endangered

Anyone who read my prior thread knows that my RAH has 4 months clean from opiates but recently partially tore a ligament in his knee. ER put him on 60mg hydro per day. He only took 20mg. He did that for 2 weeks then saw an otho who prescribed only 15mg per day.

Anyway, today he gets up and says his back is out. So today he has taken 30mg so far. He has had back issues and back surgery several years ago but hasnt had back trouble since. He says it's because of the crutches. I don't know..... I doubt everything because when his addiction to opiates was active he made up illness & injury & exagerated them in order to get them. This seems legit but I don't trust him anymore and the back issue seems very convenient since it has now been going on 3 weeks since his injury and he has taken them all along and people would now expect him to be slacking off. He goes back to ortho Wed. and I'm wondering if he will play up the back angle to get more. For those who don't already know he has continued to smoke pot throughout his "recovery" process. Not sure what to believe and what not to. All very confusing.....

Learn2Live

My brother was addicted to prescription drugs for decades so I know how you are feeling. He had multiple (separate) spinal fusion surgeries within a 10 year time span. He ALWAYS complained about the pain, how horrible it was and how he needed these meds. It got old, fast. I personally witnessed him taking 25 Percocet in one sitting and not appearing to be affected by them at all. Both he and his wife had other non-spinal, elective surgeries just to get drugs. They would take the pills and then go out and get drunk. Eventually they started forging prescriptions and stealing narcotics from their employers. When their sources of prescription drugs ran dry, they then were forced to turn to street drugs. Both their lives spiraled completely out of control some years ago.

My brother is now a few years clean and he tells me he has no pain any longer. That he does not need the meds.

endangered

Thank you Learn to Live for answering my post. It is amazing what addicts will do to get their doc. My AH or RAH or whatever you wish to call him is just showing signs of wanting that high and I'm so worried that he will relapse. I can feel it in my gut. It's a process so I'm guessing a month or two down the road and I just feel 'wrong' about not doing anything about it. If I talk to him he will just become more secretive and hide it that much better and things will be that much worse when he is abusing even worse. I don't think I am suppose to talk to his aa sponsor and if I did he would probably tell AH and this would have the same effect as talking to him directly. I guess I'm just at a loss.

wicked

endangered,

have you tried any AlAnon meetings? or NarAnon? You will find experience, strength and hope there from others in your position. (love an addict)

also, there is an excellent book by melody beattie called "Codependent No More".

You can learn to take the focus off of him and his illness (waiting for that relapse) and bring your focus back to you. I highly recommend it.

:ghug3

beth

Freedom1990

'Smoking pot every day' and 'recovery process' are contradictions.

Again, I say you have an active addict in your home.

What can you do for you to make your life better?

endangered

So, we have a new development. AH or RAH or whatever he is now....'slipped' getting out of the shower on wet floor on his crutches. I heard the fall but still not sure it is 'real'. He has, many times in the past, faked and exaggerated illness & injury to get pills (ie - back pain, pricking his fingers to put blood in urine to support kidney stone diagnosis). He knows what he can get away with because he really has had many kidney stones & back surgery about 6 years ago. He admitted faking it during his early recovery days.

While I do know -from being on crutches myself for 8 weeks during the winter - that crutches can make you fall when wet...I had cautioned about this many times and it just so happens that his last pill was yesterday. He knows I have just a few myself for occasional sciatic nerve pain so I guess I'm wondering if I am being gullible or if I am being mericless by not giving them to him.

While ago, after I set up his heating pad and made sure he had everything he needed I told him "The best thing you can do is just stay put until your back is better. I believe this maybe a tool the devil is using to get you hooked on those pills again. You might want to be careful."

He replied "Yeah, well you're not the one who has shooting pains in their back." This is true but during my last pregnancy I had SEVERE sciatic nerve pain everytime I moved, pre eclampsia, 8 months pregnant and I was still up washing dishes without opiates. Am I being inconsiderate or reasonable... help please!

Freedom1990

I think that was excellent advice for him. Let it be at that.