Three weeks ago I had a total knee replacement in my right knee. I am not new to joint replacements, already had my left knee replaced and my right shoulder replaced. Make no mistake if you haven't experienced a joint replacement, joint replacement hurts. However, you get to the point that the short term pain makes for long term relief. After a couple days in the hospital its comes the day for me to be discharged. Maybe that's the wrong word, everyone else gets discharged, I think for me it's probably more like I got thrown out. LOL On a Thursday the nurse comes in with my discharge instructio ..read more

During the holiday season, as families gather we all have the best intentions. I am thankful for the family and fellowship shared on these days. However, as we gather remember there may be those that are afraid or hiding from us or themself. Struggles can be inside. As you give thanks and gather try to add these to your menus too. Listen, accept and encourage without judgement. We are only well when all are well. Everyone needs others at some time in their life. The time for someone that needs you may be sitting next to you today. Reach out your hand and accept what others have to share. Make ..read more

 It is with mixed emotions I write about this milestone. After I received another email from a parent lost and searching for answer about her daughter's addiction I looked at this blog. A couple years after I began writing this chronicle of our struggle Blogger developed a dashboard with loads of statistical data concerning this site I could privately access. Nothing was available concerning personal information of readers but it did have a simple counter of visitors. When I looked the other day a striking number appeared. There have been over 1,000,000 visitors to this site reading vario ..read more

It's been over 13 years since I created this blog as an effort to learn more about addiction and find peace for myself during our son's addiction. So much time has passed and things have changed so dramatically in our life. I'm sure or I hope you have read about our progress. The question that continually enters my mind is what has happened with all of those people and families that regularly read this blog so long ago? What about those that have only discovered this blog lately in a search for help with their own family issues? Some of those long ago readers I am Facebook friends and hear of ..read more

 A fellow blogger from the UK contacted me today. She lost her brother to addiction. She wrote a moving post that I want to Guest Post here so here goes. Here's a link to her blog: https://alisonkerwin.com/blog/ This is Allison's Guest Post I wish I knew then what I know now Posted byAlison KerwinMarch 6, 2021Posted inaddiction, grief, mentalhealthTags:addiction, bereavement, Danny, death, family, grief, loss, mental health, recovery, siblings Alison and her brother, Danny celebrating his 40th birthday  This picture w ..read more

Here are a few short musings about our experience and learnings. No matter where you are in parenting or loving someone addicted to drugs these might be something to consider when you are alone. When you were using the drugs it wasn't personal against us, it was the disease. When you were mean to others it wasn't you, it was the disease. When you stole things from us and others it was a symptom of your disease. When you lied to us it was a symptom of the disease. When you would disappear for days it was to escape the pain, a symptom of the disease. When we demanded you stop using by scream ..read more

While scanning the internet to see if after over a decade my blog remains relevant I found where a student athlete in central Florida used info in my blog to write an article for the Highland News-Sun.  This article was published in the October 27, 2020 edition of the newspaper. I am reprinting this on here for you to see. I guess maybe my blog is still relevant. VIEWPOINTS FROM A TEENAGER Miguel Arceo Draw Your Line of Morality Allow me to introduce you to Ron Grover, the father of a son who is currently recovering from a battle with drug addiction. Grover authored a blog po ..read more

Dear Santa, It's been a hard year for the kids this year, no matter if they are on the naughty or nice list. Please be easy on the judgements and do whatever you can for the little ones. They have gone through a lot this year and all of them have been real troopers. Please give all the parents and adults, young or old, the wisdom to know they may need nothing but others need everything. It's been hard on so many. If you have a job and income, share with others. Sharing with each other is wonderful but sharing with those in need is spiritual and good for your soul. Let those adults that share f ..read more

I haven't been writing lately. There hasn't been much going on in our life other than the things I have detailed in previous essays. I didn't want to waste time for all that read this blog. As a member of many Facebook groups dealing with addiction I have been reading about people struggling with forgiveness. When you are hurt so deeply forgiveness can be difficult to find and to extend. I struggled at time with forgiveness. We all have heard many times that forgiveness is about ourself, not our addicted loved one. However, I learned to say many things while failing to internalize the words. E ..read more

This morning on my Facebook feed a news story popped up about a robbery and outcome in Camdenton MO. This is the area where we own a lake home so I try to stay connected to the local news and events online. For the last several days it has been news about a man robbed the pharmacy at the grocery store we patronize when at the lake. In summary from the news reports a man entered the grocery store, jumped the counter in the pharmacy, brandished a gun and stole several hundred pills containing opioids. No one was hurt and no shots were fired. There were clear pictures of this individual and his ..read more