Another update

Hello everyone!!! Sorry Its been forever since I've wrote on here. Its been a crazy past couple of months full of working and vacations. Great news about my brother.. He's been sober going on 6 months and I could be more proud of him. Right now he is working 3 jobs and is looking at going back to school for sociology. I am amazed at how well he is doing. For the first time he is actually seeing how AA helps alcoholics and is using it to his advantage. He's coming home in August to visit and I can't wait to see him. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that things will only get better and better. Hope everyone is having the same luck with their troubles in life. XOXO. -Julie

Update....

Well sorry everyone!! Its been a few weeks and its been hectic in my world with work and travel. Got a call from my mother the other day.. My brother got the boot from the program he was in.. He didn't drink or do drugs or anything.. It was more that there was a couple of rules he broke. Which the facility confirmed! It makes us sad because he was doing great, but we also understand that rules are rules. He's now in the midst of trying to find a halfway house to live in while continuing to keep doing well with his addiction. Please keep him in your prayers and lets hope for the best! -Julie

Good news keeps coming!

Well I got a letter from my brother the other day.. Also talked to my mom and she said the facility he is doing rehab at, is wanting to help send my brother to school.. And guess what he wants to go to school for.. Journalism. I just hope things continue to follow through and that he can hopefully take his rough past, write about it, and , maybe help someone else... Until next time... Hope everyone is doing ok with their own struggles.. Even keep your chins up.. You not alone!

staying on a good path

Good morning everyone! Got another letter from my brother the other day.. I also got to talk to him on the phone for a few minutes.. He sounds great and seems to be doing very well. Seems they've got his medications under control and he's happy with that.. The only thing that seems to be an issue now is his blood pressure.. Its running a little high... 24 years old with hypertension and is on 3 blood pressure medications... One of the effects that being a chronic alcohol has on the body unfortunately... Continuing to keep my fingers crossed that things stay on this good path. For right now, i have seen the stress of my family lift dramatically. We don't have to worry right now... Its nice to have this feeling.. I just hope it stays this way.

Kind of reflecting back...

So tonight I found myself looking at my brothers facebook page and some pictures that he was tagged in.. Pictures of him so drunk beyond belief and have a great time with a huge smile on his face.. Then there were others where he just had this sober, unhappy look on his face- and he wasn't sober at all.. Just makes me wonder what kinda thoughts were going through his head... There are pictures where his hair is jet black and he is so skinny.. Then there are other pictures were he has his normal hair color and looks relatively health. Its sad to look at those pictures because I remember the hell that was going on behind them all. After looking back at some of those pictures, the only thing that pops into my mind is this... Was all those times I tried to be the "cool" older sister and buy alcohol for my brother, behind all of this hell he's been going through? I'm sure it didn't help if anything, but the question still sticks in my mind.

No news is good news, right??

Hey everyone!! First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for commenting!! I'm glad I could finally figure out how to let everyone post! :)

So I hoping no news is good news.. I haven't talked to my brother on the phone for a couple weeks I believe, but I did receive a small, 6 page letter from him. He seems to be doing great!! He loves where he is up there and he loves his counselor up there. I know I put in my small paragraph describing this blog that my brother had Borderline Personality Disorder. Well it seems that FINALLY after however many years of going through this, its been determined that my brother's Borderline Personality Disorder is completely triggered by alcohol and drugs. As long as my brother keeps off the alcohol, the BPD should never show its ugly face again.. or so they say.

Not much to report today... might not for a few more days... I guess they have a family weekend once a month... I figured I would give it a month or 2 to let him settle down there and then go up to a family weekend. More to come later.. Thanks again for everyone's support and always feel free to email or post questions you have. I saw some of you guys messaging me having kids you'd like to see my posts. Thanks! :)

OK back from a long break of writing!!

OK so sorry I haven't been writing in the blog... It kind of seems that when things are going great, you tend to not feel like you have to put your feelings down. My brother has been doing amazing so far.. We had to let him hit rock bottom on his own for him to be able to make a change in his life... Basically my brother was found in a pew of a Catholic church in Atchinson, KS by a father. The father took him to Valley Hope and he began a 2 to 3 week program up there... In that time, he had set up everything he needed to go to an alcohol and drug abuse facility in Minnesota.. My brother got accepted a week or 2 ago after living in MN for a few weeks prior and going to AA. He feels comfortable there and feels like he is making a big improvement... I am VERY proud of him... I know whatever he does after he gets his feet on the ground, he's going to be great at... :) More to come later..