Rehab

About four hours after the Brachy prostate seed patient’s treatment, he was ready to go home. Penny got the call from recovery, so she poked her head back to the office area and called out “The room is ready.” I grabbed the meter with the thin crystal detector and headed down to recovery. Sometimes a seed falls out from a sheet or wherever, or the catheter bag of piss might have a seed, but today nothing. So, after I checked the room, it was time to take off and go to my substance abuse evaluation which my attorney had recommended.

I went to The Park on The Ridge, one of the local treatment centers, and spoke with a nurse. I told her the story: depressed, drinking, son turns off my computer, I jump up and chase him and black out. Next thing I know there’s a sheriff’s deputy in the house asking me questions and a little voice inside my head says: ‘don’t say a thing.’

“Well,” she began, “any time there’s a blackout associated with alcohol that’s an automatic. You qualify for admission into our program. I will say, though, that in this case you also might have experienced an adrenalin blackout, which, in a way, is even more severe. For instance, you may have heard of the occasional act of heroism, where a mother can lift a car off her injured child. After the fact she won’t remember a thing about it. She’s had an adrenalin blackout. The body is capable of a lot more that we realize, but it limits itself to avoid self-damage. In an adrenalin blackout the ‘fight or flight’ response is triggered, and all bets are off. The body takes over from the brain in order to survive. If that’s what was going on with you and your son that day, then you’re both pretty fortunate that he only got two stitches.”

“I remember a time when I blacked out with no alcohol, and I have blacked out a couple of times with alcohol, over the years, but that was back in my 20s.”

“Well, if you’ve been drinking more because of your marital stress, then perhaps your 20s are catching up to you. Adrenalin, alcohol, or both, it doesn’t matter: you blacked out.  I’m going to recommend our outpatient substance abuse program. You won’t miss any work. It’s five nights a week for six weeks, then four nights a week for two weeks, et cetera, and then you’re done. At this point it’s voluntary, but at some point, the Judge in your case may order it. Do you ever watch Southern Park? If you start now, you’re ahead of the game, and from what previous patients have told me you’ll be glad you started right away. And it’s covered by your insurance; you only pay a weekly co-pay.”

“I don’t watch Southern Park, but sure, where do I sign? I don’t think I have much of a choice.” And I signed the paper.