The third year, part 1

/ CrazyKat1963

On December 11, 2015, Blue Eyes commenced his third year of sobriety. Last week marked the beginning of year three of recovery for me and Blue Eyes individually, and for our marriage. Last night we discussed this morning’s schedule. Blue Eyes would go to his 7:00am meeting with a friend and to the one-hour fellowship after. The friend would return him home and Blue Eyes would proceed to take care of the dogs and then head in to work. We discuss our schedules for numerous reasons: 1) it helps keep Blue Eyes on track, he tends to procrastinate and not accomplish his goals, so any little extra discussion, planning, and organizing helps 2) it helps me remember if I have any obligations to Blue Eyes that I am forgetting, like driving him to physical therapy, or whatever 3) it helps me feel safer in the marriage that once felt solidly safe and that Blue Eyes subsequently obliterated.

This morning, Blue Eyes’ 12 step buddy did pick him up at 6:45am and he drove him to their SA meeting. Fellowship followed. As I was puttering around this morning, and it was well past time for Blue Eyes to have returned home, I glanced at my mobile phone to see if there was a message from him explaining his lateness. After what I have gone through, simple courtesy texts regarding variances in schedule are expected. It may seem like I have this whole thing figured out, or it may seem like I am micro-managing my husband’s behavior and am obsessed with his whereabouts, and the truth is, I have come a long way, but that doesn’t mean things will just happily go back to the way they were. Nuh uh! I trusted him once and we all know how that turned out. I am not being facetious. He is a sex addict in recovery. I do not follow him around like a puppy. I do not have a LoJack on him. I do not have devices attached to his electronics. What I do have is a boundary plan and basic human expectations of ways he will behave differently now than he did before. At this point, sending a simple text if he is deviating from plan is the least he can do if he wants to rebuild that old marriage he obliterated. It is less about knowing where he is than it is about knowing that my needs are important. That I am important to him.

He spent years texting, sexting, emailing and calling other women on MY TIME. He spent years putting his needs above mine. He still texts and emails 12 step buddies and meditation friends when he is with me. However, when those meetings are running late, he has a difficult time making me the priority and remembering the promises he made to ME. There was no text from Blue Eyes, but there was a missed call from a phone number I didn’t recognize… from 6:30AM!!! Who calls at 6:30 in the morning (other than the ex-OW)? It must have been a wrong number, but that early in the morning? I continued with my morning routine… btw, very very happy with my morning blood glucose readings since beginning the Whole30. We are on day 8 of 30.

After another 15 minutes or so, I sent Blue Eyes a text asking if everything was okay. That is when I noticed two more phone calls from the strange phone number. Missed calls, no messages. One at 6:41am and the other at 9:44am. WTF? So I googled the phone number, which belongs to a Chiropractor’s office in the same suburb where my parents live, and also where the ex-OW works. Reg flags, warning signs, alarm bells, all going off in my head. There is a quick text from Blue Eyes saying he is almost home. I pushed aside the strange phone calls and remembered I hadn’t eaten breakfast. Turns out, neither had Blue Eyes.

At the breakfast table, Blue Eyes was rattling on and on and on and on about his 12 step meeting, and fellowship, nothing specific, just general info about how many guys, who was back from this or that vacation, the fact that it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and that is why the fellowship went long. Most of the guys didn’t need to run off to work. He was flying high. I like a good conversation where Blue Eyes is happy and open. Then he started in talking about how the guys can’t believe how good he is doing (post surgery). How the same thing happened at his Sangha last night. His friends were so complimentary about his recovery. How it makes him feel so good. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to rain on his parade, and he is doing well, but I am still reeling a bit from strange phone calls on my phone, and the fact that Blue Eyes was late and didn’t bother texting me. I told him that I am very very happy that he has these wonderfully kind and compassionate people in his life that lift his spirits and make him feel better, however, that doesn’t negate his responsibility to follow the rules, and to be kind to me.

Blue Eyes struggled over the weekend with god knows what. Even he doesn’t know, but sometimes I just get the buttoned up, resentful looking Blue Eyes. Recovery from addiction is hard and it takes a long time to master what drives the addictive behavior. At this point if someone insinuates to me that their addict is miraculously doing everything right, I have to doubt it. I doubt there will ever be a day where Blue Eyes is doing everything right, and not by MY standards, just frankly by human standards. He didn’t make it to his 12 step meeting last Friday. Maybe that was it. Maybe he is obsessing about our son and what he is doing (and frankly, our son is doing GREAT). Maybe that’s it. When the son is doing well, he doesn’t need his dad so much. I freaking don’t know and I don’t even know if Blue Eyes really knows. And I don’t really care. He just needs to keep his commitments to me. He received pats on the back and feelings of worthiness from the women he flirted with and the women he had sex with. He lived off it. Now he lives off of the pats on the back from his meditation group and his 12 step group. That’s all okay, except when he gets so wrapped up in NEEDING those pats on the back that if he doesn’t get them, somehow that means I get the addict Blue Eyes instead of the husband I have NOW signed up for. Blue Eyes is not bi-polar, but he does have distinctive highs and lows and often they are driven not by how he manages his internal struggles, but by what he is getting in terms of outside confirmation of his worthiness.

