12-24 months and up support group

[[La...]]

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!

Hugs Live! Thanks for your concern. I’ve been in the trenches yesterday and so far all morning. Also I’ve been dealing with getting a few things done around the house that needed attention. I did an experiment to see if not posting a couple of days would make a difference…..nope! Lol 😂 but I have been keeping distracted all day. Car riding is a struggle but I’m not giving up….nope not today! I pray you’re doing better. Do you notice any improvements yet.

Big hugs to you too. You’re one of the loveliest people I know! 🌹

[[La...]]

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 

Same here with bathroom issues….constipation in spite of drinking plenty and plenty of veggies. These symptoms circle back don’t they? Normally I have the slowed digestion issue for a day but this time I’ve had it for several days.  With you having it too, I’m wondering if it’s an end of the process thing?

I’ve been painting for sure but not the town lol 😂 Only on a canvas.

[[Li...]]

LadyDen,

 

So sorry to hear that you were in the trenches. I hope that today looks up for you.

 

Actually yesterday I had a window still had symptoms but so much better than I've been. Unfortunately, last night the fear was raging the whole entire night and is with me today I am really suffering. This is such an up-and-down process. I have to hold on to how good I felt yesterday and today I'm doing one minute at a time. Thanks for asking. Hugs!

 

LiveLife

[[De...]]

Hey LadyD, I like your thinking that the bathroom issues are an end-of-process thing!  Such a good way to look at it.  I was thinking that too.  Actually I had the constipation issue all through my childhood, I was a picky eater and probably never drank enough water.  Since that is my normal baseline I was thinking that maybe I'm just getting back to "normal" with a much reduced anxiety baseline.  If that's so, then I just have to work with it LOL.

 

Working on the issue I bought some Kombucha and while I was drinking it decided to look up how much I should drink, then I was going to do 1/10th to be careful....JUST read that it has tiny amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation and probiotics.  So down the drain it goes!  I did take about 4-5 sips and I liked it.  What a shame.

 

If I don't go into symptoms from this maybe I can do camomile tea?  Oh I just want to be normal!

[[De...]]

Oh and Congrats LadyD on the short drives!  That is HUGE just as you say bc I remember all too well how bedbound you were!

Progress on steroids! 

[[Ga...]]

Hello Sweet BBs of mine.  Am missing all of you but I have been really busy lately living and loving life!  I just posted on Celebrations and Milestones so if you like have a peek for my update.  Today is my 75th birthday and I just finished eating the biggest and bestest chocolate chip cookie from a company called “Crumbl Cookies”.  My son and DIL sent them by door dash this morning and hubby and I are enjoying every crumb….I will worry about the extra pounds later.

 

Your time and day of healing is coming, you can bet your bottom dollar on that!

 

Love to all😍😍😍😍

 

GG

 

 

[[La...]]

LadyDen,

 

So sorry to hear that you were in the trenches. I hope that today looks up for you.

 

Actually yesterday I had a window still had symptoms but so much better than I've been. Unfortunately, last night the fear was raging the whole entire night and is with me today I am really suffering. This is such an up-and-down process. I have to hold on to how good I felt yesterday and today I'm doing one minute at a time. Thanks for asking. Hugs!

 

LiveLife

Yes that’s what you should do….keep those windows at the front of your mind because they tell the truth. The truth is you ARE healing nicely. What I like to say is this….if I get a window then I’ll get another one soon . So instead of me waiting for a wave, I’m watching out for my window. 

Wishing you another nice one window very shortly, my dear. Hang in there!

[[La...]]

Hey LadyD, I like your thinking that the bathroom issues are an end-of-process thing!  Such a good way to look at it.  I was thinking that too.  Actually I had the constipation issue all through my childhood, I was a picky eater and probably never drank enough water.  Since that is my normal baseline I was thinking that maybe I'm just getting back to "normal" with a much reduced anxiety baseline.  If that's so, then I just have to work with it LOL.

