2Sugars, I too have a DD who used to check my breath for alcohol for some months after I stopped - that really brought it home to me how much stress I had put my girls under she went so ashen and trembly once when she (wrongly) thought she could smell it on my breath (turned out to be a Fishermans' Friend that time!) I'd lived in lala land when I thought I ws concealing my drinking, it seems.
Kokeshi, my sight returned as good as new after giving up drinking - but not for four months, during which time I had to live as a blind person, talking books, the lot. I had no idea my sight would come back - no hope was offered me - it was suggested my optic nerve had been destroyed (as happens to those who drink neat or contaminated ethanol) but it seems it must have been just swollen. I know I'm incredibly lucky.
As for you saying however bad your symptoms got, you couldn't stop, well, I was in the same boat myself. I had all sorts of unpleasant symptoms (constant vomiting, bruising all over, yellow eyeballs, itching.) Still I carried on, too far gone to care. Then two things happened - the sight loss, and a sudden inability to pee. Swelled up like a pregnant woman and was in agony. I was hospitalised for a week, and thus dried out for the first time in years, so it was sort of done for me. I never drank again, even though I live in a house where there is always alcohol around - I just don't need it any more, it's not about resisting the temptation of all those bottles, it's just that no temptation exists now the cycle has been broken and I can think clearly again and make choices, instead of being in the grip of a terrible addiction.
2Sugars, as for 'how do you cope when every day isn't a happy one', that came for me when I realised (through experience, not through anyone telling me, and I think it's a lesson that can only be learned that way) that alcohol was no real fix for unhappiness and in fact made things a whole lot worse. The short-term lift/distancing from reality is so very temporary and the stress recurs when sober again (in fact a lot of anxiety/paranoia/nervousness is actually caused by alcohol and may recede once you stop drinking.) Some other lift is needed - or, as Kokeshi says, the ability to 'float' through it and not fight it - 'this too will pass, tomorrow may be different'. Sleep - lovely delicious undrugged sleep! is also good, but may take time to return to a normal pattern.
Oops this is long!