Let’s see if my mind, while still fuzzy, can function this morning.

Tuesday, 11-01-2016, was a day I have forgotten, almost literally.  We went to the hospital in the out-patient wing to have the GI exams.

In the middle of the nurses gathering information from me, the doctor came in talked with me briefly and asked if I had any questions – I asked, “Since there are two of you doing this will you be doing both at the same time.”  She said no, the endoscopy (through the mouth) would be done first.

I said “I thought maybe one of you would do each scope, meet in the middle and wave at each other.”  She said, no.  The nurse said ‘THAT would mean you have many problems since it is impossible for them to meet under normal circumstances.”

I said, just thought I would ask.

After going through the normal prep procedures – part of which was the do not’s because of the ‘knock-out’ meds that would make me woozy - I was taken into the exam room where they sprayed some foul tasting ‘stuff’ in my throat to help them with the Endoscope going down easier – I was told the bitter taste wouldn’t last long as the anesthesiologist injected something into the tube.

She was right, I didn’t feel a thing.  The next thing I remember was hearing the nurse tell me to wake up – several times as I came out of my induced ‘coma’ in my original room while laying on the cart.

The next thing I remember is getting into the front seat of the car.  Then, Carla telling me she had my cane to help me walk into the house.

Several hours (I guess) later I awoke to find myself in bed and having a difficult time focusing.

I made my way into the bathroom, started falling to the side, tried to correct myself and ended up on the floor.  Hard.

All I could think of at that time was I had to get up before Carla came in, scaring her, and tried to help me up.  Not sure how I did it, but finally got up, did my business and went back to bed.

Drink lots of fluids they told me, kinda hard when you are sleeping. 

I have never experienced this kind of response in my system despite the numerous times I have gone ‘under’ anesthesia.  I would be groggy for a day or two, but never completely out of it as I have been that day and days after.

As I write this it dawns on me, while this is my first such experience, others have had it done several times, only by ‘self-medicating’ themselves with over indulgence of alcohol or other drugs.

I don’t drink alcoholic beverages.  The one time I did it was in front of local TV cameras to help demonstrate the affect alcohol works on the system.  It was done for the Crime Prevention Unit of The Dalles Police Department.

There were four of us, I was asked to participate because ‘everyone knows you don’t drink.’  While many of my fellow Christians were upset that I did it, it was important to get the word out that a person should not drink and drive.

We were of different ages, body weight and sexes.  Scott, the coordinator, wanted to get a good cross section of people to show how it affected us.

There is a reason why pilots must not have any alcohol in their system AT ALL when flying.  While some would say ‘that’s different they have hundreds of passengers to care for’ even one death caused by an impaired driver is one too many and the damage done, even if someone isn’t killed but ‘only’ injured, can be catastrophic.

In my opinion there should be zero tolerance, if you have one drink within the last hour you shouldn’t be driving – and now that marijuana is ‘legal’ in our state it is imperative that a person doesn’t get behind a wheel within several hours of partaking.

It always irritates me when I hear ‘the person was driving with twice or more times the legal limit.’

THERE IS NO LEGAL LIMIT!  PERIOD!  IN ANY STATE IN AMERICA.

In Oregon, and most other states, if a person has a blood alcohol level of 0.08% then they are ‘presumed under the influence.’  That, in and of itself, means they are under the influence.

However, they can be deemed under the influence with one drink, or even no drinks if they are on drugs – INCLUDING – marijuana.

AND it doesn’t have to be a prescription or illegal drug, it can be an over the counter medication; for instance, antihistamine alone can make one drowsy and impair their driving and other actions and when mixed with alcohol the effect is multiplied.

THAT is why there is no ‘legal limit.’

Each person’s system is different, and that was what the program was showing.  They gave me vodka and orange juice in an appropriate amount for a normal drink, every 30 minutes or so, and then monitored my actions.

The others had similar concoctions, one preferred beer, another wine and I am not sure what the other had.  All had the ‘normal’ size drink for their beverage.  The reason was to show that the different sizes were comparable in strength.

