Post by dwemmy on Jan 23, 2010 17:20:00 GMT -5
These are Days 4, 5 and 6 at the Pasadena Recovery Center (PRC)
DrD says in a voice-over that after 4 days the toughest part of the withdrawal process should be over for most of the patients, but not all, as we get another chance to witness Mindy's seizure.
While McKenzie won't stop screaming "Nurse!, Nurse!" big man Will Smith, a PRC Resident Tech, places a pillow underneath MM's head.
He explains that this is really all one can do when someone is having a seizure. By elevating the head with a pillow, the patient has enough air, and it will protect them from hurting their head as seizures cause thrashing and involuntary banging of the head.
We see all this in lurid detail, including poor Mindy foaming at the mouth. While everyone is looking on horrified, Will says that she will eventually come out of this on her own.
She slowly gains consciousness, and as she realizes what just happened, she begins sobbing uncontrollably. As she is being wheeled out to a waiting ambulance, Dennis R goes outside and says some very kind words to her. Touching, but he's not supposed to be outside unsupervised!
This was a powerful moment, but with the cameraman so obsessed with getting every moment on tape, I felt like a voyeur. Suppose she had seriously injured herself between the time that she went into her seizure and PRC's Will came in- with the stupid camera operator doing nothing except capturing it for us? There was also the boom guy there. In times of crisis are you supposed to film or help?
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Mindy's Back and Morning Group
Mindy arrives back at PRC at 5:30 AM. She's been up all night, plus during the seizure she dislocated her shoulder. The hospital offered her pain meds, but then she would not be allowed to return to the PRC. So she forgoes them and goes back to sleep fitfully. What a trooper!
Day 5 8:00 AM and we see Mike Starr looking unrealistically well for a super dope fiend. He evidently slept through the whole affair last night, which everyone can't believe.
Mike being this well is very suspicious not only to me but a lot of web sites are asking the same question. No way a 100 mg. methadone junkie can be chipper after 4 days. DrD has got to be called onto the carpet about this. Of course he won't be, because after Jesus there's Dr Drew
In group DrD says that he's observed that this group is isolating way to much. There's no socialization outside, no one uses the pool (POOR BABIES!), and everyone is in their own rooms way too much. This must change as "you're only as sick as your secrets", one of DrD's mantras.
There is a discussion with Heidi F about her disturbing life of birds, desert, drugs and loneliness. Bob Forrest asks HF about her life as a "madam", how she got into it, why, money, etc. No real revelations here.
Then the talk switches over to Dennis Rodman and his lifestyle. Eventually he reveals that he has parties at his mansion 5 or 6 days per week with 300 people on average, but he goes upstairs and goes to bed while everyone is downstairs! What the Eff?!!
Bob and DrD point out that he does this to feel accepted even though he's still lonely.
This loneliness issue then switches back to HF-->living with 20 parrots is weird.
Can she only love animals, because she has so much resentment towards people, men in particular? She claims she likes men and has no problem with people- she's just so high all the time that she can't interact with others. DrD doesn't seem satisfied with this response- she's holding something back.
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Heidi has a Breakthrough? and Mindy sees a neurologist for a Brain Scan.
In a 1-on-1 with DrD Heidi says that people always disappoint her- at the same time she doesn't hate men, she likes them (?) She said that she's been without human contact for as long as 60 days at a stretch- she tries to blame it on her drug use, being unsociable, etc. DrD says it's really not the drugs, she has huge interpersonal issues which she needs to look at.
In a scene with McKenzie, Heidi again goes into the story between her and Tom Sizemore.
(we already heard it- don't care that she tells MP)
We are introduced through DrD to a neurologist (brain Dr) who reads Mindy's scan and shows us apparent damage to her temporal lobes and cerebellum. He brings in Mindy and shows her the pictures; she mentions that the area of her temporal lobes is exactly the place where her monster boyfriend used to bash her head in with regularity. Both Drs. point out that use of alcohol is very dangerous with this damage and she should think about quitting (just in the nick of time Mindy!)
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Visitor's Night and The Battle of Sizemore, Part I
It is Visitor's Night at the PRC where the addicts/clients/kind-of-celebrities can invite anybody who is important in their life. Heidi expresses that she has no one coming (of course.) Mike Starr has a friend; McKenzie has her ex-boyfriend who seems cool; Lisa D'Amato has some friends including this bizarre old lady who takes an interest in Heidi- she says how she's a big fan and read about her troubles in the papers (?)- alright grandma!
Mike is psyched because his buddy brought a bag of picks with "Mike Starr- A.I.C." imprinted on them. A.I.C.? Alice in Chains- oh yeah, you played with them about 18 years ago! He then goes around like a kid with candy giving everyone picks- kind of sad, actually.
Day 6 begins with DrD telling us that he had received a call from Tom Sizemore's manager explaining that they are finally bringing him in. We learn that he got busted again! and wants to do the old rehab thing so he looks good in the papers (or something.)
He pulls up and it seems like the entire staff of the PRC is out there to greet him- DrD explains this is because TS wouldn't even commit to staying- just wants blood work, some medicine and then he'll screw.
Tom comes in and he's obviously blasted out of his mind on meth.
He's talking fast, making all kinds of faces, going through 10 different emotions in 10 seconds, etc. Totally disturbing. They let him wander down the hall where he introduces himself to Dennis, McKenzie introduces herself to him, as does puppy dog Mike Starr, who hangs on Sizemore's every word like he's a freakin' god. "Yeah I knew Layne [Staley, former lead singer of A.I.C. who died of heroin overdose]" "You knew Layne? He was like my best friend in the world..." Guys, shut the fuck up! And what the hell is TS being allowed to wander the halls of the treatment center aimlessly high as a kite? Totally unprofessional, DrD- and I bet that it is against policy for this to happen. Oh...but it's TOM SIZEMORE! OooooH! Fuck him, he's a douche.
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The Battle of Sizemore, Part II
After being tortured with endless previews of the great meeting with Tom and Heidi, she walks in and gives him a big hug- tells him she's not doing well at all. He says he has an "arresting" habit (ha ha) because of her, etc. While this is a sweet moment, and there is an apparent love of some sort between the two, this is all of The Big Moment from this show, as the kisses and hugs that they showed in the previews were from this scene. So either things are about to go downhill between them, or nothing more is going to happen. This is another case where the producers manipulate the time sequence to give us a different impression. assholes.
TS's piss test comes back with every drug imaginable of course; he says he just started to use again of course. The he walks down the hall again! looking for his agent or manager- basically because he's now ready to leave and go use more meth.
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The Battle of Sizemore, Part III
DrD had left for the evening (his wife must be ready to kill him) but comes back to try and talk some sense into Tom. TS explains in his drugged-out way that he's going to go visit his 4 year old sons (at 11 P.M.), get some proper clothes, and be back in the morning (Yeah right!). All the staff tries to get him to stay; but the lure of the meth pipe is too strong, and he leaves, apparently being given a ride by his agent (enabling?.) DrD says that he's afraid he's never going to see him again; he's buried too many friends from this disease.
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Pictures coming...
