The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Head To The Summer Of Sobriety

[Mouseface]

Hello

I'm Mouse

Welcome aboard The Brave Babe's Battle Bus. There are a whole host of lovely posters here who will support your journey to sobriety, however you choose to get there.

We are a Bus full of drinkers, non-drinkers and those who are somewhere in between.

BUT - we will never judge or leave a poster out in the cold. So, find a seat and settle down for the journey ahead.

And HERE is the last thread and those before it too. Just follow the links to read the journeys so far.

just checking in
more grey skies, more fucking rain, more "no money", more arguing with DH and bitching from the DCs....more, more more of the same!
Am sick and tired of everything.

Ma my love. So, so sorry to see that post.

Massive hugs to you sweetheart xxxxx

noteven - thank you for such a fab post. You are a totally different person now to the one we met all those months ago. How wonderful to see the proof that this thread does support posters. xx

I was an AA member for two months and I left because I didn't feel it was right for me. I wouldn't get into an AA slanging match because I saw that some people were getting so much out of it. Sadly, I didn't. I relapsed after I had left, but I honestly don't believe it was because I left but because Iwanted to relapse. That's my story. I have not had a drink for a week now and it's fine. I'll never go back to AA, but I respect everyone who does. I really do

www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html

stop13stepinaa.wordpress.com/

stinkin-thinkin.com/2011/06/14/childs-journal-describes-repeated-rape-by-aa-members/

www.nadaytona.org/

stinkin-thinkin.com/2011/01/10/aas-own-stats-show-slow-demise/

stinkin-thinkin.com/2011/05/29/####-other-gig/comment-page-6/#comment-59481

Please have a look at these links before they get deleted.

lovecorrie - that's all we're asking - for the respect about our decisions, and what each of us individually do to address the problems we have around alcohol. We're not being respected at the moment, and that's unfortunate.

I think if there were lurkers today with stonking hangovers who feel that they're coming to the end of the road with alcohol and don't know where to turn, they may well click back out of this thread if they read what pbr and the other one are posting. People will often be extremely vulnerable when they first go looking for help and likely to believe anything they are told and for some AA might just be the difference between life and death.

Vulnerable people being put off ever going to a meeting by posts made by people with their own agenda could end up far more dangerous than any threat to their safety by the bogie man at an AA meeting. AA is like any other place you may go and meet new people, you use your noddle and abide by normal rules of safety. Yes, there may be a higher count of dodgy types than the local sewing club, but how many dodgy people are there in any bar you may walk into? or that you might meet on the street when you've had a few? I think you're far more vulnerable to predators if you're drunk in public than you're ever going to be sober, in an AA meeting.

People who walk into a bar or a sewing club would have their guard up. People who are persuaded to go to AA are very vulnerable. They are encouraged to trust strangers and even give out their telephone numbers, which I would not do in a bar.

purplebrickroad

Please with respect
FUCK THE FUCK OFF

You have been asked politely, THIS IS A SUPPORT THREAD. Not a thread for you to come and post a heap of links it is not in the spirit of the thread AT ALL

Thanks to you all for being so welcoming and supportive, especially with everything else going on on this thread today. I really appreciate it and feel slightly better just having put how I feel into words. I don't have anyone to talk to in RL about my situation.

The pain I have is in and under my ribcage which makes me think it is my liver.

Am going to go and get some milk thistle and vitamins tomorrow and lots of nice soft drinks. Have not had a drink today and don't intend to. Have cancelled my wine deliveries as well.

I know I need to go to the doctor, but am too scared. I have been here before and had blood tests that have shown impaired liver function. I have then managed to give up for a few weeks to get it back to normal but then started drinking again. I want to try and get sober before I go to the doctor to see how bad things are.

I have been out of work for almost 3 months so think I have been drinking more out of boredom and because the job situation has been stressing me out. I have been told that I will get offered a job next week, so fingers crossed - I really want to make a new beginning of my life. I am only 31 and have so much ahead of me but only if I beat the booze.

Really appreciate everyone's support and hope you don't mind me coming back and posting - being at home all day every day on my own is getting to me.

Hope everyone has a good Saturday night.

Sharpkat x

I really don't like this bombardment any more than anyone else does pbr and I am not an AA fan, However, a lot of people on here ARE and it is HELPING THEM so stop it. If anyone on here wants to know more, they will contact you. Please don't do this.

Purplebrickroad Antidenial
Sorry forgot to say, anytime you post something that isn't helpful, I am going to report you, as will others, and have done so.

Hey sharpkat and all other newbies

Please just try to ignore PBR and AD, unfortunately they occasionally appear on the threads.

I am about every individual person finding the path that is right for them. If you are posting about your drinking, then it is a problem for you, and imo life can be so much better without booze!!

But my way is my way, I can tell you what I have done, but it only works for me.

AA bashing gets on my nerves, yes, it is wise to be cautious about it, as with all things, but it can work for people, it is working for me.

However - I could not have done it without the brave babes as well! Awesome bunch! Stick around, once we decamp the interlopers its a fun amazing place. Mouse bakes and makes us all bacon rolls too

Of course we don't mind you coming back sharpkat! I was jobless for a five months at the beginning of last year and my drinking got worse then too. No reason not to have a hangover, see

The pain under the ribcage is a very common one. It's entirely possible that it's your liver, but it could equally be gastric. Does it get worse when you eat certain foods, or a lot of food quickly, or is it all the time or mostly the morning after a heavy session?