 

Working on the issue I bought some Kombucha and while I was drinking it decided to look up how much I should drink, then I was going to do 1/10th to be careful....JUST read that it has tiny amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation and probiotics.  So down the drain it goes!  I did take about 4-5 sips and I liked it.  What a shame.

 

If I don't go into symptoms from this maybe I can do camomile tea?  Oh I just want to be normal!

Wow that sucks about it having alcohol in it. Smart move to pour down the drain. I think it’s your choice to try a half cup of chamomile but just keep in mind that apparently you are in the sensitivity stage. Or atleast your foot is in that door. I’m in the same boat. And I think you’re right about this being a return back to normal thing…I also had constipation issues before this. Believe it or not, the best thing for me was a baby juice from the grocery store. The one mixed with prunes…like prune apple or something. Works pretty well.

Hope you are feeling better today.

Big hugs 🤗

[[La...]]

Oh and Congrats LadyD on the short drives!  That is HUGE just as you say bc I remember all too well how bedbound you were!

Progress on steroids! 

Yezzzzzzzzz!!! It’s heaven. I don’t mind the immediate wave afterwards. I’m just so happy to do it. I’m sure it will get easier as I do it more often. Thanks for the support and love! Wow I’ve come a mighty long way….wow

[[La...]]

Hello Sweet BBs of mine.  Am missing all of you but I have been really busy lately living and loving life!  I just posted on Celebrations and Milestones so if you like have a peek for my update.  Today is my 75th birthday and I just finished eating the biggest and bestest chocolate chip cookie from a company called “Crumbl Cookies”.  My son and DIL sent them by door dash this morning and hubby and I are enjoying every crumb….I will worry about the extra pounds later.

 

Your time and day of healing is coming, you can bet your bottom dollar on that!

 

Love to all😍😍😍😍

 

GG

 

Happy Birthday GG!

 

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

 

🎼happy birthday to you  🎤 happy birthday dear sweet lovely GG 🎼

[[Ac...]]

Happy birthday GG!

 

After the hell of benzo wd, I'd trade pounds for cookie induced happiness any day!  Sounds delicious, and sounds like living! 

[[Gr...]]

Hi Ladyden and all, I understand that people aren't supposed to suggest certain drugs on here but I know now I should not take Cipro or any of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, so please I'm terrified since I've got an infection in my tooth extraction site. I don't know what to do. I understand if you all can't help here but I just don't know what I can take instead of the Cipro. I'm allergic to penicillin and sulfa but I know there are others so if anyone has any suggestions I'd surely appreciate it. Thanks, Karen

[[Be...]]

When I had my tooth extracted, I rinsed with warm salt water all the time.  It does keep bacteria from growing.  Happy Birthday, GG.

[[Gr...]]

Thanks - I will definitely try that.  Also my doctor called me back today and put me on an antibiotic called Clindamycin.  Well see how it goes !

[[La...]]

Hi Ladyden and all, I understand that people aren't supposed to suggest certain drugs on here but I know now I should not take Cipro or any of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, so please I'm terrified since I've got an infection in my tooth extraction site. I don't know what to do. I understand if you all can't help here but I just don't know what I can take instead of the Cipro. I'm allergic to penicillin and sulfa but I know there are others so if anyone has any suggestions I'd surely appreciate it. Thanks, Karen

Hello Grandma! Wow sorry to hear of your infection. You are wise to stay clear of certain antibiotics. What Beck said is a good natural way of combating infection. Also you can use a baking soda rinse two to three times a day for 3 days then twice a day for 3 days then once a day at night for 3 days. These are natural remedies that are known to work fairly quickly as well. But they work as long as the infection isn’t out of control. I would suggest you work with your doctor on a benzo friendly antibiotic if it’s necessary.

Please keep us posted on what you chose to do and how you’re feeling.

Welcome to this thread! So happy to have you sweetheart!

Big hugs 🤗

[[La...]]

