Day 2

[Wantofeelgood]

That’s it really. Inspired by people on here. Holding myself to account on here, if that’s ok.
just reminding myself for when I want to cave - I’m permanently exhausted, down, ashamed. Feel ill getting fatter. Stuck. Tingling heavy fingers, arthritis kicking in, skin crap. Sleep crap- wake every 2 hours. Not achieving anything. Cook , drink, Fall asleep in front of tv. Every.single.night. Exhausted in the morning.
id like to have a juice or vitamin pill each day to aid health, instead I’m drinking each day to aid illness. Wtf. Also on anti estrogen pills to stop cancer. And what does alcohol do? Exactly.
first day 2 in a LONG time, a year at least.

Day 12
I WENT FOR A WALK WITHOUT DYING!
it was good! I’d been making excuses as I always had a hangover.
rockingbird meditation is FAB. It does it’s sort of a mini reset in the day.
checking in because I’m about to go and stuff tonight’s chocolate 😀
You are right, I’m imagining that nasty, acid, sour ethanol coursing through my veins, attacking mitochondria, destroying everything in its path.
tomorrow I will wake up hangover free, and enjoy the day, rather than trudge through it. Aannnddd..my cells will stat to mend themselves.
right, chocolate!

Day 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what worked - visualizing alcohol as nasty vinegary ethanol that will course through my veins and rip them to shreds, destroying cells and making me fat, swollen, and ill and yucky. 😮
LOTS of carbs, tea and chocolate
meditation app, my new fave thing.

Wow I’ve just read this at the end of (another) day 1. You’re so inspiring this is exactly the positive view of af I need. Hope you don’t mind but I’m nicking your ethanol imagery. Could you also recommend a relaxation/meditation podcast? This sounds like something I should be doing. I drank way too much last night, but today stayed in and watched a film with dd and the cat. Much better.

Gosh, thanks!
im not inspiring though, I stare this when dry bird started the original thread, so not a great track record!
I like this
at odd times in the day - when I’m feeling overwhelmed ( like now!) it’s a little rest. There’s loads to choose from. Mindset change is a good podcast, I think. Also Paul Mc kenner, there’s millions.
please Knick the ethanol imagery! It’s a hypnosis trick - you train your brain to see it differently. It seems to work - with a LOT of repetition!

Thank you for that. This thread has helped me do day two; I’ve been rereading it and have just done the meditation with a face mask on. And I’ve washed my make up off and got into a proper nice vintage slip/nightie instead of just taking my trousers and bra off and falling into bed!

Aww, fantabulous! That sounds so lovely and treating yourself well. Least you took your trousers off, you’re ahead of me! Facepaks etc, that’s a tip I’m going to borrow. I still don’t do facepaks, nails etc. not worthy somehow. Mad.
So I’m reframing that ..i am worthy and I will take the time to look after me, and my lovely inner child.❤️
💐👏👏👏DAY 12!👏👏👏💐💐💐💐💐
Whoda thunk it!
sleep improving. Mood improving. Aches, noticeably less. Energy, noticeably more. Still ratty at teatime, when I forget to stuff carbs and chocolate.
note to self..stuff face!

Just re reading thread and your post and wanting to wish you well - blooming good show ‘anothernamechange and realised, I’m wrong!
that’s DAY 13 kicked into touch.
whaa!

Day 14!
wake up feeling good! Better than I have in years. Not so stiff, not so achey. Can cope with morning.
gosh

Well done! Giving me motivation to get to day 14. I’m currently on track for day 3, which sounds a bit pathetic when I think about it but is actually quite an achievement for me 😢

Day 14 done. Wow.
sipped DHs posh red wine..actually was vinegar. Also..straight to limbs and stomach making me feel heavy and wierd. Not pleasant At All.
anothernamechange that’s BRILLIANT! Day 3! Well done!I think you can be very proud of you, I find day 3 is the hardest. And I’ve done many day threes, and many less day 4s. I think we need to have a reframe! A jolly emoji 😁👏👏👏is heaps better than beating yourself up with a sad one.
and I think it’s the opposite of pathetic, it’s bloody brilliant that you have done something that is an achievement for you! Hurrah!
the most important thing I’ve learnt ( if it helps) is to never beat yourself up. When I used to say,‘I’m a crap mum, the kids are late to school, the kitchens a mess’ I’d get depressed a.f. And..drink ethanol! When I tried saying,’hey the kids got to school before the first lesson ended! Well done me! I’ve got the bread board cleaned! I’ve only got one tomato trodden into the floor, well done!’ I felt a LOT better and had more enthusiasm to do stuff. Try telling yourself you are fab, and let me know how you get on! ( it does work) you’ve got this! You’ve done 3..4 will be soon dealt with too. 👏👏👏👏👏👏😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐!

Thank you, you’re right. Don’t think I’ve made day 4 in ages, even when I tried to do dry Jan one time. And now I’m here 😁 You’re doing amazing, 2 whole weeks!

