And Who Am I!

Hello everyone,

I'm another member of the team producing this blog. I'm a dietitian and an exercise physiologist. But I also belong to a family where addictions have taken their toll. Even though I have the degrees and the experience and the connections that on paper make me credible...what drives me to do this is that I love someone very much who struggles with behaviors that interfere with our relationship. We haven't spoken in years, but he's in my daily thoughts. This is my way, I guess, of turning all those academic credentials into a labor of love, and hopefully of using my personal experience to benefit others.

A few months ago I'd actually started to contact treatment centers in Los Angeles about coming over to introduce myself and tour facilities. And the first trip I actually had an appointment scheduled was completely disastrous. I ended up having to cancel. I felt horrible about having to call and apologize for the waste of time. But the people were so nice about it. I had this odd sense of not worrying, and that the time would come when I'd be able to pursue that connection.

Fast forward to last month. I reconnected with my co-author, a friend for many years who lives just around the corner, but who I rarely see. It turned out she's had similar goals. So I think the cancelled tours were not so much about my getting out to LA and getting to work as much as creating intentional thought and watching things pull together in a much bigger way that I didn't even envision back then. I was ready for what I thought I wanted, but not for this...at least then.

But I am now, and I'm very excited about what lies ahead! Starting with this blog, I'm really looking forward to seeing how this all weaves together. Lots of what I had to know and do before feeling qualified to take on this venture took years of work and patience. And it finally feels like it's the time to take it on.

I hope to see you back here again, as we pull together our thoughts, information, and best wishes for all of you in your recovery journeys.