Happy Saturday to all. Tomorrow will be Mother’s Day here in the US. Firstly, I’d like to wish all the mothers a wonderful day filled with children and grandchildren showering you with love. To be a mother is not easy sometimes. As mothers we carry the weight of concern and nurturing our kids and grands for the rest of our lives. No, it isn’t until their 18 or 21….it’s forever until we pass on. At what time are we never our kids mother?  Having said that, it is a very important yet rewarding job to see our kids turn out to make an independent good life for themselves then bring us a cute grandchild to hold in our arms.

Secondly, I’m aware that not everyone had a good mother. For this I’m so sorry. And I want you to know that it wasn’t your fault. Sometimes mothers have endured severe trauma themselves. They grew up unloved and don’t know how to love their own babies. That wasn’t your mother’s fault either. I’m in no wise making any excuse for a mother abusing her kids in any kind of way. That is absolutely wrong and unloving. I’m simply saying our experiences mold us. As a kid, our mothers mimick what they saw and not what they heard. This was a hard lesson for me to understand. But as a mother myself, I began to understand why I wasn’t hugged or verbally told I was loved very often growing up by my mother. I wasn’t abused. I was cared for. My mother showed her love by actions. The only times I heard “ I love you” or hugged was when it was a serious situation going on. As a kid, I mistakenly grew up thinking my mother didn’t love me like my friend’s moms loved them. Because I watched their moms hugging them and saying I love you all the time. So, as a kid I didn’t know how to perceive why I wasn’t treated like that too. Something very serious happened to me when I was about 18. I had a life threatening illness to the point that my mother had an instinct that I was very sick. As a mother, she called an ambulance and it saved my life! I had less than an hour to live if she hadn’t called that ambulance. Due to internal bleeding into the abdomen. When the ambulance was on the way, as I went in and out of consciousness, my mother was crying so hard and told me she loved me. I had not heard her say those three words in years! The last thing I recall is her saying that to me….emergency surgery and several days unconscious I woke in a hospital bed looking for my mother. When I was discharged a week later, it was my mother that nursed me back to health. She didn’t tell me again that she loved me until a few more years after that when I had another serious issue. My mother telling me she loved me made me fight for my life. I’m sharing this because sometimes things, circumstances or people can make us feel so unloved. But, a mother’s love doesn’t need to utter those three words. A mother shows her love better than she can say it. 

My mother is passed on for over 10 years now. But I know she loved me. And she died knowing that I loved her. I miss her everyday. I even talk to her often. I feel her presence sometimes. I’m without her once again this Mother’s Day physically. But, I’m never without her on a much deeper level….in my heart. After all, when I look in the mirror, there she is - I’m half her and half my dad. Tomorrow I’m going to wish her a happy Mother’s Day as if she’s right here….because she is!

So, if any of you lost your mother, please take some time out to remember her. Whether you had a good childhood with her or not. If you’re holding past trauma, let it go. You don’t HAVE to be stuck there. Forgive and live! In this benzo recovery journey it seems our worst traumas come visiting as often as they can. So IMO, it’s in our best interest to face those traumas and give those negative thoughts less fuel to work with 

 

Happy Mother’s Day to you all.  🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[[Be...]]

When I got my tooth extracted, the take home instructions from the oral surgeon were to rinse with 1/2 tsp. of salt only in warm water after meals, etc. 

[[De...]]

Hello Sweet BBs of mine.  Am missing all of you but I have been really busy lately living and loving life!  I just posted on Celebrations and Milestones so if you like have a peek for my update.  Today is my 75th birthday and I just finished eating the biggest and bestest chocolate chip cookie from a company called “Crumbl Cookies”.  My son and DIL sent them by door dash this morning and hubby and I are enjoying every crumb….I will worry about the extra pounds later.

 

Your time and day of healing is coming, you can bet your bottom dollar on that!

 

Love to all😍😍😍😍

 

GG

 

 

Happy Belated Birthday GG!  So happy you are living and loving life again!  Happy Mother's Day as well.  Hopefully we are right behind you!

[[La...]]

