Tuesday, July 6, 2010

They didn't take her

The rehab place turned my cousin Pearl away as an inpatient. They said her last outpatient effort was too long ago—it was 12 years ago, right after her son was born. They said she had to be passed out high on the street or arrested for some drug-related infraction before they could take her as an inpatient with her current insurance. They said however that they would enroll her as a four-day-a-week outpatient, and if that failed to do the trick, then they could revisit the inpatient conversation.

Afterwards, my cousin drove Pearl back to her mother's house as she had a large suitcase with her. "I couldn't leave her in the street with that suitcase," my cousin said. So now Pearl is back at her mother's home and her brother is fit to be tied. He feels that he spent several hundred on a nice 5-day hotel vacation for Pearl and her addiction partner. Now her partner is in the emergency room. Pearl says the reason is that his blood pressure is high. My guess is he took too many drugs over the weekend.

My aunt, meanwhile, is thrilled to have her daughter back home. And the home attendants are resigned. What do I feel? Nothing at all. I am just numb.

3 comments:

  1. Gosh Angella this is astounding. Someone trying to get help...

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  2. Ah Deborah, I can't quite believe it either.

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  3. That is just unbelievably tragic. Will she go to the outpatient appointments? I hope things somehow manage to turn out okay despite this disappointing setback.

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