DD
Registered: 07/16/10
Posts: 8
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| | 07/16/10 at 01:58 PM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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| If I only knew. I trusted my kid to make good decisions. He was a good kid. Always did what he was suppose to do. My easy kid. Beware of those kids who like to try experiments such as tasting new foods, to trying the latest power drinks. Those are the ones who like to take risks and they just don't know any better. They will have regrets later in life when it all catches up to them when they are about 22 yrs. old. When they realize they have to grow up after college. Looking at our 23 yr. old son's e-mail and Ebay accounts I see CO2 cartridges ordered and 24 Whip Cream Canisters order from a coffee supply company off of Ebay. This was 2006. This was the start, the getaway to other things. Check your college kids computers when they come home in the summer!! Check history, check bookmarks. Be a totally nosey parent! Don't trust them!!! Once they start to order things off the internet like mail order drugs, they will be put on a drug pushers e-mail list and they will get e-mails all the time tempting them. It is not illegal to order 24 Whip Cream Canisters, but to mail them to a college campus via Ebay pisses me off so bad! This in not right. It was the start of the numbing. He was trying to numb a traumatic experience and a bad feeling from a acne RX and was too young to buy alcohol. One thing leads to another and another after years...he regretted what he did until it was too late. Very long story. He really wanted to live, but he said he was having strokes. I can see it now. Learn from my son's mistakes. God, I miss him. We had such hopes for him. He was so intelligent too. |
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janesmith
Registered: 10/16/08
Posts: 154
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| | 07/17/10 at 02:11 AM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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DD - I am so sorry for the tragic loss of your son. My sincere condolences to you and your family. I can't even begin to imagine the pain and anguish that you've gone through. Thank you so much for cautioning others about the devastating effects of inhalant use. I'm sure that your son is very proud of you for educating others about the dangers of huffing.
It's not just "canned air" as some believe, and the chemicals in those products have actual poison in them. The whipped cream canisters, which when used as an inhalant are referred to as "whippets", are actually nitrous oxide which is what licensed dentists use for their patients. The whipped cream seems innocuous enough since it's usually so light and airy but some just don't realize the significant danger involved. My friend has a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other permanent damage from huffing at the age of 12, now in her 30s. People are either misinformed or uninformed, and it's terrific that you're informing others about the dangers of huffing. Perhaps you can write a letter (if even anonymous) to your local college and/or a local parenting group or school district. It may be therapeutic as well. Please accept my cyber ((hug))
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DD
Registered: 07/16/10
Posts: 8
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| | 07/20/10 at 10:33 AM | Reply with quote | #3 |
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| Thank you for your condolences. We are still grieving over our loss, but it is definitely in my future plans to educate parents. There are so many things in the world that change and it is very difficult for parents to be updated as in technology, drug usage, internet safety...we trusted and just didn't know...we have learned. We have a 16 yr. old daughter...we are smarter now. I am curious about your friend's after-effects and brain damage. What symptoms does she/he have in her 30's now? It would help with some of my puzzle pieces.
Kids need to know to turn to their parents. We live for our kids. Sure, we might get mad, but we are the adults and will help after the shock wears off. As simple as they wanted to be picked up as toddlers, parents can pick them up from their troubles as they make mistakes in this difficult world. We are always willing to pick them up! |
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janesmith
Registered: 10/16/08
Posts: 154
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| | 07/20/10 at 11:20 AM | Reply with quote | #4 |
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You're absolutely right that kids need to be more open with their parents and ask for help, too. Some young people are probably getting a picture in their mind of how they believe that their parents will react but, in the end, it can save their lives and quality of life. My friend still has so many problems due to the TBI and other permanent damage from inhalant use. She has a lot of trouble with balance and coordination, dizziness/vertigo, dysarthria/problems saying words and sometimes slurs, a severe grating at the back of her neck when nodding her head up and down which is most likely due to bone marrow (fatty inner lining of the bones that makes blood cells) damage, word-finding problems when having a conversation - even simple words, auditory processing (understanding what one hears) difficulty and reading comprehension, a nystagmus (a quick involuntary eye movement) which makes it hard to read words and focus one's eyes on an object and that's most likely due to damage to the cerebellum (part of the brain that controls balance and coordination) and numbness (nerve damage) to her face which can make it tough to smile.
