Shocking, bad news
 

I received a phone call from my mom early this morning informing me that my cousin died of a heroin overdose yesterday afternoon. Truly shocking. He was about a month shy of turning 23. We weren't close (he was only about 4 when I left home to go to school, so I just saw him on holidays for most of his life) but it's still shocking on many levels. I believe the drug business was news to his family, but indications were that it wasn't new for him.

Anyway, thanks to a stash of frequent flyer miles, I am off tomorrow morning to attend the funeral on Tuesday. Mrs. Dallas is feeling somewhat guilty that she's not going, but we ultimately decided that a) it wasn't practical to drag the kids (who are, I think, too young to attend the funeral anyway) along and b) even if we could find somebody to park them with for two nights, it would be very rough on the kids considering that we've had no chance to prepare them for it. (I also, tending toward a somewhat morbid way of thinking, wasn't keen to have both parents jet off on a plane and leave the kids behind, just in case something happened to the plane.)

Last night, while in the ER with my kid at 3:00 AM, they wheeled a 15 year old female OD into the room next to ours. The rooms are only divided with those folding room divider thingies, so we could quite clearly hear what was going on in there. Crack and booze, and her family quite obviously unaware that any of it had been occurring.

Youth always thinks itself indestructible. Hell, *I* thought I was indestructible, too. Now, at 47, with a bypass and ileostomy under my belt (pun intended), I know better. A hell of a lot better.

I'm very sorry your cousin had to learn this lesson with the ultimate in harshness, and I send all my best for hope and healing in your family, SD. Blessings of the season, and safe journey to you.

No problem with the plane. let me know when you return so I can say "I told you so".;)

My condolences to you, SD, and to your family.

I've been surprised at the popularity of heroin these days, and particularly among young adults. I've dealt with kids in their late teens, as well as older addicts (not William S. Burroughs old, but guys who are now in their 50s, have kind of the same groove without the ability to write). A lot of the younger users have an inkling of the dangers at best ... and do refuse to believe that they could die, no matter how close many of them have come, again and again.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for junkies. Their families, yes, but junkies, no. "You have the shakes, your nose is running, your stomach is cramping, and you've been dry heaving for the last three hours? This is nature's way of telling you that you shouldn't have started using herion in the first place. No, we aren't licensed to give you methadone. That's right. You'll get enough medication to keep you from having a seizure. Remember this pain. If you use again, you WILL feel this again."

Sorry SD. This kinda thing is way too common. I know a woman whose grown (mid thirties) daughter is back in the house after years playing with chemicals. She's come home to die. sick