venuscat

Fingers crossed love xxxxx

Sober369

Well, I got the job! I was pretty sure I would, since I have worked with my new boss before, in fact, I was his boss. We work really well together. It's not decided when I start, yet. On a less happy note, they had four residents pass from Covid today. So sad, they are all in the 'dementia' unit. Two had been fully vaccinated. Yikes. I would not need to go on that unit at all if I were working there. So sad for the staff and families.
Thanks for the fingers crossed, Venus!

venuscat

Congrats honey ❤️

I am so sad for the residents who died today....God bless all of them.

Willow00

Congratulations Karen, well done! But so sad for those who passed away from Covid, and for their families.

WL I hope your Dad comes out of all of this ok. Interestingly, neither of my parents were drinkers at all. But apparently my paternal grandparents were very big drinkers. I never knew them so I’m not certain, but the family “stories” make out that they were huge partiers, apparently owned a big hotel, and loads of property , but lost everything. Sad story, but so very common I think.

TC I hope you’re doing ok, and that you are on a good path with the support networks falling into place.
I know the AV is a relentless beast, so I’m sending you more support.
The AV has been plaguing me. I know drinking is a stupid idea but the AV doesn’t care about stupidity, it only cares about one thing. We just have to keep on beating the slimeball back with a big stick! It would have us lose everything because it doesn’t care about us. But we care about us, so we have to keep fighting off the AV.

I’m on day 129 sober today, and I still have to wield that stick against the AV!

Sober369

I'm sorry the slimeball is after you lately, Willow. Can you think of anything that could be setting it off? I seem to go in waves, like a period of just being so grateful to be sober and not tempted, to a period where I feel like I'm barely making it. The AV isn't there all the time, but for a few days I'll get it a lot, then it goes away. I know the dieting makes it worse sometimes. I still go ahead and have something I shouldn't if the AV is acting up too bad.
I'm up too late. Was watching 'the story of us'. Good, but some of it is awfully violent, which, sad to say, is our history.
Good night and good day, all!

Willow00

I think it’s the dieting for me too. I’m trying to reduce sugar in my diet, because I’ve been eating waaaay too much sweet stuff. But whenever I do manage to eat less sugar, the AV ramps up big time. So I eat something rather than drink. It works, but I’m really not sure how to reduce the sugar and not drink.

nmd

Congratulations on the job Karen!

Hunger is definitely a huge trigger for me as well, or at least it was. Now I just get hangry. :-D I didn't attempt weight loss for the first 6 months sober this time around, then I eased into it with a set calorie deficit (adding back in calories burned from exercise). I wouldn't worry about weight loss early on, but having planned snacks between meals helps with both hunger and cravings. Snack choices I make when I'm hungry are usually poor, lol.

venuscat

I think that the high sugar intake contributes to the cravings....just my thoughts. s

Dee74

I think a lot of us try to do too much too soon. Did the no sugar thing too and felt dreadful, so I just tried to eat sensibly, but allowed a few treats.

D

venuscat

I agree with that.....that is absolutely what I did. Still do.

TiredCarpenter

I hope the activities job is offered to you Karen. Close to home is nice.

Venus: I’m good. For the first time in a long while I’m not taking someone else’s shtuff personally.
Yes, being verbally attacked can be a trigger; the good news is I have two good sober friends on the phone lines. One guy lives barely three blocks away. On a quiet night if I open my front door and yell his name he could possibly hear me.

So glad that the doctor at the RAAM clinic gave me some meds. They are working really well. They aren’t mood-altering. I HATE having my mood altered by pills. The naltrexone works so well at keeping me calm.
For the first time since my teens (36+ years) the squirrel-cage in my brain has gone quite. I’m so happy about this I could just dance!!

Obviously there is some underlying thing that needs to be investigated. That squirrel-cage has been wrought with self-centered fears, the need to escape, lust,thrill-seeking, or just outright fear all of these years. It has been incessant.
Wow….big realizations being made.

Be well folks, have a good thing.

TiredCarpenter

Geez….I’m an entire page behind.
I missed a bunch of posts
will get current.

venuscat

Glad to hear you are good dearest TC

TiredCarpenter

Willow, congrats on 129 days.
Sorry the AV is rampant. Big hug from me. You are doing so well.

Glad you got the job Karen! Congrats.
God rest those.

I don’t do much re: diet. I feel great after eating a big salad or for a few days after fish.
I really like spinach in lasagna or pizza. Fruit juice (no pop)
(the extent of my good choices)

Have a good day folks!

Sober369

I just did a skype call with my doctor. Nice that I didn't have to go in, but we agreed that once I get insurance I'll come back for a checkup and we'll try to get my cholesterol down. She said the tingling in my hands that has been driving me nuts lately could be caused by my yoga. Like maybe I pulled something or such. I didn't do it again today, but the day is still young. Sort of.
I really think if I could switch to water instead of fruit juice that would help a lot. I do some, I'm working on it. But, moderation is the key. Juice is so much better than booze!
I don't like my new computer as much as my old one, but I do love the zoom and skype. So nice to have that! It makes some of the other weird stuff about this computer worth it.
I hope that nasty AV is absent today, Willow, and everyone!

Sober369

I just read about the earthquake in Australia! I hope Dee and Willow are safe. Gosh, what could be next?

venuscat

It was Victoria (not Queensland) love, and everyone is safe. xxxx
Biggest one for central Vic ever though....lots of damage.

Dee74

Congrats on the job Karen :

No quake activity near me…hope Melbourne will avoid too many after shocks.

D

Willow00

Great to hear you doing so well TC

Thanks for the diet advice everyone!

Nmd my snack choices when hungry are pretty poor too. I also should avoid grocery shopping when hungry! All manner of ridiculous things somehow end up in my trolley!

Suze I think the sugar is bad for cravings for sure! But it also works a treat to quiet the AV when it’s bad. A vicious cycle, and an addiction in itself I know. I’m sure the alcohol and sugar both trigger the dopamine feel good factor, and are related, so I really am working on cutting the sugar.

Karen juice is definitely better than alcohol, but I know it’s loaded with sugar too. Have you tried doing half-half juice and water? I quite like the watered down juice. Although I usually add sparkling water instead of still water, usually to low sugar cranberry juice.

Dee, sensible eating with a few treats is the best plan I think, although I have to be really careful about the treats. If they’re sugary, they do to my brain what alcohol does. I have a lot of trouble stopping after one!

Yesterday I managed to get through the day with no alcohol and no refined sugar. I did have sweet potato at lunch and dinner, an apple, a no added sugar nut bar and a yogurt (no added sugar) and some strawberries and cheese as snacks. If I could just do that every day for a week or so, and stay off the sugary snacks I think that’s what I need to get me past the sugar cravings that often feel like alcohol cravings…

venuscat

So....I look at it this way....you and I were both chardonnay drinkers I think Willow? BIG sugar content. So I guess I wonder if the feeling that the AV is going off is partially a sugar craving. So then yes, sugar will help that. But there are good sugars. So would a banana or some pineapple ....or both take away the craving completely? Maybe.