Editor含羞草研究社檚 note: The names of the family members in this article have been changed for privacy reasons.

***

Thirty-five-year-old John is on the road to recovery. He含羞草研究社檚 been sober for seven months now, has changed careers and is focusing on his health.

It wasn含羞草研究社檛 always like that though. There was a time when all he could focus on was getting high. Then came the night he almost died in November of 2020.

John was living with his parents at the time 含羞草研究社� a time his mom, Kate, describes as 含羞草研究社渃haotic.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淗e had nowhere to live and we just thought, 含羞草研究社榃e含羞草研究社檝e got to do something,含羞草研究社� but we were thrown into this with little or no knowledge on drugs and what to do with someone who is addicted, but we just knew if we could give him somewhere safe.含羞草研究社�

On that fateful November night, Kate and her husband overheard very strange breathing sounds coming from John含羞草研究社檚 room. They checked on John and tried to wake him up, to no avail.

They called 911 and stayed on the line while they waited for paramedics to arrive while their son was turning blue.

含羞草研究社淭he lady from 911 was awesome,含羞草研究社� said Kate. 含羞草研究社淪he stayed on the line and did what she could to help, but we thought we were losing him.含羞草研究社�

Once paramedics arrived and took over, they pointed out the paraphernalia consistent with opioid use, and began the naloxone process.

含羞草研究社淭hey gave him five doses,含羞草研究社� said Kate. 含羞草研究社淭hey said at the time that was the most they had ever given anyone who hasn含羞草研究社檛 died. The fifth dose brought him back. He woke up like nothing had happened.含羞草研究社�

John said it started as a typical night for him.

含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 remember too much, but it was a paycheque weekend, so I was partying by myself 含羞草研究社� that含羞草研究社檚 how I liked to do it; I didn含羞草研究社檛 like being around others,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 would mix cocaine with the heroin/fentanyl含羞草研究社�. Usually, you just go to sleep, and you wake up a couple of hours later and you含羞草研究社檙e fine. But this night I wasn含羞草研究社檛.含羞草研究社�

John knows that the paramedics saved his life.

含羞草研究社淚 do remember the paramedic, the one guy especially. I just remember, he just wouldn含羞草研究社檛 give up on me, and I am so thankful. He was a younger guy 含羞草研究社� probably younger than me 含羞草研究社� but he had a big heart, and if it wasn含羞草研究社檛 for him, I would have lost my life.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭he paramedics were so professional,含羞草研究社� added Kate. 含羞草研究社淭hey made no judgment, they just did their job and helped him.含羞草研究社�

Paramedics urged John to go to the hospital, which he did. A couple of hours after being admitted, he had a heart attack.

含羞草研究社淭hat (the five doses) was the reason they thought he should go in (to the hospital) because they had never given that much to anyone before and they were worried about his health,含羞草研究社� said Kate.

John signed himself out of the hospital the next day, against the doctors含羞草研究社� wishes.

含羞草研究社淏ut not before they gave him their two cents含羞草研究社� worth on how much risk he had put himself under by doing the drugs,含羞草研究社� said Kate. 含羞草研究社淗e was doing fentanyl and carfentanil by that time. I think it scared him because he stayed away from it after that.含羞草研究社�

John said although he had naloxone injections before, this one rattled him.

含羞草研究社淚 can count maybe 10 times I had to be 含羞草研究社楴arcaned含羞草研究社� and resuscitated back, but the one in November 2020 was the biggest, scariest one, especially because I was with my parents, my mom, under her roof when it happened,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭here were others, but I believe that one, my heart stopped. 含羞草研究社�

Familiar path to dependency

John含羞草研究社檚 spiral into opioid dependency is a familiar tale.

He was in a bad car accident many years ago, and the drugs he was given for pain relief became a necessary part of his life.

