Brave Babes - Barging through 2017 in style

[SweetLathyrus]

Hello, I'm SweetLathyrus (Sweet for short), and I've been hopping on and off Gerald the Brave Babes Battle Bus for three years now because, like some many of us, I struggle with alcohol.

The Bus is a supportive community at all stages in their relationship with alcohol and with lots of different goals - for some, it's abstinence, for others it's moderation, for others, it's just about getting a bit of control and perspective.

So, if you think you'd like to join us, don't be shy, flag us down and jump on board and share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with; sometimes there will be silliness, but there will always be help and support.

If you would like to know how the Bus first rattled into action, here is the first ever thread

And if you would like to know where we have been more recently, here is the most recent thread

flowery that is indeed a great way to describe it. I'm early 40s and have DSs 6 & 7 and feel am just, well, surviving really. Your babe is luscious.

Thanks for that lux. I worry that waiting for some clarity is just an excuse to stay in the cycle... I do loads of navel gazing though so fingers crossed

Night babes, we're all safely in the bus in any event

Gorgeous bus baby! Can almost smell the newness of her.
Elba you ok?

Elba you ok?? I've had that before it knocks you for six like

Thanks guys, she's her brothers double

You alright Elba?
I find near miss type traffic things very scary.

Yeah I'm fine, sorry should of said that. Have had a shower and pulled myself together a bit. My drive to work is on an unlit a-road through a forest, a deer went straight across me into car coming other way. I braked and swerved and missed a ditch by inches, other car hit the deer then got shunted by someone else. Deer got pinned between car and tree. No (human) injuries thankfully.

Its not a nice bit of road and I often drive down it after nights, long shifts etc and it's just brought it home a bit how quick things can happen. I was doing 50 as conditions weren't great (and I know the road) and I was tired but people go 80+ along there.

Basically could of been a lot worse but wasn't.

Oh god glad you're ok. I'm from a rural area so understand the deer risks. Those things do bring it home though.

Big hugs from me (I'm an inappropriate hugger sorry)

Stupidly still drinking though and calculating how many units I can get away with. I'm a twat. How hypocritical if I then end up drink driving back down same stretch of road

We've all done that though, I'm the queen of unit calculating

Well done you for doing 50 when you knew conditions were tricky.
If you're on an early try and stop at 2200 and get sleep.
Drink water, shower? , pjs....

Stopped and in bed. Placating myself with the fact I've had a lot less than I would of done in the past, not that it makes it right at all. Thank you all.

I grew up and learnt to drive in London, and have mainly lived and worked in big cities; this whole rural (ish) driving still freaks me out occasionally.

Morning babes,

Quick check in from me- no purple rain yet 😀 But no horrid uti anymore either. My life is so glam : )

Big wave to new babes, and a squeeeeeee at sleeping baby. Sleeping children are the best!

Hope you are ok elba

baby it's a very thoughtful bus at the moment, I know that I'd really like to hear from you. Might be quite timely since the end of dry Jan is nigh.

Hope you all have a peaceful Monday

Good Morning All Brave Babes
Dawn darn sarf today! My phones playing up just lost my last post
Baby great to see you back aboard 💜
Welcome to all our newcomers you're in the right place if alcohol has become a problem, loads of wonderful real life support on this bus.
Have a good Monday y'all xxxx

Flowery. ..... you still set for AF weekeday 1 this evening ?
I've bought Lime and soda and a facepack for later !
Will think of all the positives .
For me the biggest is being a more present mum ...... I'll enjoy that great book The Magic Faraway Tree tonight instead of whizzing through it .
Catch you later x

morning babes.
feel stronger.
don't to be a bloody slave to booze.
I had wine last night - BUT not the whole bottle! Pathetic but that's a plus for me!
Have a good day all

• don't WANT to be....

Good stuff 42

Morning everybabe,
Had a bad nights sleep for no apparent reason but feel fairly perky. I have the strangest feeling something good is going to happen this week, ever get that? Just a positive feeling that something will work out, I do hope so.

Tinkerbell a facepack eh? I like it! I am a bit addicted at the moment to Garnier moisture bomb tissue masks, just the thing for my parched old skin.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Hope you slept ok after your scare Elba
I will catch up later and wish you all a good day for now.

Tinkerbellx - yep all set, woke up at 5 this morning with the kids determined that I'm going to die of liver failure and feeling generally shitty and hungover so that'll help.