If you would like, I can email you a message that was sent out to various school districts and non-profit organizations about the permanent damage that my friend has. Perhaps you can forward the message to your local school district and/or place of worship. Please feel free to let me know. Bless you and please take good care of yourself.
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tylersmom
Registered: 02/09/10
Posts: 26
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| | 07/20/10 at 12:08 PM | Reply with quote | #5 |
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I am so sorry for your loss. I, too, lost a son this January at age 24 from gas duster. He was trying to face a traumatic situation as well. He was only using this for 3 weeks. I share your pain, I feel your pain as well as mine. When did you lose your son? Tyler was my only child.
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Tyler's Mom |
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DD
Registered: 07/16/10
Posts: 8
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| | 07/25/10 at 12:37 PM | Reply with quote | #6 |
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Quote: Originally Posted by janesmith
You're absolutely right that kids need to be more open with their parents and ask for help, too. Some young people are probably getting a picture in their mind of how they believe that their parents will react but, in the end, it can save their lives and quality of life. My friend still has so many problems due to the TBI and other permanent damage from inhalant use. She has a lot of trouble with balance and coordination, dizziness/vertigo, dysarthria/problems saying words and sometimes slurs, a severe grating at the back of her neck when nodding her head up and down which is most likely due to bone marrow (fatty inner lining of the bones that makes blood cells) damage, word-finding problems when having a conversation - even simple words, auditory processing (understanding what one hears) difficulty and reading comprehension, a nystagmus (a quick involuntary eye movement) which makes it hard to read words and focus one's eyes on an object and that's most likely due to damage to the cerebellum (part of the brain that controls balance and coordination) and numbness (nerve damage) to her face which can make it tough to smile.
If you would like, I can email you a message that was sent out to various school districts and non-profit organizations about the permanent damage that my friend has. Perhaps you can forward the message to your local school district and/or place of worship. Please feel free to let me know. Bless you and please take good care of yourself.
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DD
Registered: 07/16/10
Posts: 8
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| | 07/25/10 at 12:51 PM | Reply with quote | #7 |
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| Thank you, J. Smith, for the inhalant abuse personal account. I will pass it on to every educator and mom I know. As moms, we have to be one step ahead. Ironically, I am one of those moms that tears apart my kid's room and goes through all the pockets. It wasn't enough. Little did I know, our son also ordered things( foreign ingredient diet pills and dangerous herbs) off the internet and had them shipped to the house without my knowledge. He had things shipped to college. Gee. He showed me he was responsible with his life at the time and I trusted him/we trusted him. We were one of those families that ate meals at home together at the table and said our prayers. We were one of those family this wasn't suppose to happen to. Our son made one mistake after another, one bad decision after the other...and he was smart enough to hide it well. One big thing I found out from all my meetings now, CHECK their cars and check their back packs from college-way down under to the bottom...but their cars especially. His secrets are amazing and he graduated from college cum laude too. |
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janesmith
Registered: 10/16/08
Posts: 154
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| | 07/25/10 at 10:17 PM | Reply with quote | #8 |
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You're quite welcome, DD. Please do feel free to pass my friend's message along to educators, parents, your place of worship, local school district and even your son's alma mater. How awesome that your son graduated from college cum laude. What an accomplishment! Young people just don't know the true dangers of inhalant use and may even be told misinformation or such. You have a powerful story yourself. Perhaps you can write to the local PTA (parent-teacher association) about checking their kids' back packs and rooms and such. Those that use any types of substances may be very secretive, so you're doing a wonderful job alerting other parents about what to look for. |
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