Hello! Thought I'd check in. Warning: have a bit of an alcoholic war story to share
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 401
Hello! Thought I'd check in. Warning: have a bit of an alcoholic war story to share
I haven't been back at this site for over a year. Huge gratitude to those who were thinking of me or keeping me in their prayers. I'm also grateful to be back on this site as reading the thoughts and stories of other members is keeping me strong. If you go back and read my threads from years past it pretty much chronicles the downward spiral that alcohol has taken on my health.
In April I was driving my long time g/f to the big city so she could shop. I luv her but her driving skills are atrocious. When we pulled up to the hotel I had a pain in my abdomen so bad it felt like someone kicked me in stomach with a pair of steel-toed boots. I spent the weekend curled up in the hotel room in a fetal position with my ever loving puppy by my side while my g/f shopped.
I managed to drive us back to my hometown and was constantly puking up bile. I finally drove myself to the hospital as I knew something was terribly wrong. I had quit drinking beer last year and switched to drinking two (2 litre) bottles of cider a day. The doc immediately got an iv hooked up into me. The docs are well aware that I have cirrhosis of the liver and I was sure I was going into liver failure.
After a battery of test they discovered I had two large ulcers (one on my liver and one on my duodenum) that were perforated. The ulcer on my duodenum that opened up caused an abcess in my stomach. The pain was excruciating and every night when I received a certain antibiotic I would puke up to 2litres of pure bile. I was in the hospital for 23 days while the surgeons waited to see if the battery of antibiotics would help my body heal on its on or not. Eventually the ulcers did seal on their own and I was sent home. Suffice to say the doctors and surgeons told me my body could not go through another round of this and I had to stop drinking immediately.
I've been sober since I was discharged on May 9th. That is the longest stretch of sobriety I've had in at least a decade. I pray every night before I go to bed (even when I was intoxicated I would) but I never prayed as much as when I was in the hospital. Some nights after puking up all that bile and the morphine not even touching the pain in my abdomen I tried bargaining with God to just let me slip away during the night and take care of all of the people I love in this life. Those people included many of the members who shared their stories and sage advice with me throughout the years on here. I would have written from the hospital but I had no access to my email and had forgotten my password for here.
I realize no one here really wants to hear another war story from a chronic alcoholic on here. What I went through was hell. I would never ever wish that pain on my worst enemy.
I am ever so grateful to my family, my friends, my employer (who was tremendously supportive throughout this ordeal), and to those who offered me support in the past on this forum. For reasons unknown God has given me another chance at this life. While I'm not a member of AA I am taking steps to try ensure I stay sober. Thanks to you all..xx....
In April I was driving my long time g/f to the big city so she could shop. I luv her but her driving skills are atrocious. When we pulled up to the hotel I had a pain in my abdomen so bad it felt like someone kicked me in stomach with a pair of steel-toed boots. I spent the weekend curled up in the hotel room in a fetal position with my ever loving puppy by my side while my g/f shopped.
I managed to drive us back to my hometown and was constantly puking up bile. I finally drove myself to the hospital as I knew something was terribly wrong. I had quit drinking beer last year and switched to drinking two (2 litre) bottles of cider a day. The doc immediately got an iv hooked up into me. The docs are well aware that I have cirrhosis of the liver and I was sure I was going into liver failure.
After a battery of test they discovered I had two large ulcers (one on my liver and one on my duodenum) that were perforated. The ulcer on my duodenum that opened up caused an abcess in my stomach. The pain was excruciating and every night when I received a certain antibiotic I would puke up to 2litres of pure bile. I was in the hospital for 23 days while the surgeons waited to see if the battery of antibiotics would help my body heal on its on or not. Eventually the ulcers did seal on their own and I was sent home. Suffice to say the doctors and surgeons told me my body could not go through another round of this and I had to stop drinking immediately.
I've been sober since I was discharged on May 9th. That is the longest stretch of sobriety I've had in at least a decade. I pray every night before I go to bed (even when I was intoxicated I would) but I never prayed as much as when I was in the hospital. Some nights after puking up all that bile and the morphine not even touching the pain in my abdomen I tried bargaining with God to just let me slip away during the night and take care of all of the people I love in this life. Those people included many of the members who shared their stories and sage advice with me throughout the years on here. I would have written from the hospital but I had no access to my email and had forgotten my password for here.
