I have a question.
Mike has been sober since September 2010.
He started going to AA in November, when the told him at the transplant center that he needed to be 6 months alcohol free before they would list him.
And that it needed to be documented. He had to
Go into a detox unit OR
Go to counseling OR
Join AA
He joined AA that day and has his book signed each time he goes. He has been to 20 - 24 meetings a month since November...missing only when he is in the hospital (in pt or out pt).
He has an ethanol blood draw once a week since November 4th.
He has met with a psychiatrist twice as he needed clearance from a psychiatrist that there was good reason to believe he would do well post transplant, be unlilkely to relapse, and not mentally ill, suicidal, etc. He passed with flying colors. She wrote a nice letter.
And now he is going to see a social worker in the psychaitrist's office as a follow up. I don't know how often as he has no insurance for that.
He has talked to the hepatologist, the surgeon, his primary care physician, and the psychatrist about modifying is "treatment program." Each one says that a decision to modify should be made by.... (chose one of the others on the treatment team.) By modify the program, he means he'd like to go to AA 3 or 4 times a week and have the blood draw 2x a month instead of every week.
He is so exhausted -- and I am as well with driving him around. The places are not very close and we are on the road half the day every day doing this.
At the beginning of this Connie said they liked folks to go 90 times in the first 90 days. He didn't quite make that, but he tried really hard. He's been like 103 times since November 4th...
He was lucky with the UNOS listing as they counted September and October as sober months...though September was not a whole month and he didn't attend AA in October...but they see his effort as huge since...while being so very very ill. This guy want to live!
So, what do you guys think? Would it be horrible to back off to 3 or 4 times a week? Would that be enough this early in his recovery?
He still isn't talking at meetings. But he talks to me about his changing feelings, so that is good. and he has gotten a new sponsor, someone with Hep C who cleared! 1a...so there is a miracle. Maybe he'll talk more now. I know he has told them about his diagnoses--the Hep C AND his cancer. So that's good. And i am sure he complains about me...I am sure I am horrible. But not about his story at all.
Carol