Where to begin? Post addiction, Post treatment, post revocation.....

Thanks to any of you who listen to my story and may have some insight for me.
I am looking for information about where to start or if it is even possible to ever get my license back.
I was an ER/ICU nurse for 6 years-had an outstanding career, then tossed it all over my addiction.
I tried to stop myself, got out of critical care for a year, but inevitably was fired from my last job for narcotics theft from the clinic I was working in. I knew I had a problem, but didn't seek help until it was forced upon me.
I was charged with theft & tampering with drug records, and was given a drug court diversion that sent me into outpatient treatment for 6 months. During that time, my license was revoked and I was too (and still am) humiliated, embarrassed and ashamed of my behavior to try to fight to keep my license. I couldn't afford to travel to the board for an official investigation, and really didn't feel that I had much I could say to defend myself-I screwed up and didn't feel that I could ever meet their demands or stand the inquiry into my mind at the time, so I just gave up and let them revoke.
So now, I have been clean for 9 months, am 35 days shy of having the original felony charges of tampering with drug records dismissed, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, trying to learn to redefine myself and have no idea where to begin!
I originally told myself I was just done, that I had to forget about nursing, forget about using that degree, and find a new direction-but here I sit, almost a year later, barely surviving financially, student loans up the wazoo, a bachelors degree not worth the paper it is written on, and not a clue as to what to do next!

I considered going back to school, but now am finding that this revocation will follow me what ever direction I go-any license I apply for will reveal that my nursing license was revoked, and at some point I am going to have to explain myself. I can have my record expunged as soon as I can afford it, so that will at least keep the tampering and theft off a background check, but what about the rest?

If I am going to have to jump through the same hoops no matter what I do, why not try to go back to what I love and am best at? But is it realistic? How long should I wait to approach the board? Is there a time frame for being clean, or since revocation that I should wait? Do I contact them myself, or wait until I can afford a lawyer to help me? Is it a bad idea to go back to where this nightmare began? Is the board going to laugh me right out of their office?

Is it possible to screw up this badly, and ever find myself practicing nursing again? Can I ever get back into an ER or ICU? Who are my advocates for this process? I have seen the board really terrorize innocent nurses, what can I expect when they all know I am guilty?

Thank you for listening, it seems that only a nurse can really understand my perspective. I hope and pray there is someone out there who can tell me there is hope, tell me that they have been down this road and been able to recover and that I may have some hope of being a nurse again.