12-24 months and up support group

[[Li...]]

Dea,

Thank you.

 

Sandy,

Glad to hear you're doing better. I understand exactly how you feel.

 

Hugs to all, LiveLife

[[De...]]

Sandy - That is so wonderful to hear.  Sometimes I do believe that setbacks create opportunity for further healing.  Glad to hear that is the case for you.

[[...]]

Thank you, LiveLife and Deanna!🥰

[[La...]]

LadyDen,

Congratulations on 22 months out. Sounds like you're moving along very nicely. That's wonderful! I'm still struggling horribly. This chemical fear is outrageous and it's making my gut problems worse as well as my side pain. Pretty unbearable. I just keep going minute-by-minute till this subsides. Hoping it's big healing going on and that I'm going to turn a corner soon. Trying to stay positive! Thanks for asking. Hugs!

 

LiveLife

Thank you Live. Yes it will get better for you too. You’re not exempt from turning corners. You will have your turn soon. Mark my words! I recall my minute by minute moments too. They’re very unsettling and make us question everything including if this was the right choice. At the end of the day, it IS the right choice. How is discontinuing damage to our brains not a good choice? 

I know it’s rough my dear. Hang in there. Stay calm and distracted. Those days of feeling like crap adds up. Then 🪟 opens to much needed relief. Hang in there. I’m praying 🙏 for you!

[[La...]]

LadyD I thought I had congratulated you on 22 months!!! But I don't see it here so a big CONGRATS my dear friend!

I'm right behind you as always.  I remember it as if it were yesterday when we med back in July 2020!  We were nubies then lol.

 

Leann and Live - I'm thinking of you always.  I'm praying for your symptoms to ease up and allow some relief 

😂 that’s ok my dear. I know you wish me well. And thank you! Yes we’ve been in the trenches together from the start. Wow! We were a hot mess back then. Look at us now…..at the end of this! Awesome job, Deanna!

Big hugs and love to you! Wooohooo! Isn’t it lovely to see the end right in front of us? Wow! I’m so excited for ALLof us to get our lives back.

[[La...]]

Sandy I completely understand this. I wish you the best in your continued healing. You’ve been such a strong warrior. So you will get all the way there! I’m very proud of your endurance. I’m glad you’ll check in from time to time. I will miss you. This is common to take a break when we make good progress in healing. Also wishing you total healing with your knee. Live happy and healthy my friend! Take my love with you.

 

:smitten: :smitten:

[[Li...]]

LadyDen,

Thank you so much. I'm trying to hold on to all those thoughts. Hopefully turning a corner is very close for me. Hugs!

 

LiveLife

[[de...]]

Just checking in.  I miss all of you!!!  Sandy, so glad to hear you are doing better.  Please check in every once in a while.  I will be watching for a Success Story from you one day soon.

 

I am still doing well; however have had a little setback the last couple of days.  I don't think it will be with me long; just a little reminder that I am not fully healed yet.    I am enjoying my part time job at the garden center.  It has been a wonderful distraction.  It has also helped my sleep issues.  Thejob is very physical and I am dead tired when I get home.

 

I think of y'all often.  Praying for everyone!

[[...]]

Thank you so much, LadyDen. You and the rest of this group have helped me get through some really challenging times. Praying this will all behind us soon!🙏🥰

 

Sandy

[[La...]]

Just checking in.  I miss all of you!!!  Sandy, so glad to hear you are doing better.  Please check in every once in a while.  I will be watching for a Success Story from you one day soon.

 

I am still doing well; however have had a little setback the last couple of days.  I don't think it will be with me long; just a little reminder that I am not fully healed yet.    I am enjoying my part time job at the garden center.  It has been a wonderful distraction.  It has also helped my sleep issues.  Thejob is very physical and I am dead tired when I get home.

 

I think of y'all often.  Praying for everyone!

Lisa!!! Wonderful to hear from you. Wow you’re a working lady. Way to go. And a garden center??? Wow you get to enjoy seeing beautiful flowers. Ohhh girl I’m jealous…..lol Even though you’re tired when you get home, it’s good to have a sense of normalcy. As we start getting our lives back, we unfortunately pay for that. So I’m not surprised that you’re feeling a little setback. I also pay for doing normal things. But in my case, it settles back down fairly quickly with a little rest. Hopefully yours will also be short lived. Keep going, sweetie. It will get to the point where your brain won’t overreact. I also think of you often.

