AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

[SAUSAGE]

Morning everyone

I got the day and date right completely - yes?!?

It's so cold in UK right now especially at night and especially in our house where central heating is not working properly - we have someone looking at it tomorrow.

Must dash, lots to do, but I thought i'd start this thing off and will check back later.

Have a great AF day everyone!

[SAUSAGE]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Hi again

A question i've just remembered that i've wanted to ask for a while on here to anyone who was a regular drinker and has now abstained for some weeks or more?

Did anyone used to wake up in the morning with really stiff (swollen) hands and fingers, like pins and needles (like you'd been lying on them, only you knew you hadn't) and at the same time like you couldn't make your joints work to get your fingers working / moving for a mintue or two?

I did for the last couple of years, progressively getting worse - but it's completely gone since I stopped drinking. At the time, concerned, I even consulted my Doctor about it who sent me to see a neurophysiologist. He couldn't find anything wrong with me - appointment was middle of day, by then fingers were working normally, he did various electric nerve condution tests which came out normal - neither of them asked me how much alcohol I consumed or even if I drank?

Just wondered if anyone else had experienced this or if it is just a "one off".

Have a good day everyone

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Hello Ab-Landers!

Sausage, thank you for getting us started today. Wow - (from yesterday) your 3 year old sounds amazing in the pool. Like his mommy. I can see it now - 2024 Olympic Champion Sausage Phelps steals all the gold!!!! I had tons of aches and pains before I stopped drinking that are probably about 90% cleared up now. It's hard to say how much of the problems were alcohol v. poor diet v. no exercise v. overweight, etc. I DID also have a lot of swelling - more ankles than fingers though. By evening my ankles were like tree trunks - pretty scary. That's gone too. Congrats on 65 days!!!!!

LVT this sounds like a really scary time for your husband - and of course for you too. I hope the stress test goes OK. Especially with nicotine I always felt I would "quit in time..." but that was always some time in the future - never today. I feel as though I'm lucky that I ultimately did quit in time...at least I think and hope I did. I'm trying to imagine what it would be like had I gotten to the point of serious medical testing and stuff before deciding to finally stop. I would have been angry with myself in addition to scared. You are a wonderful wife to recognize the need to tread cautiously right now...I'm sure there is nothing you can say that he doesn't already know and fear inside. :l to you.

hulagirl, cajun food and blues sounds awesome! Except for the going to a bar part. For whatever reason, that's one situation I still don't feel ready for yet. I'm sure I would handle it if I had to, but I doubt I will voluntarily go to a bar for the forseeable future. Funny how we all have some drinking scenario that seems "scarier" (for lack of a better word) than other situations.

Mary - one of the guys in my SMART group talks often about reviewing the ENTIRE vodkapade (well, mine were vodkapades anyway) as you describe from start to finish. It really is amazing how very brief the "good part" of the buzz was compared to the time spent planning to drink, acquiring the booze, figuring out how to drink more than other people without being obvious about it, having a bit too much and now worrying about slurred speech etc., forgetting things, whatever other bad things happened that we forgot, through hangover, remorse, etc. Not desireable at all when viewed rationally.

I'm looking forward to a less hectic day today. I will be going to Curves shortly (still feeling rotten about missing yesterday!). Then I will tiff up a bit and go make some cold calls. I'm hoping to get my accounting type work done early enough to do some baking this afternoon while manning the phones. Sugar and gluten free muffins are on the agenda. They keep OK enough for me in the freezer, so I'm hoping to make a batch of blueberry and also pumpkin nut so I have more than one kind to choose from. That agenda should keep me out of trouble!

It's a white world out there this morning - I hope the roads are all salted by now!

Have a great AF day all!

DG

[dill]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Good morning Sausage, and DG, and all to come! DG, loved your thourough and accurate description of the "vodkapade". Thanks for sharing that. Sausage, I can't say that I have experienced the joint stiffness and tingling. It is wonderful for you that it went away! It had to be alc related.

