She Saw The Light

A 55-year old nurse, managed a successful medical practice and attending to the health of her local community for nearly 30 years. She and her husband, a local businessman, raised children and found themselves in their empty nest. Finding that her nursing career was not essential to her family's finances, she "retired" and grew bored. Drinking became more common as it was exciting and cured her boredom.  She knew she had a problem, but wasn’t able to stop drinking.  Then, she was stopped by the police for DUI. Her "blue light special" landed her in front of the judge, pleading for a chance to prove she was not an alcoholic but a well respected nurse. She was granted a deferred prosecution on strict conditions, including no alcohol consumption. She wanted to want to stop drinking. But she continued to drink.

A probation officer was assigned to monitor the strict conditions of no alcohol possession or use, attendance at AA meetings and only lawful behavior. The probation officer noted the former nurse had not filed the attendance sheets from the outpatient treatment center and notified the judge. The judge summoned the retired nurse to explain and face jail for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of probation and the deferred sentence.

But she could not quit drinking despite the shame and guilt of her arrest and increasing sanctions imposed by the Court. She sought help outside the traditional Court system, at the AA meetings, mandated by the Court. There she learned she was one of many alcoholics and spoke of her drinking in meetings, one drunk to another. This was the first time, she honestly tried to quit entirely.

She appeared in front of the judge and explained her attendance at AA meetings and desperately asked for ‘one last chance’.  The judge granted her that opportunity and she became actively involved in AA.  Just two years later, she was ‘back on track’, no longer a burden to her community but giving back to her community as a recovering alcoholic, like she had as a nurse.