JJ is playing a winery near us in a couple of days. Eric and I are not really fans, so we're not going but I hope she has a fun show.

Tweeted by Joan Jett 17 hours ago.............................
"42 years ago today, Joan Jett, Sandy West and Kim Fowley started The Runaways."

Meowmemories.
Meowsighandyouknowwhy............................

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

Just to get to the first stage of extraction, bone grafting, and temporary partial insert is going to be around $2500.00 out of pocket. The replacement stage will cost many thousands more.

I'm very sorry to hear that. No dental insurance at all?

Yes, I have some dental coverage, but the per year caps leave a lot to be covered out of pocket. I'll get a start on it this year and then finish up next year. I'll exceed the limits both years no matter what.

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

Just to get to the first stage of extraction, bone grafting, and temporary partial insert is going to be around $2500.00 out of pocket. The replacement stage will cost many thousands more.

I'm very sorry to hear that. No dental insurance at all?

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Years of bone loss has them barely rooted anymore.

What's the reason for this?

Genetics, age, and a number of years that I was remiss in proper cleanings at a dentist.
The right tooth of the pair never grew in quite right, and had a defect right at the gum line that was troublesome from my 30s onward. It resulted in fighting off gum infections with antibiotics many times over the years.
This slowly resulted in my gums receding in that area and bone loss in the jaw at the root of the tooth.
And years of smoking is not conducive to healthy gums either.

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

Years of bone loss has them barely rooted anymore.

What's the reason for this?

---

The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Congrats, j mercer, on your success in dropping the evil habit.
My turn next, hopefully coming soon to a kittyman near you...............

And the money saved has already found a hole to drop into.
Just got back from the oral surgeon. Not good news.
My two front upper incisors are toast.
Years of bone loss has them barely rooted anymore. The one on the right has been splinted with a wire to stronger teeth aside of it for many years now. They both have to come out at this point, bone grafting done to stabilize things, and a temporary mouthpiece with two teeth on it for some months whilst the bone grafts heal. And then I have to decide whether to get titanium pins and implants or a bridge or some other removable mouth insert to replace the dead teeth.
All of which amounts to thousands of dollars of work........I mean, many thousands.
Just to get to the first stage of extraction, bone grafting, and temporary partial insert is going to be around $2500.00 out of pocket. The replacement stage will cost many thousands more.

As my dearly departed Uncle Don used to say, "Old age is a dirty trick that mother nature plays on us."

Meowsigh.

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

You can come up with all the laundry lists of reasons but, the bottom line is: Until you decide yourself, for yourself, you have had enough, like the drinking, you are fooling yourself and will relapse.

Also known as '13th Stepping your self'.

You can't love any one else until you love yourself.
You can't forgive any one else until you forgive yourself.
You can't take care of any one else until you take care of yourself.

You can do it...

Been there... doing that...

---

...

Find a good enough reason Mark and you're half way there!

Oh, there are plenty of reasons..................
$250.00 a month, my general health and well being, the kitties, Lori, etc., etc., etc..

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

What I think helps is to have a good enough reason to WANT to give up, ... Find a good enough reason Mark and you're half way there!

For me, it was waking up in the morning with my lungs so full of crud I couldn't take a deep breath until I spent 10 minutes coughing the crap out. Felt like I was drowning. Also, walking half a mile and gasping for breath, with vastly elevated heart rate, where now I can walk 4-5 miles and barely elevate the pulse rate, let alone be sucking air. Downside, I put a helluva lot of weight on, and that's the new issue to address. But even 60 lbs heavier (I can taste food now, and it tastes pretty good!) I still feel 1000% better. Never had noticed how much it dragged me down.

---

I have been wanting to ditch that habit for many years already, but have never been strong enough to do it.

I wasn't strong enough either on my own... took me three attempts before I shook that monkey, and I needed some assistance:



Nothing wrong with assistance. This is also the only brand that works; accept no substitutes. Most health insurance plans will pay part or all of the cost (it allays the much greater costs of not quitting down the road.) Been about ten years now and no relapses. My better half and I quit together so we had each other for support... or to get on each other's nerves. :^)

I'm very happy with your progress, and your sticking with it! It's never too late to make a positive change like this and you will be immensely happier for it (such as being able actually enjoy your retirement, the time of life meant for pure enjoyment!)

