New here and starting Topa and with a question

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I know what I wanted to say, it was to WTE, I would be up for doing the smoking thing with the elastic band and writing down when you smoke, I have done that before, becomming consious of each cigarette kind of thing instead of just lighting up. I read it in a book I cant remember which one, was it Allen Carr??

Anyhow I am feeling a bit better now after drinking pleny of fluid and having my dinner, still very tired tho I think I will be off to bed soon, maybe to try to read of find something to watch, or maybe just to nod off to sleep, a bit early for that tho its only 8pm! Has anyone else felt like this, this is on no beer. Yep I will take one can up and it will be a pne can night again I think, that if I even open that one.

Goodnight/evening/afternoon/whatever x

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi All …

As Sun says .. back from the salt mines for the weekend! HA!

Sun, no RVs because you hate moving vehicles????? And you drive to work HOW?? LOL And like “comforts” ..but I can BET you have never traveled in a nice RV! Ok Fine! *hands on hips* I suspect we will not talk you into “dirt camping either (aka tent camping). Oh , I missed that SO much over this summer with all that was going on! I would go THIS weekend with Charlie if I did have still have DeVas to care for ….

As for my Ireland family .. no clue! I suspect they are in flight now but I have not heard anything. They will be in this area for 2 weeks so I suspect we will spend some great times together. They are not real “Internet” people and so I am not surprised that they will pop into the airport, get a hotel and I will then hear from them.

Sun – As for DeVas and FIP …need to look that up. This Center is one of the best in the world so I suspect they checked for all. But on never knows. They placed an AMAZING number of animals into foster care last Wednesday while I was there with DeVas. One, a 4 month old kitten that had its paws chemically burned (SICK AS I TYPE THIS) by some VERY ill human. It was all over the news here that Helen Woodwards went to Los Angeles to get this kitten, care for it with a foster and save it.

So her (sweetheart!) as well as a 8 others were taken home that evening for “personal care” … like Devas. He is a TOTAL knucklehead and sillier by the day and hopefully recovers soon with this new medication. We are only on Day 3 tonight …

Space! My you are running so great! WHOO HOO! Keep the path Chica … Topa DOES work (when you listen) for many.

As for the Topa Dopa .. if you increased, I had the same issue. For me it passed with time – but I think I already told you I moved up REALLY slow to avoid too much of it and still felt in control with the AL.

As for the cigs … I tried today to track again. I think I am missing some BUT I agree it is something we should maybe try together? If I could set a goal of say for a week … 25% less – would be a start???? Thoughts????

Hate to cut this short but I have Charlie to walk yet .. DeVas is asking for attention after a full day home alone and I MUST eat a proper dinner! HA!

Perhaps back later .. and if not – I have a GREAT casual Saturday morning with NO PLANS! Yea! =)

Hugs All!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi there - WTE - it is different when I am driving. I don't get car sick then! Ask hubs - he 'tested' me once - and true to form - I had to ask him to stop while I threw up! I wear wristbands (that have accupressure points) when I am not driving and they work for a while - same with sea sickness - ask Play - LOL !!! I did camp once - my first time - in CA - MANY years ago - my first time in USA - a visit - and we camped in a pup tent.........ON AN ANT HILL !!!!!!!! Suffice to say, with age and experience, I now prefer hotels. :H:H:H

Space - I would suggest that you either go back a notch or if you feel better tomorrow, stay on the same dosage. But you sound pretty loopy to me, so maybe go back a notch? And stay there a week longer? If it is affecting you that badly you need to go back a bit...... it was still working well for you.

WTE - I either have to quit or not. I can't plan on cutting down. the cigs that is. For me it is all or nothing. You go with whomever, to do whatever with you - I just know that for me, I have to either smoke or not. I think the chantix is your best choice ..... I wish I could have it as my first time again!

Wish I had no plans for my Saturday - but am on Day 4 of a six day run. SIGH. I will think of you all when I am up at 5.00 tomorrow morning.

Keep well everyone - love and hugs, Sun XXXX

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

He Sun, WTE, I thinkeveryone has there owe particular ways of doing things and liking things, me, I like camping, would love to do a US road trip and also like hotels, but do think I prefer the first two. Ive never been successfull with quitting smoking so I dont know what ways is best.

I really dont know what happened to me yesterday, I changed over on Monday so it wasnted event like I just went up in dose, so I have no clue, I feel ok now tho so its all ok. I think I will stick with the dose tho for w bit longer and not go up on Monday, Im on 25 am 50 pm right now and yes Ihad less than a can in bed last night so I will stay here a bit longer as the drinking is where I want it anyway, why go up.

