Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

do they gag you too so you can't be kicking and screaming?

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

I had them give me some joy juice I really don't remember.

DennyLongley Loc: Bay City Michigan

Ah ok gotcha.. I'm sorry you have to go through all that pain. Valium (well, benzodiazepines in general) and opiates were my drugs of choice while I was active in addiction, so i understand the need to be careful. I've been in recovery for 3 1/2 years. My life has really gotten exponentially better ever since.. I was saved, after that I was able to retain sobriety and been sober since then. In these short years I've gotten married, had a beautiful daughter, and do mission work here in Bay City trying to get others to jump on the recovery bandwagon...not very many takers tho. Recovery is good! God is good! I'm grateful to just be alive...I have so many friends who did not make it out of that lifestyle and passed wayyyyyy before their times smh. That's why my wife and I go so hard for God and recovery.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Good for you Denny. I know how hard it is, and I also know how good it feels to make progress. My battle was fought over 40 years ago, so I can sorta get to feeling like I'm beyond it. But I know better. I used to smoke and like just about everyone who does I would try to quit with no success. I quit once for about 5 years. Then started up again. I've been smoke free for about three years now. But I keep looking over my shoulder. Hang in there.

will Loc: Tampa, Florida

Mornin' to you too . . . Shore fishing here in Tampa,florida has been the pitts lately. I can't figure out what's goin' on lately. I prefer hitting the bridges and piers on weekdays 'cause most people are at work,but I went fishing early with incoming tides on Thursday and Friday and getting skunked cannot describe both days. I would go to three different areas here in Tampa and NOBODY was getting any hits. One guy caught a nasty ol' saltwater cat,but that was it.
Oh well . . . I'll give it a go this next week again n'see . . .
Happy fishin' and keep them lines tight.

Fishandrods Loc: Alpine Ca foothills of San Diego

Hey DL know what you've gone thru, I was hooked on Pecodan, Valium, parafon forte talwin atarax, Demerol darvon, back I early 70s when I was in the carpenters Union, no cost meds and a Dr. That I knew growing up in San Diego. I had a bad reaction one day and quit on my own was in my 20s then. I also occasionally drank beer and hard stuff along with the drugs. Never was addicted to booze but haven't had a drink since 1987. My dad was an alcoholic and took his own life in 1963, it took 24 yrs for the light to go on. Have had a pinched in L5, MRI showed it after I sold my business and retired in 2011. Pain DR. Put me on Nucenta a new opioid than doesn't cause constipation, couldn't handle Vicodin or Percocet . Tried everything short of surgery for the pain including steroids and cordison injected into the facets from my butt to my head. Acupuncture with E Stem nothing works. Quit the pills with withdrawal. It's hell getting old, the golden years my A$$. You have to just the course and fish as often as you can works for me, takes the edge off. Larry.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Hey guys seems like we all got two things in common. We all have pain in our backs and we all fish. Somebody trying to tell us something? Well I don't know about you all, but I'm just gonna ignore em. My wife asks me all the time -aren't you getting too old for this? I just give her the look.

Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

Years ago I was on percs following surgery. One morning I took my pill and felt just fine after about ten seconds...That stuff doesn't work that fast and decided I was reacting to my little friend. It was the last one I ever took, but the bottle stayed in the medicine cabinet for several years. Several times a month I think about my little friends and still want them. I am a lucky guy.

I don't know how you have done what you did. Must have been sooo hard.

Fishandrods Loc: Alpine Ca foothills of San Diego

Started smoking when I was 12 quit for awhile in my senior year high school, then starting going to parties and drinking beer and started smoking again. Smoked off and on until quoting for good in 1978. Never had a problem with alcohol just wanted to get SHt faced when I drank. Took the Nucenta for a year and Medicare payed all but $75 per month then they said no more because no generic, it would cost me over $ 300 per month, that's when I went on a step down method. Haven't taken more than Tylenol since 2012. L

DennyLongley Loc: Bay City Michigan

These comments inspire me.

Getting sober was the hardest thing I've ever done, that's including the military and jails... (yes, addiction took me to jails and institutions).

Hearing how others have dealt with this bad spirit of addiction is inspiring.. we are in the "information age" with google and all that, so information and education, along with help is at the tips of our fingers, yet it was still darn near impossible for me to retain solid sobriety. I couldn't imagine trying to defeat something that was largely unknown up until about 30yrs ago. You guys are real heroes, and I commend you.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

It takes a village.

Once things are know your village more often than not grows.

Yours has grown. imo

DennyLongley Loc: Bay City Michigan

Trish and I stopped smoking cigarettes in our first year of recovery.. that was hard as well. We actually slipped up for two weeks a few months back, but back on the wagon now. What worked for us was we fasted cigarettes in a church-wide time of fast and prayer. We fasted for 40dys for lent and didnt pick it back up after the fast.. they say do everything unto the Lord.. Lord, we are trying.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Long story short my wife developed COPD and after 55 years of smoking she either had to quit or not breathe. So October 2016 she put them down and is still not smoking. She is a trooper. I did not, I got a really bad case of pneumonia right around Christmas time, went into the emergency room, went into a-fib and died on a gurney. I was on life support for 4 days, intibated in an induced coma. When I finally got out of the hospital, I never picked em back up. But I still get the craving. If I find out this afternoon that I've only got 6 weeks to live, I'm gonna go buy a pack of Camels.- Tobacco is one evil weed.