WOW! thanks you guys. I really did start to jump in the other day when the hospital was going to release him after less than 48 hours. But, when he makes comments that make me realize he is just "playing" another game, that reinforces the fact that I need to stay out. Now of course, if I thought he was on his death bed, I would call an ambulance, but he won't kill himself in my house or around my children. That is one boundary I will not break.
I have thought about calling him sometime in the next few days, and saying, very matter of factly, "since you have had two close calls with death recently, we need to talk about where you want to be buried, and what are your thoughts on what I should tell the children?" Just wondering if he has REALLY TRULY REALIZED he is going to die if he doesn't do something. Maybe he has, and he doesn't care.
I do feel I have done everything I can. I have spent the last 8 years, helping him find Christian AA, encouraging him to teach AA meetings, seek therapists, seek new doctors when old doctors aren't working (like having a hip infection for 1 1/2 years before they decide to remove artificial hip!) But, now I just have to stay in the background and if the need arises, call an ambulance, I guess, that really is all I can do anymore. (Although, I did pay his car insurance today! Which, I do need to get that changed!)
I don't mean to make light of this, i do believe it was a very serious situation, and I believe if he doesn't stop, there will be another very serious situation again. But, there truly is nothing I can do. I wish I could drop him off at a rehab clinic and kick him out of the car and say I made a 30-day appointment for you, but no one will take him because of this infection. That is probably part of God's plan anyway, maybe he needs to get the infection taken care of first, but, if he is abusing his body with drugs and alcohol, blah blah blah blah.
FD, oh my gosh! That is a horrible story, but a great ending! You are happy with the final result! But geez, how can someone truly not care at all about their health? Do you think they really don't care if they live or die? what the heck is wrong with these people? Has the alcohol just given them so much brain damage, they just don't think at all? What is the deal?