Dee74

You can do this Joe - empty house full house, bad day good day - I had to make my recovery non conditional

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JoePenner

Heading down to Denver Intl Airport in an hour. Feels good to be sober, I could never do this if I was drinking. I won't drink today. Taking one day at a time until my wife gets back next Sunday. I can't imagine anything worse than being drunk when I'm home alone for a week. I noticed on my bloodwork that my CO2 was 1 point out of reference range, low. Googled that and found alcoholic ketoacidosis.

Anyone have any experience with that? I'm a little nervous. I hope it corrects itself.

Misssy2

Hi Joe..I am following your post....Don't worry about 1 pt out of reference range..I had 8 years sober in the past also...now I think I have 19 days..close to you....

I know that ALL my bloodwork returned to normal after 2 months of sobriety ...I was due for my annual blood work about a week ago...I talked to my Dr..and told her I was on a heavy bender (like you) and I would like to postpone my blood work.

Maybe ask your Dr. if you can do your blood again in another month..and I bet it will be all in "normal" ranges.

Remember you are on the right path....everything gets better from here...UNLESS WE DRINK...

August252015

Yep, as well as what is typically called "alcoholic hepatitis," and at least one other very dangerous thing, the lowest amount of potassium before none; on a 1 to I believe 7 scale, I was a 1. Didn't even know potassium loss could kill you.

I had to stay sober and wait. I got all tests including the critical liver panels done right away. Not good. Again about 90,100 days and everything had normalized. I bawled in gratitude (and not a little amazement).

The process of restoring health by eating well, hydrating and staying sober so my liver had time to restore itself as much as possible, my body could retain the good nutrients I put in, so on....takes time.

Don't drink. At all. Ever again. Only path to those scary chart notes being in our past file, not a new one again.

August252015

What's your plan for staying sober while your wife is gone?

lessgravity

Good stuff Joe. Keep us updated and August has the question I was wondering myself.

JoePenner

Week 3 starts today. I'm missing my wife but so happy I'm sober. I know I'd be on a bender with her gone if I hadn't come here for help. I'm actually afraid to drink again, it scares me to death. Doc is adjusting my meds (buproprion and levothyroxine) and I hope I'll be back in balance soon.

I had a great day with my daughter yesterday. I tuned her bike and then we rode for 2 hours. I hadn't eaten enough and felt pretty weak on the way home. We went to Whole Foods for some shopping afterwards. I forgot how much I loved her and how well we get along when I'm sober. She still raked me over the coals for my past behaviors but I took it in stride. She's right, I was a drunk jerk. Can't argue with the truth.

I'm just taking one day at a time, although I feel confident that the week will pass without incident. Coming here, seeing my daughter, and talking with my wife every day is my plan. I don't think I need any more than that.

JoePenner

You are so right Missy. I'm sorry to hear you've been suffering like I have but it's nice to know we're with each other and getting better. What a coincidence that are stories are so similar. I was drunk for 4 years after my 8 years of sobriety. The first two were manageable, the last two were completely out of control. I had never gone on a bender previous to my eight years, but I went on quite a few over the past 2 years. I never want to do that again. What a waste of time that is.

I'm interested in hearing more of your story. How long were you drunk for this last time? I appreciate anything you could share.

JoePenner

Good point! I went through the worst time of my life when I was sober. I lost my mortgage business because of Dodd-Frank, my wife was sick and dying and had prednisone psychosis, and I almost lost my house. If I made it through that without drinking I can certainly make it through anything.

August252015

I'm splitting hairs perhaps, but what is the actual plan? Killing time and the way it sounds like you mean taking it one day at a time etc still sound conditional to me...

I get that you are all about reconnecting with your family. But that isn't a recovery plan- for me and most people I hear, learning how to get and stay sober with alllll the things like meds, and amends, and so on that you talk about....following.

Abraham

Pointless fact but I'm only about a half hr drive from Ann Arbor. My uncle lives there. Small world. Your in a good spot joe, your doing just fine. It seems like I miss my wife for like a day or two when she goes out of town and just when I'm really starting to enjoy living by myself she comes home again.

JoePenner

Thanks for the laugh! I was sort of already feeling that way. ..

I grew up in Detroit, then lived in Northville and Livonia until we left the state in 1985. My wife and her friend went to Saugatuck today. They're going to the AA Arts Festival Saturday and to Plymouth for a concert on Friday. She's visiting her oldest and best friend. I'm happy for her.

JoePenner

Day 16. No urges to drink but plenty of urges to stay sober. My hands are still shaking a bit but I feel no other withdrawal symptoms. Missing my wife but today is the halfway point in her trip. I talk to her a couple of times a day. She's having a great time. My daughter and her husband are coming over tonight, I'm cooking them dinner, grilling some turkey tenderloins and veggies. May watch a movie while they're here. Being sober I can appreciate how much my family loves me. When drunk I had no appreciation whatsoever. Alcohol is such a horrible drug.

lessgravity

Good stuff. The rewards sobriety brings are remarkable, and they never stop. Enjoy it man. Keep us updated.

JoePenner

Day 17. Feeling pretty good. Energy is starting to return. Looking forward to a bike ride this afternoon. The AV keeps popping in and out but I'm not listening to it. I know that cycling and skate skiing are what kept me sober for so long the last time. Aerobic exercise becomes my drug of choice, so to speak. I used to go out in the garage and thank my bike for keeping me alive. The summer before I slipped I rode 7500 miles and was in the best shape of my life. I doubt I'll ever do that again but I'd like to try to do half, at least. I can't believe I replaced cycling and skiing with drinking. What an idiot I am.

JoePenner

Day 18. Feeling a little sluggish today but overall not too bad. Getting excited knowing my wife will be back on Sunday. AV was a little loud after work yesterday but I went grocery shopping and then hit my favorite restaurant for dinner. Got home around 10. Staying busy is a great antidote.

Hevyn

I was exhausted for a while after quitting. We've beaten ourselves up rather badly. You'll feel better as you heal. Congrats on Day 18 - how wonderful.

JoePenner

Day 19. Feeling much, much better today. My head just feels clearer. Focus is coming back, actually got a lot of work done yesterday. I'm realizing how bad I felt at the beginning of the week, lol. Dealing with the initial stages of recovery and having my wife gone at the same time was pretty difficult. I'm actually getting used to being on my own now. My hand shaking is starting to settle down and I'm keeping the AV quiet. All good. Thank God for this place.

bodhi01

Hey Joe, fellow Joe here too. I'm on day 16. Congratulations for getting control of this again and for day 19. Despite falling off the wagon you stayed sober for a very long time and that is admirable. Can you pinpoint what caused the slip after all those years?

JoePenner

Great on 16 days! They just keep getting better, I think the first week is the hardest. I think I was down in Playa del Carmen, MX. It's a huge party town and I just got carried away. I got cocky and thought it's no big deal, I can handle it. I went to a bar and got hammered with everyone else. That started 2 years of moderate drinking followed by 2 years of heavy drinking leading up to many benders lasting a day to a week. I stopped going to my support group, WQD, and that was a huge mistake. I know now how important these places are, not just in quitting but in staying sober. I couldn't do it alone, even though for a long time I thought I could. It's much easier just quitting drinking and starting a new life. It can be done!