Gilmer

In the Midwest they have great steaks, if you enjoy red meat.

FBL

Soylent Green?

Gilmer

stargazer016

Kansas is cattle country and very conservative.

Safe travels Courage.

I'm glad that you have an appointment scheduled with a neurologist Gilmer. Better to find out if something is up rather than worry all the time. Fingers crossed.

I imagine Carlos is ok. I have relatives across the water in St. Pete and they came through with minor damage. It will take more than a hurricane to keep him down.

Enjoy the evening all.

Delizadee

I get some bad pain in my hands/ fore arms, some times they're so bad I can barely grasp something or drive. Doc doesn't think it's carpal tunnel but therr is another nerve that can be compressed and cause similar symptoms and can be fixed with surgery. I think. My hips down are also really bad.. just random drops or pops. It's embarrassing but also really painful.
The body pain is like the headaches and migraines or even depression at this point. Levels of grey lol. It's most notable when it's all really bad.
Gilmer if it makes you feel any better that is exactly what I go through too. I hope you get some good answers so you can have some peace of mind .
I know it's frustrating and troublesome. I have just settled for Dealing with it. Benzos are not helping but I do my best to get by. Repeat stuff over and over to myself and use descriptive words a lot.

My computer picked a black and red violated security death.
I am sad. Talk about isolating.

Hope all is well with everyone and Fla peeps are doing ok... still not drinking here.

Gilmer

Do you have the option of going to a spinal specialist, Del? A great deal of my pain was relieved with a program of physical therapy (when I was FAITHFUL TO DO THE EXERCISES, it almost eliminated the pain).

Maybe you can avoid surgery.

courage2

I have some arthritis that flares up when I'm under stress. Physical therapy was helpful to me once. Also daily yoga, but you have to be careful with yoga. Mostly I try to prevent flares because there's not much to do once it sets in except ibuprofen and heat pads.

I hope you're being careful with the benzos, Del. I know they're prescribed, but it's easy to need them, you know?

gleefan

Hi everyone,

Carlos is doing ok. I heard from him before and after the storm. He's been conserving battery life on his devices due to power outages.

Gilmer - I often find myself searching for words. It's maddening. I hope you get some definitive answers on your condition.

JL - Seeing emotions up close and personal, seeing things how they really are, is one of the gifts of sobriety. I have found it's become more routine to blow off steam, sober, with practice and time.

Del - My outlook on life lightened up when I lightened up. I had to make a choice to stop being so hard on everyone around me. As a kid, I was appalled by hypocrisy. My step mother acted like a great person to the outside world but in private she was harsh and demeaning. Her behavior was damaging to me. As a kid I protected myself by pushing away anyone who I saw as two faced.

All that did in the end, though, was isolate me. I cast aside more than one great friend who did even one thing I saw as two faced, hypocritical, or wrong.

Most people (or even organizations/congregations) aren't perfect. They aren't necessarily abusive/intentionally hurtful either.

Off to enjoy the morning before I report to my late shift. Have a good sober day everyone!

stargazer016

Thanks for the update on Carlos, Glee. I have relatives whom are trying to return to Florida and they are stuck in Georgia, with no rest stops open and all of the exits blocked off. Wide swaths have no power or gasoline. I think seven million folks just in Florida alone are without power. Quite a desperate scene unfolding there.

I agree that I am enjoying life far more now that I have lightened up a bit in sobriety. I don't take things as personally as I used to and don't dwell on other's comments towards me, looking for hidden meanings. I am serious about work and not drinking, while I can now chill out a bit on the rest. Makes me happier and more able to enjoy life day to day.

I find myself stammering for words more and more frequently now too. I laugh it off as getting old, though it really does concern me at times. Funny thing is that I don't have that issue when sitting at a keyboard banging out my thoughts. I guess it is a different part of the brain involved.

Best wishes for a good day all!

courage2

Kansas is ok. I'm laying low. Trying to remember my chill.

Deliza, to be honest, I'm worried about you. Are you worried about you?

FBL

Fran had to go back to the ICU yesterday as they are having trouble clearing the mucus from her breathing tube. The ordeal continues.

Have a great Thursday, all!

Gilmer

Oh, no! Poor Fran!

How is your boss holding up?

I worry, too, Del. How does your little one like school so far?

Is there anything new on the horizon?

Has anything made you smile lately?

stargazer016

Del, is there anything you can do to take a "Del" day that doesn't involve alcohol or casinos? I think one one of the more difficult things in early sobriety is learning how to have fun once again. All our lives, fun meant drinking. I have found it has taken a while to discover new sources of happiness, but it does take some time. Treat yourself to a book or a movie or a favorite meal. We all have to learn how to be nice to ourselves once again after years of despising who we became because of drinking.

Best wishes for a good day all!

courage2

FBL, I'm sorry to hear the news about Fran. She sounds like a fighter.

Here's something I learned in sobriety. Oatmeal, with fruit and brown sugar and warm milk, is good!

Last night was a little funky. I was out on the corner smoking at 2 a.m. But here I still am, still sober.

I hope you all still am, still sober.

Gilmer

Beware nostalgia for the bad old days--underneath the veneer of cool, there really is true badness. It was seedy and cool till it became a deadly horror.

I'm glad you saw the danger and went back to reason.

Gilmer

Glee, how is the stress going?

How are you holding up, JL?

And give us the status, Carlos!

gleefan

Hi everyone

Fbl - All my best to Fran and your boss.

Courage - Sounds like you could use a little comfort. Is there any oatmeal with warm milk at your hotel?

Del - I didn't know how to have fun when I got sober. I felt awkward and like an outsider doing what I'd always done, in the places I used to go. Sobriety has been a period of discovering myself. Get out there and see what sober activities you enjoy.

Tonight I got out of work at a reasonable time, and got home to help with homework, clean the house, and cook dinner, all before 8 pm. Good stuff.

courage2

Sounds like a good day, Glee. What do you like to do when you have time in the evening?

You must be a great mom -- that's the perfect thought -- and miraculously I thought of it too, I had oatmeal for breakfast! It was just what I needed. I'm so over with this trip. My presentation went well & I made my required face time. Now I wish I were on a plane already.

Gilmer

I'm glad your presentation went well, Cour.

Glad also that you were able to nourish yourself with some nice comfort food.

FBL

Fran was only back in the ICU for a few hours to clear her breathing tube. She's back in her regular hospital room today.

Have a great Friday, gang!