Mike

October 25, 2010

Hi Mike

Peggy here and I thought I would put in my 2 cents. As a RN who worked with

addicts on a chemical dependency ward many years ago I am going to add my

thoughts. I am sure others have said the same thing so bear with me.

First of all take all of the support you can from Al-Anon and ACOA as they will

help you and help her.

Secondly, you need to network with others and your wife as well, if she can, to

find a good pain management doctor who will not only do the required testing,

but prescribe for her within the limits of her addictive personality. This

totally can be done and if you can find a doctor who understands addictions and

pain, well you are on the right road.

Have you asked your sponsor if you have one, or others in the groups you attend?

Look for those " leadership " people and maybe they might direct you, or call the

hospitals that have chemical dependency units and ask for a referral or some

names.

Third, once you have both have interviewed and found the correct doctor then you

are on the right road.

This is going to take some time and I would suggest that you attend you wife's

medical appointments with her so that you can learn and understand and assist

her in following the program set out by her doctor.

It also could be a possibility that she might have to go to a program to help

her deal with her addictions and learn herself a healthier way to live. In fact

I would not be surprised at all if and when you do call the hospitals that this

is not suggested.

I know from working in them that everyone who comes to us are not copies of the

" addict " . We have treated and medically assisted people who were in chronic pain

and helped them get on a program that offered them good pain control and helped

them maintain and give them the tools they needed to fight the addiction.

All things are possible but first of all you all need to find the right doctor.

Also being 100 percent honest with each other is going to be very important as

well.

I wish you guys the best and hope that you will soon find the doctor for your

wife.

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