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Nov. 17, 2004 About a month ago I became ill and for reason still unknown to doctors, I passed out on my livingroom floor for an estimated 45 minutes. During this 45 lapse of consciousness, my two year old son decided to go crazy. He poured Cap'n Crunch all over the livingroom floor, poured baby cereal all over the floor... and the baby, and played in the litter box (something that he is not allowed to do, I assure you). My mother tried calling from work, and after many unsucessful tries, my son answered the phone, confirming my mother's fear that something had happened. She immediatly called 911. The arrived, revived me, and then came hell. Because of the state of my house (food on floor, unloaded dishwasher, kitty box contents on floor) the health department was called in. Because of my reaction to the police/ambulance/fire in my home, I apparently gave off the vibe of a crack/cocaine addict, a drug that I have never seen, let alone try. Off to the hospital where custody of my two children was handed over to my cousin until my release. I was given a tox screen, tested for illegal drugs, my medication (klonopin, lithium) levels were checked to see if I had overdosed, a counselor was called in to see if I was suicidal. It was amazing. I was found to have no suicidal tendencies (because I didn't want to commit suicide), my medication levels were normal (because I did not intentionally overdose), and the found "mild to moderate" amounts of THC in my system... which I can't really explain, but I guarentee that pot was not a factor in my passing out, as the doctor found that I had ingested or smoked it more than 24-48 prior to passing out. So I was found to have passed out for "unknown reasons" which means it could have been anything from stress to lack of sleep to low blood pressure/sugar. I'm not a drug addict, so I wasn't really expecting a problem. They found me clean... case closed. Or so I thought. About a week and a half later, I recieved a letter in the mail from the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (D.S.S.). I was being charged with two counts of child neglect, one for my son, Michael, and one for my daughter, Alexandra. I was a bit shocked, as I have never been involved with D.S.S. in my lifetime. I whipped through my house, making sure everything was perfect, because one person was coming in to judge what kind of parent I was. One person basically decided my fate with my kids. The social worker came, looked around my house, asked why I was in counseling, asked why I used a cane, asked where my children's fathers were, but said that my home was clean and safe (with the exception of a lack of smoke detectors, which were installed that day), and my children were happy and healthy and clean. So all is looking well, just one more thing. Because my ex-fiance, my daughter's father used to be a crack/cocaine addict, I need to be tested for crack/cocaine, and they obviously need to test me for THC. Not a problem... I'm not on crack or coke so I know I will come out clean, and I won't have any THC in my system because I quit. But I'm still waiting for the tox screen/drug test. I'm still waiting for this case to be closed. So far D.S.S. has contacted my ex-husband, my family, my counselor, my doctors, my children's doctors. It's ridiculous. I understand that they have a job to do. And I am glad that they are around to keep children safe, but I have already proven that my children are happy, safe, and healthy. What else do I have to do? I will give my DNA, my blood, the air I breathe to keep my kids... but this side of the D.S.S. investigation sucks. I want it over. No matter how good a parent you are, you feel horrible. No matter what you do, you feel it's not right. I hate it and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. ------------ About the author L.J. Chapman: I am a twenty-four year old mother of two and self-proclaimed, practicing "Christian-Buddhist" from Massachusetts. I am going to be going to college for journalism and I am hoping to complete my yet to be titled novel by early Spring 2005. Email: bipolar_bear80@hotmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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