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Recovery Road to Recovery

Hi there,
I am back and feeling well.
Now on 8mg Suboxone and my benzos and gabapentin doses have been halved. I am currently feeling more normal than for years.
I'll give some more detailed writing about how the inpatient start went after I have gone through my diary I kept and answered to a tons of mails which have been waiting on my inbox.
Cheers for everyone.
 
Root!!!

You are back! I'm so glad the ORT is going well and you feel better than you have in years. Congrats on making it through that process with flying colors and being back home. I'm sure you are excited to see your daughter, too.

I look forward to reading more updates about your experience.

- VE
 
Hi there Mr R! I am looking forward to hearing about your experiences! It is so inspiring to hear that you are feeling better and reducing your opiate and benzo medications...welcome back!
 
Thanks for warm welcoming back.
Herbavore, will put after I finish some more :)

---

Here is some notions from my inpatient opiate replacement therapy start.

I arrived the place few minutes before 12:00 and anxiously waited for them to ask me in.

Then I was taken breathalyzer test and it of course showed 0.00 as I hadn't drink last night and I don't have alcohol problems. I was then strip searched after taking my vitals and I changed into clothing they gave and all my clothes I have brought with me was checked and then put into a washing machine.

I met a Dr. then and discussed about my inpatient stay and what we were about to do. It seemed like there was a confusion on the papers sent by my primary Dr. as those were for evaluationg the need for opiate replacement therapy and I needed to call my nurse to correct it and then talk with the Dr. again.

We decided to wait until tomorrow with my normal oxycontin etc. drugs so they could get the paper work sorted out and wait until my pain management specialist appointment which was tomorrow too.

Nothing special for the first day as I just got known to other patients and there were total of eight of us. Had a good room mate who didn't even snore. Pretty colourful combination of patients. Some who were already on ORT and were adjusting their doses or detoxing from other drugs and people who were just detoxing. Age varied from 21 to 40 and there was one real hottie there :)

Got my clothes from the washing machine and used drying machine and changed into my normal clothing and felt much better than in hospital clothing. At the first day I couldn't participate into any programs as per rules so just smoking cigs and passing time and eating. And there was a lot of eating. 07:30 breakfast, 11:00 lunch, 14:00 coffee with something small like cupcakes, 16:00 dinner and 19:00 bedtime meal.

Next day I went to pain management specialist and we talked about the pain and other issues and she suggested physiotherapy and ORT along with Neurontin and naproxen in slow release form with added stomach safety drug (Vimovo). Decided to cut my benzo dose into half from 2mg Klonopin twice a day. ORT was about to be started next day so my last dose of oxycontin in the evening was given in instant release form.

Next morning after breakfast and community meeting I was inducted Suboxone 13 hours after my last oxycodone dose. 2mgs for starters and then after four hours I could ask for another 2mgs which I did.

There was a psysioacoustical chair which basically is a chair filled with small subwoofers and there were plenty of programs such as intensive back massage, activation or refreshing. I used a lot of that thing as it seemed to work as intended. Eased my back muscles and increased blood flow thus easing my back pain.

Next day my dose was 4mg at the morning and then another 2mg as needed which I took. Day after the dose was 6+2 and the following day 8mg in which I stayed for the rest of the time. My BP was monitored and they used COWS to assess withdrawals and I could have had beta blockers and similar if I would have had any but the transition to buprenorphine was very comfortable that way.

We had group meeting everyday and it could be just discussion or someone else from recovery support groups would come to discuss with us. Saturday we had bakery group and we did for example cheesecake with white chocolate. Each day we had time to discuss with our assigned nurse. Tuesdays and sundays we had sauna.

We also had access to gym and billiard hall and I learned to play billiard quite well. Also we had walks outside each day atleast twice a day.

I would recommend this type of ORT start for everyone.
 
wow... sounds like a quality run residential treatment center. You definitely took advantage of all the positive programs/activities it had to offer, by your description. Cheescake???? Really???? Sign me up! What a great way to kick start a life of recovery.
 
Sorry for not updating for a while. I have been suffering from a depressive stage of bi polar and haven't had energy to come an write.

Rehabilitation process on the other hand has been purrfect. Not a single relapse or use of other on prescribed drugs.

Got another a car by using income from my book that got published and currently drive Dodge Caliber mostly.
 
MrRoot said:
Sorry for not updating for a while. I have been suffering from a depressive stage of bi polar and haven't had energy to come an write.

Rehabilitation process on the other hand has been purrfect. Not a single relapse or use of other on prescribed drugs.

