Getting through the holidays

My Husband has been sober now for 30 years. We used to have this tradition of going to the diner early on New Years Day for breakfast. We would watch all the hungover people come in getting "Just coffee please". It made him grateful to be sober and to be starting the new year right.

Thank you for sharing. It does help to know others have gone through this or going through it also. 

I am so proud of you Susan. You are such an inspiration every day as you make good choices and take it one step at a time. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

You are doing wonderful Susan.  Self awareness is so critical. You got that.. soon - you would be ready to be a sponsor for someone else. 

Food played a big part in my life during holidays. First few years postop RNY were though.   I had a couple of years that I not only had limitations due to RNy  but also a petersen hernia.. that year- I drunk my "soups" while my family and friends ate the food.   No wonder I started drinking alcohol.. it help both - the physical and mental pain (the "poor me pain")..

year 3  or 4 postop was when I finally "got it"... It is holiday and the most important things was to have a great time, be with family and friends.. and just have fun. Dressing up and looking slim and beautiful - "put together "-  was a little bonus. 

dress up - be fabulous - take a lot of pictures..   eat healthy and have fun..

Thank you for your kind words of support. The poor me pain you had and still have is real. So don't minimize that. It was real.

I did buy I fitted shirt to wear on Christmas Eve. I am going to wear it with jeans and a pair of my cowboy boots that I got last year. I finally was allowed to wear them when I got down to the weight goal I set for them.

Still working on weight loss. But that will be forever. Not really weight loss but just focusing on taking care of myself. 

I am so happy for you Susan - you seem to be coming into your own.  I'm glad you continue to come here and share.  

I hope you spend a wonderful holiday with your family, being present in the moment is a wonderful thing.  

As Hala said - dress up, feel beautiful, smile that fabulous smile of yours and enjoy the small things.  

Thank you. There is so much more clarity in my life now. Just small moments that come to me are a great gift. 

Thank you all for your encouragement. It has been a tough year but a good one. Realizing I had a problem was the best thing that happened to me.

I love my family but I am staying sober for me. I know that sounds selfish but if I am not sober I don't have anything. 

Susan, thanks for your sharing. Did you have issues with alcohol before the surgery?  At my clinic they are saying no alcohol for life as they found a lot of cross addiction issues for people once they could not eat the way they use to. 

I did have issues with alcohol before surgery. I had been drinking since I was about 14 or younger. I am thinking it was younger. 

I had wanted to stop many times. I always would say tomorrow is going to be different. The last week that I was drinking I knew it had to stop. I put myself and others at risk. Physical risk. I am not saying god pulled me out of it. I just knew it was time. I was scared not to drink but even more scared to drink again. Not wanting the outcome of my life to be just known as a drunk. 

But anyway. I drank to blackout I drank to not feel. I had my surgery in October then by February my doctor okayed me to drink. I was like yes I can handle this. Not so lucky. I went back full force or worse. The disease does progress fast. 

I can still pack the food away if I want to. I get sick but I have done it. 

I do get sick of posting about it. I feel like sometimes I am being on a soapbox telling people here. But I have to. It helps me stay accountable. I don't have the urge to drink. I do have the urge sometimes not to feel. 

Feelings sometimes can get overwhelming. It is like growing up again allover. 

One day at a time. I stay close to people in AA. They do help me.