I cant get Chantix of my doc, and it is expensive to buy, I asked my daughter to get it for me but she wouldnt, is it good? As for the reducing yes Id be up for that WTE, I wish I knew what book it was in that I got that tip because last time I read it itd did help,mind you a lot of these things are a first read it works after that not so much.

Oh dear Sun, up at 5.00!!!! I wish I could come and make you a big strong cup of coffee to help you, or better still let you have a lie in and opent the shop for you

xx

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

OH I wanted to tell you that, since I havent heard back from the jobs I applied for and Im starting to go a bit stir crazy now stuck at home now that Im feeling better and wanting something to do, I am going back to the centre on Monday, well I have already told you all that I think, but I have also enrolled on an on line course in Customer Service, and I will get full funding for it so it will be free so that will be something for me to do and I will get a certificate out of it. The place does a few course so Im going to do this one first then do Business and Administration next. I picked Customer Service first because I have done that course before and thought it will be best to do something easier to begin with, they also do an IT course.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good Morning everyone - hi there space - gosh, 5.00 came so early ! Poor hubs was just coming to bed as I was getting up! he did 4 hours overtime last night. It is really cold here this morning - 36 degrees outside!!

Space - you are doing so well on your one can - that is awesome! As long as you are feeling okay, I would stick with the dose you are on, but if you are having SE's, you can always go back down a bit. It sounds as if that is the dose for you though - how good !!

Sounds like you have a plan re the customer service course - and then another one too and it is all paid for too - yes, that sounds like a plan to me !

I have to go and dry my hair and get my food ready for work...... back later - have a good Saturday everyone,

Hugs, Sun XX

[Warnie]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

gidday. pills make ya crook. worse than booze. we got plenty a chemicals inside us designed to do the job. we gotta encourage em tho. i lace up me running shoes and just run. i run and run. run for me life everyday and i keep on running and dont drink. i get tired but my body is starting to live again with its own chemicals. its uncomfortable first. but we gotta get uncomfortable to really change. no quick fix. at the same time i work on me thinkin. running and loving meself again. and no drink. dont take the pills if ya drinking. useless. im not puttin more drugs in me body. no more. good luck.

warnie

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Morning All …

Sun – thinking of you at work already! SO Sorry! I do so enjoy being able to take most weekends off, but then again it took me about 15 years to get to this place! HA!

As for smoking – I agree. I suspect I am an all or nothing smoker too. It was just my thought to try and cut back a bit (or just be more AWARE) until I am ready to start the Chantix. I’m terrible about being at my desk and not even paying attention to lighting one after the other.

Space – Not sure what book that was, but I did the “tracking” thing after trying Smoke Enders years ago – it was part of the “program”. I was actually thinking about perhaps trying the 2 together - Chantix and Smoke Enders which is also a “taper down” program.

I have no idea how much it will cost and IF my insurance will help or not, but the $$$ I am spending on cigarettes is insane anyways! LOL

Sun – Laughing at your camping on an ant hill. HA! HA! I still ADORE tent camping, but over the years have made my tent a bit more “comfy”. I have a very large tent with 2 “rooms” and I can stand up in it. Queen size air mattress with lots of pillows and a “nightstand” with a battery lamp. LOL I bring lots of area rugs for the rest of the floor (and pup) and it’s really quite cozy! Plenty of room for my suitcase and other needed stuff. If it’s hot I have a fan and if it’s cold I have a tent heater. HA! OK – I even confess that at one place I camp up in the Sierras by the river to fly fish – I even have WiFi and a cable TV connection if I wanted it. Nice hot showers that you pay for with quarters and clean restrooms.

Don’t get me wrong – LOVE nice hotels. But for me, I like the night sounds and seeing the stars and sitting around a campfire. There is something very primal and satisfying to me about the days being all about basic “survival” and cooking over fire, hunting for the wood, washing dishes in a stream, eating fresh caught fish from the day ….. Oh boy, not I am REALLY missing camping this weekend! HA! Too bad cats don’t camp better. LOL

Sun – I have a GF that is like you riding in a car. I also use those pressure point wrist bands when I am on rough water in a boat of kayaking – but road vehicles don’t bother me. But – it is always a possible dilemma riding with this GF in MY car. So do I let her drive so she does not throw up in my new Jeep??? HA! Do you always have to drive even with hubby in the car??? You just crack me up sometimes!

Space – Echoing Sun again on staying at your dose that is working or dropping a touch if you need to. You can still go back up if/when the SEs get easier. 25/50 was what worked for me so well. But it took me longer than the “chart” to get there. Remember – SLOWER is better! You are doing SO fantastic I will confess to just a tiny touch of jealousy! HA! Oh well – I will find my method one of these days ….

