The support thread for anyone trying to lead an alcohol free life.

[WendyWagon]

Hello and welcome. We are a bunch of people (mainly women) trying to give up alcohol. No judgement, just honest support and kindness
The original thread was started by @drybird2020 in 2020 and we have plenty of veterans who can offer advice and signposting.

We don't encourage moderation purely as it can be triggering for some to read.

I'm Wendy and I'll be the captain of the ship for the next two months or so.
I gave up drinking in January 2022.

Morning. 2 full calendar months AF today. Body celebrating by having a full-blown horrible cold! It's possibly COVID as I hear it's doing the rounds again 😭😭😭. Last time I had COVID I ended up really unwell for months. No engert, stamina or strength. Hopefully that was partly because of my 🍻 too so this time it will be over quickly 🤞🏻.

Sorry to hear about the records @ShyMaryEllen . This is exactly what I was worried about. What I would say though is that it is important for a cardiologist (or other specialist) to be aware of other major diagnoses in other organ systems as there might be contra-indications for some therapeutic modalities. However, this does not mean that the cardio has any idea of the true implications of the difference between cirrhosis and fibrosis so I would continue to fight.
Could you make an appointment to see your GP in person solely for the purpose of discussing this ?

Hope everyone else is keeping well.
Off to walk the dogs and celebrate with a lot Ch out with family and an afternoon at the beach.

Morning all.
Congratulations @EastCoastDamsel@EastCoastDamsel.
All quiet at the bridge. DH and DS not here today.
I did go car shopping and I await to discuss it with the DS. Very nice service I thought.
The DS has found a house to buy so we are now in the negotiations. It will make him happier I hope.

Ah sorry @ShyMaryEllen I'd be exactly the same as you and want my records to show the actual truth. I'm sure anyone would. Nobody wants to see cirrhosis written down. I agree it might be worth trying to speak to the GP.
@EastCoastDamsel congrats on 2 months that's fabulous! Sorry about the COVID though. You're right there's loads about right now. We all caught it on the plane to Turkey!
Exciting about the house @WendyWagon what's it like?

@EastCoastDamsel congratulations!!

@Itsrainingten I think you are right. I think it'll make it harder for me to stay strong over the next few weeks whilst I get back on track. There is something for me, and someone else said this, but about having made a life changing decision and that's when this clock is counting from, which is 4 months 28 days ago (with one fall).

I'm keeping on keeping on though had another amazing night's sleep last night arh what a reward x

@EastCoastDamsel many congratulations that's brilliant!
sorry about your covid. we had a round of it on holiday too. i escaped. for now.

@Womanshour so much respect you for getting back on the wagon.

@WendyWagon hope the prospect of house buying cheers your son

@ShyMaryEllen don't give up with the medical records. i need a liver test but am hiding from it.

@Itsrainingten well done on sober holiday i felt brilliant after mine and really savoured the celebratory cup of tea on the plane on the way home which would normally have been 2 gin and tonics!

just counted and am 99 days sober today!

Wow! Get a cake for your 100 day anniversary tomorrow?

Getting a face to face appointment with a GP is all but impossible, and I can't imagine getting one for a non-medical reason, particularly as the work to rule is now on. Does anyone know if the practice manager has a role in this sort of thing? I wondered about making an appointment to see him. I know nothing about him (except that he looks about 12, but that's par for the course these days) and I realise that I don't know anything about the role of PM either. PALS is a possibility, but I'm a bit reluctant because of the three degrees of separation thing I mentioned. I assume that it's staffed by retired ladies of the parish, many of whom I probably know in one capacity or another. Discussing my cirrhosis with them would be counterproductive. I would much prefer to sit in a closed room with someone than to speak on the phone or use an online form, and the medics all seem to be protected from patients these days. I don't want anything to be minuted either, which I assume will happen with discussions at PALS meetings?

Good morning all.

@ShyMaryEllen sorry to hear about the continuing strife with your records. I know exactly what it's like. For a number of years it was in my records that I had a repeat prescription for alcohol withdrawal meds (Thiamine, Lorazepam, etc). I'd only received them a couple of times. But for a few years I fell victim to a number of unfortunate circumstances requiring hospital admission unrelated to drinking (Acute Campylobacter Poisoning, Cellulitis, Sepsis and C-Difficile were four of my particular favourites) - EACH time I was admitted, they looked up my list of repeat prescription meds and dispensed them all automatically from the hospital pharmacy. EACH time, I was visited once on the ward by the alcohol team, who said "she's not in withdrawal, she doesn't need these" and I never took them. But they were on my medical record as having been dispensed. So - bang - any reference to my medical record by the DVLA or anyone, and it was "you've been prescribed alcohol-dependence medication within the last 12 months". The injustice rankles. Sid and I will keep our dewclaws and fingers fervently crossed that you are able to achieve the vital accuracy in your records. 💝

@WendyWagon hope the house works out, and brings much joy for your DS and for you.

Tip-top news of the anniversaries of @EastCoastDamsel and @ponzusoup and the sober holiday of @Itsrainingten - absolutely brilliant 🥳

Today is one month and one day since my last slip. It was a most minor of slips so, as @ShyMaryEllen and @Itsrainingten have posted about, I did not reset my I Am Sober app calendar, which has proved helpful in not utterly crushing my spirit. But it was a slip nonetheless, so a month and a day today it is, and I am feeling very happy indeed about that.

