Urinalysis and an LFT panel
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 45
Urinalysis and an LFT panel
Hi, all. I've been coming here for months, only joined about two weeks ago, and now finally posting for the first time.
I have anxiety.
Anyway, I want to say first that you all are a family. You understand one another.
I'm up for adoption.
I'm also an alcoholic. I've drank heavily for years. I think I almost had a seizure once, based on what my then-boyfriend told me. Apparently, my chest was doing a bucking(?)motion in my sleep. I've done the dry-heaves-in-the-shower hangover thing. I've performed the clown show of going to work drunk and then continuing to drink, while people took me seriously as a responsible adult. My days revolved around acquiring or consuming alcohol. I'd wake up in the morning and take shots. If I woke up in the middle of the night? Excuse for shots. Just got off work? Shots. See a cute kitty? Shots to celebrate. Oh, it's Monday? SHOTS!
So, yeah. Not proud. In fact, embarrassed. Ashamed. The good news is, it's been a little over two weeks since I've had the fire water. I feel good, clear. Present.
Now, this: earlier this year, I went on a months-long bender. Months. If I'd continued on, I wouldn't be here. I believe that. That said, I feel I need to get to the doctor. Find out where I stand health wise. Hopefully, anything I've done to my body isn't horrific and/or can be reversed.
I'm scared.
Thank you guys for being such great anchors, and for being here.
Soturi
I have anxiety.
Anyway, I want to say first that you all are a family. You understand one another.
I'm up for adoption.
I'm also an alcoholic. I've drank heavily for years. I think I almost had a seizure once, based on what my then-boyfriend told me. Apparently, my chest was doing a bucking(?)motion in my sleep. I've done the dry-heaves-in-the-shower hangover thing. I've performed the clown show of going to work drunk and then continuing to drink, while people took me seriously as a responsible adult. My days revolved around acquiring or consuming alcohol. I'd wake up in the morning and take shots. If I woke up in the middle of the night? Excuse for shots. Just got off work? Shots. See a cute kitty? Shots to celebrate. Oh, it's Monday? SHOTS!
So, yeah. Not proud. In fact, embarrassed. Ashamed. The good news is, it's been a little over two weeks since I've had the fire water. I feel good, clear. Present.
Now, this: earlier this year, I went on a months-long bender. Months. If I'd continued on, I wouldn't be here. I believe that. That said, I feel I need to get to the doctor. Find out where I stand health wise. Hopefully, anything I've done to my body isn't horrific and/or can be reversed.
I'm scared.
Thank you guys for being such great anchors, and for being here.
Soturi
Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 28,626
Welcome Soturi. I find distracting helps when it comes to worry. My worry usually comes in waves- maybe not go away, but a walk, a movie, coffee with a friend- sharing here can all help pass the time.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: US
Posts: 5,095
Welcome to the family. Consider yourself adopted.
I think it is wise and brave to see the dr. Not knowing doesn't change anything. But knowing can. And I guess its part of that 'facing reality' thing. Just face it. All of it. Being totally, fearlessly honest with yourself is such a huge part of staying sober.
You can do this!
I think it is wise and brave to see the dr. Not knowing doesn't change anything. But knowing can. And I guess its part of that 'facing reality' thing. Just face it. All of it. Being totally, fearlessly honest with yourself is such a huge part of staying sober.
You can do this!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 45
Mummy, Phoenix, entropy
My Three Amigos. Thank you for responding. It means more than you know.
I'm struggling today, but I'll make it. I have a new family.
What did you find was the most difficult part of the whole process of quitting? For me, the not drinking is easy enough. The emotions I've been immersing in booze that keep bobbing to the surface? That's my issue.
I'm struggling today, but I'll make it. I have a new family.
What did you find was the most difficult part of the whole process of quitting? For me, the not drinking is easy enough. The emotions I've been immersing in booze that keep bobbing to the surface? That's my issue.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,313
Hi and welcome to the family soturi
Fear is probably the emotion I remember most from this early days - fear I was too late to stop myself dying, fear that I wasn't up to the challenge of staying sober, fear that I'd hate sober me even more than I hated drunk me,
Fortunately all those fears proved unfounded - I'm sure they will with you too,
Congrats on 2 weeks though
Do yourself a favour and see a Dr so that you can at least lay those what if health fears to rest
D
Fear is probably the emotion I remember most from this early days - fear I was too late to stop myself dying, fear that I wasn't up to the challenge of staying sober, fear that I'd hate sober me even more than I hated drunk me,
Fortunately all those fears proved unfounded - I'm sure they will with you too,
Congrats on 2 weeks though
Do yourself a favour and see a Dr so that you can at least lay those what if health fears to rest
D
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,447
Welcome, Soturi!
Congratulations on 2 weeks of sobriety, and I'm glad you decided to post.
Everything about early recovery is scary, but going to the doctor is a good thing to do.
Congratulations on 2 weeks of sobriety, and I'm glad you decided to post.
Everything about early recovery is scary, but going to the doctor is a good thing to do.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: S.E. MI
Posts: 1,025
Yea, going to the dr will make you feel 100% better in most cases. I went through the same thing only 3 months ago till I came here, got sober, and went to the dr. No big issues and that plus the fact that I'm not getting that anxiety from drinking makes me feel way better. That health anxiety sucks and in my case it was 99% the booze. I think by about 4 to 5 weeks it was almost gone. Totally gone now. Just keep going forward. You wont regret it.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: ohio
Posts: 3,615
Soturi,
Welcome! Congratulations on two weeks that is huge!
You are among friends and family here. So many of us have been exactly where you are.
Getting sober is extremely uncomfortable. Physically, emotionally, cognitively. But I’m sure you know that.
The good news is it absolutely does get better. Not puppy dogs and rainbows better, but look at yourself in the mirror and finally like that person you see better.
Embrace the discomfort, it’s growing pains. All the **** you did drunk will come back to haunt you, but you don’t have to stay haunted. Let it move through you. Take ownership of what you’ve done, and get past it.
You’re already making a great start.
Be honest with yourself and your feelings, don’t drink, own your ****, get past it, learn to love yourself. That’s pretty much recovery in a nutshell.
You’ve got this!
Welcome! Congratulations on two weeks that is huge!
You are among friends and family here. So many of us have been exactly where you are.
Getting sober is extremely uncomfortable. Physically, emotionally, cognitively. But I’m sure you know that.
The good news is it absolutely does get better. Not puppy dogs and rainbows better, but look at yourself in the mirror and finally like that person you see better.
Embrace the discomfort, it’s growing pains. All the **** you did drunk will come back to haunt you, but you don’t have to stay haunted. Let it move through you. Take ownership of what you’ve done, and get past it.
You’re already making a great start.
Be honest with yourself and your feelings, don’t drink, own your ****, get past it, learn to love yourself. That’s pretty much recovery in a nutshell.
You’ve got this!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: France
Posts: 3,040
Hi soturi I think the hardest part for me is facing every day problems sober, normally a problem = drinking, I sometimes do resent people that can drink one or two glasses and stop, but I must face facts that’s never going to be me, good luck rooting for you 👍
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13,031
Hi and welcome to the family! Two weeks is a great start, and this site is an excellent resource to support you in recovery. You should post on the 24 hour recovery thread, it’s a great place to check in each day, and to commit to being sober for the next 24.
Looking forward to seeing you on SR!
Looking forward to seeing you on SR!
Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,918
No doctor or anyone will bat an eyelid as they’ve seen it all before. I drank heavily for 20 years, but my blood tests (ALT, AST, GGT - the liver function tests) were fine. I did have a fatty liver which isn’t detected by blood tests (ultrasound or a fibroscan will see this), but that cleared up within months.
I’m one lucky ex-drinker to have drunk so much but have no damage. If you’ve no symptoms, the chance are you’ll be lucky too, but get the blood tests and retire gracefully from drinking. Good luck 🙂
I’m one lucky ex-drinker to have drunk so much but have no damage. If you’ve no symptoms, the chance are you’ll be lucky too, but get the blood tests and retire gracefully from drinking. Good luck 🙂
Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: St.Petersburg, FL.
Posts: 1,077
Welcome to the family, Soturi! Two weeks is most awesome. Don't be afraid to see a doctor. The human body is very resilient and can bounce back from damage. Just keep up the good work. Wishing you all the best on your sober journey.
Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 70
Welcome! From my personal experience and what I have read here, worrying about your health and alcohol related damage is very common when you first get sober. By all means go to your doctor and check things out but just want you to know, you are not alone, your worries are normal and hopefully you are fine.
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
So, yes, welcome.
You've raised some of the most serious issues and perhaps I'm in a serious mood today as far as answers....
Being afraid of tests? Normal reaction to me- we've abused our bodies for a long time.
Necessary to (finally) do? Absolutely.
Then we deal with the reality.
Which doesn't mean that "clear" or "good" results give us a pass. Yes, our livers (and, ahem, other organs because they are all affected) are resilient. But not permanently so.