Aw 42, least you didn't finish the bottle... I did, and a second after that cause by the time the first went down I forgot about why I was trying to be good. The 5am wake up call from the kids seems a fitting punishment now

lux I am going out today to get Garnier moisture bomb tissue masks

flowery I've done the same so many times
I can't have wine in the house really cos I just drink it all.
Hope the day is not so bad.
I'm looking forward to a bit of TV sober then early bed....

tink that's so true, when there's a drink waiting I tend to dash through the stories

42 your face will thank you, they are on offer in Boots right now - they are so good!

Flowerey yep, been there. Hope you feel a bit better soon. You can do this tonight. I will be cheering you on this week.

Mr Lux is back on the bottle, my pig headed side is spurring me on now. He felt dreadful yesterday morning while I was chirpy. It's a good motivator.

Ok - didn't make it to AA on Friday because of crippling period pains (as mentioned earlier, the one side-effect of HRT I really dislike) but in cheerier news I'm going to a meeting today at 12:30 and feeling good about it.

Still drinking until my detox, which is starting to feel a bit weird, as I am coming more and more to the conclusion I actually want to be sober!!

Hi to all and sorry not to NC.

Hi babes - just looking in, have a rare working from home day so quick break

Baby lovely to see you back. Ma hope your cold gets better soon - you are brave coming off ADs and HRT at the same time Both are propping me up at the moment (though fuming at having to pay 2 prescription charges for Elleste Duet! Ridiculous). How is Richard doing? I think you should make the most of your cold and get some rest in bed - let everyone look after you for a change

Dubh, Spanna, Elba, 42, Sweet and all old-timers - nice to see you all, I do check in on my phone from time to time but not much to say at the moment. Am working hard and contemplating a full time job offer I've been given - really nice agency, but at the moment I am earning a lot more from their day rates. But this way if a client drops out - or if I have a day sick, or want holiday - I'm still golden. And it is flexible so can still freelance a bit. Can't decide though as it feels like cowardice. But one to think about.

Rushing around all the time at the moment - mostly AF in January though had a couple of days out with a friend which involved wine, and yesterday WB was driving me insane so had a large vodka. But mostly AF as dieting. Contemplating boot camp as well Ma - signed up for the last one but didn't do it though. I lose weight so slowly if at all it hardly seems worth the sacrifice. If I actually got thinner it would be OK

Flowery your girl is adorable!!! I actually felt all broody at that photograph (and I am far too old to be so, my two are teenagers now!) Enjoy her, baby girls are just gorgeous. I still often think of my girl (13) as being 2 or 3. She is permanently stuck in my imagination at that age despite being a moody teenage mare!

Elf hope you feel better soon. When is your detox? You sound absolutely in the right frame of mind for it. We are all here rooting for you

Lux you are inspiring me with your pampering stories. I am going to book a nail appointment for the weekend and try a moisture bomb as my face looks like a 300 year old map this morning!

Sorry to anyone I have missed and sorry for repeatedly being AWOL but nothing to report at the moment - just dashing here there and everywhere - back to work now but wishing you all a fab week x

hope good to see you!
I will have to go back onto HRT I think - see the doc on Wednesday because the flushes creep back the minute I stop it and I have terrible RAGE! But I have had a period for two whole fucking weeks now. Enough, I say!
Lux I have bought two of yon bomb mask things to try out. £2 in Asda. My face needs it.
Baby He is doing so well. Really back on track and feeling so much better. Dropped in a card today which said "you have helped me more than you will ever know". He can do this.
Went into work but am back in bed now,feeling grotty.
Will be AF tonight as I want to get to 21 days. Three weeks out of four which is....Counts on fingers...75% AF this month. Couldn't do it without you lot.

Evening, 'tis me, mouse

I am sorry for being such a shite Babe, but there's been lots going on in real life with my various illnesses.

My Fibromyalgia has been a proper tw@t meaning that my CFS kicks in, as well as other illnesses, which are new to me but effect my heart, lungs and abdomen so I'm going through way more Oramorph (liquid morphine) than a) I should and b) I want to but I'm addicted to morphine. There's no two ways about it.

(sighs)

I'm also suffering from a mental illness that seems to much worse than what I when I was diagnosed.

I'm still drinking (WTAF!) but nothing like the volumes I was, but still, it's one of the worst things ever for my mental health.......

So, I'm having Pain Management Sessions once a week, I'm seeing our local CMHT weekly at least, I'm also going to an art club for those with MH conditions of all types, AND, I'm volunteering at our local hospital on the spinal ward and other areas.

I try to have a lot to keep my mind busy but I have to go easy on my body.

I hope I'll get to know all of the new Babes over time but for now, that's pretty much me, Mousey

Mwahs xxx xxx