I asked my patient's permission to take these photos of the stump that was left from the amputation of his left leg. He was a drug addict who went on a drug replacement program but missed the highs he used to get on Morphine. Being an intravenous user, he dissolved the subutex that he was supplied with and injected it into his femoral vein . Something he had been doing for guite some time. The last time he did this however, he made a mistake and injected the cocktail he had made into his femoral artery which, as a result was totally destroyed after getting infected and ulcerated. He went to the hospital too late, the blood supply to his left leg was completely cut off and the leg became gangrenous and had to be amputated.He was not my patient to start with, only coming when the pain from the leg that was at that time gangrenous was causing his too much pain. At that point the doctors had told him,go home and wait till the leg gets bad enough for us to amputate. He was screaming in pain and there was nothing I could do except to give him more subutex and dormicum to help him get some peace and relief.
These photos are a grim reminder of what can go wrong in our search for joy...if only people knew that zikr and meditation can bring more joy than drugs.
10 comments:
Yes, that reminds me that I didnt get the chance to ask you more on zikir that day...
I hope this man has found peace after paying such a heavy price. Why did they send him home and make him wait until it was bad enough to amputate?
Sume, I do not think he got much sympathy from the doctors after what he did. Perhaps there was no room for him at the hospital and they needed to be sure the leg could not be saved. I have no idea really.He is now going to religious class and according to him is very sorry for what he has done. It is a good thing his mother did not abandon him and is willing to take care of him, even giving him money to buy his painkilling drugs which are very expensive.
I don t know what your experience of drug addicts and drug addiction are Beatrix but they are a trial not only to themselves but to all who interact with them. He was on a rehab program but was searching for thrills. Something I chose to play down.The rehab drug is more than sufficient to stop the craving if taken in the usual manner ie under the tongue.
He gave permision for me to take photos . He said let others learn from his mistakes. There are very many in his condition since it is a common mishap. Another which I did not mention would be the spread of HIV via the sharing of needles .This problem is not only the drug addicts but all the people around him, his partner, bis children etc and etc.
Mothers have a choice too. They can chose not to have anything to do with their adult children.
I think Nurehuda wanted to emphasise the goodness that came out of such a trying experience for the poor man and his family. He himself wanted others not to make the mistakes/accidents he made, hence his willingness for the photos and his story being told. And his mother was there for him, which also illustrates the power of human love and forgiveness. Perhaps from one point of view, you could say that he is guiltless, as only those who have unbearable problems will have a need for escapism via drugs. But the whole episode has brought him and his family much sorrow, and he is trying to positively make the best out of his experiences for the benefit of others. Isn't that true rehabilitation and forgiveness? He is accepting his mistakes, forgiven himself and moving on with his life.
I think everyone has a choice whether to do good or to do evil. In today's confused world, anyone who makes the right choice, no matter how much the choice is taken for granted, is cause enough for celebration and praise.
May God bless all of us in our path towards Him.
Dear Beatrix,
Right and wrong are relative. Correct and incorrect are also relative.Perpectives change with experience and different experiences mean different perspectives. Most mothers do not abandon their children , then again many do. We do not know what experience make them do that.Who are we to label them?
Dear Beatrix,
Your anguish over your child is understandable and your loving him unconditionally is admirable . Homosexuality has also been attributed to an inherited tendency by some scientists .Something for you to think about.
Ambo betul2 tak faham apa yg hamba Allah ni nak. Dia nak orang faham dia dan dengar pendapat dia tapi pendapat org langsung tak nak dengar. Dia ingat dia saja yg betul. Sabar je la Nurelhuda. Dia ni skit2 jek nak merajuk, tak nak dtg sini dah tapi jgn risau, dia akan dtg balik :) Kita maafkan dia saja la...semoga Allah swt memberi kita dan dia Taufiq dan hidayah. Ameen
Ambo pun tak paham juga mak cik (atau nenek kita) kat atas tu. Nampak gaya nya, dia nak semua orang ikut dia saja, setuju dengan dia, baru betul. Agak-agak nya emak-emak di negara dia tu, semua nya macam tu ke? Jangan nak bohong ye!! Kita pun tahu juga apa yang berlaku disana,ye!
Dia datang pun tak dijemput. Kalau dia nak pergi pun, bukan nya kita halau.
Nurelhuda, ayat awak yang akhir sekali pada dia tu dah sesuai sangat lah !!
Biarkan dia laaa , kalau tak datang pun takper senang sikit hidup:-)
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