Big hugs and prayers! 

:thumbsup:

[[La...]]

Thank you so much, LadyDen. You and the rest of this group have helped me get through some really challenging times. Praying this will all behind us soon!🙏🥰

 

Sandy

You’re welcome Sandy dear! I’m here for you anytime. You all have been here for me too. That’s what this is all about. I’m also praying this is behind us soon. As a matter of fact….it’s in the making! One day at a time.

 

Happy healing and love to you.

[[Ac...]]

I had been away from the boards for a while and feeling good.  Then, I got a cold that just won't seem to go away and I'm finally at the tail end.  But, I think that's started me into a bit of a wave.  So far, the wave isn't terrible, but like Decatur said, just a reminder that I'm not fully healed yet.  It's hard to deal with after a window- does anyone find that to be true?  When one is in a wave for a while it is very scary and uncomfortable but you get into a coping pattern.  After a window, it's mentally difficult to get back into wd mode.

[[De...]]

Absolutely AD!  That is why this whole experience is so traumatic.  The strength we all must find to get through this to the other side is greater than anything I've ever dealt with. 

 

I've been where you are: feeling ok then hit with a cold/virus.  I found that I actually dealt with it while fighting the cold, then toward the tail end a wave kicked in reminding me that the struggle was not yet over.  But then when that wave let up I found that my baseline was better.  Sort of like my body did what it was supposed to (to fight the cold), was stressed about it (the wave), then all of it helped my body get back to where it should be.  Hormetic Stress.  Like exercise.  We end up a better organism for it.

 

Hope you feel better soon.

[[Ac...]]

Absolutely AD!  That is why this whole experience is so traumatic.  The strength we all must find to get through this to the other side is greater than anything I've ever dealt with. 

 

I've been where you are: feeling ok then hit with a cold/virus.  I found that I actually dealt with it while fighting the cold, then toward the tail end a wave kicked in reminding me that the struggle was not yet over.  But then when that wave let up I found that my baseline was better.  Sort of like my body did what it was supposed to (to fight the cold), was stressed about it (the wave), then all of it helped my body get back to where it should be.  Hormetic Stress.  Like exercise.  We end up a better organism for it.

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

I hope so too!  That's exactly right- I found that when I was in the midst of the cold I was doing really well and sleeping really well, extra even, to fight off the cold.  I had calmness even though I didn't feel well.  I'm still not 100% but like a day or two from being done and now my benzo sx are ramping up and that calmness is gone. 

 

A better baseline would be marvelous!

[[...]]

Hi yall.  Just stopping in to say hello . . . Hello.

 

I’ve been away trying new stuff to make myself feel better.  Is it working?  Hmm I dont know.  Still have a bunch of symptoms but at least it has been a good distraction.  Seems like there have been a lot of windows and waves among the crew here as I read through.

 

LadyD, Livelife, Deanna, AD, Sandy, Leann nice to see all!

[[De...]]

Hey JBen, welcome back!  Distraction is good of course.  I hope you were able to feel a little more normal for at least a bit by doing other things.

 

I've been keeping busy myself.  Getting started walking again the last two days.  We'll see if it spurs a wave.  I'm really ready to be done with all of this LOL. 

[[...]]

I am ready to be done with this too! Haha.  It will happen eventually.  In the meantime we wait . . . . And wait . . . . And wait . . . .

 

[[Be...]]

Hi JBen.  I was looking for a post on your blog, but see you posted here instead.  Hope you will see much better days soon.

[[Ac...]]

Good to see you JBen!  Windows and waves indeed.  I'm ready to be done with this too, and hope you have some good healing soon!

[[Li...]]

Lisa,

Good to hear from you. Sounds like you really made great progress and are going to continue to do well. Being dead tired at the end of the day from feeling like you really accomplished something is such a good feeling. Very satisfying I'm sure. I remember those days well and I'm looking forward to them again.

 

Accidental,

So sorry to hear that you were sick. But it's possible you will have a better baseline once that's all behind you. Wishing the best for you and your recovery.

 

JBen,

So great to hear from you. It's wonderful you were able to stay busy and be distracted that in itself is a huge blessing. Would be so good if you find yourself feeling much better very very soon.

