It was almost fifteen years ago, and so far as I know he is still drinking himself to death.
For a long time he would call me once or twice a year, always drunk, and I'd kindly cut the calls short and tell him to take care of himself. Al-Anon was an absolute LIFESAVER.
I actually married him after his hospitalization, while he was sober (or so I thought--I think he was still sneak-drinking). We lived together only a few months after the marriage. We had moved to another State and he lost his job and I'd come home after looking for a SECOND job to support us, only to find him passed out on the sofa.
I still keep him in my prayers, and hope some day he chooses recovery. He's a nice man. I think I had unwarranted optimism when he started going to AA because my first husband got sober when he was 21--he just celebrated 31 years of sobriety.
So I've seen both outcomes. My own drinking took off after my second divorce, and I am now happily sober in AA for two and a half years.
There's always hope. But we can't get someone else well.