BRAVE BABES - the bus keeps trundling on...

[venusandmars]

We filled up the last thread, but never fear, we're always here!

Whatever your issue with drinking, whether you just want some encouragement with dry January or whether you've reached your rock bottom and need to quit. Everyone is welcome. You'll find support, encouragement, help. You'll find lots of understanding folks, who won't minimise your problem but who will never judge you. Never judging, never minimising our problems.

If you want to catch up, our last thread is HERE

And if you want to follow everything from the start, the very first thread from almost 11 years ago is RIGHT HERE

You can join in anytime. Everyone is welcome. Whether you are trying to cut down, abstain completely , or are simply acknowledging that you might have a problem... Post what you want.

I thought you guys had disappeared. Looked for you a few times over the years. Looking forward to updates if they come.

I had 2.5years completely sober and then started drinking again. As I do. Realising it's now nearly 4 years since I started again. Time flies.

Not getting in trouble with drinking and leading the most functional life I have done in a long time and life and work has been stable for a long stretch but my drinking can't be doing me any good physically and covid has meant convenient avoidance of blood tests and I confess the last one, several years ago now, said liver changes but don't be alarmed just retest in a few months time. Have I retested? No, of course not.

Afternoon lovely babes, it's been a long time since I have been on this thread, I have searched for it a few times but couldn't find this thread.
I hope all the babes are doing ok, I have been alcohol free since March 2019.

Hi obrigada and fly. Well done both. Still drinking here

Nice to see old faces. You know what I mean!

I presume I was SAF on here, not HoneyBadger?

I had many years away from mn then ended up being back on here during covid to talk to other teachers about what we were doing and support each other on all the new platforms and ways of teaching we had to pull out of the bag and to hear how things were going across the country for people and get sucked into ridiculous arguments

It really is nice to see old faces. I couldn't find any sign of you all when I searched before and presumed the bus had broken down forever.

Hey @venusandmars my amazing friend!

How lovely to see you! And a huge thank you to @Slingsanderrors for mentioning me in the first place! That was very sweet of you saying about remembering me talking about Nemo too! He reached the grand age of 13 earlier this year, and we’ve had some pretty great news in the last few months…

We had the news that his Scoliosis will not require surgery and neither will his ears to correct his hearing loss, obviously after lots of tests, CT scans, MRIs etc over the last years, and the constant worrying of everything else in between! He’s our very SUPER hero! We’ve been told that he’ll always have a certain physical deformity with his Sprengel should and pronounced rib cage following his emergency open heart surgery when he was six months old.

He will however, more than likely require a valve replacement around the age of 17 - 21, as he has a lot of regurgitation from a weak valve going into one of his chambers which is common in patients who have Tetralogy Of Fallots.

I will be back again to update you all on all things Mouseface soon! In the meantime, look after yourselves, stay warm and safe!

Big hugs to all x

@Mouseface Wow! I can't believe that Nemo is 13, I still imagine him to be a wee boy!!

@venusandmars I know! My iPhone shows me ‘memories’ on the first home screen, the screen with the date, battery life etc. on it. He looks absolutely adorable in his little preschool and then his first day at primary school pictures! My ♥️ simply melts remembering all of the struggles he’s faced, then looking at him now (sigh). What a super brave young man he is…

Happy Sunday to all, I hope that you’re safe, warm and know that the Bus is ALWAYS here. 😊😊😊

Love, Mouseface xxx

OH MY DAYS!!!!

I’ve just scrolled up and seen SO MANY NAMES FROM PREVIOUS BUS JOURNEYS!! Wow! Just, wow. There’s probably far too many of you to list, and I’m bound to forget someone, but HELLO!! 😊🤗😊🤗😊

You have no idea how totally amazing it is to see you are all still here, and have found the Bus!

<has wistful flashbacks to the fantastic journeys and wonderful times gone by>

Its genuinely awesome to see you all. I’m guessing that you all have lots to tell after all these years… I know I do! 😆 I need to make a list as I’m a slave to Fibro Fog these days!

Anywho, love to all,

Mouseface ♥️ xxx

I can't believe Nemo is 13. Very pleased to hear good news on the health front. My niece's bf had to have heart surgery in those age ranges, guess it's not uncommon to wait till they think they've stopped growing before going back in and doing more work. Last one was a couple of years ago and he recovered well and managed to keep up with uni despite surgery. Fingers crossed it's as smooth for Nemo when he gets there.