Day 15! Whaaaaa!
anithername I know, no one is more suprised than I am!
how was day4.? I hope it went well! Tomorrow is another day! Baby steps!

note to self..DH opened wine, I ACTUALLY DIDNT WANT ANY! (Was too full of carbs)😁 I’m still feeling a lot better! And more positive, and DH emphasizes that I’m calmer and less of a Mardy cow. I feel less irritable aAnd no longer think everything is DHs fault. (!)
still Training self to look at the bottle of ethanol and think,’eeww, headache, sour, vinegar, hospital, simmer frame, …anything that will put me off.
drinking a LOT of tea.
realising house really is a tip. Curtains hanging off rails? Check. Piles of junk that I don’t know what to do with? Check. Look like bill bailey in a bad hair day? Check. Time to spend that wine money on me!
Go you another and anyone else doing this. If I can anyone can.
found out the most addictive stuff in the world is alcohol, then fags, then heroin. It actually retires your brain. Or something!

I'm so so impressed with you, you're amazing

I tried to cut down a few times, rather halfheartedly. Then got a second bout of cancer and the chemo makes the thought of alcohol 🤮
It's not an ideal way to quit!!!

If there's 1,000,005 things that you need to do in the house, why don't you just make a really really long list, and keep crossing them off as you do one or two at a time
That way you don't get overwhelmed and you can see what you're achieving

Oh and caffeine is up there in the addiction stakes

I gave it up a few years ago, and was recommended to gradually cut down over two or three weeks. I didn't I just went cold turkey, and I got the most horrendous withdrawal symptoms. Banging headache, nausea, shakes, itching - unbelievable from just caffeine

Day 16 done!
tilly that’s very nice of you, but unjustified I think. I think a lot is to do with your encouragement, which meant, and means a lot. It’s so nice to share stories. I think that’s when mn is so amazing.
hows the old chemo going? a second lot absolutely sucks yikes. If it helps I’ve done that too, only once, and it’s fairly totally crap. Are you doing the freezing thing to keep your hair?!
Re wine, yup, on chemo it’s impossible, you get a week long hangover after one glass. Amazing how you can STILL get back on the wine afterwards, madness. Keep well, keep warm, lots and lots of hugs and support and whatever else I can offer.
the list is a very good idea. I just do not know how people can coordinate plumbers etc and get their homes to look nice.
gosh, I didn’t know that about caffeine. My bro. Who gave up ethanol said yes, it’s stops your body producing natural wake up hormones so you get to rely on it more.
well done giving it up, any reason why?
for what it’s worth, I think YOU are amazing. Cancer is the most grueling thing. Certainly not all pink ribbons and marathons. Even cancer is getting instagrammable and the ‘right’ way to do it. Grrrr. Go you, you are super cool, you human pincushion you! 💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐fwiw. Am around if you fancy a chat, I remember those long long nights x

anothername how are you?

Just popping in to say @Wantofeelgood you are doing amazingly! Well bloody done! I’ve been dipping in and out of your thread - so pleased for you on your 16 days 🤩🥳🤩

Thank you! That’s very generous of you!
im popping onto the thread you recommended too. It was so nice to be invited over, and to get a warm welcome and nice e-mails off people - including you here tilly and another there is such a friendly encouraging vibe there. I thought I’d comment more on this one, and lurk on that one as it’s more wholesome chat- running! Amazing! I am SO glad I started posting on mumsnet. It’s such a great way of feeling accountable. And it’s, I dunno, just nicer than some other websites somehow.
hugs to you too fivecows and massive thanks x
need to keep vigilant though, as I hear the old,’just one’ sneaks up on a gal.

Good luck to all .

I’m still going, day 6 today I can’t quite believe it.

Day 17…oops
stressful converstion, hungry, was cooked for but it took forever. DH cracked open a super posh bottle…yup, I downed a glass. It was vinegary and ok if you like posh vinegar. Woozy, not in a good way. Mood plummeted , got emotional and depressed. NOT GOOD!!
but! Good to know that that is the effect, even after a tiny glass. I’d not noticed before as I was always like that. Also think I was so unbelieving that I’d got this far that it almost had to crack. Not sure why? May be too unfamiliar? Interesting anyway. A small experiment proving that ethanol is utterly crap.

Ganothernamechange very well done! That’s absolutely brilliant. You’d better believe it girly, you’re doing fab!

Reminding me..stomach and head a bit urg. Can’t sleep.

@Wantofeelgood
Thank you ☺️
Yeah, breast cancer in 2021, it's back, spread to my lungs, stage 3c and inoperable so chemo and immunotherapy
Easier ways to stop drinking!!!
But I'm well looked after and well supported, my boys are moreorless grown, lots to be thankful for
Now I just need to persuade DH to let me get a dog - for my health, obviously 😁

MN can be vicious but mostly, it's amazing in supporting each other. I was here in 2003 having a hard time with a newborn and made some friends who're still friends ☺️

Woohooo!
So one week now! A WEEK! Well done 👏🏻

Guard against getting blasé now

Ok, don't beat yourself up

This is possibly a good thing... hear me out. I came on to say with Cmas a couple of weeks away, lots of parties, lots of "go on, just have one", had you given any thought to managing the booziest time of the year?

Seems like a good time to think your strategies
Having some posh soft drinks to hand
Being the driver
"I'm on antibiotics"
etc

Also, depends on if you're giving up totally, or wanting to cut right down. No harm in the odd drink here and there, if that's what you choose - but plan it so you don't fall down the rabbit hole

The Drinkaware app is a very helpful tool