Monday June 1, 2009

This entry will actually reflect my own personal life, as it’s something that I believe needs to be known by everyone here in the DE forum.
I will call it my own public service announcement.

This past weekend, I went out with some friends to celebrate my 37th birthday. We went to a club in Toronto called The Courthouse. It is a very sophisticated bar here in Toronto and caters to the 25+ crowd.

Back in the day, I was the typical party girl and could hold my liquor (not that I needed to tell you that but it does come into play with the events from Saturday night).

I didn’t drink much that night, as I only had four Smirnoff Ice the entire time I was there from 10:30pm until I left. My friends and I had found a tall table in a corner to gather around that was close to the dance floor and we stayed by it all night; at least someone was close to it at all times.

I can remember each drink that was bought for me and who bought them – all of them from friends, nothing from a stranger. I’ve never been keen on the idea of someone I don’t know buying me drinks. I am always careful, as I’ve heard the stories…

I can remember leaving the bar to go home with my best friend, her boyfriend and roommate. I remember getting into the car and that’s about it.

I woke up to find myself in the ER.

My best friend told me on the way home from the bar, they stopped to get something to eat from McDonald’s. She said that she turned to me and asked if I wanted anything. I didn’t respond to her and she just thought that I had passed out.

I had planned on spending the night at her place. My best friend told me we arrived home and she tried to wake me up to get me into the house. I wasn’t responding to her. She said that she tried pinching me and again when I didn’t respond that’s when she knew something was wrong. She called 911.

I don’t remember the firefighters dragging me out of the car nor do I remember being in the ambulance going to the hospital with my best friend by my side. I don’t remember anything but waking up hours later to a doctor shining a light in my eyes and telling me I had given everyone quite a scare and they were about to induce me into a coma and that they were going to cancel the CT scan. Needless to say, I had no idea what he was talking about.

The doctor let me know he was very upset with me and suggested that I go to AA and take up square dancing. At the time, my blood work hadn’t come back, so he thought that I was suffering from alcohol poisoning. I can understand his bedside manor now knowing that he’s probably seen cases like this before and he didn’t believe me when I said that I don’t normally drink like this.

My blood work came back and I don’t remember if it was a nurse or the doctor, but someone finally told me the results of my blood alcohol level. I was on the low end of the scale and there was no way that I should be in the state I was in with that amount of alcohol in my system. Something else was wrong.

They concluded that it was more than likely someone had slipped something into my drink ~ either GHB or Rohypnol AKA “roofies”. I was told there was no way in knowing for sure, as they are untraceable in the blood. I will never know what it could have been.

I was shocked. I never thought in a million years that I would ever be a target. I have always been careful with my drinks at any bar. My friends and I always watch out for each other and have never been ones to accept anything from a stranger unless we were present to see the drink poured ourselves. I’m not a stupid girl, so I am still at a loss as to how this could have happened.

All in all, I’m okay, just still a little shaken by the situation. My husband came to get me from the hospital with my three young ones. I will never forget their little faces when they saw me…

I was one of the lucky ones. Whoever did this to me, didn’t end up getting me like they thought they would. I am thankful for my friends for protecting me and always being by my side.

I joked with my husband later by saying, “I wonder if I should be flattered in someway, that they targeted me and not one of the younger kids at the bar.” He replied, “I guess you should be in some twisted sort of way.”
I then thought of DE and how close reality can mirror our little fantasy world here…(thanks Vitto for the perfect wording)

The bottom line and main point of post this is to make people aware that this could happen to anyone. I am still embarrassed that it happened, but will not hide the fact that it did. Things like this shouldn’t be kept a secret.

For everyone that has taken the time to read this, thank you.
Please pass on the word to be careful with your drinks anytime that you are out. You just never know…

I want to also thank Myth, Katey and Vitto again for letting me vent to all of them last night when I was in world.
It helped me more then you know.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart again.