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How Are You Feeling Right Now?

AvidFan

Retired Cat Staff
SF Supporter
Groggy. I finally slept some. Had to use a chemical sledgehammer (pregabalin) but stayed off the diazepam and the pregabs really helped. It still took quite a lot and a long time to go to sleep, but I finally got drowsy and then didn't wake up until 9am or so. Now I have a bit of a pregabs hangover but this is the best I've felt starting a day for a few days.
 

AvidFan

Retired Cat Staff
SF Supporter
Is there a pattern; it occurred to me that you've gone back to eating wheat and the insomnia showed up?

I hope sleep comes back and you get rest tonight.
Long story, but I reached for the diazepam a few weeks ago when things were getting unbearably stressful. Only took a negligible amount but then became convinced my brain had kindled from previous use and I was going into withdrawal, so dosed again, and suddenly I was dosing more, then trying to stop, fearing WDs then dosing again and upping the dose when stressed and so on. Then I started a short taper plan, and had my last tiny dose a few days ago. So the insomnia is insomnia on steroids because in addition to my existing insomnia, my brain is rebounding from a few weeks of diazepam use and benzo insomnia is on a whole other level to regular insomnia.

As for the wheat, your comment was really helpful in another way, because I've been experiencing some other symptoms like bloating and mild abdominal discomfort, which I didn't pay much attention to with the side strain pain - but I recall these symptoms stopping when I cut out the white bread (which I've dipped into again lately!) so it looks like I do need to cut the wheat out again- or at least minimise it, maybe for me it's a build up of gluten over time which causes the symptoms.
 

Survivorist

Black sheep of my family....
Well, since some days (and before I go out now to walk - for a long while...) I made the balance of my life. About time.
Family (blood) - most of them are dead, others (and I have a sister, two nieces married with children, two uncles...) and I do have only ONE email address and am ignored. I was away too long - I see this now. 30 years abroad can do a lot of things. They are all still in Germany. How can they stand this? My son is now a pilot (Airbus 320 type rating) and every now and then I hear from him. Difficult - he is in a relationship and I understand of course that this is important.

Family (love) - contact ok, but we are all still separated in different countries and continents. But hope has it that reunion will happen in two months. But it costs me thousands of EUR to get all this done. Sometimes I live on a shoestring, do not eat and only drink juice. But ok - I manage. But of one thing I am proud - out of one dirt poor African Family who did not have enough to eat (16 years ago) now the two kids are studying in France and she will come here on the 21 August (inch-allah, how they say).

Myself (extremist) - I survived so many things that although I am just retired early, I feel like being 90 or so. Most of my old school colleagues are gone. I have only two or three friends left - but this is for a lifetime. My problem is, that I am a dependent person - whatever it is - I did it. From jail, Heroin, Diazepam, cocaine, gambling, alcohol - on the bad side - up to paragliding in Afghanistan and South Sudan, earning good money, having a good job all over the world spending 8000 for a vacation, many girlfriends... I am normally straight because I have to - but the tragedy is, that all 3 months or so I fall. And when I fall - its to the bottom. A feeling like "nothing else matters..." And it takes me weeks to get out of it again. I do not know how often I fell and how often I stood up again during my life. I do not even know how often I restarted my life - in different countries, different relations etc. Worse is, that I have then (when down) a bad conscience (I am a good believer) and that I cannot be forgiven any longer. I cannot even forgive myself. Then I enjoy being alone - and deal with the matter my way.

At the end - although I am really fit for my age and do everything to remain on top of things, I know with certainty that the future number of falls is "limited". I cannot stand up again all the time. I feel like a woman who hates ironing. So, she throws the iron on the wall. In the evening the husband repairs it. The next time, she cuts the cable - the husband repairs it again. But when this happened 20 or 30 times the iron cannot be repaired any longer and must be replaced. And I fear I am close to this point. I am now waiting for my family to arrive and hope that life will be better in the future. I hope we will have fun - there are so many possibilities. And one good point is - I am not suffering. But I know that falling down again - it might be the end for me. This day will come - as sure as I would never take a cancer treatment - I would prefer to enjoy the morphine from the doctor until I die. I cannot fight much more or longer, although I proved to be strong and quite resistant. I enjoy being alone - but not lonely. But if a visa is denied or impossible to get - I will go under.

Thus I made this song:

Sorry for all that - but I had to write my situation down. Not to good - but on the way up. Now I go walking. Peace to everybody.
 

