1430 days sober.

This time next month will be 4 years clean

I really don't have much to report this month, so I will just raise a bottle of water to all you sober folk and keep popping the vitamins!

Just thought I'd check in, only posted a few times in the thread, but catch up on everyone's goings on every few weeks.

23 months ago, quit drinking. Since then the pain is completely gone, the numbness hung around though. Quit smoking a few months ago and oh my! What a difference! Still have numbness, but it's gotten markedly better. I can stand for longer periods of time, the strength in my legs has returned. I still have issues walking over uneven ground, I feel like I'm going to topple over and have to watch my steps, however I'm sure this is mostly from still not having a lot of feeling in my feet. Mostly sort of the "fine grained" feeling. The feeling I have in my feet is rather course, if that makes sense.

In addition I've been exercising regularly with a trainer that kicks my rear end, I've lost 30 lbs and I'm sure that's helping too. Next up to get my diet in order.

I haven't done the vitamin thing in a while other than a good B-Complex and a Multivitamin.

By far the biggest jump my recovery has taken has been when I quit smoking (and well, drinking too, since we'll that's where it all starts!).

I appreciate all your updates and love reading the thread!

That's fantastic, both of you.

Icehouse and pbwithpn - I reckon that you both should be proud of your achievements .

I am so happy for you all.... working so hard to improve your life.
You are all an inspiration to our members and readers here.

Congratulations Icehouse on the big achievement!!!

As well as pbwithpn!

I myself have been doing well, I wouldn't say it was a relapse, although I did have a beer two weekends ago for my friend's wedding. I believe I was a week from 2 1/2 years, although I've lost count of the days of sobriety, I STILL AND WILL ALWAYS remember the days I barely could pick up a quarter and was breaking down in tears, it truly felt like yesterday. I've recovered to a nice extent over the last 2 1/2 years, but I don't think I'll ever conquer the my numbness in my hands and feet. I haven't been taking daily vitamins, for a few months, other than a multivitamin and B complex every other day or so but even without them I've felt a lot better over the years. It's truly incredible to have read all your stories on this thread and the encouragement you all have provided for me doesn't go unnoticed, hence why I still visit this forum every month or so. Life's gotten very busy and I'm still in the prime of my life, it's still a struggle everyday to live with PN and to block out negative thoughts. Personally drinking that beer at my good friend's wedding was my own choice and although I could have gone without it, I've found myself questioning balance missing out good times with friends and enjoying a beer. I know I won't allow myself to snowball anytime soon, as snowballing is my worst fear, and my urge to drink just isn't there as it use to be and although I may enjoy a drink here and there for a big occasion, I know I won't be who I was before.

All in all, I'm feeling good, and every choice I make from here on out is under my own magnify glass.

I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone here, MrsD, Icehouse, Newstown, Wide-O, Beatle, and everyone else who has encouraged me the past 2 1/2 years to stay sober and stay positive. To those who continues to fight their battle with alcohol, keep it up, I'm in your corner always. I want to keep encouraging those who are continuing their battle with alcohol abuse, and more specifically bingeing, as even though I've made a personal decision to enjoy a beer, I'm still fighting every day to keep feeling as good as I do now and the journey to recovery really is NEVER over.

I'll still be here, and I'm actually going to be back on the vitamins and the formulas and knowledge I've learned here on this forum to get me feeling even better than I do now. 2 1/2 years is a long time, but it's gotten me to feeling my best in years and I don't plan to stop feeling as good as I do now. My body and mind is sharper than ever before and I have all of you to thank for it. Truly, from the depths of my heart, thank you all, I look forward to continuing hearing about everyone's success.

I wonder at what stage I can say I'm "cured". I just realized I spent 6 hours on my feet trimming the hedges in the garden without much of a break. That includes standing on ladders, cleaning up etc. Although my feet did feel a bit "vulnerable" this morning (hard to explain - it's not hurting but feeling like doing anything to them will hurt), they feel totally fine now.

I think someone on this thread (Newstown?) quoted a Japanese study where most of the patients were symptom free after 5 years of sobriety, so in a way that still gives me 1 year and 10 months to further recover. Maybe it won't heal further, and this is as good as it gets, but that would be great too. It's not ideal but certainly manageable.

1144 days BTW, still continuing to watch my diet (it seems that the mainstream media cought on to "it's not fat, it's sugar" - only took them 50 years...) and still taking a daily high dose (6mg EPA/DHA combined) of high quality fish oil. Although I can't prove it, it causes a big change in how well I feel and function.

Hello! Way to go everyone! I would like to start taking supplements and need some advice. I have alcoholic neuropathy. My NCV came back that I had damage to large fibers? The doctor said the test wouldn't show small but if damage to the large showed that I also had damage to small. This is all I remember and might not make any sense. I have a lot of pain. I take 450 mg of lyrica per day and I am tired. So, I thought I would ask if anything could be recommended based on the information of my test results and cause of my neuropathy? Any help is wonderful. If I should go back and read some more that is ok too. I am enjoying a family reunion alcohol free and it's great. I had not heard the five year rule about alcoholic neuropathy but it sounds like a great goal. Also, anything recommended besides caffeine to counter the drowsiness caused by lyrica and pain medication? Thanks!

4 years sober today.

It was roughly about this time of day too (my mind was a little scrambled with a .37 BAC (not a typo)) but that was YEARS AGO.

Got that? Now I can say, "I quit drinking years ago".



Anyway, carry on everyone....life is good.

Well done Icehouse!