A couple of days ago Mary was talking about checking off 'non drinker' on a medical questionaire. At the end of the thread New Day asked the question: 'how long do you have to be AF before you can check off that you are a non drinker?' (paraphrased). It was the end of the day and no one responded. Any takers on that one?

Have a great day all! This is Day 7 for me. A record!

[BridgetJones1998]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Good morning Sausage, DG, and dill! and all absters to come!
Sausage, I didn't really have the joint stuff but my hubby and I were talking yesterday. Today is day 23 and yesterday morning I woke up and looked in the mirror and had lost the "bloat". I really have lost no significant weight but my skin looks better and no longer look as though I have been hooked up to an air hose. I made the comment to my husband that my face, IMO, looked thinner, and he followed that with, "honey, i have noticed the same thing. You know, your face was looking like a full moon". I followed that with ...." you know, that was one sentence too much." For the rest of the night he was such a suck up.

Sausage - at least 90 percent of aches GONE. maybe the last 10 percent will gradually fade. sounds like another Michael PHelps in the making. Let's hope he doesn't fancy the strippers later on

dill - good question about how long before considered nondrinker. you know, i am really feeing strong these days... i know the Beast will rear his ugly head at any time so i am not letting my guard down! I am on day 23. In May I went 21 days and felt like "this is so damn easy! that is when i allowed myself a couple of glasses of wine and then i was back to drinking a bottle a night within a week and did so for another 7 months before i came back here.

if anyone hasn't had a chance to read the thread "the committee - revisited" under general discussion, i highly recommend it. i read it last night and it was very enjoyable. Meditation Mom and Jane Jane are two funny people and should write books.

Also, WIP, I have been meaning to mention this. Have you ever considered writing a book? You have so much insight into this disease and how to help people. Certainly, you help so many of us EVERY day on these boards.... so I WILL NOT allow it if it will interfere with that!!! But just wanted to throw that out there.

Everyone have a great day meeting their abstinence goals! Hugs to everyone!

[Cinders]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Good Morning!!

Sausage, what you describe could well be alcohol related neuropathy. I have it in my feet. Pins and needles, yes. If no permanent damage is done, it will go away with abstinence, however, Bear (a member here who passed away) had it in his legs and it was permanent.

DG, You are so full of energy. I am lucky to get a load of wash and the dishes done in a day!!

Dill, Day 7 is awesome! It is funny you asked about the non-drinker thing. I wonder the same thing. I guess when I know for sure I am a non-drinker, I will be able to check it off.

Mary and all to come, Hi!!

This thread is getting so full that I can't remember everyone anymore. That is wonderful. So glad to have so many walking with me in this journey to freedom. We will get there.

Love,
Cindi

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Congratulations Dill on Day 7 and Bridgetjones on Day 23!! That's rockin'. It really is amazing how quickly our bodies begin to heal from all the self inflicted torture, isn't it.

As far as medical forms (speaking in the US and our craptacular medical care / insurance system) if there is no time frame specified, then I am a non-drinker. I do answer the questions honestly though - you can get into insurance coverage trouble if you lie on any questionaires.

For smoking or other use of nicotine products, usually the questionaires specify a time from - 1 year without smoking/using nicotine is common to be considered a "non-smoker." I haven't filled out any of those forms in awhile, so am not sure on alcohol - I don't recall that sort of time frame on the forms I've filled out in the past. For alcohol, it seems more common IIRC to see questions about how many drinks per day or week you drink on average, with "zero" being one of the choices.

I can't wait to put "zero" on one of those forms now!!!

That's my long winded thought on the matter anyway...

DG

[retteacher]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Hi Everyone:

The questionaire was for a bone density test (looks like AL isn't good for the bones). It asked: "Do you drink alcohol?" I responded "no." Even though I'm only completely AF since NY eve, I have quite a bit of AF time, & I have no intention of drinking in the future. Thus the "no" answer. I feel OK about it.