So, how are things going in our marriage at the beginning of year three for a recovering sex addict and his betrayed wife? In my opinion, of course, from my perspective (because that’s all I really have), they are going. No where near there yet. No where near that place where Blue Eyes understands his own behavior and what drives it, but he is working on it. He still messes up, but in smaller ways. His mess ups don’t bother me as much, but they still bother me. Why do I care if he doesn’t text me? Because I want to know he can make a commitment and keep it. It all starts with the little things and builds from there. His behavior is not my sole focus in life. I could go about my day and expect absolutely nothing from him. But that would not be the open partnership I seek. I am okay. I am good even. No tears, no drama, no depression, no sitting in my bed all day watching television and eating cookies (although that doesn’t sound at all like depression to me, that sounds like bliss!!!). Since d-day, we both made commitments to ourselves and to our marriage. It is important that we both keep them or the partnership is doomed.

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The rest of the story about the strange phone calls goes like this. I called the chiropractic clinic and talked with the receptionist. To be honest, a piece of me was expecting the ex-OW to answer the phone. The girl that answered was off. She stammered a bit and pre d-day I wouldn’t have thought a thing of it. I wouldn’t even have called the number. Post d-day,  I don’t really like her answer. She said they had received a phone call from a non-patient early that morning regarding some emergency chiropractic work and she couldn’t quite understand his phone number. She had called mine in error. She had called mine multiple times, and not left a message. When she explained her error, she didn’t apologize. She didn’t sound like it was a big deal calling someone multiple times at 6 something in the morning.

I had forgotten to mention the phone calls to Blue Eyes while he was at home. I texted him at work… “Do you have a new girlfriend? Who works at XXXXXXXX Chiropractic Clinic???

He texted back “Not that I know of.”

 

34 thoughts on “The third year, part 1”

  1. I had the very same thing happen Kat. H was at a meeting and stayed late to talk to his sponsor. He was two hours late and I was livid as I had no word from him. He apologised profusely when he did come home. Here is what he told me. He felt he was being rude to his sponsor to excuse himself to call or text home and he did not think he would be that late. The fact is that I felt his meeting with the sponsor was more important than one of the boundaries that had been set. There is the proof. What happened then was the usual triggering feeling and a blow up. He finally got it but kept saying he just does not know what to do sometimes. His old behaviour is so ingrained in him. If it is the wife then it is ok to ignore or dismiss. If it was one of his girlfriends he was late for then I am sure he would have texted or better yet not even stayed late and they were his priority. So when he spoke to his sponsor about this event he was told his behaviour was not appropriate and that he really needs to think these things through from my perspective. Argggghhhhh….

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    • I know, crazy right? It does seem that they have figured out a way to rationalize us away so much that old habits die really hard. If he had only asked his sponsor (a good person to ask), he would have saved you both a lot of grief. It is like BE’s Amends step and the list that was supposedly complete. Of course when actually talking with his sponsor he learned that it is NOT recommended to put anyone on there (regardless of whether you think they are a victim, or whether you intended to write them something or not) that colluded in their deceptive behavior. I mean, I know they are still learning, but why do they seem SO DENSE sometimes!!! xxx

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  3. I don’t like the phone thing. Mystery calls. Weird. My sister is a chiropractor and u have gone in for an ’emergency’, so yes, they do exist… But not at 6 in the morning, and not
    Then later at 9… Hmm. Does hubby have similar phone number?

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    • No, his phone number has always been completely different than mine. At this point, the area code is the only similarity. I thought of that too. Great minds think alike 🙂 . My older son’s number, on the other hand, is very similar to mine, but this was definitely not about him. I think the girl was just an idiot and embarrassed she dialed the wrong number. But I am always on high alert now, unfortunately.

