Project GHB Newsletter
January 2003 Volume 1
Topics:
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Emergency Room
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003
2:33 PM
To: projectGHB.org
Subject: Emergency Room--last night
Hi.
I live in Springfield, MO. Last night, January 4th, I spent
most of the latter part of the evening until 6am at St. Johns
Emergency Room.
I called one of my friends that I saw out dancing to see if he
needed a ride home. The first time I called through, he didn't
answer. I had thought maybe he hooked up with someone.
About 10 minutes later, I called again and a woman answered his
phone. I asked her if Tony was there (no one ever answers his
phone other than himself). She said he was...passed out on a
sofa at this club we were all dancing at.
A friend and I drove back over (that is where we were dancing as
well) and when I walked in....at first I thought he was really drunk
and had gotten sick. But when I got closer, I could tell he
wasn't drunk, but on something. I ask this woman who she is
and what he has taken. She says, "the guys say he took GHB."
I don't know anything about drugs other than what I have been told
by friends or have read on the Internet. "Tony" was passed
out, barely moving, his eyes fixated and every 5 minutes or so he
would convulse and this woman and I had to lean him over so he could
vomit bile. It was bad.
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She kept telling me that he would "sleep it off." Then
the manager of this club comes out and downplays the entire
situation. "Oh, he'll be ok." Just put him on his side,
place a bucket by him so he can puke and he'll be fine in the
morning." I thought to myself, he is NOT going to be
okay. It's not that simple.
I don't know what time he was found on the sofa in this state.
I am assuming it was around 1:30am ---when the club closed.
I checked his pulse and could barely get a read. Close to 2am,
I announce that he is leaving. I ask for help and I have my
friend pull his truck up to the door. 3 people had to help us
carry him out to the truck. Tony couldn't move by himself.
I sat in the back seat with him, talking to him......hoping he could
hear me. I had a cool washcloth in one hand and his head was
leaning on my chest. We had the windows rolled a down a bit
---trying to get some air in. I knew.....it was a gut feeling
that he wasn't going to make it.......and that is when I told my
friend to speed up----turn his hazard lights on and just get us to
the hospital.
We pulled up and I don't think the nurses understood how serious
this was. They finally get him in one of the rooms, get him
undressed and cleaned up a bit. Needless to say, he was
covered in vomit.
A nurse comes out and tells me that his heart rate is 20 bpm and he
is barely breathing. They have to get him on an E-2 (breathing
machine). I call his parents and the entire family arrives.
We all huddle together and await any news of the outcome.
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To make a long story short......
A nurse came out and told me that I had saved his life by getting
him to the emergency room when I did. "Tony" had to be
transferred to ICU (Intensive Care Unit) where I last saw him with
all sorts of machines around him, a tube for everything you could
imagine. He was still on the breathing machine and they were
running an IV as well as a few other odd looking tubes. They
had pumped his stomach and ran all sorts of tests. I think he
is going to be okay, I don't know.......I am going to see him in a
few hours.
When I saw him, he mouthed, "What happened?" I told him a bit
about him being passed out on sofa and taking him to the hospital.
I didn't want to tell him the entire story with his parents standing
there.
I about cried....he was trying to talk to me.....and just held my
hand tightly. We all knew that it was by the grace of God that
he was as conscious as he was.......and I thank God for listening to
my gut feeling and getting him there as soon as possible.
The police were there as well. N o
one knows whether or not he took it himself knowingly or if someone
slipped it into his drink. His billfold is missing, so the
chances of someone intentionally doing this to him are high.
I hope you post this letter on your website. Anytime we go out
with friends we MUST watch out for them. Watch who is giving
them drinks and make sure you leave with who you arrived with.
If you see a friend at a club, that you didn't arrive with, MAKE
SURE THEY HAVE A RIDE HOME!
My thoughts are with those families who have lost a friend or family
member due to GHB. Last night is something I will never
forget.
---Sidney
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