I do think that I need to review my drinking episodes once in a while. It takes the desire out of it. It neutralizes those urges. Yes, that initial buzz is very, very short-lived. The aftermath is very, very long-lived. I want to remember that.

It's been feeling wonderful to be completely sober. Sausage, at my age (64), I have enough aches & pains that it's hard to distinguish one from the other. That said: I do see an improvement in my otherall health. I'm exercising & meditating every day. It's been great!

I'll check back later. Cindi, so glad you posted. Stay w/us & we'll support you.

Love, Mary

[A Work in Progress]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Good morning, all! Sausage, I never had the symptoms you are describing... Glad they are gone!

DG and Mary, good reminders about using the "vodkapade" mental review as an anti-craving strategy. It's an excellent method, especially if you really take some time, and do it as a sort of visualization exercise: picture the setting, the thoughts, emotions, what you can see, feel, smell, hear, etc., throughout an entire "drinking episode," from the initial craving and planning, all the way to the next-morning hangover, misery, and despair...

Hi Mary, Dill, Cindi (how are you doing, Cindi?)...

Bridget, thanks, and actually I have been thinking about writing a book... I developed a wellness program a couple of years ago, collected and ran the data on it, and presented the results at an international meeting of research psychologists, last spring. It's the kind of program that would be applicable to and helpful for a wide variety of folks, both normal-range people who want to get healthier and happier, and also potentially to folks with fairly mild problems with depression and anxiety... and alcohol problems, as well. A lot of the strategies I use in my own recovery program, and that I talk about around here, are derived from that program (which is somewhat based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, as well as other contemporary psychological research).

I had a couple of very difficult life events that really kicked my ass, during '08, and I just haven't had the motivation to move into a new big project (other than getting the alcohol out of my life!)... but here is '09, right? And this year, I am NOT drinking!

We'll see...

[Cinders]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

WIP,

I hope you find the motivation to write the book. I think the act of writing it and thinking about it daily would be a great reinforcement for yourself, too!!

I am doing fine, btw. Haven't had a headache for two whole days!! Yay!!

Love,
Cindi

[on my way]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Sausage, DG, Dill, Mary, Bridget J, Cindi, WIP and all to come.

School delay due to weather this morning and I have a head ache too, but it still beats a hang over any day! Think I will finally get my 1 cup of coffee and maybe the head ache will dissipate.

Sausage, I have minor probs with Raynaud's disease only in two fingers tips when it is cold. My joints ache too when I get up in the morning however both are significantly better when I take niacin (vit B3) daily. Gotta take it with a meal or you will have a major flush…trust me. Also, my joint aches are worse when I am not well hydrated. Hope this helps.
My dad would say, “Its hell to get old”

Have a great day, off to take mini man to school. nat

[LVT25]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Hi all,

Just a quick check in, sounds like everyone is doing pretty darn good! Thanks so much for the comments and concerns for hubby and me. If the stress test is normal, then he'll see the cardiologist for more tests. He's acting a little depressed. I don't blame him. He can't eat certain foods (diverticulosis) now he's off caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Part of me wants to say--well.......the other part wants to be sympathetic. Still treading lightly and coaching the kids to do the same. Will be glad when tomorrow is over.

Have wasted hours now trying to get my son's "Tracfone" to work. The first one he got from friends that don't use it anymore--after buying minutes and several phone calls it just wouldn't work, so off to Walmart and bought a new one. No problem setting it up, but it won't work either. I guess I'll have to call them again.

Ok, I better get busy. Wishing you all a great day!:h

[on my way]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

Sorry O2M, we crossed, hope all is well on the emerald isle. :-)

[on my way]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

You too LTV

[Cinders]

AF Daily Wednesday January 7th 2009

LVT,

Good luck with hubby's stress test and results.

I sympathize with him, too. I can't imagine having to give up pretty much everything all at once. I would be a bit grumpy, too....

Love,
Cindi

ps, Hi, OMW and O2M!!