Got another a car by using income from my book that got published and currently drive Dodge Caliber mostly.
Click to expand...


congrats!! no relapse and new car and hoping your depressive stage of bi polar gets better!
 
The depressive stage is almost gone and hence I am here writing :)
 
MrRoot said:
The depressive stage is almost gone and hence I am here writing :)
Click to expand...


Thats great! sounds like your doing pretty good, i would probably be out of any depression from paws now if it wasnt for the dam nerve pain in my feet that keeps bringing me down some.
 
Ouch. I have got used to nerve paainnas my spinal injuries cause them which was the reason I was introduced into opioids.
 
Wow. Your rehab sounds amazing. I am trying....and trying to get inpatient -ideally for a month- I can't even find one that accepts my medical insurance for 5 days.

There is one that could be a possibility- but it's the type where you find most people aren't serious about recovery and you'd find drug connections more than anything. I do not want that- not even a little bit. Your rehab sounds like a dream. Many of us would give alot to have that opportunity.

I was very fortunate to go to a great rehab- being that it was court-ordered the county I live in paid for it. $27,000.00 a month And it wasn't anything like you describe yours to be. It was very no frills, but a great program that specialized in addiction and chronic pain. Really awesome. I got to be around others that understood both chronic pain and addiction. I loved it. I met life-long friends.

I haven't read your entire thread yet- but congratulations on your recovery and taking the time to get well! I look forward to reading your journey.
 
I love working with people wherever they are at on their journeys - no one is better than the other. However, burnout has been a bit of an issue for me recently (though not so much with working with folks on BL) in terms of the whole supportive junkie role I tend to play.

It is just super nice to hear from those like MrRoot who have established a found success, for themselves, in their own lives. Especially considering because the people you come across in recovery support type communities generally move past involvement in their chosen community once they have gained what they needed from it. This isn't a bad thing at all mind you, it's just the nature of the game in the harm reduction field. By definition, I hear much more from people struggling than from people succeeding. Even though I love to hear from and respect and admire all those who succeed (particularly when they do it in creative ways), I do admit I'm drawn to those suffering more than to those succeeding.

Anyhoo, it's always nice to have someone checking in regarding their successes, as opposed to only their hurts. Bravo MR! Thank you <3
 
Thanks TPD and others.

I am starting feel better with my depression even up to point that I have thought about taking part in forming a national patient organization for those in opioid replacement therapy so I am able to gove something back.

There is a huge healthcare reform coming in a few years so I and some other actives around Finland thought that we need to have a credible organization to take part in the discussion going on.

I have been clean since I started ORT and I actually do see myself being clean although my addiction is currently managed by having another opiate given through healthcare system.

Live is good and I have come even more close with Artemisia, who is my sunshine of my live along with my daughter. I have also introduced Artemisia to my daughter and they get along well. We have even thought about moving together in future. Artemisia has even cut most of the dissociatives and other reseatch chemical use and not because I have pushed but because she has seen how profound the change of stopping use has caused to me.

I hope that now as I have dealt with the depression (which I believe was bound to happen because changing from a drug that also managed it into a drug which mostly just keeps out physical withdrawals as well as takes out most of the cravings but doesn't give that excessively bliss that oxycodone gave) I could be helpful in this forum for others as I have got so much help when I was a mess.

Good luck for everyone and I hope that my example will make some think they can also get rid of drug habit by entering ORT.

As the ORT here covers more aspects than in most places as we go daily to get our suboxone too and it can't be just scripted as it gives an opportunity to discuss about how our lives are going and they can steer us into therapy or other helpful actions that give a possibility to get our lives on right track.

As I have had negative drug test all the time when I enrolled to ORT I am allowed to get some of my drugs taken to home so I only go get my suboxone on monday, wednesday and thursday. This means I can travel during weekends although I mostly spend weekends with my daughter.

Got inverter based air conditioning to my house too and I have to say that those things rock. I have had 50% less electricity usage during this winter although I have quite rarely burned wood at the baking oven and what is nice I can keep my upstairs quite chilly during a day and only turn the temperature up just a little before I go there for sleeping. Also the humidity has gone down a lot.

I am hoping that I can become president of that patient organization when we finally found it.

I have also started my training on becoming "experience expert" (don't know if it is the real english term but I got it from google translate. In general those go and have a talks on schools, radio, etc. about how their drug use have affected their lives and how to become clean. And this is also done on treatment facilities for patients as well as for healthcare professionals and thos studying to be one.

