I am freaking out here

[prettydamscared]

My husband just completed treatment not even 2 weeks ago and he got drunk tonight.  I mean cra*-faced, tripping over things, slurring speech drunk.  He hasn't even had his final appointment with his doctor.  That would be Monday.  I don't really know how the whole drinking after treatment thing goes but I'd bet quite a bit of money, that 2 weeks after treatment is not a good idea.

I knew this was coming.  There's just no way to really be prepared for it.  My hubby, great guy that he is, is an alcoholic and there is just no drinking in moderation for him.  He drank right up until he started treatment and clearly is right back at it.  The truth is sometimes I secretly wished he were a 1a or b, so that he'd have to treat for a year.

A client had a party tonight for him and his crews to show appreciation for a job well done.  Doesn't really matter what the occasion is....I guess there will be always be an occasion.  He did completely abstain during treatment.  I've been so caught up in my own treatment, I haven't given his potential drinking a thought.  Now that it's actually happened, I feel like somebody  punched me.  We've been married 25 years and I've been dealing with it all this time.  But, he's been stone cold sober for 6 months, (he's a 2b) and I really like him sober.  I don't want to go back to dealing with drunkenness, especially now that I'm treating.  It's gonnna be too much to deal with.  He just can't ever drink without getting falling down drunk.  He's harmless, never, ever violent or abusive.  He just goes to sleep.

Continued below

[prettydamscared]

Hi,

I'm surprised to find someone on the boards this late, let alone someone who's familiar with Al Anon.  Yes, I've been to many meetings and you're right, it is a life saver.  I haven't been to a meeting since I started treating.  I talk to people in my home group but haven't been to a meeting.  Yep, there's one tomorrow that I'm gonna get to.  That's the only thing I know to do.

I'm glad you discovered it too.  Sounds like you had no choice, huh?

[prettydamscared]

Actually, sometimes friends and even my mother have said things like why is it such a big deal.  He's a really nice guy, good father, good provider and I can't really explain why it's such a big deal.  But, it is.  It's hard to watch him go from a coherent rational person to a slurring drunk.  And, if it were just once in a while but it's not.  It's pretty much every time he starts.  I truly hate alcholishm. It has taken so much from my family.  

I can't allow myself to continue to accept this.  I don't know what I'm going to do about it except for right now, I'm gonna pray.  And tomorrow, I'm gonna get to an Al-Anon meeting.  I'm not making any decisions now.  I'm only on week 12 of who knows how long because I'm in the study and still blinded.

OK, thing is it's midnight.  He just got home and I was freaking out and have no one to talk to.  So, I'm just sort of ranting here.  

I know a lot of your opinions about drinking after treatment already.  I've read a lot of heated discussions about this.  My personal opinion is that after my 6 month pcr, if I'm still clear, I think it's ok to drink in moderation.  I happen to be a Stage 0 - Grade 3, so for me with 0 fibrosis, I would have a drink occasionally. I know many of you choose not to ever have another drink and who knows, I may do that as well.  As many hours as I've spent on this board, I really don't have a clue what doctors say about the period of time after treatment that people shouldn't drink.  Hubby was Stage 1, Grade 1 and cleared at 4 weeks.  So far, he's remained clear.  I told him that the consensus is that most people don't drink for 6 months after treatment and then, only if they've achieved svr. I'm not really sure that's correct but it does make sense to me.  Does anybody know if there is really sort of a consensus about this from doctors, all facts considered.  I really don't even know why that's important to me because my husband shouldn't drink at all ever.  I guess I'm just curious about what a doctor would say.  

Sorry for the extremely long post and thanks for listening,

Char

[Gaia]

I can't relate to living with someone being treated with Hep
C, but I CAN relate to living with an alcoholic. Have you been
to Al-Anon? If you haven't I HIGHLY recommend it. and if you
have, get back to the meetings. It was a life saver for me.
Figuratively speaking, and very likely Literally speaking.
[ he was abusive ]..