The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Posters, Lurkers, Old Or New, Come Take A Seat, This Bus Is For YOU!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

A huge big welcome to the Brave Babes threads.

We're a varied group of posters, on this wonderfully supportive, non judgemental, gigantic Bus, and we are all heading in the same direction - towards Sobriety.

Some of us don't touch a drop of alcohol, some of us do. Some of us drink too much, openly admit it and are desperate to stop and some of us are trying to manage controlled drinking.

No matter what we're doing, we're just trying to do it One Day At A Time.

What ever you need, what ever your habit, chances are that there'll be another poster who is just like you or has been where you are now, already here, waiting to talk or just listen :)

Yes, some of us have been here for a longer time than others, some of us for just a few days but that's what makes this Bus so great imo, the variety of knowledge and understanding :)

This Bus has been whizzing along various roads now for almost four years thanks to the very desperate cry for help from THIS THREAD BY JWN

And if you'd like to read some of the other threads, maybe how we got to where we are today, then you can follow them back using the links RIGHT HERE

Hope to see you soon :)

Yup - that's a crap day. But you'll be so bloody proud tomorrow that you haven't had a drink that you'll be able to conquer anything. :)

Hi babes.
BabyJ love the idea that your going to be sashaying down to the local park with your little girl with your luxurious, healthy locks and beautiful dewy skin and a little jump in your step from months of not poisoning yourself...go you !!
Green, sorry things so tough, thinking of you.
Hope, me too waiting to hear what it is that has completely turned you from wanting to drink wine. Well done & glad things looking up.
Mouse, how are you doing? You must have lots of different emotions going round while getting your little Nemo ready for school! Good luck with getting It all. I know Tesco does their school range really tiny. My sis-in-law has had to get tiny uniform for my nephew.
Scooter, sorry that things all seeming a bit rubbish. It definitely 100% will not seem like it was a good idea tomorrow morning if you have wine. You won't wake early and think I am so glad I had a few drinks.

I'm in my 2nd week being signed off work with a chest infection, getting quite into being at home but know I need to go back next week
Wishing all babes love and strength x

Checking in from the sidecar. Seem to be kind of wedged in here

Ma - good to see you, side-car or not in my book. You're here. How's your brother doing lovely? xxx

Clutter - you are beyond bloody run down woman! You need this time off to rest. REST. Say it with me.... "REST".

Re Nemo and his tiny legs, I got him Asda age 3-4 as they were the smallest that they do, but they could fit him twice over. So, I've found some on Amazon, they arrive tomorrow. The Tesco near us didn't do small uniform. Online are out of stock all the bloody time.

Anywho - hopefully, the ones I've ordered will be okay, I can get some more and then I can keep the others for when he's 17

Scooter - nope wine won't help and bloody hell, what a superfuckingshitday! I'm so sorry that your DH is going to be away for longer than expected, that must be tough for you.....

Can I ask, have you been on MN for ages? Or am I getting you confused with someone else because your name is familiar to me, in a lovely way :)

Nemo's ear is still sore, he had a much better day at preschool today, once I dropped him off, he toddled off and his best pal was there today too and at the end of the day, his best pal went to get Nemo's Ernie (fave soft toy that he has in his drawer just in case of upset etc) for him and gave him a hug.

Children can be so kind can't they? It's like he knew that Nemo was having a hard time settling back in, adjusting to the world sounding different again and being in pain. Bless him. Luckily, once they both go up to Big School, I've found out that they will be put together :)

His school 1 - 1 is due to come round in the morning to see him. She's not been around for a few weeks so we need to get her and him reacquainted.

So, I'm getting to the point where i think, oooooooo, an ice cold glass of white wine would be lush right now and over the weekend, I did indulge having the MIL here but not much.

The sun and warm weather is a HUGE trigger for me. As is stress. As is knowing that the two are on the way...... so I am on my guard!

Mouse - I have been on here a long old time and have been lurking away on this thread for longer than I dare to think about! A now looking on the bright side of the mega-deployment and vicariously spending the extra cash. Once he's off, I'll spend it for real and then pretend the stuff I've bought has always been there in a "this old thing? I've had it for agggges" way.
Drinking herbal tea. Still a shit day but no hangover tomorrow at least!

I thought it was you :)

Well, you're in safe hands lovely.

Night all xxx

scooter stay strong girl, we will be here to keep you company, ma how are you and your bro? Always thinking of you, purple hi my lovely, missed you lately snd clutter, can't type much my swishy hair keeps getting in my eyes!!!!! Love to all, sober and content x x x

Haven't read back yet sorry but have been reading this, this evening - really good website www.drinksafely.info/DrinkingAdvice/

It's written by a university hospital liver specialist unit so very honest and detailed questionaires to complete - I know I know - we all know the health risks but good to be reminded I have been under the illusion that because my LFTS come back okay (I'm having them done regularly for another reason) and a liver scan I had last year was normal, that my liver isn't damaged at all. But they will only show up really bad damage not necessarily fatty liver or early stage scarring without more advanced tests. Drinking at the levels I have it says I will almost certainly have fatty liver. It also says that most patients presenting with liver failure and cirrhosis are not addicted to alcohol, could give up or cut down if they had realised the damage they were doing. Scary I know but worth answering the questionnaires honestly for a true assessment of risk. Most people who present with liver failure have felt previously healthy and had no warnings two thirds die in this first episode.

www.drinksafely.info/DrinkingAdvice/

I drank a can of cider so day one fail....