I don't give out my number willy nilly in AA, btw. I do have a lot of numbers. They exclusively belong to women and I've only given my number back to women that I have grown to trust. There was only one occasion when I felt pressured into giving up my number and I put it under a name that I will recognise so I won't answer the phone if she ever decides to call me. I don't believe that people go to AA with their guard down more than anywhere else, if anything I was very closed off at the beginning, I really didn't want to get to know a bunch of alkies, thank you very much .

Anyway, bored of you now (just the two in question!), so I'm done with giving you any of my time. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

Righto

Hello lovelies

I haven't been around much for the last couple of days, so Haloo to new babes, you have come to the right place. I had never been on an internet chat before, and this is still the only one I have ever been on, but I thank my lucky stars all the time, that I found it, and all the Brave Babes, and MIFLAW. It has really helped me to help myself.

Anyway, lots on for me last week, work is changing considerably from September, I am going to be taking on a lot more responsibility, which is a bit scary, and I hope I'm ready for it. I finish the first year of my qualification in a couple of weeks, and then hear if Ive passed, or not in August. DC2 in the middle of A2's and DC1 waiting to hear the results of his degree! Not so stress-free here .

JWN I got my dresses,
they looked so lovely online. Granted the model was 5ft 9, and size 8!!, but I'm 5ft 8, and where the dresses came to a lovely just above the knee length in the picture, on me they were (just about) mid thigh, not such a good look at Graduation!!! Back to the drawing board!

Noteven How lovely to hear from you. You sound really great, I hope you are, and that things are well with you.

Mouse How is your back?. Are the meds helping, or just helping by making you woozy . How is lovely Nemo today?

Oh well, ironing to do......... all babes, new and old, love to you xxxx

I have reported the latest infestation too.

Really getting bored of seeing those two here now.

thurso - it will take around 6 weeks for them to start to work porperly but I'm okay, side effects are a bit whoaaaaaaaaaaaah! But at least I know what they are xx

bafana - mwah xx

Ma crap at home aside, how did the work thing go?

Sharpkat - luckily, if you catch it soon enough, you can reverse the damage done to your liver.

My first liver function test was in my early 20's when I collapsed in work with the most horrendous kidney infection. I'd been partying pretty hard, birthdays, Christmas, New Year etc......got totally run down and wasn't looking after myself.

I was taken in an ambulance to the nearest A&E and put on a drip of antibiotics. They gave me morphine for the pain and eventually, discovered that I have a diverticulm (sack inside my kidney that collects urine which then calcifies (sp?) and turns into a kidney stone, which I then have to pass) in my right kidney.

My liver function test showed the beginnings of cirrhosis. I absolutely shit myself. Cirrhosis is what old people got, drunks got, not me........

Skip forward a few years, and more than a few kidney infections and I'm in hospital for the removal of the diverticulum. Keyhole surgery, a doddle, done and dusted in no time.

Nope. The surgeon sliced the bottom off the kidney he was working on, and punctured my gallbladder. They didn't know he'd done it until I passed out on the ward and my body started to fill with toxins and bile. I was rushed to ICU and then moved the the acute ward.

They put a pigtail drain into me to remove the toxins, I was on a morphine drip for a week, I lost 1.5 stone, was in hospital for 2 weeks in total and nearly died all thanks to drink.

I'd had DD by this point, she was 4. I nearly lost her too. I nearly lost it all.

Strange though, that didn't stop me from picking up last year. But it does now.

Hey BB - how are you? I always seem to miss you out, sorry

Fab to have you around so much

Thanks everyone for your welcoming responses. I've spent a bit of time today reading the whole thread and I'm amazed to read over and over that people are feeling the same way and doing the same things I do - even down to admiring one's DH in cricket whites!!!! . I KNOW I have a problem and that I can't enjoy drink the way other people do. Ideally I'd like to go back to the days where I could drink socially, get hammered even, but not even think about it when I'm home alone. I strongly suspect this isn't possible, I think it says somewhere in the AA book that this is every drinker's (pipe) dream right? The thought of never drinking again makes my heart sink/panic. I know it's supposed to be one day at a time but I can't 'get' that bit - it IS never drinking again isn't it? The thought of that is a bit beyond me. I think I'm highly likely to have some wine tonight. I'll try not to get actually drunk. Wish me luck.

Good luck MrsT

Can I give you a tip? Have a couple of large glasses of water or juice first. It'll stop you necking your first glass of wine.

And, if you can, try and alternate between wine and water, even half a glass of water will help.

Have a fab night x

Thanks Mouse and Holly and everyone else

Unfortunately I think it is cirrhosis. I have all of the symptoms - weight loss, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue. I have been warned by the doctors so many times before - I just rely on alcohol to cope with everything going on in my life - I have no other coping mechanisms.

I am beyond scared and I have no-one to talk to.

MrsT - I also struggle with the "never drinking again" thoughts - I work in the City - alcohol is part of the lifestyle.

How do I tell people that I am not drinking when I am known for being the one who always drinks????

I am petrified and have no idea what to do.

Managed to get through the day so far without a drink and am more determined than ever to beat this, but am worried that it has already gone too far.

ooh, my man in his cricket gear

hey all
the work thing went very well thanks B
home life is shit, but life goes on
sorry you are all being bothered by trolls, hope they go away soon