mike_blacklisted said:
Poor girl. This makes me really sad. But, "diagnosis grim"? Not so sure about that.
If she's getting good care this will hopefully all be easily treated, actually. If you're banging dope you often have weird shit happen with your heart. But if you're young and get treated almost anything can be helped. Same thing with collapsed lungs -- they're more common than you'd think. They're also immensely painful. I got one when I got stabbed in the chest like 13 years ago; later a doctor told me almost nothing else is as painful since you have so many nerves in your lungs.
Hep C sucks but is treatable with Interferon; most people have the disease in remission within a year of treatment. I never got Hep C myself when I was using thanks to the Lower East Side's needle exchange program (thank God for harm reduction!) but paparazzi were not trailing me around so that's a whole different thing...
Mostly, I can't imagine what it's like to go through the normal (to me, and many people I know) stuff you go through when you're an addict/ alcoholic under the microscope of the media. I mean, drugs increase any paranoia you might have already... Shit.
In my experience, addicts are very smart, resourceful and sensitive people lost in self-medicating bullshit who hopefully wind up on the other side of it all. But everyone who is an addict or alcoholic pretty much has to go through some heavy shit first before they hit bottom and wise up and stuff. Makes sense to me that so many are also artists/ musicians, actors, etc.
None of what's recounted here strikes me as anything other than what junkies do, including her "friend" ratting her out for a few bucks to the media. I used to get high with a dude who threatened to do just that with Kurt (he was one of the only people in NY who'd cop for him since no one else wanted to have the reputation of the woman who "killed" Belushi -- it was widely understood that Kurt was gonna die soon since he was doing like three bundles a day or something) but he never got the chance.
Anyway, enough bullshit on my part. I'm just thinking good thoughts for her and I hope she gets clean and sober soon.
[Edited on Aug 23, 2005 3:59PM]
Totally man .. I remember the scene down in the LES about a decade ago .. It was pretty bad .. especially along Ave A .. I used to do the door @ Spiral .. I haven't seen much of the old gang for a long time .. do you remember a guy named Metal .. he used to sell comic books on A? I heard he went straight .. could be wrong tho ...
anyway I wanted to add this to your eloquent and informative post:
It saddened me to read all of the ill feelings & self righteous opinions toward person that is sick and may be dying .. shame on you! Addiction isn't partial .. some people are more susceptible than others & you're right, no one forces you to do it .. sometimes once is all it takes to ruin a person, totally changing them from Jekyll to Hyde, but are you going to abandon them, toss them out like yesterdays rubbish, what if it was someone close to you? Or are you going to do the right thing by trying to help them whether they want it or not .. remember they are not in the best frame of mind & decision impaired .. sorta like when you're drunk .. Nobody knows for sure but obviously the so called close friends of Natasha Lyonne didn't give a shit .. with friends like that who the fuck needs enemies ....
So the next time you feel the stress & have a few drinks, make some bad judgment calls .. decide to do a few lines then make a complete asshole of yourself .. expect to be ostracized .. how many times have we all done this or know someone close that has? .. come on folks, have some sort of compassion, she's damaged & in need of some serious repair .. no likes a junkie and no one wants to be a junkie .. but shit happens.
MisterSatan
Portland, OR
August 2002
AUG 23, 2005 09:34 PM