I guess this section could be called "Who I Am" for now because (for now) I am "Finding Normal"...LOL. My story is like many others stories of addiction perhaps with a slightly different ending. I became addicted in 1996 to prescription painkillers following a motorcycle accident in which I injured my back. I was started on Vicodin but quickly advanced to Oxycontin or Roxicodone. However, as my tolerance grew so did my desperation. Prescriptions only lasted a few days so I resorted to buying them. I began snorting & injecting also. My job afforded me the luxury of always having clean needles. All the while I was covering on the job, as well as, sneaking what I could from work. Stealing came later but it came all the same. Shocking what you will do to stop the pain of withdrawal. Eventually, pressure from work become too much so I quit & quietly entered an inpatient rehabilitation program at an out of town hospital. Needless to say the program didn't work. Several rehabs, divorces, a few trips to jail & 10 years later I found Methadone! Nobody had much faith it would work. Most of all me. However, I had just been diagnosed with Hepatitis C (oddly enough from a needle stick) while working as a nurse instead of drugs. To make matters worse I was on the street with my son. I had to do something & this was the only thing I had not tried. After one week it was as if my drug use had been a dream! I wasn't high. I wasn't sick. I was normal! My family had the person back that they had missed for so long. One Year & 6mo. later I am still clean. Unfortunately, my HCV has advanced to liver cancer. Nevertheless, that has not prevented me from continuing with my program. My life may be shortened but it won't be because of drugs! That is a comfort I cannot explain. As I say in my video....Methadone is not the ONLY way but it was the ONLY way for me. After making the video I wanted to do more. That is where the website came in. If I can change one mind, educate one person or save one addict this will have all been worth it.
The main goal I have is as simple as it is complicated...
TO PREVENT THE GOVERNMENT & UNINFORMED CITIZENS FROM MAKING DECISIONS REGARDING MEDICAL TREATMENT INVOLVING METHADONE &/OR SUBOXONE THROUGH WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY (ie education, petitions, rallys, etc.).
Please stop by & sign the guestbook.
Kristina Phelps, RN, BSN