SAMPLE CHAPTER
My Alcohol Withdrawal Seizure
That Nearly Killed Me
Finally, I was serious about not drinking.
It was ruining my life. I looked sickly, and at such a young
age of only 35. Alcohol ruled my life, and I was deeply tired
of it. I didn’t know, when you are totally physically
dependant on alcohol, you can’t just stop cold turkey.
It can kill you.
I hadn’t had a drink in days,
and I went to a family gathering with my boyfriend at the time.
Socializing, I was standing up normal one moment, and the next
moment I was down on the floor. Here’s what I remember.
Out of no where, my head snapped and jerked all the way left
as if I were nothing and some voodoo doll somewhere was conducting
my motions. Still very conscious of my surroundings, I was utterly
shocked and scared that my body was acting on its own. It wasn’t
my thoughts or brain controlling my movement anymore. Both my
arms started shaking and flapping uncontrollably. My arms were
waiving up and down like I was pretending to be a duck or chicken.
I was petrified; and I couldn’t stop what was happening
to me. Then I was down for the count, and the world went black.
Now, I didn’t feel or think anything. Like a switch, I
was turned off. All the while I was unconscious, not breathing,
and seconds turned into more than a minute, as I started dying.
Later I would find out, after my trip
to the hospital, that I went unconscious, stopped breathing,
turned blue, and my jaw had locked shut so I could not breathe.
My blessed boyfriend at the time was an Army-trained nurse.
First, he used his hands to try to open my mouth so I could
breathe. My teeth clamped down on his fingers, slicing open
his skin. Retreating, he shouted for a spoon to the room of
onlookers. Once in hand, he shoved the metal spoon into my mouth,
scratching and chipping a tooth, to pry my jaws open to allow
me to breathe. They told me I didn’t breathe for quite
a long time. I awoke for only a short period of time bumping
along in the ambulance with its bright lights and siren carrying
me away. I had no idea what had happened. He saved my life.
Thank you and bless you C.L.
After that I was always afraid
I would have an alcohol withdrawal seizure, so I would drink
enough everyday to make sure I didn’t. I also kept a popsicle
stick next to my bed. When I met Joseph, my future husband,
a few months later, in July, 2005, I would explain to him that
the popsicle stick was there so that if I ever had another alcohol
withdrawal seizure, he would need to pry my mouth open for me
to breathe, and then call 911.
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