I realize no one here really wants to hear another war story from a chronic alcoholic on here. What I went through was hell. I would never ever wish that pain on my worst enemy.
I am ever so grateful to my family, my friends, my employer (who was tremendously supportive throughout this ordeal), and to those who offered me support in the past on this forum. For reasons unknown God has given me another chance at this life. While I'm not a member of AA I am taking steps to try ensure I stay sober. Thanks to you all..xx....
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,456
I know that there are several folks, me included, who are glad to hear from you MM 
I don't think this is a war story...I hope this is a 'what it took to get me into recovery and stay there' story
really glad you pulled through and that you're sober, man
D
I don't think this is a war story...I hope this is a 'what it took to get me into recovery and stay there' story
really glad you pulled through and that you're sober, man
D
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 1,737
Hi Mercurial, thanks for sharing. War stories are part of the reality of addiction, that is to say the lengths we can go to delude ourselves when we are actively drinking or using. Glad you are here, and gladder still that you are sober. Congratulations!
One Day At A Time
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 561
Welcome back mercurial me
What a frightening experience. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm so glad you pulled through and are working hard on your sobriety. Well done on over a month of sobriety!
What a frightening experience. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm so glad you pulled through and are working hard on your sobriety. Well done on over a month of sobriety!
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,474
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Texas Blues Guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn suffered very similar symptoms before he was Hospitalized before his Detox. As the story goes, he fell down in a London Street regurgitating black Bile. His Stomach was 'eaten through' from his daily combo of a Liter of Whiskey and several Grams of Coke. A classic 'Speedball'. As a fellow Musician tried to help him up after he collapsed, he said something to the effect of 'let's just go get a Drink; I'll be fine'.
Instead, he wound up under the care post-Hospitalization of the same Pro Doc who Detoxed Eric Clapton off of Heroin. Stevie went on to fully recover.
His ~1/2 hour Speech to an AA Chapter is on You Tube as Audio-only separated into several sections. I won't link it here, but it's easy to search for.
It sounds like you had a close one. Glad you had some of your spare Nine Lives on tap to use.
Instead, he wound up under the care post-Hospitalization of the same Pro Doc who Detoxed Eric Clapton off of Heroin. Stevie went on to fully recover.
His ~1/2 hour Speech to an AA Chapter is on You Tube as Audio-only separated into several sections. I won't link it here, but it's easy to search for.
It sounds like you had a close one. Glad you had some of your spare Nine Lives on tap to use.
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Poconos PA
Posts: 1,544
Glad you are on the mend Merc and happy to see you back at it. I kept checking your page to see if you had been here when I didn't see posts. I'm thrilled to read you are still kicking and giving it another go. All the luck in world for you that this is your time to stay sober.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 401
Originally Posted by MesaMan 
Texas Blues Guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn suffered very similar symptoms before he was Hospitalized before his Detox. As the story goes, he fell down in a London Street regurgitating black Bile. His Stomach was 'eaten through' from his daily combo of a Liter of Whiskey and several Grams of Coke. A classic 'Speedball'. As a fellow Musician tried to help him up after he collapsed, he said something to the effect of 'let's just go get a Drink; I'll be fine'.
Instead, he wound up under the care post-Hospitalization of the same Pro Doc who Detoxed Eric Clapton off of Heroin. Stevie went on to fully recover.
His ~1/2 hour Speech to an AA Chapter is on You Tube as Audio-only separated into several sections. I won't link it here, but it's easy to search for.
It sounds like you had a close one. Glad you had some of your spare Nine Lives on tap to use.
Instead, he wound up under the care post-Hospitalization of the same Pro Doc who Detoxed Eric Clapton off of Heroin. Stevie went on to fully recover.
His ~1/2 hour Speech to an AA Chapter is on You Tube as Audio-only separated into several sections. I won't link it here, but it's easy to search for.
It sounds like you had a close one. Glad you had some of your spare Nine Lives on tap to use.
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