dear tribe family and friends, now that i have put my mother and father’s passing to rest it is time for me to concentrate on my life in recovery. i can only keep the time i have in NA by giving away what has been freely given to me. i see a lot of people blogging about birthdays. happy birthday to all who are celebrating another milestone in recovery. in 18 days i will turn 55. when i walked into the rooms of recovery i was 34. it’s a fantastic feeling knowing what i have gone through medically, spiritually and mentaly in that time.

the process of recovery has truly been trying this year. 4 deaths in my immediate family, losing my dog to cancer, having another surgery, needing back surgery now or become paralyzed in the next year or two. decisions are tough to make. brought God has not brought me this far to drop me on my ass now. yes life does have it’s ups and downs. sometimes more downs than ups but if i can survive what i have gone through in the last 7 years of my life medically and emotionally it has only made my addiction to recovery even stronger. you too can find the peace and serenity i have found in my life today simply by living and working the 12 steps of recovery.

since getting clean i have gone through 7 major surgeries and 13 minor ones. but through it all i have stayed focused on recovery took my meds as the Dr. subscribed them and still do. becoming an insulin dependant diabetic with 6 years clean showed me that God had a sense of humor. 22 years ago i would have killed for one syringe. at one time i had over 600 under my bathroom sink. what kind of shit is that? but today i wear an insulin pump. i have to take two medications for my heart, meds for my triglycerides, cholesteral, blood pressure, bi-polarism and depression. but today i am on an even keel, all sytems running right on time. i also suffer from post tramatic war syndrome from two tours in viet nam in the early 70’s. but today i takes meds as the dr. prescribes them and not as dr. jj prescribes them.

if you read chapter ten in the basic text it talks about in times of illness. how to take meds under control. if you are on meds and cannot take them as prescribed then let you spouse or sponsor give them to you whan it’s time. if the meds keep you alive you must take them or die. so please take to heart what i have posted today and stay true to your program of recovery.

Remember that recovery is a journey not a destination and use the rest stops God provides along the way.

stay clean and be good to yourself.

In recovery 4 life,

JJ