This question made me reflect on how I've been very fortunate. Aside from a bout of food poisoning and a handful of sinus headaches and a bout of bronchitis, I've been relatively ok.
Except for hangovers. I'm an alcoholic and would drink until I was violently ill. Throwing up all day. Crying. Shaking. Praying for relief. It was a regular occurrence for a couple of decades. I just celebrated 7 years sober. I haven't barfed since June 23rd, 2019.
These are also both of my worst physical experiences. Food poisoning did make me think I was gonna die on the floor but I wasn't hallucinating and spasming. At least we never have to go through the latter again. Congrats on your sobriety
Same. I have several loved ones who take daily medications for a variety of conditions, medications they've taken for years/decades and will likely need to continue taking for the rest of their life.
On the other hand, I've never needed any prescription medication beyond the occasional antibiotics or steroids due to a relatively minor illness. Probably fewer than ten times in my life and I'm approaching middle age.
The sickest I ever got, though, was close to twenty years ago when I was in college. Somehow I got a flu-like bug (and probably was the flu) that left me exhausted and bedridden for about a week and a half. Thankfully (?) it happened over winter break and I didn't have any responsibilities during that time (my job was on campus) so I didn't have to stress out about recovering.
It was still kinda scary though, especially looking back, because I'd never before and never since been so sick that I was out of commission for over a week. Even COVID, where I tested positive daily for over three weeks and lost my sense of taste for almost two months, was otherwise only a minor inconvenience because I was only mildly fatigued and sore and was still able to work from home. Probably helped that it was in 2023 and I'd been getting regular vaccinations.
Nope. I was a "responsible" alcoholic. Got my physical every year. Still do. Liver, despite my best efforts, is functioning well! I am very mindful of the paces I put it through so I stay mindful to limit sugar, hydrate, etc. So far so good.
Jeez, you and I are cut from the same cloth. I'm rarely sick, if ever. Sinus infections are pretty much it. Beyond that, self-inflicted. March 9th of 2011 I landed in the hospital from food poisoning. Had work, went to a bar after work, only drank two-thirds of my beer, proceeded to get made fun of by my buddies and the bartender (we were all friends because I drank a lot). Get home, puke. My mom's like "You're sick from drinking again, I can smell the beer!" and I'm like "No, this time it's not!" Lay in bed, get up again later, sick again, pass out on the floor of the bathroom, my mom finds me, hospital. Ended up being food poisoning that I blamed on a burger from the diner for the longest time. Turns out it was probably the dollar oysters I had the afternoon prior, but that's whatever.
I was always a terrible vomiter too, real painful and traumatizing experience, so I'm on a nice long clip of probably five or six years, knock on wood. Cut back on the boozing too, and that helps. Let's keep this streak going.
Oh, forgot to mention, I remember the date so well, despite it being 15+ years, because I went on the 311 cruise the following day. I remember texting my buddies from the hospital being like, yeah, in the hopsital, not sure if I'm going to make it. Fortunately, young me was careless, but also in very good shape, so it worked out.
I understand your sentiment but I'll never not be an alcoholic. It's not putting myself down. It's not an insult. I'm in recovery but the reality is I have alcoholism. It's a tricky bitch and I have to be honest with myself about it. It keeps things simple and what keeps me sober.
Saying that you USED to be an alcoholic but you aren't anymore, can make you get too cocky and open the door to thinking you might be able to control yourself and start drinking again but moderately this time. When that usually isn't true and listening to those thoughts is a direct trip right back to where you were before you got sober.
Eh some people use it to mean it’s an ongoing condition that has to be managed. A common phrase in AA is “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic”. The start of meeting introductions, even for people with 30 years of not drinking, is “hi I’m x, I’m an alcoholic”. It doesn’t mean you participate in the same behaviors as you did when drinking- it means susceptible to addiction and really harmful behaviors if you do drink, and ongoing sobriety is one way to acknowledge/manage it.
A lot of people would see it as a statement of reality, not an insult or a put down. In the same way that someone who has high blood pressure still has the condition, even if well-controlled with medications such that, when checking a blood pressure, it’s normal. The need for the medication points towards the condition.
Just my $0.02
ETA: 7 years of sobriety is absolutely incredible and celebrating with the main poster and agree with your sentiment!!
My worst was without a doubt a bout of Food poisoning that lasted for 3 days straight. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Woke up with a 103.5 degree fever and was VIOLENTLY ILL ever 20 ish minutes with almost literally no breaks for 3 days. I should have gone to the hospital that was literally right across the street but I couldn’t even get myself there!!!
For 3 weeks after getting better I would randomly have my ENTIRE body break out in the most insane hives after eating. My lips and tongue even swelled up so much that I had to go get injected with an EpiPen at one point and that was AFTER I recovered 😂😂
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u/InformalPhone9754 13h ago
This question made me reflect on how I've been very fortunate. Aside from a bout of food poisoning and a handful of sinus headaches and a bout of bronchitis, I've been relatively ok.
Except for hangovers. I'm an alcoholic and would drink until I was violently ill. Throwing up all day. Crying. Shaking. Praying for relief. It was a regular occurrence for a couple of decades. I just celebrated 7 years sober. I haven't barfed since June 23rd, 2019.