We had a breath sample taken on the breathalyzer 15 minutes after each drink, to show what the percentage of alcohol was in our blood stream.

The more alcohol we drank the more our conduct changed.  I don’t recall all that we did during this time, but it was to show the viewing audience how our actions, even with just a drink or two, changed.

There was one individual who was really acting the fool.  The man was a leader in the community, selected for that reason – and the police knew he liked to ‘party’ as did probably half the town.

After a few drinks he was cutting up and not doing what the moderator was asking.  I became upset with him – I remember one of the officers putting his hand on my shoulder and saying “It is okay, Art, just relax.’

Even under the influence I ‘followed the rules.’  Frankly I think I would be a mean drunk – since I don’t drink, and don’t intend to start I will never know.

The highest I blew was a .04%, but I knew I couldn’t drive.  I was definitely under the influence.  Scott made sure we each had a ride home so it wasn’t a problem.

A few days after it was first shown, Scott called me.  He said the person who had been acting the fool wanted the tape to be taken off the air, it wasn’t a pleasant view of him.  However, it was a good example of what some people do under the influence.   Scott asked me what I thought.

I told him that I had agreed to the show because the message was important, even though I knew many of my constituents were not going to be happy (and weren’t) and I was taking some flak for it.  I remember my Pastor calling me and telling me had received some calls from upset members (I was a board member of the church and a Sunday School teacher among other responsibilities in the church and some didn’t feel I should remain in those positions – he told me that he understood why I did it and was supporting me.)  I told Scott that if I could accept it for the ‘cause’ then the complainer could very well accept it also.

Since we didn’t have cable TV I never viewed the episode, but from reactions I got, mainly positive, and the ‘community leader’s’ response, I heard it was effective.

We all know the reasons people imbibe.  Most are responsible and don’t over indulge.

However, with very few exceptions, almost every single family disturbance I went to alcohol or other drugs had been abused, usually by the husband or boyfriend, and it had definitely affected their actions.  Trying to reason with them was always difficult and often ended in a violent reaction that caused them to be arrested.

Most people don’t go out to get drunk, but they don’t count their drinks either.  Most drunk drivers, when asked by the officer ‘how many drinks have you had?’ reply, ‘two beers.’

It is absolutely amazing; it is like they are following a script.  Most really don’t know but think they are safe with just two beers.

Getting back to how I feel, right now.  Still groggy, but I think I put together a cohesive line of thought.

The one thing I still don’t understand is why ‘social drinkers’ allow themselves to over indulge to the point of not remembering what they did.  It is not a pleasant feeling, at least to me, to lose that time.  And many, like my fellow demonstrator, make fools of themselves and don’t realize it.

I do want to thank everyone who did lift me up in prayer and for the kind thoughts during the past few days.  It is going to be a while before I can catch up on all my ‘correspondence.’

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

One of my devotionals used these verses this morning.  As I read them I felt they fit right into the theme of my writing today.

We get into habits, we make decisions without considering the impact they have on our relationship with God and our witness to others, both Christians and non-believers.

When we have habits that interfere with our relationship with God it doesn’t make any difference what it is, whether drinking, using language or making statements that are unacceptable, doing things we know are not pleasing to Him, they all are those sins which doth so easily beset us.

It is hard work putting those sins aside.  It takes determination, it takes concentrating on what we have done and what we need to do to put them aside.  On our own it can be extremely difficult, especially the older we get.  They become so ingrained in our brain and reactions that they become automatic and we do them without thinking.

We can correct that behavior.  Just as an athlete trains their bodies so their muscles have a ‘memory’ of what is required of them, so their reactions to the sport they are engaged in are automatic and done without thinking, so too can we change our inappropriate behavior.

AND the beauty of all of it is that we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us.  We don’t have to rely on our own pitiful abilities, we can rely on Him.

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

WE but have to submit.

Later, Art (-: