank you for not giving up on me.

What a great post. I love this Byrdie!

[Dutch1988]

Good morning all!

LavB I how your tooth ache feels better. I avoid anyone looking in there like the plague, I don't take the best care of my tooth and pass out too often these days with an ice cream scooper in my hands which I know has to be causing havoc in there. I hope you feel better!

Byrdie that is pretty awesome. Just reading your post made my butt cheeks clench because death is not something I have had to deal with yet, and always used AL in the past to get thru(I'm not counting my previous upset here because I actually did get thru that without drinking in the past, although they seem to stack). I feel like I left with the message you were asking yourself what you COULD do for your loved ones, which is a great message I hope to remember when I get to that point in my quit.

This is my long summer camp week, and a very little profitable one at that. I am grateful I have my ginseng black iced tea to get thru them, my twin set three intros yesterday and this horrific summer slump is finally coming to an end. My wife and I redid our budget yesterday as health insurance looks like it is going to be more expensive than we expected. One of my goals in life is to provide the best for my family, I don't want to have the worst insurance available that is going to wipe us if something happens. Still we are looking at a grand for a family of four, not including dental and vision for my wife and I, for something that would cover us decent. To me this is ridiculous, if someone has a decent plan out there I would appreciate a PM, I'm 27, why the heck should it be that much. Despite this major stressor, trying to figure out how to make up for my wifes reduced paycheck, I am grateful I haven't been drinking and am on here, venting, and planning on how to get my revenue where it needs to be.

[lifechange]

I'll also be happy when not drinking just becomes a part of daily life without the worrying and planning! It is A LOT better already.. but I'm still thrown off sometimes.. like today. After work my plan was to go to the gym and I had all my stuff with me so no excuses.. Shortly before work ended, the thought to go to the park and drink a beer in the sun instead entered my mind. For a couple of seconds I thought about the fact that I was tired and my phone battery needed to be charged (expecting a call from my daughter) so maybe I should head home first to do that. Then I stopped myself, knowing full well that if I went home, I probably wouldn't end up going to the gym and that AV was in the background.. I could actually feel the danger in making the wrong decision. So I set my mind right, made it for an awesome workout and the AV was dead. I felt very good about the whole thing, but I still get annoyed at the fact that I even have to deal with it. Someday..

[NoSugar]

LC, I don't want to minimize how you were feeling (all of our feelings are valid!) but compare this level of anxiety and frustration to what you'd be feeling if you'd sat in the sun and had a beer. No matter how uncomfortable it can be not to drink, it is magnitudes less awful than the fall out from making the wrong choice. For awhile, "less bad" is a good place to be and with time, it becomes more neutral and eventually very, very good. xx NS

[Rahulthesweet]

Hello nesters,

I just few pics of a guy who traveled to 198 countries before 40 years of age.

People get a chance to do all sorts of things in life. I saw his pics and saw a bit of me in him. Not that I did so many countries but it did remind me of me from these carefree days of past when I was young and was having responsibilities but was careless and hence never felt responsible.

I don't whether it was the age or was it that I was drinking or both it felt free !

I can't even begin to describe how my life has changed in last year or so since I became sober. While one of this so many good things that has happen to me one thing that hit me the most as a realisation is that about what and why am I do what I am doing in life as in general. I mean earlier I used to slog my arse and have a drink at the end of day. Now I see myself introspecting and thinking too much. I then also see myself not doing stuff as if I decide it does not interest me

Does think before doing helps in work ? I don't know can't say. Something just living is good. As they say ignorance is bliss !!

I don't know what I think some time maybe it's sign of boredom. But I don't feel like having a drink. But I want to feel free ... Like when I climb on top of a mountain

[LavenderBlue]

What a day!

Well, I got my tooth checked out this morning. It got much worse overnight, I barely slept at all so I was at the dentist right when they opened. The tooth is super infected, despite being one that I had a root canal on years ago. The good part is I have antibiotics now, though it sucks that he says I need to schedule for the tooth to be taken out, Worse, come to find out that after so many years avoided prescription pain meds because i wanted to be able to drink, now that I really need them...he says he doesn't prescribe them anymore, for any reason. >.<

So I go to the drugstore for my antibiotics and manage to leave my wallet there, I'm that distracted with pain. Figure it out when I get home, drive back hoping to God that I left it on the counter... Not a good day, at all!!!

HOWEVER. Since I don't drink, I talked to friends about what was going on instead of curling up with a bottle. One suggested I talk to my regular doctor. After talking to his nurse, she said that I should definitely come in, earliest open spot was tomorrow morning. (4 ibuprofen are only lasting an hour and a half...and that's not even really getting all the pain. Blarg!) When I go in tomorrow I won't smell of booze or have to worry about how meds will affect my drinking schedule. i did not leave my wallet because I was drunk or hungover, and I'm grateful the pharmacist noticed and kept it safe. And as long as something gets better tomorrow - either the tooth or getting medication - I'll at last be able to get some sleep and eat something other than yogurt before I work on Friday. At least this happened while I had some days off, and I only had to skip the weekly meeting to see the dentist.

Today sucked and tonight isn't going to be much fun. But there is nothing here that drinking would make any better, and I have a much better chance of getting things sorted out sober. I'm thankful that I haven't been craving today, despite the stress and pain. My brain didn't jump to AL as a cure, so yay there, too.

[LilBit]

LavB, I'm sorry you're going through this. I've heard that clove oil works wonders on a toothache. Maybe it can help get you through until your appointment. This article mentions some other remedies. http://thescienceofeating.com/2015/0...es-toothaches/ Good for you for not considering AL as an option!

[Marylou123]

LavB - ouch, toothaches stink. And I know the pain can be horrendous. My heart goes out to you. Your attitude is so good though. I've had a tough day and your post help me leave the self-pity party. Thank you. And I hope you're able to get some shut eye tonight.