Greeneyed how much do you normally drink in an evening?

Would you say one can of cider is comparatively actually very good?

Try and not think "I blew it" and drink more (even though its enough to annoy you I know)

Go and clean your teeth, use mouthwash, go to bed, don't drink any more, and look forward to waking up feeling pretty okay tomorrow as you only had 1 can.

Nite x

YY, I agree, one can of cider is moderate and also, tomorrow, you will be in a better position to start day 1 because you won't be hungover.

edin, how're you doing?

mouse - that's so lovely about Nemo's friend.

Hope all the babes are doing well.

Well faire, clutter, mouse and everyone as promised im going to try and explain why i no longer feel any desire to drink alcohol. The main reason was fully understanding that I was using ww to shut everything out. Rather than facing things I was blocking out with bottle of wine and sleeping pills. Im 'lucky' in a way as I have never liked the taste or actually enjoyed alcohol. It was an antisocial isolating thing for me.

So recently faced with extreme stress from various different directions I decided to let the stress in to see if I could survive it. I discovered that I not only survived but found the experience liberating. It is a painful thing in many ways - living fully and completely in the world - many can empathise with that - problems, decisions, worries and stress. But ive found that deciding to deal with and face everything head on is exciting and exhilerating. Life even looks and seems more interesting now.

Worrying about not sleeping seemed to be a factor and looking back I wonder if enducing full on blackout was a very faulty way of mitigating for that!!!

As far as that goes i have changed sleep pattern and I am sleeping when tired for eg 4 hours and then getting up and reading etc until im tired again and sleeping another 4 hours or so. The main thing I am doing sleep wise is not worrying about it at all. That is also liberating.

Day 21

Day 6.

Day 4, I need some help, I have arranged via my doctor a meeting with my local "integrated alcohol svs team" next week and it's triggered a visit from the social work department!! Even bloody worse , they called the house and announced to my teenage dd who they were!! So there coming today and I'm very anxious, even being flagged by these people scares me to death. I have a clean, tidy home, happy family life, my only problems are with myself!! Has anyone any experience of this??!! I'm mortified and my teenage dd thinks they'll take her away....

Oh baby I don't have any experience but I'm sure you'll be fine and that it's just routine. Clearly your DC are perfectly fine where they are. I'd be having some stern words about the concern they have caused your daughter xx

Thank you babes, I am not hungover just concerned that I can't keep a commitment to myself not yo drink. Day 1 again today. X

Oh BabyJ that's awful. They shouldn't have said to your dd as have now caused unnecessarily stress.
I have no experience of this but really really don't think you have anything to worry about. I think if they were treating this as serious then they actually wouldn't of said to your dd who they were?

Mouse that story if your Nemo's friendship with the little boy is lovely! Hope he feels better soon & trousers from Amazon fit ok. Could you maybe bring up hem on others to save you buying more. Wonder web is good, you just iron it. Or take to local seamstress and have them altered?
Thank you for your kind words. I have been feeling really run down. I don't want to go back to new job as its too hard but know the only way it's going to get easier is to go back! Will rest from now til Monday ad then get back to it. X
I've started taking St. John's wort for slightly low mood and anxiety & taking Kalms at night to help me sleep, hoping to start feeling better soon.
Hope, thank you for sharing your account of managing to beat the ww. It sounds like you have been through a difficult time & been doing a lot of soul searching. I'm really pleased for you that you have found a way that works for you and that you seem calmer and happier.
Waves to all babes old and new and wishing you all well for today and tonight xx

Bloody hell, they better not visit me. Not unannounced, anyway. If they want to make an appointment to visit me I will consider it. And will be telling them that if alcohol is such a problem in a family environment then they might wish to concentrate on those who are not seeking help, not those who are.

Anyway, put that away in a box unless it happens, but in the meantime feeling indignant on behalf of babyjane. Keep us posted babyjane. Whilst its often better to co-operate with these people, I'm pretty sure you don't actually have to let them in!

I'm Day 4 and feeling fine. Perky, bouncy, motivated. Physical cravings all gone now. Got 2 tablets to take today, then 1 tomorrow, then Librium course is over. That was the stuff that made it easier for me to give up and dampened down/eliminated the physical withdrawal symptoms of not drinking when you've been drinking at dependent levels (this can be as little as a bottle of wine a day for a woman though is usually more for those who don't know what this means - this is aimed more at lurkers by the way, not trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs)

Moods stabilising a lot - enjoying the weather - digestion and lower digestive system behaving much better (won't gross you out with the details but it does play havoc doesn't it) - so its all good in the hood baby

Yeah. More later
Tatty x

babyj I'm sure there's nothing to worry about with the social services, maybe they will just see if you need any extra help... but how dare they tell your DD that on the phone (unless she's misunderstood..?) Although as clutter says it probably means they're not taking it too seriously - but even so

Oh and can someone tell me what ww means?

Tatty - ww is the Wine Witch. :)

Thanks guys x x x

Ah. Yes. I know her.