Just checking in.

No worries @Kurra

Hi @Faith-and-Hope

Hi @oceangirl73 ... 😊💕

Its good to hear from you- and thank you for your concern.. I have been thinking of you too. Thank you .... 🌷💜

I'm okay atm- I had a specialist appointment today, and that went well. ✅

My specialist and I are more on the same page now, I am quite lucky to have her and she has been looking after me since 98. We have quite a long history together. ✅

I'm glad to hear it ... I think there was a while there last year when you were considering whether you needed to find someone else .... is my memory serving me correctly ?

I do understand your worries for WH and him not taking care of himself. 😔 Will be an ongoing saga fir a while I'm afraid ..... 😔

Hope you sorted your wifi woes and you were able to get the tribe to lunch on time. Got the wifi sorted, but the tribe were 3/4 an hour late ... 😠 I hate that, but teens and 20-somethings run on their own time, and if it doesn't. align with our ideas .... ?? 😠:face_with_rolling_eyes:😔

I have been a bit down over the last week or two but I am hoping things pick up for me, I was doing a day program at the local hospital but I asked yesterday to change programs because it was not for me. It seemed to be causing me more stress then being helpful for me. At this stage I am not going into hospital and I need to keep managing things at home and doing my volunteer work. Good to see you being proactive about it .... it sounds like you gave it a good try before changing programs. I hope things stabilise for you and that you're still enjoying the volunteer work 😊

I am just weighing up my options- going back to uni or just sticking with my volunteer wor just slowly build myself up again. I think going back to uni is going to be too stressful for me. But I am trying to keep an open mind, and I think I am leaning towards my volunteer work but my offer should come in next Thursday. I look forward to hearing how it turns out @oceangirl73 .... it's all a journey, and we need to find things to appreciate to help us stay engaged with the path we're on. I would love to hear about any adventures you are happy to share from the zoo ❣

❤️💕

Hi again @Faith-and-Hope

Once again thank you for your message, and somehow I have not read it until now. Yes your memory does serve you right re my specialist and I was contemplating changing last year but atm I am staying with her. Anyone that can put up with me for 18 years is well worth it.

It must be difficult for you and very frustrating and hurtful at times with your husbands eating disorder- in my teen years and early 20's I suffered from a mild form of eating disorder and compounded by excessive exercise and very restrictive diet.

I am glad to hear you got the wifi sorted and the kids eventually arrived for lunch. I understand why you hate things running off schedule and I am often someone who arrives just before time- I rarely run late. I like to arrive ten mins prior to appointments sometimes earlier if I want to grab a coffee and relax a bit beforehand. And I am the same with gatherings with friends & family too- I think its a sign of respect(being on time).

Thanks for kind words. I did give it a go and its definately not for me but who to say its not helpful or enjoyable for others. Its not something I am very talented at or skilled at- it was art therapy and its not something I would neccessary use for a coping strategy for myself. I did ask if they could start a day program that was based on exercise and getting a EP or physiotherapist to run the group and she emailed the clinical director to see if this is possible but from next Wednesday I will start my new program (reach). It sounds interesting program and not something I have done before and it could be helpful in moving me forward and seeing improvements from within we can only HOPE.

About the program

The R.E.A.C.H Support Group Program is a nine week

recovery focussed closed group program. It is developed by

the Black Dog Institute for people living with depression or

bipolar disorder.

Based on the principles of Responsibility, Education,

Acceptance, Connection and Hope, it is designed to help

people manage their illness and stay well.

Topics include fostering strengths; dealing with loss and grief;

identifying early warning signs and triggers; wellbeing

strategies; nurturing support networks, and creating a

unique “stay well plan”.

Its not long now until I find out about the university and may even do the EP program because it is were my talent and skills and passion lies but who is not say nursing is not just as rewarding too. I have enjoyed volunteering at the zoo and just love the oppportunity to connect with the visitors and the other staff and volunteers- we come from various walks of life but come together with a shared vision and values- to ensure the visitors come away from their visit having a special experience and enjoying their time in the zoo.

I have not had any stand out experiences at the zoo yet but there was a sweet little girl at the zoo this week and she went around and tried to give the kangaroos a drink water - she got the water from the water stream that runs in the kangaroo inclosure and just keep going around and seeing which one wanted a drink- I thought what a beautiful and caring little girl it was quite refreshing to see. I think that has been my highlight so far and watching lorikeet feeding and the joy you see on the visitors especially adults who have came back to visit the zoo who have not been here since they where children and recapturing parts of their childhood that we all love to do from time to time.

@Faith-and-Hope what time is it where you are?

Hi @Faith-and-Hope @Former-Member

Yes @oceangirl .... I love your profile pic too ❣

WH's eating disorder is hard. I knew that with AN and BN there was a body dysmorphia going on, so when e.d.'s were referred to as an mi, I assumed this was that aspect they were talking about. we have been through such a torrid time with WH in that he seemed to change personality and values.... so okay .... you start thinking mid-life crisis ..... but the patterns of his regimen set in hard, and in the first couple of years, they literally took up all day everyday.

Considering that he had been a workaholic (OCD behaviour I now know, and perfectionism) and having sold I business, I figured he was having a bit of a spin-out and trying to fill his time with exercise and diet to get into shape, but he had gone overboard with it. Then the c / s started, and massive mood swings, and it was clear this was something much more. You're not supposed to enable an e.d., but the law protects his privacy, and while he was concealing it from the doctor and lying about his true activities, there was nothing we could do except try to take the pressure down in our household by not arguing with him, and letting him go with it. Having tried to flag the family doctor, at least he has pulled back the most dysfunctional behaviours and his workout regimen to try to pretend they fit normal behaviour patterns.

Having fallen into this sort of pattern yourself, you can understand better than anybody what we are up against I guess .... but finding out about stages of change has kept our hope alive .... the rest is an awful waiting game to see what happens.

I am glad you changed programs if you weren't happy with the one you were in, and so glad you are enjoying the zoo .... there is something so special about nature and animals .... and @Appleblossom is starting soon too ... !

💗💕