**No Strings BBW Style**

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I have a dear friend named Dan that I have known for 10 years. I will let Dan's blog speak for itself.

I need to get this off my chest, so decided to share with my Blog friends. My sister, Debbie, has had a lot of issues the past 3 years. Severe medical problems, she developed an addiction to alcohol and pharmaceuticals while married in New York to an abusive husband. Due to her addictions, she lost the rights to her 3 children, which she cherishes and has been fighting an uphill battle since then trying to come clean and get her life back on track.

Yesterday was a whirlwind. I received a call from my mother about 130pm, that my sister was committing suicide and nobody knew where she was. The only clue we had, was the sound of a train passing by during her farewell telephone call. Needless to say I relentlessly searched for my sister throughout the day, panicked of running out of daylight. What was I to do after dark?………I drove through railroad tracks, muddy bottoms and back roads trying to find her. About 4pm, while police and parents were searching her apartment for clues, they discovered her medicine bottles were still in the bath cabinet, but all the bottles were empty. Now the real panic began. Between drinking and pharmaceutical drugs, I was now convinced I was looking for a body and not someone walking around.

The police was wonderful; I give them full credit of responding immediately. The town of Bellevue was up at arms and determined to find her. Every available officer was searching bars, public places, railroad tracks, etc. Even the railroad shut down trains through the track near her home and had engines cruising slowly with engineers searching ditches along the tracks for her. It was an amazing effort made by many.

We were lucky an officer was at my mothers taking the report, when Debbie made her final call home. The officer listened in on another line and was convinced she was serious about suicide, and an all points bulletin was released immediately nationwide. They were afraid that in her state of intoxication and disarray, some whacko might pick her up and take off with her, thus the reason for a nationwide alert.

With angels on our shoulder, we finally found Debbie about 7:30pm collapsed in the center of a 3-lane highway near a set of tracks and near her home. Traffic had stopped and was preventing other cars from hitting her. Innocent bystanders were protecting my sister from further harm. The warmth of humanity was overwhelming at that moment. A definate sign the angels heard our cries for help and did what was necessary to get her into safe arms.

Police and an ambulance took her into custody immediately and sped her off to the nearest hospital. She was soaking wet with hypothermia, bruises from head to toe, left arm blue from the cold and totally out of it from whatever she took. She was completely disarrayed and we were not able to find out what exactly happened. We don’t know if she was trying to make it back home or trying to be hit by traffic. She’s now in protective custody of Bellevue and the hospital. After a late night at the hospital, an exhausting search and mental fatigue, today I’m kind of in a fog.

I really do not know what to do with her anymore and what I should do next. I am her POA and Health Proxy, so I need to remain involved throughout. I’m lost, as I do not know how to fix this problem of hers and lost on how to help her anymore. Thanks for listening; I just needed to get this off my chest this morning…………I know today is going to be another wild ride.

((((((((((Dan))))))))))

i will pray for them all...my brother committed suicide and i know what it did to us.....

How sad! Thank god for people being kind enough to not take advantage of a vunerable lady. I hear way too many stores of that, and it makes me sick. I am glad people were knd enough to take care of her. Prayers for Dan and his family are a definate.

Please tell him that if he wants to talk to anyone, he can join the group and talk to us. We will be more than happy to listen to him.

My heart goes out to him and his family!!!

I will pass on all your kind words & prayers. Over the years we have talked probably days upon days about his sisters addictions. We have both had our own road to take with co-dependency. Sometimes its just nice to have someone to listen.

I'll send him an invite Loce. Great idea.

Dan's blog posted today.

I first wish to thank all my friends for their warm wishes, advice and similar stories. I’ve got a mailbox full of obvious friends and it really warms my heart to know all the prayers and thoughts forwarded.

Debbie has been in ICU since we found her Monday evening. She had severe hypothermia and was completely disoriented. She admitted she stopped taking her anti-depressants a week ago without any of our knowledge, and I think she simply had a complete breakdown. She doesn’t remember much of that day, or at least she isn’t admitting she remembers right now, but we have so many un-answered questions and sleepless nights trying to find reason to the horrid day. We came so close to losing her that it sends shivers down our spines.

Late yesterday she was transferred from a standard hospital to Douglas County Hospital. Now for those who do not know our area, this is the armpit of hospitals. Since she is under county securities and care right now because of the suicide watch, this is where the state sends patients requiring mental health treatment. It’s the real loony farm of the state and our family is quite upset by this venture.

