Читать книгу Hindsight: The Unraveling Effects of Addiction - Denise Williams - Страница 7

Matt

I thought my life came to an end on January 17, 2007, when at 4:15 a.m., I received a phone call from the University of Maryland Medical Center at Shock Trauma. Matt had been in a car accident, and we needed to come quickly. They were preparing him for emergency surgery. He broke, chipped, dislocated, or crushed almost every bone in his left arm and hand. He broke a leg, cracked, and bruised his ribs and had minor lacerations all over his body. He also suffered a concussion. Matt’s toxin screen came back, showing he had high amounts of cocaine, pot, and alcohol in his system. We all knew Matt had a substance abuse problem, but none of us did anything to try to control it.

Matt underwent seven operations and spent three to four days per week in physical therapy over the next two and a half years. His injuries prevented him from ever playing his beloved guitar ever again. Matt became very depressed.

What happened over the next nine years made the previous four seem like child’s play. It was obvious that Matt, with his extensive injuries, surgeries, and therapy, would need pain medication. He was prescribed OxyContin and Percocet. Matt had never taken pills recreationally before. He actually had a hard time adjusting to them. During his first week home, it was not uncommon for him to vomit after taking his medications. He said he hated them but was in so much pain that he needed them. He initially took the prescribed amount of pills, but after about two months, he craved more and more. Matt started subsidizing them with illegally purchased OxyContin and Percocet.

In August of that same year, Matt was hospitalized with seizures. His neurologist said that more than likely, he had suffered a seizure the morning of the car accident. I found out that Matt had been having blackouts and seizures for quite some time but hadn’t told me. The doctor said his seizures were triggered by smoking, drinking, and drug use.

By the one year anniversary of the accident, Matt had a $100-per-day pill habit over what was being prescribed by his doctor and therapist. Matt started using heroin because it was cheaper and easier to get. No one in the family knew. He kept it a secret.