Play – I had to ask Sun what the heck a CLOPEN was after you mentioned it too! HA! I was thinking … “Huh? Is this a new medication or something??”. **laughing at myself**

Hope you are getting some rest in. When is your trip to Spain?

A touch of Fall in the air this morning – thank goodness after our summer heat! It was about 62 in my bedroom when I awoke this morning. Nice! Although they are predicting possible rain the mid of next week which we need, but I am not quite ready for winter just yet! Or muddy doggie paws again. LOL I am hoping my sprayed painted lawn will absorb some of Charlie’s mud as he comes in the back door. br />
Still no word from the Ireland family – but they arrive today at some point, or may have already done so early this morning. I suspect I will hear from them sometime this weekend. Kind of glad I didn’t make any plans other than to just putter about the house and spoil my furry family.

I am becoming painfully aware that DeVas will soon be leaving me and he has certainly gotten into my heart. I am hoping that his new meds do the trick, although I heard another sneeze last night. Darnnit! I am hoping desperately that someone I know adopts him so I can see him from time to time. As of now, it looks like he will go back to the shelter, although I am 100% certain he will be adopted his first day back. He IS that social and sweet and so handsome…. It’s the downside of fostering but I would do it again 100 times.

OK – Too many of you are being too quiet! But, I get it. It will not be that long before my days and hours with the shop will be crazy and you will not see much of me either. I just think about so many and wonder how you are doing.

And on that note … on to my day! Hope everyone has a good one …

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

How come you all know the temperature there, here its hot, warm, ok, chilly, cold, bloody freezing, I dont know any one who has a thermometer in there home :H

Got to go Im burning the dinner so will be back later xx

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

spacebebe01;1388535 wrote: How come you all know the temperature there, here its hot, warm, ok, chilly, cold, bloody freezing, I dont know any one who has a thermometer in there home :H

Got to go Im burning the dinner so will be back later xx

My computer tells me what temp it is outside and my thermostat for my heat/air tells me what temp it is inside !! LOL - just got home from work - back later, Hugs, sun XX

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Trying To "Play" Catch Up

Hi Everyone,
I'm going to give it a try to catch up tonight as tomorrow I do a "clopen", WTE, that is work till closing, 12pm and then open in the morning at 7am, I learned that work from Sun, it should be in the dictionary, it is so appropriate for us people who do them.

I think I kind of left off just talking with Space about how a Space Bebe looks and about the road trip thing. So to me a Space Bebe looks exactly like your icon, Space, but you look much more like your real life self, beautiful and sweet:h And as for you coming to American, well, that is easy enough, you have plenty of friends here to stay with, no problem there, and we will buy an RV thingie when I win the Lotto which I expect to do at anytime now, we will rent one if I haven't won the Lotto by then:H.

Oh Yes, I actually left off thinking it was Friday night and you had all been out partying, but it was really Saturday night and I was just in bed, hmmmmm.

Wu, I was wondering if you are still worried about River pharmacy? My experience with them is that they are very reliable, it usually takes about two weeks for me to get my meds, now of course I'm trying to catch up so you have probably already sorted this out by now. And when you talk about your little daughter getting new words everyday, do you mean that she is just learning to talk in general (she is two years old right?) or what kind of speech problem does she have, I think you mentioned that at one time, and wouldn't she have a pre-school to go to in swiss? Could you take Antabuse in swiss? like you can take it here? as well as the Topa? you would also have the support of your husband. I know you both must miss each other. Please forgive me as I know that I am most likely behind what is actually happening with you.

Space I'm reading a bit about you feeling so much better, looking forward to spain, even looking for a job, and thinking that topa has brought a miracle about, becasue you have never felt this positive, oh, i'm so happy about that, make sure to order enough to have on hand.

I think I better save this post so that it won't be lost in the never-never land, then I will continue on, love you all, see you in a few minutes.

Play

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

More Catching Up

Dear WTE, Oh My Gosh, Ski Guy, too bad he isn't the one:upset:

and yes, Space, it is strange that England doesn't have the wild animals like American does, Spain doesn't have them either, I think spain has some small deer, but I have never seen any, perhaps there are other wild animals, I just don't know.

Now WTE, I want to understand this correctly, you run a big successful business, lots of it from home, and you only do Skype with the phone!!! and you have to be dressed and with make up on to talk on the phone??? and so if you are already dressed and with make up on just to talk on the phone why would you not get a camera????? and BTY, why would you need to be dressed and have make up on to talk on either??? I thought you were a San Francisco Girl, you could be seen in your pajamas anywhere

Now I see Dizzy on so I will try to catch up with you Dizz, sure miss you. I sure understand how you don't spend time with each other in the evenings when your so tired after work, it does take its toll on relationships but it is real life as well and it seems like you and BF are actually getting along remarkably well, I'm pretty surprised and happy at things with you both, seems that you did have a pretty good take on him after all:h Dizz, thanks for making the effort to stay with us, you are very dear to our hearts here on this thread, I hope you know that, so just wanted to say it.