Good morning Yearlings! How was your Mother’s Day?

Deanna what did you do yesterday? How are you feeling? Any summer plans?

 

Where is everyone? How was your Mother’s Day?

 

Sending my love and happy healing vibes! 🤗🙏❤️

 

[[De...]]

Hi All -

 

I have been busy hosting my brother and his family for about a week now.  I am sleeping alright (about 7 hours) but I am very tired, and the constant socializing beyond what is normal has been a stress on my system.  The weather is not good for several days now and the family is bored but I cannot do more than I am.  I have begun to awake with low level anxiety again which had been gone for many many months.

 

I know it is just too much stress on my still delicate system.  Hubby is tired too and I FINALLY have gotten through to him that he commits us to too much.  So looking forward to getting my home back and the peace and quiet I am used to.

 

On the plus side I found this silly British drama (Doc Martin) on Acorn TV (streaming)....It is just right not too stimulating!!!

 

Hope all are doing well.

 

Haven't seen Leann lately but I cannot imagine having family in the house for weeks while being sick with Covid! Hope you are doing better Leann!!!

[[le...]]

Hi all, don’t want to jinx things but finally turning a corner. Normally when we go out make my husband go back to check things. Managing to cope without him checking some times. He goes to the supermarket most morning to get a newspaper managing to go with him and walk around amongst people. Progress very slow, but hopeless feeing finally easing. I’m terrified it won’t last but trying  to believe I’ve turned a corner. Sometimes think should I push myself more, but recovery seems such fragile thing I don’t want to jeopardise it. Had stressful week last week had some our radiators changed, messed up boiler ended up with plumber trying fix it  was here from 9am to 6 pm for 3 days, made me very jittery but I survived🙂

[[De...]]

Leann!!!! We will not jinx anything - Just want to let you know that I am doing a happy dance for you!

 

You are right to take it slow - we are very fragile indeed.  Don't push too much but do try to keep up your improved activity.  You are making progress so hold on to that 

[[le...]]

Glad some of you had nice mothers, think you all know what sort mother I had, loving she definitely wasn’t👎. It’s  slow progress. But someone like me who was on meds for years then got several AD’s thrown at them going take while to improve. Didn’t help myself last year as did take odd rescue dose when all stuff with my my Mum’s will going on. Feeling bit flat again now but just praying the hopeful feeling will return again. Haven’t been on here so much trying to stay away from negative stuff. Others seem say sometimes you don’t realise you are improving as the changes as very subtle. But I look in mirror and look more like me again finally😊

 

 

 

[[De...]]

Leann I can see your progress in your writing!  Keep at it girl.  It's nice to see our healthier selves looking back at us in the mirror.  I think I look older but more healthy.  Two years ago I was thin and gaunt and sickly looking.  I really looked like I was dying.  I think I was - slowly.

 

Family all gone finally.  I feel drained and fatigued :-(  But I'm pretty sure in a week or so I will get back to baseline.  And my responsibility to my family is DONE for the year!

 

Hoping everyone is relaxing and healing.....Cheers for now!

[[La...]]

Hi all, don’t want to jinx things but finally turning a corner. Normally when we go out make my husband go back to check things. Managing to cope without him checking some times. He goes to the supermarket most morning to get a newspaper managing to go with him and walk around amongst people. Progress very slow, but hopeless feeing finally easing. I’m terrified it won’t last but trying  to believe I’ve turned a corner. Sometimes think should I push myself more, but recovery seems such fragile thing I don’t want to jeopardise it. Had stressful week last week had some our radiators changed, messed up boiler ended up with plumber trying fix it  was here from 9am to 6 pm for 3 days, made me very jittery but I survived🙂

Wow Leann I’m soooo happy to hear this report. Sounds like you have turned the corner for sure. Way to go! I agree for you to not push too hard. Just go with your new flow. Don’t do too much too soon. I’m in the same boat as you. Trying to find my balance of how much to push. I knew you would get to this point! I knew it! Yay!

Biggggg hugssss!