swedish

I wanted to add my thoughts on the alcohol use. I know that once your body gets to a point where you are hospitalized and in a coma as a result of alcohol (indirectly or not) you can recover and lead a long life (the liver is an amazing organ that way).

My mother was there. She stopped drinking and found herself fidgety and asked me to teach her to needlepoint. Her mother taught me and once my mother got hooked, she did beautiful work and kept her focus off of having a drink. She stayed sober for 2 years.

At some point, the stress of life got the best of her and she started drinking again. The doctors told her that if she did, her body would not be able to handle it. She used to drink wine, but decided to try vodka as she could hide it and figured she wouldn't drink as much. Within a few months, my dad found her non-responsive and she was taken by ambulance to a hospital near where I worked. I got there before she did and when they brought her in I had enough time to hold her hand (she squeezed it) and told her I was there and that I loved her. She went into a coma and one by one her organs shut down. She died the next day with her husband, five children and best friend with her. She was 56.

Her daughter was 7 months pregnant with her grandson that she would never meet. She made a needlepoint baby blanket for him that her husband wrapped and brought to the hospital when the baby was born, holding back tears as he handed it to his daughter. That daughter was me.

She was a wonderful person, mother and friend and I still miss her. Your wife is doing what she needs to do to protect herself and the kids so they never have to go through that. She is hoping that while she is gone you will take serious inventory of yourself and make permanent changes. So at all costs, stay sober, keep doing all that you are and make the most of this second chance at life as I believe it will lead to a second chance with her. I seriously doubt a third chance is possible.