I agree with Risydawn: After 19 years the body changes a lot. Although this is no basis for complacency, particularly for those who suggest that alcoholism is a "progressive" illness, it still offers hope to those who, recovering from a relapse, want to get back into recovery. The passage of so many years works both ways. Although, now that the body is older, its ability to deal with large amounts of alcohol is significantly less than it was in former days, nonetheless 19 years of sobriety is an asset to the extent that the body may have changed back into what it was chemically and neurologically prior to the drinking. The body will always "remember" the alcohol nostalgically, but with time its memory fades. So, if one manages to stop drinking one can hope to get the show back on the road.
W.