What a great post, Spartanman. It raised a whole lot of feelings for me. I used to chew gum to cover the smell and I am not a gum chewer. I got called out for the gum chewing in court and it was very embarrassing. Always so paranoid that someone would smell the alcohol on me.
Then reading it from a different standpoint, I can identify with your wife. The dejection and disappointment. My husband is on his millionth day 2. I never smell the alcohol on him as my sense of smell is pretty bad. I can tell by the mannerisms. Ugh.
It is early in your journey but it sounds like you're heading in the right direction. Congrats.