The KIndship of imperfection Posted on March 24, 2026 at 02:36:47 AM by Been there done that
Nice of you to open up and say that, Reality. I never drank 90, I only drank less proof. I'm very lucky I quit that and also tobacco early enough. My docs watched my labs closely for liver, lung and kidney issues for possible damage, I think I'm okay since I didnt do stuff for decades like so many do. So many people my age are going in ther 60s, famous people. They just disappeared fm public view until later their deaths were announced by their families. All 4 of our pts were on O2 at the end. And nothing is worse than easing our pts into the ground, specially when we'ere tasked to make those final decisions on when. And what's no longer a quality of life worth putting someone through extraneous measures to prolong it.
People talk about life and decisionaking but those decisions are made in hospitals all the time. Everyday. They just dont' talk about that stuff in the media. I did a TV series on Cancer Kids decades ago..one of my 'star kids with soundbites on her future to be a parent' then fighting for every breath, who had her good times at home and bad times at the hospital and ending up at a burial service. Some parents want to fight to the last; others want to take her kids home free of the shots and chemo and hospitals. What about respirators and feeding tubes simply prolonging deaths.
When I was at AA, I was surprised that some of those who went in and out of the program, familiar friends, just up and died and they went to the funerals.
And how secretive so many were, honest with each other only in the meetings, but the old "What ya see here, say here, stays here" just because there are guys like JIM who really get off outting people. Even media people. Like they didn't have to fight enough. AA doesn't allow media coverage of their program and STRONGLY urges recovered people from ever mentioning AA. Why? because so many slip back, as they say, "So many "went back out" (meaning back out to drinking and then end up not making it back to sobriety.) They dont' want to acknowledge that so many don't stay sober, which is why they always preach, once an alcoholic, always one.
That's actually not true. Lots of people just up and quit, but dont often admit ever needing to, except with those who have faced that challenge. It's a kindship thing. Some have gone back out lots of times...they either get tired of that and quit, or they don't which is too bad. I wrote quite a bit on the topic and you may have read what I wrote but I didn't talk abt the failures just about letting readers know they have options.
True of smoking too. We got expert in handling tanks and concentrators last century for our elders who didn't quit soon enough. Replies: