The Brave Babes Battle Bus - We're All Going On A Sober Holiday!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome to the Brave Babe's Bus. This is a bus full of drinkers old and new, sober and not, and those who are somewhere in between.

We are all at different levels of sober so you can bet that one of us has walked in your shoes.

If you want advice and support then you're in the right place.

Come take a seat or just lurk, we're happy to have you along for the ride.

And here is a link to the last thread so you can catch up on the journey so far HERE

good for you - i've been toying with the idea of getting back into exercising again too (was doing really well for a while then just slipped out of it once again).

oh and i just got on the scales and found i've lost 1.5lbs purely from not going to the pub for a few days really. so that's a bonus! i may not need to spend my holiday dressed in tents after all at this rate.

really pleased for you obrigada. it's good that that kicked in. getting drunk actually isn't nice, it's almost like it's an unpleasant consequence of drinking and yet it's what drinking is all about really. i don't think i actually like being drunk, i like drinking or think i do but getting drunk - no. weird. looking forward to not drinking today and waking up feeling decent tomorrow. yesterday was horrible.

Think it had something to do with "playing the film out to the end", as has been said so many times on here, knew that if I had that 4th drink, many more would follow, till I ended up talking absolute rubbish, not only with my friend, but in the taxi home, and then conking out in bed, waking up with splitting headache, vaguely remembering coming home, feel like shit this morning and spend the day eating absolute rubbish.
Instead I left after 3rd drink, walked home in the evening sunshine, made myself a mug of tea and watched telly.
Congrats on the weight loss SCF:)

(Thanks, esp to Venus. It meant a lot to have some sympathy last night. I had a bad night. Didn't know what a 'bad night' really meant before. I think it means lying in a v uncomfortable state until about 5, then scratching in sleep and waking up in pain and irritation. My right foot still looks like something from a Lucien Freud portfolio. My very kind neighbour bought me a new pair of cotton gloves and some periton, and took dog out for a walk. It is still all over my legs and arms but the blistering seems to be drying. The skin on my hands is sort of turning into parchment; and is crunchy, but the next layer of skin underneath is dry, not weeping/seeping. The GP said he would rather come to me, than me go to him. House is a mess! Have not had bath! I can wiggle my right foot now, without breaking skin. Keep doing it to check. I can't really walk because of blisters on the underside but they are not burst. Do abs really work that quickly? It is definitely 'drying'. I still smell of rotten flesh. Gross. I thought that strep was somthing to do with throats. Happy Monday to you all, hope silent is going well with the cigarettes, with love from leperwomanx)

Jemima if you get the right antibiotic for a particular bacteria then it will usually start to get better by the time you've taken your 2nd dose (and I was applauding your decision to take a 2nd lot yesterday evening). Be prepared to change to a different antibiotic though if the infections doesn't clear up completely. Strep is often associated with throat infection but causes a range of other infections, particularly if your immune system is compromised in any way.

One thing I'd suggest is taking a vitamin B supplement. Alcohol is known to deplete the absorbtion of the B group of vitamins, of which B12 and B6 are particularly important in maintaining a healthy immune system. Also B2 is important for growth of skin, hair, nails.

And it's also why, when we stop drinking, our eyes look brighter, our hair looks shinier and our skin looks better (sometimes after a crop of spots due to detox).

The B vitamins are also really important in good neural connections / maintaining a healthy nervous system, which is one reason why alcohol can leave us feeling jittery and anxious.

It's bloody good new all round in fact . Of course in the longer term a good diet will give you all the B vitamins you need, but a vitamin supplement for a few weeks is a good idea if you've been drinking for a while.

This has to be the quietest I have seen this thread on a Monday, where is everyone??

I just got this email from a friend, I normally don't pass these things on, but I thought that you'd all like to see it...

Subject: Lock your doors at night

IMPORTANT MESSAGE
You've no doubt heard about people who have been abducted and had
their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I
went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just
that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose
thighs were these and what happened to mine?
I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs.
Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in
jeans.
And then the thieves struck again??