I could not have done it without you. I mean that seriously. I - literally - could not have done it without you and your helpful words, kindness, solidarity and encouragement. Thank you.

Cricket tomorrow - that's our plan for the passage of Friday night. Sid may be inclined towards mutiny - here he is, trying to ascertain why the home shopping delivery does not contain the 87 packs of grilling chops he thinks he ordered online while I wasn't looking.

Strength and love to you. x

Well done @ponzusoup

Omg I have been offered investment for my own cosmetic brand! Not only that but it will be stocked in a major department store.

YAY!!!

Can you tell us more? (Obviously fair enough if not).

Well thank you my sober sisters and the lads. I couldn't have done this without your support and if I was still a bit too fond of the sauce.
I am so excited!

Look at Sid 💕. He's guarding those chops with care. If they turn out to be cleaning products and marmalade he's going to be so disappointed.

I don't care what anyone says, Frenchies have really expressive faces, and that side of Sid's family shines through.

wow @WendyWagon that's excellent news!!!! how exciting! you have a ready made customer bae right here. not that you don't also have a huge contact list as i'm sure you do. how ace.

base! although also bae?

Wow! Congrats @WendyWagon ! If l/when you can please tell us more. I would love to support the brand!

Wow, that's so exciting, @WendyWagon ! What a wonderful piece of news to kick off the weekend.

Things have been rough with the chronic pain here, and it makes me a right grumpy sod, so I've been keeping my head down. I had bumpy day yesterday and was rather tearful and despairing. DH had made himself a cocktail and was off to buy wine; I was sorely tempted for a moment there but stuck to my good old Guinness Zero and powered through.

Several days with drinking in July, which I guess resets me back to just a few days. DH has been drinking roughly every other day, which I guess made it more challenging too.

All were planned and very limited (glass of wine when exit polls announced, change of government party with friends, our 20th anniversary celebration) so I feel reasonably OK about them. It was nice to be able to have red wine and cheese after our anniversdary dinner and then say no thanks, I'd prefer not to drink for the rest of the evening. That level of control - able to say no, rather than always saying yes - was a nice feeling.

However, I'm better off without and I like life better sober. I would never have believed that before all of this.

There were no chops. I've seen the sorts of things he Googles. I'm not leaving him alone with my laptop. Again. 🤔

Hehe - there were some Sizzlers though (one of his preferred treat options. I NEVER bypass a supermarket shelf containing Sizzlers and not pick up a packet. More than my life's worth). Thanks for your kind words about him @ponzusoup - he's a cracking dog, I'm so very blessed, even more so that I can share him with you. He's got the best of the Frenchie type, with the Staffie element cancelling out the brachycephalic difficulties that our little Gallic chums can sometimes be unfortunately prone to. He wasn't impressed with the Olympic opening ceremony though (although he does like Celine Dion), so his loyalty to the Tricolore does not run deep 😉

💖YAAAAAAAYYYYYY @WendyWagon 💖That's FANTASTIC news! So very pleased for you. Sid is up and dancing the hellacious hula in celebration (we could only find a GIF Timon to represent this; there wasn't one for his Disney lookalike Pumbaa). VERY well deserved! Keep us posted with all the details 😀Genuinely chuffed for you. xx

Grandpuppy is a full Frenchie, complete with flat face. It has caused him issues, but he had an op to correct them. The sooner the PTB regulate their breeding the better, IMO. He's such a darling though.

@HappyAsAGrig so sorry to hear about your pain and its effects. Amazingly well done for sticking to your guns and saying no to the extra wine. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I know that I would have been unable to stop at just one, I just couldn't - but I am full of admiration and respect for those who can. It's a good feeling when we can succeed and control when we stop. 🙂

Hope you're feeling loads better very soon. xx

Oh, bless him. You're right about the breeding thing; wicked, some of it.

Someone sent me a link to this yesterday: French Bulldog Clothes Collections – frenchie Shop. Actually, they sent me a link to the item "PawGuard French Bulldog Footwear Soft and Stylish Paws Protector" on P.1 there; but I'm not linking directly to that on here; I'd get booted off MN and you are all too young and pure to know about such things. 😇

Congratulations Wendy, that's fantastic news!

Congratulations also to everyone celebrating milestones and everyone coming back after a blip.

All good here. I've been drinking kombucha based drinks in the heat. Just about to bring the washing in and pour a Lidl AF aperitivo. I need to pack a holiday bag and am surprisingly struggling with motivation.

@WendyWagon

🥳🥳🥳🥳

👏👏👏👏

That is FANTASTIC - what a wonderful venture.

Can't wait to hear all about it 🥳🥳

Well I celebrated by reading Sober Dave in one hit. It took me two hours and kept me away from the grog. The bit about children of Alcoholics was a bit close to home. My DS displays such matching behaviour to the profile, a need to control and over achieve.
What a great book. I don't like modern male authors but this was so me in male form. I agreed with the love bombing of AA, I found them too nosy and intense,
however it did open my eyes. Definitely worth a read.
I am celebrating with a large milk shortly chased by a few apricots. Thank you for all the good wishes.
Trade mark rangling Monday.

Wow @WendyWagon huge congratulations this is amazing news! The hard work has paid off!

Well done @REP22 on the month and a day since the blip.

I have a holiday in just over a week. I feel a little worried about it. Not the holiday, but there are a few family meals on route which will likely be a bit stressful that I'll find hard... but one day at a time.... x