I've been in recovery for 20 years, and I spend a lot of time working with those on the street that are battling substance use disorder, mental health issues, and homelessness. I grew up in Pavilion out in Genesee County, a small town, a farm town. My graduating class was 82 students. The first thing I ever done was drinking.
And then, you know, went up from there. In the first year I had tried cocaine, lots of marijuana, and some speed pills, Ritalin. And then it progressed, by the age of 18. Battling substance use disorder, it comes with a lot of shame and guilt.
Because like I said, I knew what was going on in my head and I knew it just wasn't right, but I didn't think there was anything I could do about it. Understand that, you know, how it feels to be completely hopeless, and think that, you know, like, this is it: this is my life and this is how it'll be till it's over. Somebody had stopped at this house early evening, and they saw me laying there. And I think this person was sober.
It was, you know, Sunday afternoon, early evening, and they noticed like my lips were turning blue. And this was a nursing student. He had got down and checked me, and my fingernails were blue, my breaths were extremely low. I don't remember the number, but very little breaths per minute.
It was very slowed. And he had called 911. And so of course emergency response showed up. And I don't remember any of this, but they took me to the emergency room there in South Carolina, and I had to be intubated on the way to the hospital 'cause I had stopped breathing.
At the hospital, I was in the ICU. They had to pump my stomach, keep me intubated. You know, I guess I had hoses and tubes coming in and out of me all over the place. And I spent four days in the ICU, none of which I remember at all.
I got sober at the age of 24. I love my life. I had said earlier how I had resigned to the fact that I'd be dead by 30. You know, now I'm 45.
My day job's in sales. I sell test and measurement tools and equipment. It wasn't for me that I didn't want to talk to my parents. It was just that I couldn't.
You know, it wasn't personal. It wasn't until after he passed though, all of these guys had reached out, either on the phone or at my dad's service, and really told me how much he raved about me and how proud he was of me for overcoming my substance use. And that was amazing. I have 24 nieces and nephews.
I don't know how many great-nieces and nephews I have. But you know, my favorite title too is Uncle Gary.
Gary has been in recovery for 22 years. He has many nieces and nephews and loves being “Uncle Gary.” “I love my life,” he says. “I had resigned to the fact that I’d be dead by 30. You know, now I’m 45.”