My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took
pains to match my new rear-end to the thighs they had stuck me with
earlier. But my new butt was attached at least three inches lower
than my original! I realized I'd have to give up my jeans in favor of
long skirts.

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was
fixing my hair and was horrified to see the flesh of my upper arm
swing to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really
getting scary - my body was being replaced one section at a time.
What could they do to me next?

When my poor neck suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a turkey
neck, I decided to tell my story. Women of the world wake up and
smell the coffee! Those 'plastic' surgeons are using REAL replacement
body parts - stolen from you and Me! The next time someone you know
has something 'lifted',
Look again - was it lifted from you?

THIS IS NOT A HOAX - This is happening to women everywhere every
night.

WARN YOUR FRIENDS!

P.S. Last year I thought someone had stolen my Boobs. I was lying in
bed and they were gone!
But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had
just been hiding in my armpits as I slept. Now I keep them hidden in
my waistband.

I thought this was too 'important' not to pass on. Have a wonderful
day - with a joy filled heart.
Always remember to Laugh!!
Helps the heart AND the wrinkles!!
P.P.S. Those same thieves just came into my closet and shrank my
clothes!
How do they do that????

:]:] Venus

Ooooops, meant :) :)

I usually read the first line of such emails and my heart sinks, but not this time

venus - i think you should send that to 12 people you love or you may get bad luck!

tis quiet here today - that bloody daft thread over in ABIU about aa being a cult has been resurrected again - miflaw has been called 'babe' he is most affronted! , it gave me a good laugh!!

OK, I know this is not AIBU but that's what I want to know, and I thought that you lot would be kind to me....

It's my birthday later this week (one that ends in '0'). We are having a special event on Saturday, which I know is costing a lot of money, so I'm not expecting any expensive present from my dh, however...... It became clear that dh has not thought about doing anything else, no plans for the actual day. He originally had a work commitment that day (which I completely understand) but it has been cancelled so I had to ASK him to take the day off.

I fear that I'm in for a rather disappointing day, so AIBU to be very clear about my expectations for the day? I reckon that by the time I've got to this age I have every right to be assertive about what would make me happy, so I've told him that I expect smoked salmon for breakfast, some flowers, some presents that he has put some thought into (not expensive, just a book or perfume, or something for the kitchen), AND I want to go out for a walk and a picnic lunch.

I think I'm being reasonable to let him know what I'd like to do (rather than risk a day with nothing specail beyond going for a cup of tea with my elderly parents) but am I being a demanding princess?

PS I'm still worried that I haven't specified what I want to do in the evening, so I'll end up being expected to cook dinner (not usually a problem, I usually love cooking, but not if I'm having a strop in the kitchen ). Do you think I should ask about plans for dinner too? I don't mind cooking if we talk about it beforehand and I can choose something lovely to make (and do the shopping for it the day before, but I don't want to end up making do with something from the freezer and whatever is left from the vegetable box).

Perhaps I should just accept that I'm having a treat on Saturday and that my actual birthday will go past relatively unmarked, but I don't want to do that.

Hello Babes

I'm a long term lurker and also an alcoholic would you accept me on the bus!? I think I have just reached rock bottom. My husband has removed my son and rightly so. Please help I don't know what to do next.

(Thanks so much, Venus. I just made myself some marmite on toast. Thanks for saying that about the abs kicking in after the second dose; it might be the 3rd (this morning) in my case, but it does seem to be working magically. Also had a 'wash'; the GP is coming to have a look at my Lucien Freud right foot after surgery. (Not surgery on me; after his work). The rest of it on my limbs is definitely going crunchy. (reminds me of how mums on here describe the end of chickenpox) One of the first blisters on my left palm is almost totally deflated/dried. On the basis of how quickly the advance of the blistery rash has gone into reverse today, I think I am quite proud of my immune system. This morning I felt quite as shit as I felt last night but right now I feel imcomparably more normal. Weird bits of very dry tranches of skin hanging off my hands but they are totally dry and parchmenty, and not itchy. I can actually clench a gentle fist without reopening the wounds, at all.

noteven whatever you do in the NHS, I hope you are appreciated. I cannot tell you the level of care and attention I received yesterday. They all just seemed to operate together like magic.)