And WTE, yes, I think for now we all do seem more positive and upbeat, you are feeling better, at least in the physical thing way, getting back to a normal life after that awful bout with the kidney infection, so that is good news, and Space is doing awfully well, and your advice about just taking it really slow about going up on the dose I think is very good advice and I would second it. Because really there is absolutely nothing to lose by going up slowly, it is easier to stay at a dose that you are having success at, just stay there and use a little bit of will power along with the Topa, don't increase the dose unless you really feel the cravings coming back, that way, you save going up until you really need to. And yes, charting drinks sounds like a good way to go, I remember when you did that WTE, back before you went to Greece or somewhere.

WTE, i'm wondering about your $5,000 deductible insurance plan, was it the type that you still had to pay for part of the hospital bill? or nothing for the hospital? have you found out your total bill yet? OMG, did I tell you that I have opted for the Cal Cobra insurance? after your ordeal, I jumped at the chance when I found out about it, if I can afford it until I have Medicare I will keep it, it is a comfort to know I can get care if I need it. When I was young I never gave it a thought but now it do think about it.

Going to close and save this post, Space, yes, its great to have the sunlight coming into the garden and the house, the sun is full of life. More pretty soon, love you all.

play

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Again,
Oh My Space,
Maybe they were just angels sent to help you get into your locked car that day:h

Sun, gave me a wonder recipe for a chickpea appetizer that I made for me and my daughter for dinner the other night, it was a great success, if anyone wants the recipe just PM me or sun, in case you don't know what are chickpeas, they are "garbanzo beans".

Sun and Space have asked if the CDs will work if you always fall asleep during them and I would say it is probably better if you listen in the morning when you can stay awake but still be relaxed. If you are asleep you are not really hearing them, some people believe in the thing of the brain hearing the messages even when asleep but for these cds they must be heard by the conscious relaxed mind.

Now I still don't really know what is a TOG? Sun you talked about it but didn't really explain it, is a TOG just a certain Weight of a blanket? So, please further explain, thanks.

Sun, I'm reading your part about your thinking why we are not more motivated to stop> Maybe if we really wanted to stop we would be more motivated. Maybe we like drinking and if we are honest with ourselves, yes we do like it, we want to drink now and then, we have to want to do something to take that first step.

I have been thinking that the best thing that I can think of about not drinking every night is that it makes me feel so good in the morning when I wake up. Of course I think I want to drink sometimes, I like it, but I don't want to drink every night, it feels so wonderful to wake up in the morning when I haven't been drinking the night before, that is something that I really remember from when I had some AF time with the Topa and Hypnotherapy from before. So, maybe if I had more of that time I would want more and more of that time, but the hardest part is wanting to take that first step to have that first bit of AF time, it is the part that is where I am so not motivated, if I could just get past that I think I would be more and more motivated, what is the answer? as Sun was saying once we take that first step it is easier to keep going.

Wte, test going well, good, DR, you like him, wonderful, RX for Chantix OK, oh, funny your GF will be sad he just got married, all the good ones are taken

Oh, i'm just learning what is a TOG, its a rating for a duvet, why do they call it a TOG, where did that come from? is it a british thing?

And Space, your question to Sun about her just having two, good question. Out of all of us, it is my observation from spending time with Sun and my opinion:H that Sun would appear to be the only one of us that is actually a normal drinker, I only question that she of course always wants her Guiness straightaway and wants it everyday, but other than that she does not drink to extreme and seems to always stop before drinking to excess.

And Space I'm at the part where you are happy with two cans and if you are still at two cans I would say HIP HIP HOORAY, that is so wonderful, I think that is very normal drinking and a great place to be. I myself want to just be a normal drinker and want to just have a couple of glasses of wine a night, I don't want to stop drinking completely, and that is being honest.

will save this for now, take a break and be back,
love play

[StuckinLA]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Space!

I know you're still doing well but I'm thinkin' about ya' anyway. And I'd say hi here more often but this thread scares the bejesus out of me. Everyone's so nice here, but man it can be overwhelming.

So hi to everyone else that I don't get a chance to talk to very often, wishing you the best.

Love,
Stuck

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hey Stuck,

Space might be asleep about now, but HI from the rest of us Gals, nice to see you, we might be going on an RV trip one of these days (Space's Dream) will stop by to say "HEY"

Love Ya,
Play