---

What I think helps is to have a good enough reason to WANT to give up, not just because it's anti-social or you get nagged into it. Inmy case I went through a temporary financial difficulty, and I did the maths. 20 a day was £5 a day or £150 a month. At that time that amount of money simply didn't compute, apart from not being for my health. So finished that packet and said right that's it, finito. House and clothes smell nicer too, and a kiss on the cheek to women friends is much more acceptable than fag breath :-))

Find a good enough reason Mark and you're half way there!

Well, the smoking thingy is also on my 'to do' list.
But I think it would be a bit much for me to try to tackle it in the midst of working through what I currently have on my plate.
Meow.

Yeah, one thing at a time, for sure. For me, the cigs were far more of a problem than alcohol is, though I do plan to resume abstinence there at some point. All a matter of priorities ...
Super happy for the progress you're making and maintaining there!

---

Well, the smoking thingy is also on my 'to do' list.
But I think it would be a bit much for me to try to tackle it in the midst of working through what I currently have on my plate.
I have been wanting to ditch that habit for many years already, but have never been strong enough to do it.
Maybe that day is coming for me.

Meow.

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

I quit smoking on21st April 2009 cold turkey after 35years. My girlfriend and I used the Alan Carrs "Easy way to stop smoking" DVD. I haven't smoked since but I heard the X is back on em.

---

... 1/2 a day without a fag and the they are a total wreck!!

That was me. Of course, when I started smoking, cigs were $0.25 per 20 pack, and there was a vending machine every 10 feet, or so it seemed. Dunno what they are here now, $6-7 per pack, I suppose, though I've heard that in places like LA and NYC local taxes have gotten them over $10 a pack. All for our own good of course, ...

---

I packed up smoking 10 years ago when fags were £5 a packet of 20, they are now £11 a packet. But I was a draughtsman for many years and only really a social smoker so probably only properly smoked about 50% of what I bought, which was just 20 a day! I just went cold turkey one day with strength of character and I haven't had a craving since. But I know a member of my family that is genuinely addicted to nicotine, 1/2 a day without a fag and the they are a total wreck!!

Never simple, for sure.
I kicked a 45-year 3-pack a day smoking habit cold turkey several years ago, and each day it is still on my mind.
But I understand that a relapse would be bad, and soldier on.
And I do make a point of reminding myself daily of the benefits so far, and think of them as nice things I've done for myself.

---

I live in day-tight compartments.

If that is not good enough.

One hour at a time.

If that is not good enough.

One minute at a time.

If that is not good enough.

One second at a time.

I can do that... and have.

8^)

---

...

Thank you.

Mike, SciManStev, Gordon, Chris, Lynn, j mercer, Dr Who Fan, and Angela...........
As I have said before, sometimes just a few words of encouragement or recognition are as powerful as any medication on earth.

I am doing OK so far. Skipping the whiskey binges has not been as hard as I thought it might be at first. I cut it off before starting my meds to give them a chance to work because my research said they didn't play well together. So, I had a logical reason for doing so and that made the first step easy in my mind. And maybe the meds have had enough impact so far that I have not found myself longing for another go at it.
I won't say that I have not considered tipping a few, and I won't say that I never shall again. But for now, I am happy enough to stay the course, work with the meds, and see what the best possible outcome is that they can provide.
It may not live up to my hopes or expectations, but it can take literally months for antidepressants to have their full effect.
The side effects have been livable. My sleep patterns have finally settled down. I can fall asleep now and get some proper rest. I had a bad rash break out on one side of my head, and then the other. At one point when it started creeping onto my forehead I thought I might have to quit the meds. But, it suddenly started receding, and has now settled down and healed. Right now I am finding myself clenching my jaw a lot and having to concentrate on relaxing the muscles. Hopefully that works itself out as the other side effects have. Some amount of tremors in my hands, but nothing severe enough that it affects what I can or cannot do. And after almost passing out at work a few weeks into the meds due to my BP going way too low, right now my BP is running rather high, so I doubled up on my BP med and am monitoring it closely. If it does not moderate soon, I have that issue to consult with the doctor on.

So, as you can see, this has not been as simple as tossing back a couple of meds and going my merry way. I have had some struggles. And it is not over yet.

One day at a time, meowing.

Meow.

---

"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman