Learning to listen to myself and not my impulses

On July 22, 2021, I was taken to the hospital with the inability to walk, I had endured another Gran Mal seizure, and my vitals were unstable and they could not stabilize them at the local hospital. While awaiting a bed in an ICU at any hospital in central California, I continued to have seizure after seizure. When they found a bed in an ICU at another small hospital and stabilized be enough to be flown out they took the chance. I was flown out within an 18 hour window. Believe me during Covid that wasn’t easy to find a bed anywhere so I got extremely lucky. I was put into ICU and they detoxed me for 2 weeks and in that time had still not regained the use of my legs. Even without my mobility I attempted to fight back, (kicking, hitting, biting, ripping out IV after IV, they barely could even get my vitals, I continued to have Gran Mal seizures, I was hallucinating, screaming curse words, they even tied me down three times, I also called the cops on the hospital 3 times)! When they finally found a bed for me at another ICU at a much larger hospital I spent three days there. I completely refused any drugs because I recovered from using pain pills, Xanax, and Cocaine.

They then moved me to the main section of the hospital and I spent the rest of my time there being poked and prodded with MRIs, CT scans, a spinal tap, full blood testing, ultrasounds of my heart which of course wasn’t happy about me being so weak, all trying to figure out why I was unable to used my lower legs or even feel them. I had physical therapy twice a day everyday until the 6th of September. That was my release date in which I had to have my mother approve that if I could bathe myself, use the restroom myself and go up and down the stairs to come and go from the house then she would let me come home. The nurses, doctors, and my two physical therapists all had to sign off on it with me loving I was capable to do all of the things necessary to be released.

I was home and using a walker and I have legs braces that I still use. I was able to walk without the walker about three weeks of being home. My sister had just had her baby 3 days before I came home, and he was a god send to my family. My father had had two major surgeries I didn’t know about while I was in the hospital, he had heart surgery and he had a tumor removed from his brain because of brain cancer that was not curable which he battled with following chemotherapy and radiation. He lost his life fighting as hard as he possibly could on October 20th. That was 9 days from my 30th birthday. The loss in the family was like ramming into a brick wall of sadness and grief.

I wanted to drain my sorrows away like I had been doing for almost two years prior to and after my fiancé commit suicide on June 24th of 2019. In which I tired to save him! I kept him alive until the ambulance, police, and fire truck showed up all while holding the phone on my shoulder squeezing the towel around his head. The trauma was so great that I starting drowning out the night terrors and flash backs of it with at least a half gallon of vodka a day! Then when my dad passed it hit me hard again. That’s why when Thanksgiving came around I just broke down enough to go taken four shots at a bar with an ex of mine that flew in to be here with my family. I hated myself for doing it but it rekindled that feeling of warmth and relief of the depression and sadness. That’s what created my current sneaking off to have wine from moms nightly bottle. Last night I said no more I can’t keep doing this to myself anymore I will not let this take my freedom, true happiness or worse my life.
Today I got up and started off with making my bed and taking a shower, also taking my seizure meds, my depression meds and my muscle relaxers that stop the constant tingling and pain in my feet. Which all is now called “peripheral neuropathy” that was my overall diagnosis when I was released from the hospital due to all the damaged neurons in my brain.
So today, I start again, I am so mad at myself that I let the depression and craving win and break down. Everyone wish me luck even though I know at the end of the day it’s on me to keep my promise not to go back, I promised my dad that on his death bed! And I hate that I already have failed him at some level.

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I have seizures as well and find it very terrifying that I continue to drink every day. It’s like know I’m killing myself and just don’t seem to care. That’s why today I decided to take control.

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You will thank yourself everyday that you don’t drink! And if it helps with your seizures then it is more than worth it! I haven’t had a seizure since I was in the hospital and I know that has a lot to do with drinking as well as the seizure meds! Are you on any seizure medication as of now? If not I’d look into going to a neurologist. If not and you know drinking is making them worse or even if it’s just the drinking then I highly encourage you to remember that life is worth so much more than a drink!

Welcome Jessie! :wave:

That’s a hard hard feeling to have. It sounds like you feel shame and guilt and regret. Those are hard feelings.

For what it’s worth I doubt your father sees you as a failure, if he’s watching you today. Life is a learning process and our past is the past. You can’t change it. But you do have control over the present. You can choose to do what you need to do today - and you will have the same opportunity tomorrow.

What sort of help do you want to stay sober? Is there anything specific you’re looking for?

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To believe that I need to surround myself with people who understand how hard it is to give up something I relied on so heavily for so long. I have thought about going to AA but I don’t know why I just have my reservations about it. I have stopped hanging out with a lot of my friends simply because they don’t respect that I can’t go to bars or come over for drinks and appetizers like I used to. The temptation is too great!

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Thank you. I’ve been trying really hard and I know I can do it it’s just always there nagging at me. I know it’s only a band aid and it isn’t going to help anything it will only make things worse for me. I was sober for two months and then was just so sad not having my dad here for the first big holiday and watching my family sad…I gave in. There was too much alcohol around and it was so easy to get away with it and I regret drinking that day and every day after that I let myself give in.

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Never give up! Keep pushing no matter what❤️ Day one is amazing, you will never get to day 2 without it, best of luck. Try to remember….Just for today.

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Thank you for helping with me realizing it isn’t just me that it has taken so long to go to AA. I’m leaning more so on going now that you said that! Very much appreciated!

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Thank you! My day one before was in the hospital in July and I was not aware of anything that was happening. I was fully hallucinating and thank god kind of because I had to be brought back at least four times and was sick the whole time I guess and I feel like if I can make the choice now by myself and not have any negative physical side effects I can beat the urges to just take a drink because being sober is so much more important! Thank you for your support it means a lot!

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You got this!! I was reading a few other comments that you left and I just want to add I hated going to AA meetings at first I always felt like drinking while I was at the meeting or wanted to go get a drink after the meeting but was required to go for my treatment program. Eventually I found NA and I’m now working the steps (I don’t even know who this person I am becoming is, the old me wouldn’t believe that I go to NA and actually enjoy it…it’s INSANE to me but it is now a major role in my recovery program) it truly does help to go to a few different ones and for me personally WOMENS meetings. It helps so much to have that support from people who just get you and know the struggle you have because they’ve lived it they are living it and overcoming it successfully. I’m so glad there is this online community to connect with other’s dealing with their addictions, I just found it a few weeks back and wish I would’ve found it a lot sooner LOL.

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Thanks for the advice I think NA might be better because it wasn’t just alcohol that was a problem I just was able to quit the other drugs and even quit smoking. It’s just the alcohol that I crave and keeps reminding me that it’s so easy to get. I probably should go to womens NA meetings maybe I’ll look into it! I appreciate you saying that! Honesty is always the best policy! :+1:t2:

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It takes what it takes for sure. And you have been thru so much. I am sorry for the loss of your Dad and suicide of your fiance. My first husband committed suicide, so I feel you there. :heart: As a Mom to an adult daughter who also struggled with addiction, I just feel like as long as you keep fighting and don’t give up, you aren’t letting your Dad down. Please don’t give up on yourself. I know meetings help a lot of folks. As does reading and posting and being active here. I don’t know anything about seizures, but that sounds intense. I hope you are healing body mind and spirit. Sobriety can really help with that. Please don’t give up on yourself. Even as life can toss so much at us…there is still beauty and peace thru community, sobriety, connection. :heart:

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I feel for you so much for dealing with the suicide situations more than anyone will ever understand! My only friend to the end was my ex and he told me that he will love me friend or as my man and he would never expect me not to live my fiancé. “He will always own a piece of my heart and a piece of my soul.” Those were the words he said to me and I can’t say I don’t like that he appreciated that in me. FYI that ex I was with when I was 18 and he was in the marines at the time we fell in love and he messed up. Yet, he’s always stayed a friend and a rock and I appreciate people that can grasp that the love me piece of me that will always belong to someone else. It’s a rare occurrence in this world. And I hate that you have that same pain no matter the situation or circumstances that you both were in. It will always be a part of you and hurting yourself isn’t going to help you! I am so proud of you for being as amazing as you are! :heart:

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Very inspiring! Keep pushing though. You got this! :heart:

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Thank you I’m just trying to do what I can for myself and help others push through too! :heart:

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