Spent Saturday night in the hospital

[HEyHEY]

I was at a party downtown when I get a phone call. It was from this guy that grew up in my neighbourhood I haven't heard from in years calls up, he works at a pub on the other side of town. He is looking for my best friend's phone number.
I told him Chris was out of town. Then he tells me Chris's little brother is unconscious out back of the pub and someone better get there right away to take him home. This was bad, cause this kid has a serious cocaine problem. So, I tell him I'll be right there and begin the forty minute drive out there. I got a call half way from my buddy. He says the cops are there now and they think he's on coke and GHB, and I'll have to take him straight to the hospital.
When I get there the kid is lying on the ground and totally unresponsive. He won't wake up no matter what. I happened to know the cop who was attending as well and as he and my friend the bouncer were loading the kid into my car I turned to the people Geoff had been hanging out with and just said, "Who the fuck sold him this shit?!"
They all swore they didn't know what he was on and that they'd just picked him up from home and hour ago. One of them was laughing, "Ha, man, Geoff's so fucked."
There's no way to explain the feeling I had when I heard this. To see this guy laughing at the kid that used to follow his older brother and I around the neighbourhood when we were kids as he lays on the ground almost dying, would usually invoke an uncontrollable rage. WHen he said that I could not have seen that fuck as a lesser form of life and so seemed to shrug of everything he said, because he, as a person, is such a piece of garbage it's just not worth it.
Anyway, they load him in the car and I take him to the hospital. I had to go inside and get a wheelchair and come to the car and unload the kid out of my car and into the wheelchair. A hard task, the kid weighs about 220 pounds. In fact I got him out of the car but had trouble getting him into the chair, his arms were totally limp so I couldn't hook around him and lift him up cause he'd fall through.
It ended up with him on the ground with his head leaning on the wheelchair as I tried to figure out a way to get him in. Then, for one minute he stood up on his own. Looked at me and leaned in, not saying a word. I told him, "Sit in the chair." He flopped back in and passed out again and I took him inside.
The nurses had to put restraints on him cause he was semi-conscious and fighting everything they tried to do. I kept saying, "Geoff, it's Jeremy, these people are trying to help you. Just do what they want, you won't be hurt." He was still unresponsive but when they tried to roll him over he wouldn't budge.
They took a blood test and tried a urine test but he wouldn't pee until they began to insert a catheter, then he began to do what he was told.
After they got what they needed I sat with him for a bit and tried to talk to him, he was drifting in and out and probably had no idea what I was talking about. By now it was 2:00 am and the Dr. said he'd be there for a bit, all seemed reasonably okay so I left my number and told them to call me for any reason as I was just five minutes away. I went home to get some sleep.
At four they called me to pick him up, but when I got there he was gone, the Doctor said he couldn't have gone far... I left right away to find him so I didn't get to talk to the doctor about what had happened.
I drove around without success, I finally went to his house at five AM.. he opened the door. He had walked home.
"Hey, Jer! What's up, man. Come on in." He said to me in a way that would make one think it was Christmas eve and all was well.
He asked if I had anything to drink on me, I was completely dumbfounded.
We had a terse conversation, hampered by the fact he was still wired, or had done more drugs right when he got home.
The next day I went up and he was there, still on something.... claiming he didn't remember a thing from the night before.

We just don't know what to do. You can talk and talk to him and he tells you he wants to go into re-hab, but how can you take it seriously? Re-hab places won't take you until you've been dried out for a couple days and that is a hard feat for this kid.

It just sucks.

[yvr girl]

1. You're a good friend

:hug:

[reyd reid reed]

2. Damn

I'm sorry. I know it's hard and...

You're a good friend.

:hug:

[jpgray]

3. You did well my friend

I've been in that spot before, and it sounds like you handled it well. :(

[BlueIris]

4. Yikes. I'm sorry. Have you considered posting for advice

in the addiction/recovery forum? Or at least calling a crisis line (for you, if not just for advice about the situation)? I'm only suggesting that because it sounds as if you and the family have done all that you can for him for now, and it might be advisable to start trying to get more professionals involved--possibly ones outside of the region you're in, if that is in any way feasible. If you have your own therapeutic resources to seek advice from about this quagmire, or what role you personally want to continue to play in it, I have to suggest utilizing that avenue as well. Wanting (or trying) to help someone leading such a self-destructive life can really take a toll on one's mental health, and getting professional guidance about how to take care of yourself after what's happened is essential.

[Sgent]

5. I couldn't tell if you are in the US or Canada

in the US, call a local hospital and ask for a referral to a detox center/ward. After he has gone through the medical detox, he can then be transfered to a rehab center for further followup. Many/most behavioral health hospitals have both facilities available.

I'm still amazed that no one called 911...

Best of luck, and make sure you take care of yourself as well.

[NorthernSpy]

6. the police were already there -- and they didn't call an ambulance?

:wtf:

Polydrug intoxication to the point of unconsciousness is a medical emergency. GHB (and opiates) are respiratory depressants. He could have stopped breathing on the way to the hospital. Cocaine in overdose can induce a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. When a stimulant and depressant are combined, one can unexpectedly wear off faster than the other, and whichever drug is longer-acting can then exert its full stimulant or depressant action unopposed -- sometimes to lethal effect.

The police should have summoned an ambulance long before you'd driven the forty miles to get there.

The kid's damn lucky you showed up.