Newbies Nest

[Eloise]

Exactly what I wanted to say NS!!

It's not true, N2Q. You're a good, worthy person everyday. Alcohol is the problem. You didn't choose to become addicted but now you're choosing to get past it. I bet you learned a lot about yourself and your relationship with alcohol during your 23 AF days. That time was not wasted! Now take what you know and move forward with confidence, pride, and excitement for what lies ahead. All the best, NS

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning Nesters!

I hope everyone has a terrific AF day

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Good Morning, Fellow Nesters!
As I was checking out my day count for the Sunday shout out, I realized I just passed 1900 days. There are so many ways to look at that. I've saved no less than $19,000 (the price of a car?!!) I've taken up hobbies that I couldn't be bothered with before and now they bring me great joy (and joy to others). I have patience, good health, and I am happy and at peace. I tell you, these are things that drinking never brought me. Drinking made me paranoid, depressed, obsessed, contrary and lazy.

No matter how hard today seems....fight your way thru to the other side. I promise it's worth it.
Hope everyone has a peaceful day! Back on your heads! Byrdie

[JackDanielsGirl]

Morning all,

Doing well here. Just checking in and being accountable.

JDG

[Dutch1988]

N2Q I drank on the 7th or 8th of March after fourteen days last year, the excuse seems to matter less and less. Either way it was enough time to notice how little alcohol helped me. It also helped me see that I was drinking at a problem alcohol couldn't solve. That is why made it click for me, even suffering horrible depression for months during my quit, I got the shit done I had to. Just wanted to make sure you knew your days off matter, they can create the change in perspective that makes you stick with it.

Overit stick around god damnit!

[aihfl]

Well, I am a noob once again. I drank and abused the Ativan prescribed by my psychiatrist toward the end of last month. I was so out of it I fell really badly and thought I had broken my shoulder. I was just banged up but the ER told me they are no longer in the detox business and had me transferred to a psychiatric hospital. It turned out to be a really wonderful place because you have to see the therapist and psychiatrist every day as opposed to once a week at regular rehab. I got more out of my 8 days there than 28 days at regular rehab last year. I would have stayed there the full 28 days were it not a locked facility. We got to go out 45 min. to an hour a day, but when I can't go in and out at will I get a little stircrazy. One night a staff member came in and said, "It's storming like a son of a bitch out there" and we were all "Oh, it's raining?" lol. Anyway, I also liked me pills as well so I go to NA in addition to AA and my close friends from those fellowships are keeping much closer tabs on me. I have about 4-5 people I have to check in with daily. I will also make it a point to try to check in daily here as well. I think I should probably enroll in an outpatient program as well. I have an appointment soon with both my therapist and psychiatrist so I'm sure they will advise me well.

[Laeot]

Day 19

Keeping myself busy ...
Still worrying about getting to work everyday if I Lose my driving licence for 2 years

Anyway I'm still sober...

Take care all..

[aihfl]

Still worrying about getting to work everyday if I Lose my driving licence for 2 years

Sorry to hear that. I almost lost my license two years ago after having a withdrawal seizure. I live in Florida and a seizure results in an automatic, unequivocal loss of driving privileges for a minimum of three months. I was in treatment with a woman who had two withdrawal seizures in the emergency room and the state would not return her license for a year. My therapist later told me (because she's dealt with a lot of people who have had this issue) that the ONLY reason I didn't lose my license is because the hospital was supposed to confiscate it and send it back to Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and that didn't happen. Talk about having my higher power looking out for me...

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters,

Seems I finally have everything back in order here after the big weekend storm. Power, cable, internet, the whole nine yards. Funny how we take all that for granted when we have it & then suffer when we lose it for a day or two/

I imagine losing driving privileges for months or years can be a frightening experience. I hope you folks don't have to deal with that aih & Laeot! Make sure your plans are up to date, right?
Congrats on your 19 AF days Laeot ~ you are closing in on 3 awesome AF weeks

Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[Lavande]

Good Tuesday morning Nesters.

Make it a great AF day

Lav

[Ican]

I'm back - having trouble posting

[Ican]

There we go- I'm back with a new shorter name (formerly icanwithoutacan). Hope to see some familiar faces here in the nest. Day 1

[Byrdlady]

Good Morning, fellow newsters, ehehehe.

Aih, I am glad to hear that you are sober and have received some great help. You have shared some of your plan with us, but I wonder how you are accepting the new lifestyle? Is your head in the game, I guess, is what I'm asking. Getting some good distance from AL will really help, as you know. We're glad you're here!

Laeot, awesome job on your 3 weeks! Remember you get a hat when you reach 30 days!!! Hang in there, no matter what!

Welcome back Ican! Catch us up on what's going on! Glad to see you again!

Hope everyone has an easy Tooosday! Byrdie

[Eloise]

Welcome back Ican, good for you!

[aihfl]

Aih, I am glad to hear that you are sober and have received some great help. You have shared some of your plan with us, but I wonder how you are accepting the new lifestyle? Is your head in the game, I guess, is what I'm asking. Getting some good distance from AL will really help, as you know. We're glad you're here!

Thank you Byrdie and a hearty hello to everyone else. I have the day off so I just got home from about a 30 mile bike ride with some people from a cycling club I'm in. I also cycle (and kayak) regularly with another friend in recovery who has six years clean off crack cocaine, so she has a positive effect on me. In fact, she is the one who took me to the hospital and detox. Not only did she have her own addiction issues, but her second husband died of cirrhosis, so she is empathetic to my situation. I just think about all the time I lost doing my hobbies (cycling, kayaking, sailing and scuba diving) to drinking and drugging and the fact that I wrecked my marriage and a wonderful post-marriage relationship because these two women got tired of taking care of me because I became incapable of taking care of myself. There is a reason step one reads, "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol (and drugs) - that our lives had become unmanageable.

I have a follow up appointment with my psychiatrists on both April 18 and May 9. In detox, I was put on another depression med. Antidepressants take a while to kick in so the doctor wants to see how I'm doing on it. I feel great right now, but I have to be cautious and not let myself get caught up in the "pink cloud" as they call it in AA/NA. I also have a great therapist who is helping me with my PTSD which stems from severe early childhood physical abuse, but it's difficult for him to relate to my addiction and alcoholism issues because he's never been an addict himself.

The plan was for me to do inpatient rehab again at Florida Recovery Center at Shands Hospital (University of Florida Hospital) in Gainesville, but I think I am going to have to go outpatient for economic reasons. I would love to do inpatient again, but I am afraid if I take 2 months off from work, my income will fall below the threshold for my Obamacare subsidy but still be too much to qualify for medicaid since our wonderful politicians in Tallahassee refused to even consider the medicaid expansion. Outpatient will still allow me to work and not lose any income. My detox costs covered my deductible for the year so outpatient will be relatively inexpensive since I will only be footing 10% of the bill.

Anyway, I've rambled on enough but I'll just finish by saying "just not drinking" is not a plan. I have a plan and I'm working on implementing it. One of my AA friends has already texted me this morning to make sure my day is off to a good start so it's great to have friends in recovery looking out for me. Hope everyone has a great day.