Mine is 15, in last year of GCSEs, about 6ft with size 13 feet and a mop of naturally curly hair. He is not the easiest to motivate to get out of bed in the morning or do homework etc but still very loveable and loving.

Not sure when I last posted on here but we had a few years living overseas then came back to UK and I went back to teaching and have been at the same school for over 4 years now and living in the same house all that time - rather steady and stable for me. I'm certain I was fairly bonkers at my point of departure from these threads but (touch wood) seem to have feet on steadyish ground for many years now if a little depressed at life's challenges sometimes.

I actually worked for someone I met on this thread! Definitely have a soft spot for this bus and it's passengers.

Love to all.

Wow, just wow! I'm so happy to find the bus again, and see so many familiar names. I've had a few name changes over the years, can't even remember them all. It's lovely to hear everyone's news.
I am currently on day 40, many, many dry stretches broken by " just one drink", you all know the cycle. This is my longest stretch in over a decade; feels like a switch has been flicked.
It will soon be time to decorate Gerald for Christmas, and for Dementedma to get her triangle out.

Polishing my triangle as we speak

Well, I was very very apprehensive about my daughter's wedding, particularly after she had phoned me to warn me that the day " wasn't about you" WTAF? I had really no idea what she meant about that, but I agreed it wasn't. My relationship with my daughter deserves a Mumsnet thread all of its own.

A 2 day drive from SW France before the event. Husband very very stressed,as he was about to meet the first husband (father of the bride), which culminated in me asking him to 'be kind' as he was actually being an a*hole

The actual day was, on the whole, good. But that was because I didn't drink anything until the meal, then some wine, and fizz of course. But over 10 hours I had about 4 glasses at the most. And I slept well afterwards! Which is a first.

Of course there were tears,but then it was a wedding, but I am so proud of staying sober.

Unfortunately coming home, I seem to have gone backwards, still, tomorrow is another day. Bon courage everyone!

Hello. Nice to see the bus again, I was las on it about 5 years ago.
Lovely to hear from everyone about how they're getting on.

I've just read some of the bus thread from 2017 and was amazed that I was on Day 40 AF!!!

I think I remember your name Ruby. Did you carry on from the 40 days AF?

Oh, how lovely. I just popped back more in hope than expectation and here you all are. I’m so very pleased (and quite emotional) to see you. So glad to hear about Nemo, Mouse. And fingers crossed for Mr Mint.

Day 314 here. Can’t quite believe it.

No I didn't continue AF but since September 2021 I have developed better well being.

Gosh! lovely to see names from the past @swallowedAfly (in my head you are saf) and I'd forgotten that we'd called the Brave Babes bus 'Gerald'. However I'd not forgotten @dementedma 's triangle!

I've been on this journey for so long that I'm now in my 60s and in semi-retirement. The good news is that I have a bus pass so free trips on Gerald whenever I want!

@Mouseface don't forget to come back and tell us how you're doing x

I'm not sure I'm thrilled with only being remembered for my triangle!

small and ruby and saf how lovely to see you all again. I wonder if @Fairenuff is still up on the roofrack?

Can we lure back Indie perhaps,or dubh? Gosh,so many happy memories of this mad busload of passengers!

And green opal fruits!

Hi Mint
Rubyredlips do you mind me asking how you developed better wellbeing - something I need to learn.
I'm on day 55, but this week has been tough. Really very unhappy at work, plus Christmas looming, which I usually love but this year just dreading all the work involved. Menopause has wiped me out.

Of course I don't mind you asking. I have become my own best friend, I have a dreadful inner critic that destroys me and so I talk to her and tell her to fuck off or similar- I sometimes write everything down that she's saying to me so I can see it in black and white - her name is Belinda the Bitch. I'm my own best friend now (try to be) and encourage myself and talk to myself in the 3rd person - this has more impact 'Come on Ruby you can do this'! I'll write more in a bit

@IWanderedLonely I also have read (well listened) to lots of self help books. I've mastered meditation and do this for 20 mins every morning. Through meditation I've learned to face my fears and how to sit with them.

@IWanderedLonely are you on anything for menopause?