My NEW Story Starts Here...

[johncaroll]

hi DG,

The story was so inspirational thank you for sharing your experience, you should continue your new healthy lifestyle congratulations!

[Doggygirl]

Wow I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I've posted here!! 6.5 years clean and sober now. Life is good. It was funny reading about the "new puppy" around this time last year. We have ANOTHER new puppy now! Another black german shepherd named JoJo. He's 8 months old now. Bingo is nearing 1.5 years and Cooper is the "senior" these days.

I'm half way through my graduate school program to earn my Master of Social Work degree. That sure keeps me busy! These days I'm doing an internship at a domestic violence shelter which is an interesting experience. I also still volunteer at the homeless shelter. Drugs and alcohol are everywhere, and intersecting with all these other problems (no surprise there!).

I still find that I'm on a journey to find myself sans alcohol. It's surreal thinking about the "party girl socialite" that alcohol allowed me to be. The longer I'm sober, the more I realize I'm just not that person at all. I'm a far more serious person at my core. I used to get a false feeling of being my most "alive" while buzzed up and partying. Now I get that feeling of being my most alive when I am in the middle of a helping situation like a group going well, or a crisis being averted, etc.

I'm still working through those mother issues, but now with the help of a counselor. We have access to counselors for free at school. I figured I would be meeting with a graduate student, but I got lucky and am meeting with the top shrink! Feels good to get some professional insight on this.

I do not miss alcohol at all. I do not miss nicotine at all. Life is so incredible without these addictions actively plaguing me every single day! It has been well worth the hard work, the soul searching, the learning to cope with cravings early on, etc. etc. to get to this place. My only regret is that I didn't stop sooner.

[NoSugar]

Thanks for the update, DoggyGirl! It helps so much to hear from longer-term successful MWOers :smile:. The main regret being not to have done it sooner seems almost universal around here. It was not necessarily easy, but so much easier than I thought it would be.

Congratulations on the progress you are making toward your degree! I admire people who have the discipline to go back. I think I'm glad I just went to school for a billion years straight - I'm not sure I'd have made it back.

The Sugar Free threads aren't very active but a few of us are keeping that dream alive.

All the best, NS

[Pie]

6.5 years clean and sober now. Life is good. I do not miss alcohol at all. I do not miss nicotine at all. Life is so incredible without these addictions actively plaguing me every single day!

Thank you so much for posting this DG! It means a great deal to hear from someone who's done the time, that true freedom is possible. Your name came up recently on the Daily Abstinence thread. You're fondly remembered here by many of us.

Pie

[DarrylC24]

Great for you Doggygirl.

[Doggygirl]

Friday May 22, 2015 was a landmark day. Not because it marked 7 years alcohol free. But because I almost forgot!

I remember the early days of struggle when it I couldn't even make it a few hours, much less a few days without alcohol. I remember struggling to get to "double digits" - 10 days AF. It felt so impossible. The last years of my drinking career were very dark indeed.

My life is completely different today than it was in my dark days of alcoholism. It would not even be possible for me to be doing the many things I'm doing today if I were still drinking. That battle was all consuming. I'm grateful it's over.

For anyone who might be reading this who is struggling to get one day or one week or one month AF, please keep fighting. To me, one of the hardest things was imagining that it would ALWAYS be that hard. It's not. "Having a drink" does not even occur to me any more. Same with nicotine. I haven't felt an urge for a drink or a cigarette in a long, long time.

Now. About those cookies..... (always something!)

DG

[Turnagain]

Doggygirl!

Bowsa - wowsa on the epic anniversary and an even bigger+1,000,000 PAWS UP salute on rocking the AF life and showing us just how truly NORMAL - and wonderful - that is. I have often wondered what you've been up to - you have always been a kind, nurturing and knowledgable presence here. So glad you're popping back in!!!

Laura

[available]

Congratulations Doggy. I totally get that we must fight for being af, i never thought i could become sober and stay that way and it is the best gift i have every given to myself. I never want that darkness in my life again.