Most have been quite interested in my story as I was what could be called as functional addict, didn't hit rock bottom or have no street live experience or problems as I got all of my drugs either legally or from the internet and neither have become religious as I am still the same ateist as before. Although I am ateist I don't despise those who have had help from a god of their choice. I actually envy them because I had to go through a hell of a lot thinking on my drug use and what I want to do about that and finding ways to keep clean.

Cheers everyone!
 
Thanks for the update, MrRoot. I had no idea you had to pick up subs nearly daily. But I'm glad you're finding that to be at least somewhat helpful.

Sounds like things are headed in a great direction, which is, of course...great!

Good luck with those (ambitious) goals. I hope you'll keep us in the loop.
 
Thanks.

Yeah we have a weird drug culture here as buprenorphine in it's various forms is the most misused opioid drug (which may sound unimaginable for those living elsewhere) so how ORT is managed is strictly restricted with plenty of requirements and jumping through loops.

I have had plenty of workers saying that this is a first time dealing with a person whose DOC is oxycodone and have had to consult others or do the study themselves.

Heroine for example can only be found on our capitol city Helsinki and it is very rare there too.

Most users don't know about different strong opioids such as hydromorphone or similars. Fentanyl appears sometimes and often brings death along.

I don't get what people got off misusing buprenorphine but I guess it might be different when used IV althought I doubt it. For me it just offers functionality by keeping cravings off and of course takes withdrawals at bay. Also it seems to have antidepressive properties. It isn't anything like oxycodone for example as there isn't euphoria at all with buprenorphine for me atleast.

I truly am fond of the fact that you have to go pick up the subs since you can't be under the influence or they won't hand them out if you appear to be fucked up. It motivates people to be sober during those first crucial months as well as gives an incentive to get out of bed and to change daily rythm which often is messed up for abusers. It also offers a brief session to talk about your feelings, cravings and such with a sober and professional person.

Of course you aren't left helpless if you appear to an appointment while intoxicated as then you are given a choice to go to rehab facility for monitoring and help and you get the buprenorphine (or methadone) when the lab tests have gone and there are nothing preventing for giving them.

Missed appointments without no real reasons also are being monitored and people are then guided to rehab facility for a while unless the patient and staff reaches some other solution how to help with coming to appointments if they want to continue ORT. This is because often missed appointments happen because people are high on something and try not to let them know about it.

Also you get your subs even if you have posive drug tests but then you can't get them home for a while (two weeks for a positive test if you don't tell about using other substances before the results come and one week if you tell beforehand). Of course continuous use of other substances leads to a discussion with multiprofessional team in which they try to get to a solution how to deal with the use and what help that individual needs (which often is a perioid in rehab facility if things have gotten totally out of hands).

One other good thing about our system is that it integrates workers from social benefits systems into it and those are often present in a care conferences if there is some issue which is part of their profession.

It is actually quite comprehensive system which encompasses whole socioeconomic situation of a rehabilitee as people are guided to get back school or going into rehabilitive work training or getting therapy or whatever is needed to get them back into society as a productive citizen.

It isn't perfect but has roots in scandinavian wellfare system and is in my opinion much better than just handing out subs by general practician and not getting into roots of the problem.

Although I do have mixed feelings about just handing out buprenorphine because who knows how worse it would be for an individual who wouldn't get them if there isn't same kind of system as we have as the only option then would be to get other drugs.
---
I just found out that we have got appointed funds from EU for the national patient organization we are going to establish. Yay. It is really going to happen.

National funding is still pending and I guess I am going to be lobbying them next week as now I can point out that even EU thinks this is an idea that should be done and it would look weird for them to not fund. Atleast the biggest national funder Veikkaus (which is a national monopoly for money games, lotteries and betting and uses all of it's profits to fund non-profit organizations. Another weirdness of scandinavian wellfare system)

We have good team of people behind this with various areas of knowledge.

I for example have a plenty of knowledge from association and organization work as I have been a president multiple times. One association in which I was president while studying was even older than our country and offered housing for students and also for example therapy and dental care (which is the only part of healthcare that students can't afford which is sad) with of course all the fun in form of parties and events students want.

While in army I was member of board for wellfare of soldiers.

I have also background of being entrepreneur and currently I am freelancer writing articles to a multiple magazines and have also published a book recently which helps doing material for us.

We also have a former politician in our team who also is a lawyer and we do have multiple healthcare professionals, artists, and other people feeling passionate about this and all have atleast some abuse history and most have either gone through ORT or are currently in ORT.

It is ambitious goal but I do believe we succeed in going through this as I have such (well justified) believe in our team.
 
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