Hurray for Hollywood, or how I am kicking pain med addiction.

I got some astounding news from my oncologist recently. Cancer is leaving the building. She even gave me the choice of taking a break from the chemo. I decided to damn the torpedoes and go full speed ahead with additional chemo while we have cancer on the run. Additionally, another big decision I made for a very wise reason..( I keep telling myself) was to start weaning myself off the pain-killers that I have been eating like candy. This decision also was concreted by the fact that I had run out of my meds and was forced to go over 12 hours cold turkey and Whoa BABY….that…aint…happening…again!!! So, for the last week I have been taking stuff to make me sleep….therefore skipping one dose while I sleep…CHECK…that’s an easy win. Additionally, I have been cutting the little bitty fun pills in half doses in order to start taking less, again another passive way to cut down. But now comes the hard part. I have to skip a dose during the day, ON PURPOSE!! Yeah…that one is scary. I primed the pump….substitution works….first a healthy dose of about 20 almonds to 1 chocolate because almonds are a good source of magnesium and chocolate is a great substitute for addiction but not so good for anything else. Thus the ratio. Okay…that was a pretty good substitute but it wasn’t enough to take the edge off completely but HELLOOOOO I found the perfect combo for drug addiction therapy AND IT’s LEGAL!!! It’s called Hollywood. WHO KNEW??? Okay…one has to first be a movie lover….which I am ….I love movies as much as I love ellipsis in sentences which my editor husband hates, especially the way I use them indiscriminately and completely incorrectly like a mad woman. He, on the other hand, only watched maybe one movie his entire life from start to finish and it was the movie Walking Tall…the original. That. is. just. sad. So I, YES ,I ALONE, have made it my fifteen year mission in life to introduce him to the magic that is called movies. He is a tough sale. But I am sure he will be finally convinced when he reads these next lines. Hollywood can cure addiction. Yes you read that correctly. It’s kinda ironic really. Hollywood is probably one of the biggest consumers of illicit drugs and while all these monied addicts are going to rehab…and that is great…I have movies. I started movies and ignored the clock. Movie one….some sweats. Movie Two…a little shaky and then I looked at the clock. Did trumpets blow??? Did angels sing?? Nope. But I did make it to the allotted time therefore skipping a dose. I have cancer. But less of it. I have an addiction to pain meds…but I am conquering it. One movie at a time. Thank you Hollywood.