AvidFan

Retired Cat Staff
SF Supporter
Well, since some days (and before I go out now to walk - for a long while...) I made the balance of my life. About time.
Family (blood) - most of them are dead, others (and I have a sister, two nieces married with children, two uncles...) and I do have only ONE email address and am ignored. I was away too long - I see this now. 30 years abroad can do a lot of things. They are all still in Germany. How can they stand this? My son is now a pilot (Airbus 320 type rating) and every now and then I hear from him. Difficult - he is in a relationship and I understand of course that this is important.

Family (love) - contact ok, but we are all still separated in different countries and continents. But hope has it that reunion will happen in two months. But it costs me thousands of EUR to get all this done. Sometimes I live on a shoestring, do not eat and only drink juice. But ok - I manage. But of one thing I am proud - out of one dirt poor African Family who did not have enough to eat (16 years ago) now the two kids are studying in France and she will come here on the 21 August (inch-allah, how they say).

Myself (extremist) - I survived so many things that although I am just retired early, I feel like being 90 or so. Most of my old school colleagues are gone. I have only two or three friends left - but this is for a lifetime. My problem is, that I am a dependent person - whatever it is - I did it. From jail, Heroin, Diazepam, cocaine, gambling, alcohol - on the bad side - up to paragliding in Afghanistan and South Sudan, earning good money, having a good job all over the world spending 8000 for a vacation, many girlfriends... I am normally straight because I have to - but the tragedy is, that all 3 months or so I fall. And when I fall - its to the bottom. A feeling like "nothing else matters..." And it takes me weeks to get out of it again. I do not know how often I fell and how often I stood up again during my life. I do not even know how often I restarted my life - in different countries, different relations etc. Worse is, that I have then (when down) a bad conscience (I am a good believer) and that I cannot be forgiven any longer. I cannot even forgive myself. Then I enjoy being alone - and deal with the matter my way.

At the end - although I am really fit for my age and do everything to remain on top of things, I know with certainty that the future number of falls is "limited". I cannot stand up again all the time. I feel like a woman who hates ironing. So, she throws the iron on the wall. In the evening the husband repairs it. The next time, she cuts the cable - the husband repairs it again. But when this happened 20 or 30 times the iron cannot be repaired any longer and must be replaced. And I fear I am close to this point. I am now waiting for my family to arrive and hope that life will be better in the future. I hope we will have fun - there are so many possibilities. And one good point is - I am not suffering. But I know that falling down again - it might be the end for me. This day will come - as sure as I would never take a cancer treatment - I would prefer to enjoy the morphine from the doctor until I die. I cannot fight much more or longer, although I proved to be strong and quite resistant. I enjoy being alone - but not lonely. But if a visa is denied or impossible to get - I will go under.

Thus I made this song:

Sorry for all that - but I had to write my situation down. Not to good - but on the way up. Now I go walking. Peace to everybody.
No need to apologise. Sorry to read all you're going through and have been through and I hope you enjoy your walk!
 
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Windhover

meandering home
SF Supporter
Back home from vacation. My daughter had a good time. My fiance got sick from a bad oyster and it was more laid back than usual for me. But at least it was time away from home. Very happy to see my little cat after 4 days. Back to the grind. 😊 Here's a Key West sunset for you all to enjoy. View attachment 68250
So beautiful Lane. thank you! I miss the ocean a lot, so this pic is especially heartwarming. Best to you on getting back to the routine.
 

AvidFan

Retired Cat Staff
SF Supporter
I was doing great, feeling happy, calm and content. Until I went into the kitchen, half way through an episode of something, to get a glass of water. Saw a flying ant on my window. Investigated to find ants spewing out from behind the freezer, so had to pull that out, then spray insecticide all over the place, then drag the hoover down from upstairs, crawl into the space and spray more then hoover up the ants. In the garden found another million of them on the doorstep but at least they were outside. Emptied the hoover outside and it was chock full, ants and dust, my glasses fell off into the dust then I couldn't close the vacuum cleaner and strained my side again in the middle of this process as it was either do it or be invaded and I have nobody to help me. Fuck, fuck, fuck, the bastards have nests under the house and when they swarm the go upwards. It's not even swarm day, must be the hot weather. At least they don't swarm often, but this has kind of shaken me up and ruined my evening now. It looks like the universe just can't let me settle and feel OK for too long before it throws another curveball. Going to shower off the sweat and dust and insecticide then maybe I can have an hour off dealing with invasions and other shit. Maybe I'll be able to watch the end of the show 🀨
 

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