I agree, she needs therapy and help getting her medicines re-established and regulated, but my god, County!?…�?this place is what movies are made of�?.a place where the real cuckoo’s are sent. I feel so sorry and bad for her, but we are helpless since the state is involved.

We have not been allowed any visitation since Monday’s finding. My mother was allowed to talk to her last night for an hour prior to being sent to County, but that’s it. We sit and wonder and wait. Wishing we could do something to help her more. It’s a horrible feeling having your hands tied and shut-off from someone we love. She’s not a criminal and not incarcerated, she had a breakdown! So, why is our family treated like such outsiders and why is she under such close wraps by the state and county? It’s nerve wrecking!

Well, this is about all I know today at this time…�?many have been asking for an update and I decided to continue blogging about my sister and keep everyone informed this way. Please keep your responses with my blog, as your advice, relative stories and concerns are so wonderful to read and you never know, you might help someone else reading also without knowing.

I’m sorry if I haven’t replied to everyone’s emails, I’ve been swamped keeping up with my work and everything required with Debbie and family…�?.but I want you to know how special and how important you all are too me…�?.thank you and god bless!!

Di , my prayers are for you and Dan's family and understand about a loonie hospital .. I got seperated last year and my ex commited suicide 3 months ago and it's hard to deal with because we were more friends then a married couple should have been and we knew that , it was both our ideals to seperate and stay friends , for me he was my first boyfriend and he was like my rock , his family was very cold towards me at the funeral and to my family it's kind of hard not to feel guilty of what has happened to him , now i am off work because i have severe anxiety attacks , i always had problem with deppresion in the past but this time of my life is the worst ... about 10 yrs ago i ended up in the hospital for this and know what you mean by loonie hospital .. one day this girl in the same room as i she slashed her arms i was so freack out ,, i went to the nurse station and told her so she went to the room, another day this man in handcuffs and 2 police officers came strolling to that department of mental health i was in and he was on drugs and was fighting the policemen .. So i do know what you mean by a loonie hospital ..

we need a save place and have the right mental health institude because that is not what most of the people need , yes it is a safe place for her not to hurt herself for the moment . But i hope that someday the goverment will do something about Mental Health .. For our safety and not be affraid as we are as it is when we go in there .. Di all my prayers are with you also this must be difficult for all of you to see a loved one like this and also her children , i wish i could be near you all and give you a hug .. but sending a big one to all of you and will pray for you and always try to be strong ok .. i know it's not easy ..

Best Regards for all of you .

Oh Di... The fact that they found her and she's alive is a blessing... But it's a sad story that gets more sad as they struggle to help her... I will keep Debbie, Dan and his family in my prayers... God bless and be with them all!!!

Dedee... I am so very sorry to hear your story... That must have been very difficult for you... Such a shocking and deep loss you just had... My heart goes out to you... You will be in my prayers too... God bless!!!

Dedee, your story breaks my heart. My thoughts & prayers are with you.

I thought I would update you on my friend Dan.

From his blog on March 2,2007

Well, it’s been a long haul the past couple weeks with my sister, but we seem to be making some headway. Debbie is doing much better……after some much needed drug adjustments and some additional anxiety relaxers, she seems to be a bit more like the sister I grew up with and love so dearly. Wednesday, 2-28-07, Debbie was released from the County Mental Health Hospital………after numerous meetings with her doctors, I had to agree she was ready to come home. She now is enrolled into all-day, everyday, therapy sessions. She’ll continue this for a few weeks until they are assured she can cope with everyday issues and problems………�?I really don’t want anyone thinking my sister has lost her nuts…�?she’s a sweet woman that’s very intelligent. She has simply endured so much hardship and heartbreak over the past few years, it all caught up with her. She told me last week, she felt like she was in a black hole and now way to crawl out. She simply lost control of her feelings and emotions. I am so happy to still have her here with us and to see her regain her strengths and ambitions. She’s actually looking forward to therapy herself!!……………I wish to thank all my friends here whom have offered such wonderful wisdom and words of encouragement. It shows how people can care for people even if we have never met or know each other personally.

Thanks for listening to my babble…………Dan

Thanks for all your well wishes & prayers. If you would like to contact him, his nic on yahoo is lazyminnow. Or follow this link to his yahoo profile.

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