Hi Johnny,
I leave Vera to comment on whether it was intended as a joke or not. I took it as someone who was rewarding himself for doing well at his recovery and making up for a little lost time and wardrobe! It feels good to make ourselves feel good.
For many, if they just manage to abstain from gambling but never really address underlying issues, they will move on to something else. Compulsive shopping, for some is a possibility, but unless you are buying things to hoard I’d say you are ok! lol As far as the penny stocks, I remember when you were talking about investing, a little alarm went off for me as I remembered a few fellows here that were obsessed with it and spent every minute watching things go up and down and losing it all. But we must be cautious what we say and how we say it. As you say, not everyone who invests is a compulsive stock player.
So please enjoy your gains, your new clothes, your sense of following through, and your peace of mind! As a returning member, I can only say be cautious what you leave available.
As far as my back I had lumbar spinal fusion that fused from L4 to S1 with hardware. I had one disc removed completely as it was totally destroyed. I am having another back surgery to fuse up to L3. The disc is ok but it’s the joint that is gone. I was left with nerve damage the last time and am having bad problems with my right leg this time as well. Pain was unbearable but has recently eased so I’m counting my blessings. Something I try to do every day.
Once recovery sticks for us it can be easy to lose patience with those that don’t seem to get it, or put in place necessary tools. But how many times before was that us? Thanks for the posting you do. It means the world to those just hanging in there. And now you are the example 🙂 Have a great day and enjoy the new job.
Laura