My Introduction.

Day 97 (in the Sobriety House. Whenever I think of days passed, I can only think of the UK edition of Big Brother and that Geordie* Accent.)

I am 56 and have drunk heavily all my adult life, but only at weekends having at least 3-4 sometimes 5 days per week with no alcohol. I ate a low carb diet and and look in good shape for my age, if you ignore the red nose. I basically practised the Tim Ferris 4 Hour Body Diet, with minimal high intensity home gym, but instead of a cheat day I had a cheat weekend. I thought those sober days would save me, if I didn't think too long.

I got into a destructive relationship with a beautiful woman, that I knew was wrong and our drinking got worse and worse, but only privately in the comfort of our own homes. It was our secret. I led a double life.

When you are mid 50s and have a nose that is a danger to low flying aircraft, and you are having fun, you tell yourself this is your last chance to live a little, this will be your last beautiful girlfriend. So you ignore the hangovers and the need to drink pints of water ( with decaff green tea!) all week just to function. You ignore the health consequences because they only affect other people. You put off the future, for now.

Anyway, we broke up in December, cancelled our long holiday in January, and how did I cope? I pretty much got hammered every day for a month, like some tragic hero Krusty the Clown.

In late December, early January I started noticing numb toes. Then suddenly, mid January after a long walk the previous day, something happened to my right leg, I couldn't walk properly, my right ankle could not support itself. I needed an ankle support. I put this down to an old running injury. Then my hands began to tingle, and arms and legs all pretty rapidly.

I began to research my symptoms online, I had never heard of alcoholic PN, but that was the most likely explanation. Or kidney disease or worse.

I had blood tests with the GP in February, by this time I was loaded with all the supplements Mrs D had suggested and had stopped drinking. The blood tests showed normal liver and kidney function and good vitamin levels, slightly raised cholesterol. He referred me to a Neurologist. And because of Lockdown I still await my appointment.

Since then my symptoms have deteriorated and I get painful shooting pains in my arms and legs and groin. There maybe an Auto Immune element as I have history of mild CFS and mild Colitis.

Giving up alcohol was surprisingly easy, I missed it at first. The first Friday nights and Saturdays were the hardest, especially at birthday parties etc. Now I see alcohol as a poison and I don't actually want to drink.











*North East England/Newcastle area