Editor害羞草研究所檚 note: The names of the family members in this article have been changed for privacy reasons.

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

It wasn害羞草研究所檛 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 害羞草研究所� a time his mom, Kate, describes as 害羞草研究所渃haotic.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淗e had nowhere to live and we just thought, 害羞草研究所榃e害羞草研究所檝e got to do something,害羞草研究所� 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.害羞草研究所�

On that fateful November night, Kate and her husband overheard very strange breathing sounds coming from John害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淭he lady from 911 was awesome,害羞草研究所� said Kate. 害羞草研究所淪he stayed on the line and did what she could to help, but we thought we were losing him.害羞草研究所�

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

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

John said it started as a typical night for him.

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

John knows that the paramedics saved his life.

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

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

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

害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� said Kate.

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

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

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

害羞草研究所淚 can count maybe 10 times I had to be 害羞草研究所楴arcaned害羞草研究所� 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,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here were others, but I believe that one, my heart stopped. 害羞草研究所�

Familiar path to dependency

John害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淗e was critically injured and in hospital with pretty much every bone broken below his head,害羞草研究所� said Kate. 害羞草研究所淪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害羞草研究所檛 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.害羞草研究所�

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

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

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

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

害羞草研究所淚t was always a cycle of going back to it, then detoxing害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所� After a short span of that actually working, it wasn害羞草研究所檛 like that anymore.害羞草研究所�

Eventually, the high took over John害羞草研究所檚 life.

害羞草研究所淚 ended up being homeless, and that was the only thing that mattered, was the drug.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭he challenges are always there,害羞草研究所� said John. 害羞草研究所淭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 害羞草研究所� being sober at that moment; go to sleep sober. It害羞草研究所檚 not been easy, but I have to accept that I have made that decision that I can害羞草研究所檛 ever do it again, for any reason. It害羞草研究所檚 such a slippery, dangerous slope. I know I can害羞草研究所檛 just do it once, or I will be right back at it.害羞草研究所�

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

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

害羞草研究所淭hey make me so proud. They haven害羞草研究所檛 given up on me, so I am not going to give up on myself.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭hat night especially kind of hits me,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲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害羞草研究所檓 laying there, dead, in front of her. That害羞草研究所檚 something I don害羞草研究所檛 want my mom, or anyone that is close to me to ever go through again.害羞草研究所�

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

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

Watch for signs

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

害羞草研究所淔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.

害羞草研究所淲hen they stop seeing their old friends, good friends, and shadier friends start coming around害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 when I noticed the difference.害羞草研究所�

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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