I do not know what happened later in the evening, but for some reason I had to get out of the house. I do not remember at all what was “terrorizing” me, but I had to leave the house. Maybe my teeth were “falling out” and I had to run to, I don’t know, the hospital maybe, but I had to get out. I do recall freaking out and scaring my Mom. I got out of the house and was running around out front. Bear in mind that this was February, in Central New York State. Very cold and snowy and I wasn’t dressed for it. My Mom was running outside pleading with me to go back in. I kept yelling at her to go back inside. (She wasn’t wearing her robe or coat.) For some reason, perhaps my guardian angel was grabbing onto me, but I felt restrained from pushing my Mom back inside. I recall getting really angry with her, but felt restrained in doing anything about it.

There was an audience. The staff and residents of the nursing home across the street were watching.

I think I got back inside the house. Not for long as I was back outside. Mom had called 911 (maybe I told her to). And so I was outside waiting for the ambulance to come and get me. (Maybe this was when she was trying to get me back inside.)

I remember hallucinating that there was a parade of ambulances driving down the street, avoiding my house. I kept getting angry that they weren’t stopping. I kept shouting and waving for them to stop and get me.

Finally, a real ambulance actually did stop. I was being wrapped up in a straight-jacket. The family from next door had returned from somewhere and had gathered around watching all this while I was screaming at the EMT guys that I was the Mayor and “don’t you know who I am?” I swear the EMT guys were trying to figure out if I was telling the truth, but that may have been a part of the hallucination. But I do think they were asking each other about that.

I also remember hallucinating that a TV crew from the New York Times was out front in the street filming. Yes, I know they’re a newspaper and not a TV network, but “New York Times” is what it said on the cameras. This is MY hallucination. Maybe the EMT’s had radioed that the Mayor was drunk and being taken away in a straight-jacket and they heard and sent a film crew to cover it. (I did not claim to be the Mayor of New York City, just of the small town I lived in.)

I don’t remember anything else of that day. I don’t remember the trip to the ER or the initial few hours at the hospital. I actually don’t remember too much of the hospital, outside of urinating in the hallway by the nurse’s station, getting really ticked off when I kept getting awakened in the middle of the night to be given a sleeping pill, and also having my Confession heard for the first time in years. (I was assigned 55 Hail Mary’s for penance.)

I was there for 6 days and $10,500. I paid it all off over the next 3 1/2 years from savings. I was unemployed and had no health insurance. People NOW tell me I might have been eligible for Medicaid, and that might have paid for it. Sure, NOW I’m told that. The $10,500 would be very handy about now.

Well, that is it for now. More hallucination stories are on their way, especially when I get to May 2002. (Not going to wait for May 2012 to write about them. Perhaps over the next few weeks or so.)

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)