gettin' up & out of bed (Anita's post) also about alcohol

July 18, 2003

Anita,

I agree with you, depression is a real possibility and may need

to be addressed, along with phys. therapy. I keep bringing up both,

but I am tending to stress PT, because I know that is likely to sound

more acceptable to them, esp. Dave than anything psychological.

Well, his voice does sound pretty cheerful on the phone in the last 2

weeks or so. I don't know what he sounded like before that (during

the first 2 months of his illness) cuz my sister and her kids always

happened to pick up. But more recently, 2-3 times she was out at

the pharmacy or doctor so it's Dave I got. Last night, tho, she

was there, but not wanting to get up to get the phone from Dave,

so I just talked to him. It's an indication how fast the lung

cancer came on, she sleeps with oxygen at night now and her

ankles are swollen. Horribly sad.

But I do take it as a SOMEWHAT good sign that Dave's voice sounds

pretty good recently.

Dave has told his family he is in denial about his wife's recent cancer

dx. And his family regards him as kinda stubborn. Certainly he was a

couch potato before the pancreatitis. And given his drinking problem...

there'd be alot for him to learn/relearn now that he is struggling along

in a different world than he's used to. He does have a good friend

from out of town, who's been on the wagon for years, and he and his

daughter just visited Dave.

Yesterday I talked with a high school friend of mine, who

(like me) has ended up pursuing different goals than what dominated

our upbringing. And she agreed that alcohol was a big thing when

we were growing up-- parents did cocktails every night, some of

the kids binged in HS and college, etc.

But of course, one doesn't always grow out of craziness. I

still see this attitude, some places, some people....some grown-up kids

(in their 30s, 40s, 50s) seem to organize their vacations around

alcohol, for example.

Me, I think vacations mean wonderful places/activities/eating.

Thanks everyone... and keep those suggestions coming in terms

of PT and dealing with depression.

--

Sally

Sally L. Hobson, Ph. D.

mailto:hobson@...

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