Good day to all
My name is Ashley Nicole Damian, however I go by Shea or Cole. Due to my delicate situation those that know me well call me Cole, while in meetings I use Shea, and my family they call me Ashley but another story for another time. SO MY NAME IS COLE AND I AM A SICK DEFEATED ADDICT! 
Yes I am a RECOVERING drug addict. I have 2 years clean and sober. I am one of the lucky ones, I'm alive after 7 years of relapsing after having months. I got 3 yrs then relapsed. 
However a MASSIVE HEMORRHAGIC STROKE AFTER MY 6TH BRAIN SURGERY SAVED ME IN MANY WAYS. YES YOU READ RIGHT. I have had 8 brain surgeries in 10 years.
I should have told you, TEN YEARS AGO I WAS DIAGNOSED (FINALLY AFTER YEARS OF PAIN) WITH A RARE BRAIN DISEASE CALLED ~CHIARI MALFORMATION~ There is no CURE however it can be managed.
AFTER THE STROKE DRS WROTE PATIENT HAS 24 HOURS.. I FOUGHT, I WAS IN A COMA, BUT I FOUGHT. BECAUSE OF THE STROKE I HAD TO LEARN EVERYTHING FROM SPEAKING, CHEWING, AND WALKING. I ALSO HAVE A T.B.I
 I DECIDED TO WRITE MY BLOG AND BOOK TO GIVE HOPE, STRENGTH, AND FAITH TO THOSE WHO, LIKE ME NEEDED HELP, YET I NEVER ASKED. I HAPPEN TO HAVE A SPONSOR WELL BEST FRIEND THAT BELIEVED FOR ME WHEN I COULDN'T. ALTHOUGH WHEN I WAS IN SEVERE DEPRESSION READY TO USE HE KNEW. HE SAVED ME FROM MYSELF. 
I PLAYED THE SICK VICTIM TOO LONG... 
I HOPE BY SHARING MY EXPERIENCE, STRENGTH, & HOPE, I CAN HELP AT LEAST ONE PERSON. REGARDLESS, ADDICTION OR ILLNESS, HELL MAYBE BOTH. I PROMISE TO BE REAL, RAW AND UNCUT, IF THAT MEANS SOMEONE CAN LOOK BACK AND HAVE GRATITUDE FOR MY WORDS WELL IT'S WORTH IT
MY PAST LEAD ME TO MY PATH. GOOD, BAD, AND TOO FUCKED UP TO HAVE A WORD FOR. 
TODAY I AM HAPPY TO BE ALIVE, GRATEFUL FOR THE STROKE (YES GRATEFUL) IT NOT ONLY SAVED ME, IT CHANGED ME. I'M GRATEFUL TO BE CLEAN, FOR MY FAMILY, AND OF COURSE MY GF WHO AFTER 4 YEARS APART SPOKE TO ME.
PLEASE EVEN IF YOU ARE THE OTHER HALF READ THESE WORDS. 
I CAN&WILL HELP
KEEP THE FAITH
COLE