含羞草研究社淗e was critically injured and in hospital with pretty much every bone broken below his head,含羞草研究社� said Kate. 含羞草研究社淪o they started him on all kinds of medication then. He was in the hospital for about three months and then in a wheelchair for another six months after that. With the whole privacy thing I was not privy to all the drugs he was on, but I did notice (changes). I couldn含羞草研究社檛 tell if it was because of how much pain he was in, or if it was the drugs talking, but his personality - that friendly, happy kid that I knew - that was gone. The pain, and the drugs, had taken over.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 when I had painkillers for the first time and I kind of liked the feeling, but I didn含羞草研究社檛 start (with the heavier drugs) until a little after that,含羞草研究社� said John. 含羞草研究社淚 was offered OxyContin and after a while, it just went into a full-blown heroin addiction, fentanyl addiction.含羞草研究社�

He said that for the first while, he was able to limit his use to weekends.

含羞草研究社淚 was trying to use and still have a normal lifestyle, going to work and things like that,含羞草研究社� said John. 含羞草研究社淏ut then it got to the point that I was using at work, too.含羞草研究社�

John would use for a few days, go through a self-detox, then go back to the drugs.

含羞草研究社淚t was always a cycle of going back to it, then detoxing含羞草研究社� the detoxing was terrible. Everything that you go through by detoxing is awful. But then after a week passed, for me, personally, I would forget about the harshness of the detox and convince myself to go back to the drugs 含羞草研究社� After a short span of that actually working, it wasn含羞草研究社檛 like that anymore.含羞草研究社�

Eventually, the high took over John含羞草研究社檚 life.

含羞草研究社淚 ended up being homeless, and that was the only thing that mattered, was the drug.含羞草研究社�

Recovering

John had a relapse shortly after release from the hospital, then checked into a rehab program. He has been sober now for seven months.

含羞草研究社淭he challenges are always there,含羞草研究社� said John. 含羞草研究社淭here are times when I think throw caution to the wind and get back into it, what does it really matter? So I have to snap myself out of it and think about now 含羞草研究社� being sober at that moment; go to sleep sober. It含羞草研究社檚 not been easy, but I have to accept that I have made that decision that I can含羞草研究社檛 ever do it again, for any reason. It含羞草研究社檚 such a slippery, dangerous slope. I know I can含羞草研究社檛 just do it once, or I will be right back at it.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淗e knows what his triggers are, and he含羞草研究社檚 staying away from all that,含羞草研究社� said Kate. 含羞草研究社淗e was in construction, which was a big trigger. So he got out of that and is doing something totally different now.含羞草研究社�

John said the support he has received from his family keeps him going in the tough times.

含羞草研究社淭hey make me so proud. They haven含羞草研究社檛 given up on me, so I am not going to give up on myself.含羞草研究社�

The emotion he feels for his family now is something that was not there when he was in the grips of dependency. But John looks back on that night in November, 2020 as a turning point in his life.

含羞草研究社淭hat night especially kind of hits me,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲hen I bring it up, I shed a tear, just knowing how my mom must have felt, seeing them use Narcan after Narcan kit and I含羞草研究社檓 laying there, dead, in front of her. That含羞草研究社檚 something I don含羞草研究社檛 want my mom, or anyone that is close to me to ever go through again.含羞草研究社�

As for Kate, she said Nar-Anon has been a godsend to her.

含羞草研究社淭hat is what helped me survive,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚 still go to meetings. You don含羞草研究社檛 have anyone else you can talk to about this. Your normal friends don含羞草研究社檛 want to hear about it. But there you can talk about everything going on, and get the help you need.含羞草研究社�

Watch for signs

Kate said if there is one piece of advice she could pass along to parents, it含羞草研究社檚 to watch for certain telltale signs.

含羞草研究社淔or me, it was recognizing when they start losing interest in things that they always loved to do. The sports stopped. My son was an incredible artist. He stopped drawing; he stopped all of that. And his friends changed totally too.

含羞草研究社淲hen they stop seeing their old friends, good friends, and shadier friends start coming around含羞草研究社� that含羞草研究社檚 when I noticed the difference.含羞草研究社�

Island Health offers many options and services for those seeking assistance with their dependency issues. Visit for more information.

terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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