It is truly tragic what drugs do to a person, and as a mother I can understand how this must have literally killed you from the inside out :( but yes, as my dad has always said to me, our choices in life will affect us for years and years after.
As for the "dime a dozen" - yip. true story. It just really hurts when you HONESTLY believed that with over a decade under the belt as "friends" there would be a little weight there that afforded you the benefit of the doubt - or at least ASKED about things so that you had the opportunity to give your side of the story. Apparently not.
But, onward and upward... :)
xxxx