Withdral

I was very agitated last night.  I couldn't sleep.  My head hurt.  On the up-side no more hallucinations.  Below are the stages of alcohol withdrawal.  I am glad I don't have all the symptoms.  I feel sorry for those who do.  I have two symptoms not on this list (which I found at American Addiction Centers):  itchy crawly skin, and pain in my elbows and knees.  Oh, there is also the headache.  I'll be glad when that goes away.

What is the Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline?

Alcohol withdrawal can be broken down into three stages:


• Stage 1: Anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and abdominal pain characterize this stage, which begins 8 hours after the last drink.  (I'm past the nausea and stomach pains.  I still feel anxious and am having trouble sleeping.)
• Stage 2: High blood pressure, increased body temperature, unusual heart rate, and confusion come with this stage, which begins 24-72 hours after the last drink. (I've noticed the confusion but that might or might not be from withdrawal.  I have noticed my heart speeding up and slowing down, and sometimes beating so hard it feels like pounding in my chest. This is the only symptom that worries me.  I haven't felt hot since Saturday morning.)
• Stage 3: Hallucinations, fever, seizures, and agitation come with this stage, which tends to begin 72+ hours after the last drink.  (So far, I've only experienced only one hallucination and it wasn't scary.  No seizures.  No fever.  Anxiety since hour 4 or 5.)

All symptoms tend to decrease within 5-7 days.

The Principal and My Health

I had the meeting with Basil's school's principal.  It went not at all like I was expecting.  When I told him what I went to tell him he said, "Good.  Someone needs to teach Alex a lesson."  He also said that he would instruct the staff to respond slowly to any fight involving Alex and my son, Basil.   

Regarding my health:  I am down to 313 pounds now.  Also, without going to detox and rehab (because those seem scary to me) I totally quit drinking.  My last drop of alcohol was at 7:35 a.m. on Thursday the 24th of August.  It is painful in my knees and elbows for some reason, and I am irritable so I am avoiding people, trying to sleep a lot. Aspirin helps the pain.   And I am drinking a lot of iced tea; also, water with lime juice.   The shaking is pretty bad but I think I'm past the chest pains; none since last night.  The first day I had trouble holding a pen or a fork.  It frightened Kathleen and she tried to talk me into having a drink.  I said no.  I almost gave up at 4 this morning but I knew the man sitting at the kitchen table offering to pour me a drink wasn't really there.  So I just had a glass of water with lime  juice and went back to bed.  I had to just quit drinking because of the diabetes, a fairly recent diagnoses.  Every drink caused burning in my hands and feet.  I am terrified of losing my legs like my aunt Vergie or going blind like my Mom.   I'd rather suffer alcohol withdrawal than experience the complications of diabetes.  About all I eat now are skinless chicken breasts and steamed broccoli, cauliflower and other cultivars of the brassica oleracea plant.  I am not going to die, lose my legs, or go blind!

A Bully

Last school year my youngest son, who at 11 years is taller than me, almost as heavy and as strong I am, was bullied by another boy in his school.  Last year I told him to walk away and report the bullying to school staff.   But the bullying continued.  The staff failed to teach the bully to not be a bully.  I believe that contributed to my son being put in mental hospitals last school year.

This summer I taught my son how to fight: First punch to the nose, next punch to the trachea, when the enemy is down kick until he stops moving.  Do not posture.  Do not try to look cool.  The only goal is victory.   The only goal is the defeat of the enemy.   I told Basil Wenceslas that he is no longer permitted to walk away.  He must defeat his enemy.   Today, when I had Basil Wenceslas punch my hands he almost broke them.  His follow through is merciless.

Tomorrow I am meeting with the Principal of the school to warn him.  Keep that bully away from my son or something terrible is going to happen.