Mother's Powerful Tale: Despite Son's Heroin Addiction, I Held Biases About Drug Addicts

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http://www.alternet.org/drugs/mothers-powerful-tale-despite-having-son-addicted-heroin-i-held-biases-about-drug-addicts



I recognized the number. My son was calling from the ER, barely coherent, having overdosed on heroin yet again. The paramedics had just happened upon him as they were resuscitating another overdose victim in the park. Apparently, the batch of heroin on the street was especially potent and a rash of overdose victims had arrived in the ER that day. My son had suffered an even closer brush with death than I had previously witnessed. This time he had slipped past respiratory arrest and into cardiovascular collapse. If it weren’t for the unfortunate happenstance of another person overdosing in the same park, he surely would have died this time.

When I arrived in the ER, he was still in and out of consciousness. His blood pressure was extremely low and I was concerned that no one was coming to check on him. I was relieved at first when a doctor stepped in.

“Sir, sir!” he shouted as he shook my son’s shoulder. “Are you ready to leave? It’s time for you to go.”

I protested that his blood pressure was only 73/32 and he was barely conscious. How could he possibly be stable enough for discharge?