I have talked about my Nephew's drug addiction in the Health part of the Forum. My Nephew has lost his wife, children, jobs, and everything good in his life to his meth addiction. He has been in Rehab 3 or 4 times and right before Christmas he was in jail because of the drugs. He should have stayed in jail because at least there he wasn't able to get the drugs. But his "drug buddies" didn't think Ben should spend Christmas in jail so they pooled their drug money and bailed him out...and he went right back to doing his drugs again. His body is full of sores and one of them got infected with mersa so bad that the Doctors at one of our local hospitals had to do surgery and told his mother that they didn't know if they could save his leg or not. They did save his leg for now but even though they are pumping him full of antibiotics his cultures are still showing positive for the staph infection. And they are ready to release him from the hospital. He has no job, no home, no money. And he cannot go into rehab again because they will not take someone with a wound infection that is contagious and that he needs care for. This is not a child we are talking about. My Nephew is in his early 40's and we all have tried to get him the help he needs...but no matter how many times he has been helped...he goes right back to the drugs afterwards. He isn't even allowed to see his children without supervised visits. Drug addiction is a really terrible nightmare, not only for those addicted but for their families and friends too. A drug addicted person will lose everything, will lie, cheat, steal, or do anything else they have to do to get their drugs. And in the process they break the hearts of those who love them. My Nephew has had so many chances to turn his life around and yet he hasn't. He came very close to dying this time and it still could happen. I really believe that this is his last chance to say "no" to those drugs. And my heart breaks because as much as I want to believe he will take this last chance and fight this drug addiction that has destroyed his life and everything good in it...I don't trust him to do so. But I, along with all my Family members are praying for a miracle here and hoping our Nephew is praying for that same miracle too.
It is - it's the 'worst' negative to infiltrate and destroy lives. Booze and gambling is bad enough ! I feel for your nephew, an addiction is very hard to break - I hope he does
I'm kind of "numb" in the feeling department for my Nephew right now. I've watched him destroy his wife and children when he wouldn't even seek help for his addiction. I've watched him lie to all of us family members...and steal from his moma and step-dad. I've watched him go into Rehab and come out only to go right back to his drugs and I've watched him "con" everyone with his bullcrap saying he wasn't doing his drugs anymore only to find out he is even deeper into them. A person's heart can take only so much heartbreak and then you learn to close it off to those who keep breaking it....and to be honest that is where I am at this point. I pray for my Nephew to fight to be free of these drugs, but I'm waiting to see the proof that he is doing this now too.
From my former EMS experience, a serious drug habit is extremely hard to break. I'm sure Ken knows this having been in EMS as well. The habit can/will destroy the person and everything that person has. Some people can be helped, while others refuse the help. There are those, like Steven Tyler, Robert Plant and Mackenzie Phillips that have had bad drug problems, but survived. Then there are those, like Carrie Fisher that didn't. People can only "hope for the best" (and pray) for serious drug users, but in the end, it's all up to the person who is the user.
I would feel the same way Babs - in the end you are too drained to see any hope You have to let go a little and if that miracle does occur, inner strength will return
I believe in the God of miracles, but that God also gave all of us free will to make our own choices whether they are God's will for us or not. I know God can set my Nephew free from these drugs...but my Nephew has to make the choice that he wants God to do this. So far he has not made that choice and by choosing to keep using he has brought destruction and pain to all who love him. I love my Nephew...but I do not love the choice he has made, nor the pain he has caused us all because of that choice.
Please tell me how drug use causes loss of a leg. I just don't understand. I know of folks who have abused Meth and Cocaine, among others, their entire lives, with no such dire consequences.
Even though Ken isn't a doctor, he may be able to answer your question. Since he was an EMS Instructor, I think he'd be the most qualified on the forum.
Maybe this will help you understand @Frank Sanoica What does methamphetamine have to do with MRSA? A study conducted by the CDC and Georgia Health Departments, suggests that there is a strong connection between methamphetamine and the MRSA virus. You’ve probably seen the Faces of Meth, many of which show faces that look like they have bad acne problems? It’s not usually acne. It’s “meth bugs”. Using meth can produce the feeling that bugs are crawling under the user’s skin, which makes them pick and scratch at their skin to the point of creating open sores, open sores that are an open invitation to a MRSA infection. According to Adam Colfax, assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, when a meth users goes to the hospital with a skin infection, doctors automatically treat them for MRSA. Meth users get sores (bugs) like boils all over their bodies which itch, etc. Meth users scratch and pick at these sores which allows infection to get in and spread further into their bodies. They don't usually go to Doctors unless they end up in the emergency room and by that time their infections may have spread enough to have to remove the part of their body the infection is on. You'll find pictures of infected meth sores and more info on the link below. http://www.crystalrecovery.com/tip/tips8.html
Yesterday my Nephew was released from the hospital over here. Since he had no home or money and he still is not well...his Mom (my sister) took him home to Florida and will allow him to finish healing as long as he behaves himself. God is trying to work in his life. Every day while he was in the Hospital a beautiful young woman who no one knew would show up in the evening and pray over my Nephew until the tears would run down his face. My sister said you could just see God's love flowing from her to my Nephew as she prayed for him to be healed and set free from his addiction. I wasn't there so I don't know for sure, but in my heart I believe God sent my Nephew an angel to help him along the path to freedom. I pray he walks that path.
There's a good discussion of it in this Medscape article, but a search on "meth use and mrsa" will yield several others. Oddly enough, heavy drug use was not a major problem on the Texas-Mexico border. Drinking was, and a lot of our violence calls were related to the drug trade, but the users didn't seem to live there so much.
I wanted to give a Praise update here. My Nephew has been set free from his drug addiction...and while God was at it He set him free from alcohol too. Our heavenly Father has in His perfect timing brought forth the miracle my whole family has been praying for and my nephew is now on fire for God instead of addicted to drugs. I believe that "angel" that came to pray over my nephew in the hospital was the beginning of the miracle God was going to bring forth. God's perfect timing wasn't over night and there seemed to be just as many steps backwards as there were forward steps but God is good and He knows exactly what we need and exactly when we are ready for it. When that time came God placed my nephew in the perfect Rehab for him along with a Church and Pastor who helped my nephew walk out of the prison of addiction and walk into a life of living for God. For those who believe miracles were only for the New Testament times...I can truly tell you God still works miracles today. My nephew's miracle is just one of many I have seen in my lifetime of loving the Lord. And I know it won't be the last. My nephew is free at last and all the praise, honor, and glory goes to God for this.
That is a beautiful testimony, @Babs Hunt , and it brings me tears of happiness for both you and your nephew , whom you so dearly love. Having lived with a drug addict /demonic possession for almost 30 years, I well know the heartbreak that a person goes through and all of the prayers we say, hoping for God to do a miracle in our loved one’s life, and in our own struggles to deal with the pain. I am so very happy that your nephew is now drug-free and also that he has turned his life over to God for guidance, and that he has a good church and pastor to help him in this new lifestyle.