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[razgueado]

That's a lot to go through. I wish you all the best, especially Nathan. I'm happy he's got good people in his corner.

He was always a good kid.  Smart, funny, generous. Amazing to watch on a dirt bike. But from the day he was born we knew something wasn't right.  He screamed like he was being tortured for most of his infancy.  He was in his 30s when doctors finally figured out he had a herniated esophagus.  But by then he was self-medicating and the mood swings had started.  He got clean 16 years ago before his daughter was born, but he started spiraling after our mom died in 2013.  Marriage fell apart. Attempted suicide in 2015. And always the stomach problems.  My sister - the Silicon Valley exec - assumed guardianship of him and got him on disability.  He moved into Dad's basement and seemed to stabilize.  Then about 2 years ago he seemed to start unraveling.  It was like the therapeutic drugs for his bipolarity and anxiety stopped working. 

Well, duh.  When you mix Meth into the regime, and start freestyling benzodiazepines, the therapeutics don't work right.  But like I said, he's smart.  So he hid it well, until he fell and broke his collarbone.  Beth was working out scheduling surgery for him.  Blood was drawn.  Whoops.  Jig was up.  Surgery was out of the question, said the doctor.  He wouldn't survive it.  Off to detox.

So now we're starting again. 

[razgueado]

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Peter Gerety is 83.
Singer Taj Mahal is 81.
Rock musician Bill Bruford is 74.
TV personality Kathleen Sullivan is 70.
Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard is 67.
Sports announcer Jim Nantz is 64.
Producer Simon Fuller (TV: “American Idol”) is 63.
Singer Enya is 62.
Actor-comedian Craig Ferguson is 61.
Rock singer-musician Page McConnell is 60.
Actor David Eigenberg is 59.
Singer-musician Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 58.
Actor Paige Turco is 58.
Actor Hill Harper is 57.
TV personality/interior designer Thom Filicia is 54.
Singer Jordan Knight is 53.
R&B singer Darnell Van Rensalier (Shai) is 53.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is 52.
Actor Sasha Alexander is 50.
Rock singer-musician Josh Homme (HAHM’-ee) is 50.
Rock singer Andrea Corr (The Corrs) is 49.
Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy (SEN’-dul rah-mah-MURTH’-ee) is 49.
Actor Rochelle Aytes is 47.
Singer Kandi Burruss is 47.
Actor Kat Foster is 45.
Actor Ayda Field is 44.
Actor Ginger Gonzaga is 40.
Folk-rock singer/songwriter Passenger is 39.
Dancer-choreographer Derek Hough (huhf) is 38.
Actor Tahj Mowry is 37.
Actor Nikki Reed is 35.
Singer Kree Harrison (TV: “American Idol”) is 33.
Actor Leven Rambin is 33.
Actor Samantha Browne-Walters is 32.
Actor Justin Martin is 29.

Eleven.

[LuvTooGolf]

That's a lot to go through. I wish you all the best, especially Nathan. I'm happy he's got good people in his corner.

He was always a good kid.  Smart, funny, generous. Amazing to watch on a dirt bike. But from the day he was born we knew something wasn't right.  He screamed like he was being tortured for most of his infancy.  He was in his 30s when doctors finally figured out he had a herniated esophagus.  But by then he was self-medicating and the mood swings had started.  He got clean 16 years ago before his daughter was born, but he started spiraling after our mom died in 2013.  Marriage fell apart. Attempted suicide in 2015. And always the stomach problems.  My sister - the Silicon Valley exec - assumed guardianship of him and got him on disability.  He moved into Dad's basement and seemed to stabilize.  Then about 2 years ago he seemed to start unraveling.  It was like the therapeutic drugs for his bipolarity and anxiety stopped working. 

Well, duh.  When you mix Meth into the regime, and start freestyling benzodiazepines, the therapeutics don't work right.  But like I said, he's smart.  So he hid it well, until he fell and broke his collarbone.  Beth was working out scheduling surgery for him.  Blood was drawn.  Whoops.  Jig was up.  Surgery was out of the question, said the doctor.  He wouldn't survive it.  Off to detox.

So now we're starting again.

That's a shame. Seems like detox and rehab is usually a multi-visit situation. Here's hoping this is the one that sticks.

[Travellin Dave]

We've officially passed GEICO for the #2 auto insurer spot. Wonder if we'll get a tchotchke to celebrate?

Way to go Flo!

[Travellin Dave]

Think we'll do a three for three on Bdays today.

[Travellin Dave]

2 of 3

[Travellin Dave]

3 of 3

[LuvTooGolf]

Cupcake lull?

[LuvTooGolf]

And now lunch lull.

[A Friend of Charlie]

Wordle 697 5/6

⬛⬛⬛🟨🟨
⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛
⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

[A Friend of Charlie]

Today's Over/Under is 6
Raz Over/Under is 10

7

[LuvTooGolf]

Hazzuh!

[A Friend of Charlie]

Hazzuh!

You work some OT on the backend too?

[bluecollar]

Nah, before I say g'night, I want to show you something.

This is a picture of my brothers and I talking. You can see the tip of my boot. We did this for most of three hours tonight. That's not amazing. What's amazing is that the skinny, bearded guy in the middle is in the picture at all. That's my youngest brother Nathan.

Nate is a Type II bipolar. He started using again about two years ago. We knew something was wrong, but we have a long history, so we didn't know if he was using or just being mentally ill. But then it took a serious detour and we knew what was happening, and it got ugly. That was about thirteen days ago. He was a dead man walking, but my long-suffering sister managed to get him into an ER at Harborview Medical Center, where he spent 10 days detoxing. Then he crawled up inside my guest room on Friday, while we work to get him into a rehab program.

Tonight, my brothers and I spent three hours talking. Nathan is lucid, present, and for the moment, at least, he is committed to the coming rehab. Thad and I - that's Thad on the left - are just happy to have our brother back for a moment.

It was a good night. We talked. We made plans. We tried to keep everything in perspective, and focus on getting through the day. But there was hope. My brother Nate was there, and he was talking.

I wish for all of you that you never have to deal with addiction issues in your family. If you do, I'll be there. My clan will be there. It is my hope that my brother Nathan will be there.

Peace, my friends. I truly do love you all.

That's a lot to go through. I wish you all the best, especially Nathan. I'm happy he's got good people in his corner.

Ditto

I've seen way too many families tore up by this. I hope your brother finds his way.

[A Friend of Charlie]

Only Friday left. That's crazy. Today was touch and go but with perspective to what Bret and family are going through, I won't complain.