[DaisyMay2]

Hi-
New here. Very confused as to what I should do. This is my first post. I had 8 years of sobriety after many years of struggling in aa. Anyway, I relapsed after 8 years after an argument with my very good but challenging daughter. That was 6 years ago! I drank ok for a bit and tried to convince myself I quit because life was hard back then...2 children with visual impairments and a sicko boss. Well...it worked for a bit. Anyway, you all know the drill..I just cant drink. I am thinking about meds from River...afraid to.would love some feedback??

[abcowboy]

Hi Daisy, welcome to MWO! I don't much about the things offered on River, but there's a Medication thread here on the Forum if you have any questions. You may also want to start your own thread under the General section on what River offers. Either way, I'm sure you'll get some answers. It's great to see that you want to change your life around, and this is a great place to get the support you're lookin for!

[DaisyMay2]

Thanks so much for your reply! It means the world. I have been lurking here and other places for so long. This was my first post. Nice to hear back. I will try your suggestion tomorrow as its late here. Again, thanks!

[Doggygirl]

DaisyMay2 I hope you got the information you needed regarding River and meds and all of that. Options!

The darkness chases us around in our world in so many ways. I am still alcohol and nicotine free as well as free of drug use in a non-prescribed way. Therein lies my current challenge with the medical establishment and this is the one place I know I can come to privately VENT my frustrations with people who understand!!!

Well, I finally had my right hip replaced. That's been out there on the "need to do it" list for a very long time. My orthopedic surgeon now does what is called the "anterior approach" which involves significantly shortened recovery times since no muscles are cut in the process of accessing the joint. (we shall see - it's early yet, LOL!)

Anyway, on to the subject of opiate pain medication.

These doctors, nurses, physical therapists, receptionists and room cleaner uppers all behave like giant drug pushers!!!! (well, maybe not the receptionists and room cleaners, however if asked, I bet they would say "just take the meds!" like everybody else!).

Do ANY of these people understand that 1) if I'm not in serious pain, then why should I take these meds? and 2) I don't want to take any more of these little white pills than absolutely necessary?

No. I don't believe they do.

Am I in discomfort? Yes. Am I in the sort of mind numbing pain that would make me want to take up to 12 Norco 10s a day? NOOOOOOOO!!!!! And each time I try to explain why I don't want to take these meds, everyone thinks I'm worried about the constipation LOLOLOLOL!!!!

Sheesh.

I love this doctor but thank goodness I know better than to just take whatever he prescribes. I guess my first clue was the IV dilaudid that had me nodding so bad I couldn't finish a 2 word sentence shortly after surgery. Really?

OK. This rant is over. I'm going to go take a couple Tylenol and chill out. No way are any of these people pulling me down a rabbit hole. I know the rabbit hole is much more dangerous than it looks to people who don't know better, and who think patients who develop problems with pills were being irresponsible.

[NoSugar]

Glad the surgery is behind you, DG. My dad had it done that way, was religious about the exercises to do (and not to do!) for that protocol, and came through beautifully. He also refused all opiates b/c he hates the feeling. So, it can be done! It's great that you know what you want and are alert enough to refuse the meds. All the best, NS

[Doggygirl]

Thank you for your words of support NS! And congrats to your Dad for following the PT plan and helping himself to a successful outcome. I need to really ramp up my commitment to the exercises.

I feel like I have some depression lurking around the shadows of my mind. I'm guessing this is just a normal emotional part of having a significant surgery like this - concerns about the ultimate outcome, wondering if I did the right thing in the right timing, and all that. And a little "OMG! What have I done!" panic type thinking.

Today is day 2 no opiates and I believe it does feel better both physically and emotionally than day 1. Progress!!

I'm wondering when I can drive some short distances. I might try that tomorrow. Shhhh........ Just a few blocks to the dry cleaners and back.

[NoSugar]

He had it done when he was 80, DG, and is back on the golf course most days, shooting less than his age. You can do it!!
(I think it's normal to feel a bit off when you're not out living your normal life - and hip surgery definitely puts a crimp in your style for awhile. Like we always say around here, don't judge yourself and just take it a day at a time :hug.