From Detox to Rehab...

Hope that you are enjoying these posts, also hope that they may reach someone that needs help in some way.  So now I continue...

Being very grateful for the doctors finding something that took care of the pain I was having.  In addition to my vitals being take on a regular schedule, they were also doing blood work.  The test that was for RA was given to me and that was ruled out as my underlaying problem.  Some of the techs seemed to believe that I had lupus, because of the way I was hurting.  Due to the fact that they did not have the facilities to do test needed, I was told to see a doctor when I came home.  But they were able to come up with a comfortable mix of medications and a schedule that would work for me.  Due to the fact that there were not as many women slots as men slots in the rehab building, the women and I had to wait a little longer than the men to go to rehab.

As I stated about 2 1/2 weeks after entering the detox unit, I then transfered to the rehab side.  Once again I was reunited with the ladies I met in the detox unit.  Now, a note here so the following sounds better, there are women dorms and men dorms.  The men and women are separated in rehab, but not in detox.  Crazy, yes but that's how it is there and has been for a long time.

We were housed two to a room.  Had our own closet each and one large wardrobe to share.  We could have our own clothes (thank God, the unisex underwear had long been extremely too little) shoes, blankets, pillows, you know personal stuff that just made you appreciate having them more.  The bathroom facilities were shared one to each to two bed rooms.  One bathroom between the two rooms.  The bathrooms reminded me of the ones at my elementary school.   And I use "bathroom" loosely. it was a toilet and a stall shower.  The sinks were in the rooms.

We, ladies, all shared the same day rooms, activity space and 4 pay phones to call home or who we wanted to talk to.  Limited to 5 minutes a person each use. Those of us on medication had the same schedule.  The men and women had the same eating schedule.  We were required to keep our rooms as well as the day rooms cleaned.  Both men and women had group counseling in the mornings, and classes throughout the day and then meetings in the evening.  There was not much time to do much of anything else.  You did  get some extra time on the weekends, family could come up and visit, Saturday only.  There could be some "me" time during the week if you could get ready for your next class or meal or whatever.  My "me" time was normally spent out in the gazebo smoking.  That was the only place we could smoke.

Each man and woman were all told that you could get 3 strikes before you were thrown out.  Now there were some things that if you were caught doing them you would be removed immediately.   There were two ladies kicked out during my stay there for sleeping through classes and meals and fraternizing with the men.  The whole time I was in rehab I was learning who I was and what I wanted for my life.  The main thing that I learned, was that I like myself now.  Actually, I had learn to love myself since entering that program.

Now if you are familiar with rehabilitation facilities, you can kinda figure up how long I was there.  Yes, I spent 2009 Christmas and New Year's Eve there.  But I knew that when I left on Thanksgiving.  I must say that it was one of the most joyful Christmas I have ever experienced.  There was no way the staff had any intentions to let us, the patients down.  They were determined that we were going to enjoy Christmas and New Year's Eve.  We had some short scheduled days around that time so we could join in on the decoration and some planning.  We were given this delicious  meal and entertainment by the staff.  That is a time of my life that I will always remember with warm fuzzy feelings and a tear in my eye.  That staff truly loved their patient and did all that they could to help us find our way in life.

The day that I left I was told the following things:  1)  I would have a complete copy of my medical records from the facility, 2)  Prescriptions for all of my medicines, 3)  name and phone number of the out patient treatment facility that I would need to attend after getting home.  Now, at the start of all these post, I posed the statement "People wonder why there are so many people addicted to drugs today.  If their experience is anything like mine, I can see part of the problem, in my opinion."

And I am getting to that statement and my explanation for what I see as part of the problem, or at least for me it was.  Hang in there, only a few more to go, I hope...


(Now, I know I am only giving an outline of my experience but I just really don't see the need to go into great detail.  If for some reason while you are reading any post of mine and don't understand or wish I had explained a little more detail, please leave a comment or email me.  I will be more than happy to see if I can better clarify.)