Things went along status quo. If the day got to be too much, just pop a couple more. and it would drift away. This was not how I had ever wanted to interact with someone I loved. And yet the shame of my using began to grow and a dichotomy split me down the middle; the me I knew as who I was and the me I knew when the drug helped me feel whole. This would be the crucible in which all relationships with me in the future would be formed.
Toward the end of my 4th year in medical school, whether out of shame or whatever, I decided that I would just be holding my girlfriend back were we to marry. We ranked residencies differently and she went to the University of Virginia while I stayed in Galveston.
Toward the end of my 4th year in medical school, whether out of shame or whatever, I decided that I would just be holding my girlfriend back were we to marry. We ranked residencies differently and she went to the University of Virginia while I stayed in Galveston.
Toward the end of my 4th year in medical school, whether out of shame or whatever, I decided that I would just be holding my girlfriend back were we to marry. We ranked residencies differently and she went to the University of Virginia while I stayed in Galveston.
I graduated from medical school and I started a residency in Internal Medicine. During my internship I met the love of my life, my future wife. We dated for four years. During those years I continued to take the medication. When she saw how often I was taking the medicine, she started to show disapproval. Because of this I did the only logical thing, at least the only logical thing for a drug addict, I began to lie about it so she would not think less of me. The mind of a drug addict is an interesting thing.
As I continued to take the medicine, it began to work less well. I increased the dosage to four tablets at a time and squeezed the doses more closely together. This continued over the next seven years. I joined a medical practice after finishing my residency. It was a good job working with good people.
My life seemed to be on track. As a child and young adult, my father was not a role model. He was an abusive and violent alcoholic. I hated the things his alcoholism did to both he and my family. There was no stability. I think he and my mother loved each other; they could just not live with each other. So we moved about every six months to get away again. I told myself that when I grew up I would make better for my future family. I told myself that I would get married once and raise any children I might have with love, compassion, and most of all, stability.
After my starting with the new medical practice, I asked my wife a question that I had never asked anyone – would she marry me. We were married after my first year of private practice. I had bought a small, rundown house and had remodeled it. We lived there for a couple of years. In July, 1996 we had a son, Jarrod. After the second year of private practice I accepted a job as an assistant professor at my medical school. I helped to run a newly opened urgent care clinic. My wife and I decided to move to a larger house. I worked at the medical school for four years as medical director of the urgent care clinic. After that the university made a decision to close the urgent care clinic and merge it into the Department of Family Medicine and my contract was not renewed. I felt hurt that the University did not want me to stay on in another capacity but I am sure the Fioricet had something to do with that.