@Ob, I think I might have scared people off. Sorry!

If anyone wants an excuse for not drinking, say that you are on abs for a streptococal infection; I think that it can mean anything, from a sore throat to turning into the elephant man.

Thanks again, Vamxx

Hi there Bolly of course you are welcome to join us. Whatever range of feelings you have just now, can you use them to start amking a difference in your life? Depending on how much / how often you have been drinking, it can be quite tough to do it on your own - that's where a thread like this can come in handy - but do you have any real life support? Have you told your gp about your drinking? Have you considered AA?

You say your husband has removed your son. Are you still together with your husband?

Are you drinking at the moment? If you are drinking / drunk, the most important thing is stoppng for today, drinking loads of liquid, cleaning your teeth, making sure that you are safe, and going off to bed.

Apologies for all the questions, just trying to offer you the most appropriate advice. You don't have to answer anything, you can just continue to lurk if that feel safer.

bolly there are people on here who can help you. Is your son safe? Are YOU safe?
Please talk to us, rock bottom is a horrible place to be but then you can only go upwards, often in very very tiny steps.
Venus hi to you - hope you get the birthday you want and deserve. Can't imagine being 60 myself but you look good for your age
Thurso where are you? How was the graduation weekend. Did you have to do it?
mouse how are you dearest? How is the nit-infested nemo
noteven thank you for your message - appreciated.

Thanks Babes for your support

My husband took my son out and is now back and I am sober so that's good ish...

I just wish I could control this demon, there is an AA meeting about 5 miles away today but I can't get there today. Meetings seem quite sporadic around here according to the web, is this normal?

I can go days without drinking but I'm not deluding myself any longer, I am most certainly an alcoholic as is my father and as was my grandmother.

I really don't know what the point of this rambling is other than I have watched you guys for a number of months and have gathered strength from your posts, I guess now I'm just ready to join, hold my hands up and say I can't do this anymore..

Apologies for going on, you have all given me the strength to post this andthats a massive step for me in itself, I just don't know where to g
o from here..

Gee thanks ma

Where to from here bolly? Well I'd start with being really ACTIVE about planning not to drink, so find out when / where AA meetings are and make arrangements to go - it may not be your thing, but you'll never know if you don't try. Do you have a particular time / event that triggers your desire to drink - e.g. when your ds goes to bed? If so then plan something active for around then, get a jigsaw for you and your dh to do, or take up knitting, anything that occupies your brain and your hands.

Fill your house with all kind of alternative drinks that you can have, herbal teas, coke, soda, juice, expensive coffee. It may take a while to find ones that you really enjoy but in the meantime treat it like an experiment and enjoy trying different things. However much you spend, it's bound to be less than you would have spent on booze.

From what you've posted your dh understand that you have a problem. Is he supportive? is he willing to talk about it with you, and is he willing to support you. You might have seen from some of the posts on here that our dps can be quite variable in their support, so whatever the situation, someone here should be able to give you advice.

At the moment, don't get too hung up on whether you are never going to drink again. Just arm yourself with strategies for how you are going to cope each day, and take it as it comes. Jesus always used to start each of her posts with TODAY, I WILL NOT BE DRINKING.

And post here whatever, and whenever you feel like it.

Thanks Venus I certainly do need a strategy. Weirdly my trigger is not night, it's afternoon which is terrible I know. My husband does know I have a problem but doesn't really want to aknowledge or talk about it. He has a chronic alcoholic friend the sort who cannot work or function without alcohol and he keeps expecting him just to wake up one day and be able to have a beer or two on a Friday so I guess there's not much understanding there. I'd like to go to AA but I have no childcare at the times they take place locally and my husband works long hours.

Thanks for your support though, this is a big step for me just to admit it, so I guess I just need to put a plan in place.

Well done saf, and lovely to know that when ds came back you weren't part way through a bottle. Your description of the cost of elderflower cordial made me smile. I think that many of us on here have noticed how illogical and skewed our thinking had become in relation to drink. Go on spoil yourself with a bottle of elderflower this week - you deserve it