When I talk about my head injury, I don’t say I was in an accident, I say I was in a wreck. Accidents just happen. This was a wreck. It happened because I’d been drinking. It was no accident. I’d already gone to jail for drunk driving and right after I got out, I went to an open bar party that my car insurance lady was throwing. I drank scotch and water all night long when they finally cut me off. I left that party totally drunk, nobody tried to stop me.
So, I drove to one of my other favorite bars, but they cut me off immediately, but they didn’t try to keep me from driving. I got back in my car, drove 18 miles to my house. I’d been driving home drunk for 16 years, but this time I drove straight into a telephone pole.
I was in a coma for 22 days, and I damn near died a couple of times. When I finally woke up, the first thing I said was “Damn, I need a cigarette!” My mom said, “Cindy, Why don’t you just quit? You haven’t had a cigarette for 22 days.” So I did. Pretty soon after that, I thought, “Oh man, I need a drink.” I begged my old drinking buddy Tommy, to bring me a shot of whiskey to the nursing home where I was staying. He said: “Girl, you haven’t had a drink going on 2 months now, why don’t you just quit!”
I knew I had to get clean & sober just to live. Hell, I had to learn how to eat, walk, talk, read, take pictures, all over again! The thing that really got my attention was when Dr. Luker said: “Ya know Cindy, you have a drinking problem”!!! I looked at him like you aren’t telling me nothing new!” Then he said: “Your Blood/Alcohol Level was .386 and .400 is dead.”
So the bottom line is. Drink all you want…but just don’t DRIVE!!!
Pete
September 26, 2018 @ 8:16 am
Some sage advice here. Glad you found your way and stopped drinking and driving
Jenny
September 26, 2018 @ 12:14 pm
If I have had more than one drink and I am far from home, I take an uber. It wasn’t always that way and I am thankful, so thankful, that nothing ever happened. I have to set an example for my kids. They need to know to not drink and drive and not get in the car with someone who is drinking. Your story is scary, but a lesson to us all.
Jane
September 26, 2018 @ 7:53 pm
I was in a car driven by a drunk driver once and I shudder whenever I think about it now. He drove like a maniac with about 4 of my friends, high speed through the hills where I lived. I didn’t know he had been drinking.
JOHN MULINDI
September 27, 2018 @ 5:22 pm
I think the best advice is don’t drink and drive, irrespective of how little it can be. If you drink pick a uber/tax.