I cried the day I got normal tests back, around 100 days, after the initial ones of being so close to cirrhosis it was shocking I wasn't there. Not to mention shocking because of my alcoholic past.
Biggest thing that was tough or scary about quitting? What life would be like on the other side.
I finally took the solution offered in AA, it saved my life and others can share what they did.
Bottom line, I didn't- and don't - want to die from drinking. That CHOICE has given me the best life I can imagine.
Wishing it for you, whatever your vision might turn out to be.
A, peace out
You've raised some of the most serious issues and perhaps I'm in a serious mood today as far as answers....
Being afraid of tests? Normal reaction to me- we've abused our bodies for a long time.
Necessary to (finally) do? Absolutely.
Then we deal with the reality.
Which doesn't mean that "clear" or "good" results give us a pass. Yes, our livers (and, ahem, other organs because they are all affected) are resilient. But not permanently so.
I cried the day I got normal tests back, around 100 days, after the initial ones of being so close to cirrhosis it was shocking I wasn't there. Not to mention shocking because of my alcoholic past.
Biggest thing that was tough or scary about quitting? What life would be like on the other side.
I finally took the solution offered in AA, it saved my life and others can share what they did.
Bottom line, I didn't- and don't - want to die from drinking. That CHOICE has given me the best life I can imagine.
Wishing it for you, whatever your vision might turn out to be.
A, peace out
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by Dee74 
Hi and welcome to the family soturi
Fear is probably the emotion I remember most from this early days - fear I was too late to stop myself dying, fear that I wasn't up to the challenge of staying sober, fear that I'd hate sober me even more than I hated drunk me,
Fortunately all those fears proved unfounded - I'm sure they will with you too,
Congrats on 2 weeks though
Do yourself a favour and see a Dr so that you can at least lay those what if health fears to rest
D
Fear is probably the emotion I remember most from this early days - fear I was too late to stop myself dying, fear that I wasn't up to the challenge of staying sober, fear that I'd hate sober me even more than I hated drunk me,
Fortunately all those fears proved unfounded - I'm sure they will with you too,
Congrats on 2 weeks though
Do yourself a favour and see a Dr so that you can at least lay those what if health fears to rest
D
I will see my doctor. I have to.
And thanks for the congrats. Being congratulated is sobriety fuel.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by Anna
Welcome, Soturi!
Congratulations on 2 weeks of sobriety, and I'm glad you decided to post.
Everything about early recovery is scary, but going to the doctor is a good thing to do.
Congratulations on 2 weeks of sobriety, and I'm glad you decided to post.
Everything about early recovery is scary, but going to the doctor is a good thing to do.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by Abraham
Yea, going to the dr will make you feel 100% better in most cases. I went through the same thing only 3 months ago till I came here, got sober, and went to the dr. No big issues and that plus the fact that I'm not getting that anxiety from drinking makes me feel way better. That health anxiety sucks and in my case it was 99% the booze. I think by about 4 to 5 weeks it was almost gone. Totally gone now. Just keep going forward. You wont regret it.
How did you go forward?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by wehav2day
Soturi,
Welcome! Congratulations on two weeks that is huge!
You are among friends and family here. So many of us have been exactly where you are.
Getting sober is extremely uncomfortable. Physically, emotionally, cognitively. But I’m sure you know that.
The good news is it absolutely does get better. Not puppy dogs and rainbows better, but look at yourself in the mirror and finally like that person you see better.
Embrace the discomfort, it’s growing pains. All the **** you did drunk will come back to haunt you, but you don’t have to stay haunted. Let it move through you. Take ownership of what you’ve done, and get past it.
You’re already making a great start.
Be honest with yourself and your feelings, don’t drink, own your ****, get past it, learn to love yourself. That’s pretty much recovery in a nutshell.
You’ve got this!
Welcome! Congratulations on two weeks that is huge!
You are among friends and family here. So many of us have been exactly where you are.
Getting sober is extremely uncomfortable. Physically, emotionally, cognitively. But I’m sure you know that.
The good news is it absolutely does get better. Not puppy dogs and rainbows better, but look at yourself in the mirror and finally like that person you see better.
Embrace the discomfort, it’s growing pains. All the **** you did drunk will come back to haunt you, but you don’t have to stay haunted. Let it move through you. Take ownership of what you’ve done, and get past it.
You’re already making a great start.
Be honest with yourself and your feelings, don’t drink, own your ****, get past it, learn to love yourself. That’s pretty much recovery in a nutshell.
You’ve got this!
Thank you.
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