Jack has been drinking heavily for 30 years, he just turned 48 yesterday, once again this was his “last fun weekend”. He grew up on Long Island and was often riding trains into the City to the clubs. The unemployment of the last 18 months has really exacerbated the problem. In February I had to call an ambulance the first time. He had been drinking all day, we got into an argument, so he took, at the time “about 10 or 12 Xanax” on top of whatever all he had been drinking all day. He was taken the the emergency room and did not regain consciousness while I was there. At 7:30 the next morning he called me, wondered how he had gotten there and wanted me to pick him up, he needed to get out of there. Needless to say I refused. I called the nurse’s station to ask them to keep an eye on him because I thought he was going to leave. Well they didn’t watch him. He walked out of the hospital wrapped in a blanket as a coat. About a hour and a half later the police found him and took him back to the hospital.

I spoke with a therapist later that afternoon and she assured me that she had received a 5-day pre-authorization from our insurance company for detox. They then transferred him to St. Francis. Imagine my surprise when he phoned me two days later to say he had been released. This is so frustrating, did staff at St. Francis not read the paperwork that came with him from Penrose or check to see what had been pre-authorizatized for? Now, because of the shortened stay, two days instead of five, the insurance company will not pay the bill. I thought I would have a few days to figure out where I could hospitalize him. But, of course not. At least we are not responsible for this bill either, since the hospital did not keep him to finish the program that had been pre-authorized.

This is a man that when in a situation occurs where he is going to have to take some responsibility, he somehow falls through the cracks and loopholes in the system. Last August he got his first DUI at 1:00 pm with a BAC of .22. He was arrested by a Park Ranger, so he was not jailed. But naturally, as always seems to happen with Jack, he had been asked to drive by the same ranger that arrested him. So, all charges were dismissed and the State reissued his driver’s license.

I am extremely frustrated, he realizes that his only hope is rehab, but cost, and the commitment to a program are really holding up any possible action on his part. If I could find a way to decrease the cost of a program, he may finally commit to something. But, then I am only guessing and being optimistic.