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  4. My husband and I have had a similar issue, although its been a problem our entire marriage. I’ve always simply asked to let me know if he’s running late. Especially considering he has taken countless time away from me and our family over the years while texting and emailing and taking calls while with us. He’s self employed and some of that is part of the job. I get it. I support it. But not to the point of being inconsiderate or disrespectful of me and my time. I will give him ALOT of credit that he’s now to the point of leaving his phone at home when we go places. If he does have his phone he’s good at not looking at it. The few times he has taken a call or checked his phone, he’s acknowledged it and apologized without me having to say anything. Or he’s communicated that he’s waiting on a call he can’t miss from a client, etc. Progress. But we still have some issues around him sending me a simple text that he’s going to be late. Its just basic human consideration in my opinion. Now that we live in this post affair world, its a boundary. An expectation. I know he doesn’t do it to be disrespectful. He’s just not wired that way nor does he have the same expectation of me.
    Anyway, I totally get where you on on this. And I agree that its a healthy boundary.
    Way to handle the phone call!!! True healing has and is occurring for you. Hugs to you both.

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    • BE is working on being more aware. Old habits die hard. Technically he is also self employed as he runs our company and work calls/appointments are a bit of a different story. Mostly I am waiting for him to put my needs as a priority when he is with “friends” because friends are the trigger. I am happy that his new friends are about recovery and meditation, and not about sex, but he still needs to be thinking of me. So glad you are getting the respect and attention you deserve. Likewise, my husband is not wired like me so I do cut him a lot of slack. He is making some good progress. Thanks so much for the hugs!!! xoxo

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  5. Red flags are flying in my mind. What kind of medical office repeatedly calls a phone number and doesn’t leave a message? What kind of person answers the phone (even my grandson could have done a better job) and has no idea what they’re talking about? Something’s not right, here.

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    • Yeah, I think the girl was not all there or she was just embarrassed that she called the wrong number numerous times, at 6:00am! When I spoke with my husband, he was more concerned that his old ex-OW had taken a new job and was up to her old shenanigans.

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  6. I totally get this post. Even with a husband who’s just a regular old philanderer and not a sex addict, any deviation from expected or promised action and behaviour immediately sends my mind into a flurry of activity – none of which is positive.
    Those phone calls would have sent me to that office on a stake out. His answer was good one mind! X

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    • Yeah, he’s doing okay, but can do better. Since the stalker whore did most of her stalking by calling me from numerous different numbers both blocked and not, and she worked swing shift, so 3:00am calls weren’t uncommon, the mobile phone is still a bit of a trigger. I just don’t understand anyone, for any reason, calling at such an ungodly hour… I don’t even roll out of bed until well after 9am, hahahaha. ❤

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  7. Oh wow, those calls would have unhinged me a bit 😳 You handled this much more gracefully than I would have. It just shows you how much you have changed and how strong you have become. I’m proud of you. I actually think BE was honest. I learned when people lie they tend to “over explain” things. His answer was short and sweet,

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    • I do believe BE was honest as well. A little later when he had a minute, he called me at home and seemed more concerned that the ex-OW had gotten a new job and was trying to pull her shenanigans again. I do not believe that was the case. Honestly, before d-day, I would have just summarily deleted the calls. If people don’t leave messages, who cares. Now I am acutely aware that some of those people that call obsessively and don’t leave messages are potentially quite dangerous. xxx

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      • You have to give authorization for that when you become a patient or re-sign the HIPAA release. It is such a trivial act you probably don’t even remember you did it after the fact.

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      • Not sure I believe she couldn’t leave a confirmation message. We at Dr. XXXX’s office received your phone call. Please call our office. Regardless whether she left a message though, it was more her attitude when I actually spoke to her on the phone. Potentially she was just “off.”

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          • You know, B, I appreciate you knowing the rules, but this girl was no rule keeper. When I spoke with her on the phone she (having absolutely no idea who I am theoretically) actually told me the guy’s number, thus showing me how similar it was to mine. I have no idea whether she was telling me the truth or not, or making the whole thing up, but if you are not allowed to leave a message on call back of someone who wants an emergency visit, you are definitely not allowed to give out said person’s phone number. I don’t think we are dealing with a full deck here.

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  9. Your expectations and clear boundaries are essential in your recovery but it’s hard work for you & Blue Eyes. I’m resolute in my expectations but dislike the organisation that it takes sometimes to keep them the focus of our marriage. But three and a half years past d-day & we cannot drift into automatic because like you, the slightest detour, or unusual observation & Im back down the skanky rabbit hole.
    I love that you have such clear boundaries that reflect what you deserve. I suspect they are your navigational tools. It’s a long journey but you seem well equipped. Hugs to you x

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    • Thanks, MR. They are a lot of work, these partnerships tainted by betrayal. To me my boundaries are quite instinctual and, frankly, easy to do. BUT, BE is not me and thinking about me when he is wrapped up with “friends” just doesn’t seem to come quite as naturally. I only ask for confirmation when he is way late… so much baggage there. Thanks for encouraging words and the hugs. xxx

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