 

Dea,

So great you were able to start walking. That's one thing that I can do and enjoy doing especially on a nature trail nearby my home. Walking is the best exercise and can be very therapeutic. Hopefully it goes well for you.

 

LadyDen,

Hope the reason we haven't heard from you is because you are doing well.

 

Hugs to all!

[[De...]]

Hi Everyone!  Well the walking went alright and both days I did it I slept really well.  Unfortunately I had a busy weekend traveling and socializing and although I didn't eat anything to spur symptoms (at least I don't think I did), I didn't sleep well on my trip and hence today am very tired, with my pain symptoms ramping up and you know the rest.  Feels like a wave, looks like a wave, must be.....A WAVE!

 

Hopefully will sleep better tonight and feel a bit better in a couple days.

 

One thing I've noticed in last 6 weeks or so is that I've become much less regular in my bathroom habits (sorry if TMI) but it seems to be a new thing I'm dealing with.  Associated bloating and mild discomfort too.  I eat plenty of veggies, and try to drink so much water.  But I think this is what they call benzo belly.  Hope it resolves soon too.

 

Hope everyone is doing well (or at least well enough)....Yes LadyDen hope you are out and about painting the town 

[[Ac...]]

I'm having a bad day today, just real keyed up and having that restlessness.  It's 6pm where I'm at and usually it subsides in the late afternoon but hasn't yet today which is concerning.  I really hope I can sleep tonight.  If I can get 5 hours I'll be happy.

 

Deanna, sorry you're in a wave.  I feel that it's hard to sleep well while traveling.  Hopefully you're socializing offset some of that by making you feel like the real you for a little while. 

 

I don't think there's such thing as TMI in benzo wd.  It's just sharing information!  My bowel habits didn't really become not- normal (from pre benzos) until 7-8 months out, so I think it can be a new thing this far out. 

[[La...]]

I had been away from the boards for a while and feeling good.  Then, I got a cold that just won't seem to go away and I'm finally at the tail end.  But, I think that's started me into a bit of a wave.  So far, the wave isn't terrible, but like Decatur said, just a reminder that I'm not fully healed yet.  It's hard to deal with after a window- does anyone find that to be true?  When one is in a wave for a while it is very scary and uncomfortable but you get into a coping pattern.  After a window, it's mentally difficult to get back into wd mode.

Yes I can totally relate. It’s because feeling better gave us a new Groundhog Day. To go back to the old one sucks! But it’s temporary. 

Those longer windows are so wonderful. They’re a glimpse of your new healed life. They get longer and clearer until the forever window opens. You’re sooooo close my dear. Hang in there! I’m so happy to see you are staying strong. You got this!

[[La...]]

Hi yall.  Just stopping in to say hello . . . Hello.

 

I’ve been away trying new stuff to make myself feel better.  Is it working?  Hmm I dont know.  Still have a bunch of symptoms but at least it has been a good distraction.  Seems like there have been a lot of windows and waves among the crew here as I read through.

 

LadyD, Livelife, Deanna, AD, Sandy, Leann nice to see all!

Yes I tried the same experiment. I’m also not sure if it helped but I am enjoying doing things again. Including riding in the car off and on. Currently it gives me an immediate wave but it is worth it and I can do it. I’ve come a mighty long way from being completely bedridden to now I can walk to my car without any assistance then get in and ride around a few minutes. 

Although such a small thing to normal people it’s huge for me. Yes we are waves and windows still but progressing. I wish you well too. It’s good to read that you’re in a better place in your healing as well. Wow I remember when you were awful every day….but look at you now. Wooohooo! Time is our best friend.

Love and hugs

[[La...]]

Hey JBen, welcome back!  Distraction is good of course.  I hope you were able to feel a little more normal for at least a bit by doing other things.

 

I've been keeping busy myself.  Getting started walking again the last two days.  We'll see if it spurs a wave.  I'm really ready to be done with all of this LOL. 

Best wishes to you walking. I’m also trying to walk further and more. So far no luck….intolerance sets in then a wave every time I try. Wow it sucks! But I’m not giving up….eventually it will stop resisting what I’m supposed to do normally. I’m right there with you, Deanna! I’m also sooooooooooooooooooo ready to be done with this!