 ear Ann Landers:
I haven't slept in 57 hours. I'm 25 and have above average intelligence. Eight hours after snorting cocaine for two days and doing crystal meth, I went to a tanning salon. I believe I may have suffered some brain damage because it has taken me 45 minutes to write these few lines. This morning, I tried to recite the ABC's and couldn't do it. I'm scared stiff and can't stop crying.
When I lay down on the tanning bed, I tensed up im-mediately and became para-lyzed. I couldn't lift the lid of the tanning booth. It felt like 500 pounds of weight.
I managed to crawl out of the booth with my heart pounding a mile a minute. Now, 24 hours later, my mind is still unfocused and soupy.
I think I should check into a hospital, but I'm scared to go. I'm going to call a drug abuse center for counseling. There is more to this story, but it's taken me more than four hours to write this letter, and I'm exhausted.
Please warn people about the hazards of combining drugs and tanning booths. I pray I'll recover from this episode and find out what happened to me.
-Joseph in Kentucky
Dear Joseph:
I'm terribly sorry about your frightening experience and appreciate your writing to warn others.
For years, I've been telling my readers to leave drugs alone and stay out of tanning booths. Drugs can mess up your head, and tanning (either by sun or artificial light) can ruin your skin. The combination of both could be extremely hazardous.
If you haven't seen a physician by the time this letter appears, do so at once. Please write and let me know you are okay. I'm worried about you.
|
