Robert A.

A little over ten years ago I got real, real sick. And my body just couldn’t take it anymore.

I thought the true alcoholic or something like that was that poor soul who was standing on the corner with a cardboard sign. Robert

The alcohol wouldn’t fix it anymore. So I got admitted to North Austin Medical Hospital and from there I went into a diabetic coma for 28 days. I was also diagnosed with what they call “wet brain.”

When I came out of the coma I had to learn how to function again. I had to remember my daughter’s names, and learn how to write.

I was always the king of denial and never knew—never thought I had a problem.

It was a big eye-opener for me. I didn’t think that somebody like me—I, mean, I went to work every day and I helped run a business. Since I was functional, I thought I was okay.

Because I thought the true alcoholic or something like that was that poor soul who was standing on the corner with a cardboard sign.

But see here I am living this second life just drowning in the bottom. And I had no idea the magnitude of what alcohol had done to take over my body, or my life, or my family, or everything else.

When I got out of the hospital, I was still somewhat in denial. I can remember a conversation with my three daughters and my oldest daughter said, “Dad, we need to go to treatment.” And the alcoholic I am—or, I still wasn’t an alcoholic in my mind—thought, “don’t worry about that.”

I was supposed to go to a treatment center in Kerrville, Texas and the insurance fell through, so I was stuck without a place to go.

Being a quick thinker, I said: “Don’t worry about this, I can do this on my own. I know where a couple of AA clubs are, I’ll just start going there myself.”

And that was my first day of being in recovery.

My name is Robert, and I choose recovery every day.