Hi, James!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  Aside from the constant physical pain I think he
AH>  must have found it emotionally devastating to be
AH>  unable to play the piano ever again.

JB>  And how I sympathize with that!


          I figured you would.  My own love of music has helped me get
through some rough patches, and I guess when he couldn't play the piano he
had to find another way.  He also had six children... only two of whom
lived longer than a decade.  No wonder he took refuge in drink (if that is
indeed what he did).



JB>  As an aftermath of my practice session, I did up my
JB>  alcohol intake, after the A.S.A. mass dosing wasn't
JB>  cutting it. Now, that meant I finished six beer in
JB>  three days, and a bottle carried me through the
JB>  remainder of the week. (I'm out of practice. ;-)
JB>  Being a central nervous system depressant, I knew
JB>  it would tame the sciatic, and at least allow me to
JB>  relax a little. I was equally aware, that my sleep
JB>  would not be deep while my liver takes a second pass
JB>  at the poison, so I tried to intersperse alcohol free
JB>  windows, keeping my electrolyte and water intake up.


          Once upon a time alcohol was used as the anesthetic in
kitchen-table surgery... that's how my mother & her siblings had their
tonsils removed.  You drank six bottles of beer in three days because you
were in pain.  You reduced your intake as the pain lessened.  You also knew
about possible side effects & took appropriate action.  Sounds
reasonable to me in view of what I know about your medical history.  You
were able to put the situation in perspective.  :-)



JB>  Now, if Dallas' relative had physical or mental pain,
JB>  alcohol can dim the first, and delay dealing with the
JB>  second. When the alcohol buzz starts to wain, that nerve
JB>  starts to wake up, and he has to deal with the emotions
JB>  the booze buried. The quick answer is to get drunk again.


          Uh-huh.  I don't know whether or not he did that.  He came home
from the pub roaring drunk at 2:00 AM quite routinely or went there
occasionally... depending on who you ask.  The truth is probably somewhere
in the middle.  ;-)



JB>  I doubt I haven't mentioned the SAILL program dad and I
JB>  attended. (Substance Abuse In Later Life)


          This is the first I've heard of it... it sounds interesting,
though! One of the complaints I've heard from people in AA programs &
suchlike is that they found it difficult to locate a group they could
identify with.



JB>  I mentioned it in a conversation to my Aunt once-removed,
JB>  where she interjected, "...And I'm addicted to food." It
JB>  really stoped my thought, but she was likely right on the
JB>  money.


          Yes.  I commented years ago that just about everybody is addicted
to something... and now Dr. Mat‚ has expressed the same idea.  I was
working in a small country school where there were only eight staff members
present most of the time.  Just before Xmas, at 8:30 AM, one of the Moms
gave us a 24" platter of home made shortbread.  I took a single piece
& put it in my desk drawer for later use, because I figured it would
all be gone by recess.  I was right.  So who had eaten it??  Not me... and
probably not the gal who could nibble on one cookie for twenty minutes. 
That left six people, all of whom swore they'd put on weight if they even
*looked* at food.  One of them claimed she got pregnant every time she had
sex too.  She'd been married for ten years & had four kids. If you
believe her, I have a bridge for sale in San Francisco!  Usually people
think it's other people's addictions which are bad, while they don't
recognize their own.  I like your aunt's openness & honesty regarding
such matters.  :-)



JB>  I'm still testing my logic of the concept. It truly is
JB>  the first abuse one is likely to deal with, typically
JB>  after Halloween.


          Some kids can make their Hallowe'en candy last a year.  I was one
of them & so is Nora.  I'd prefer to believe I'm not "holier than
thou" about it, though, because I've met far too many other people who
think that way....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+