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Methadone Newsletter Is 1 Yr Old


Posts: 1059
Joined: August 29, 2011


Posted: August 24, 2012, 5:47 PM

September 2012 will be the 1 year anniversary for the newsletter my husband and I write for our clinic. While at times it's time consuming,overall everyone loves it!! When we go on Wed mornings to chair our K2R (Keys to Recovery) meeting the patients always ask us,when is the next issue coming out??

The name of our newsletter is The F Street Wind.Catchy? No? (our clinic is on F Street) Yesterday the corporate office called us, first,the head of Corporate PAAG (Patient Advisory and Advocacy Group) and then their Clinical Director. Nice surprise.
The director said she absolutely loves our newsletter and wanted to know if we had a problem with them distributing them to the other clinics the corporation owns, 25 in all, in California.She thinks it's a great thing and wants to support us and get the other clinics to do their own newsletters as well.

Oddly enough,none of the other clinics put out a newsletter, and I'm not sure why. We don't get a really big amount of support from the staff at our clinic but I think that is because we still don't have a full time on site manager,I think the folks at Corporate are a little taken aback by the fact that we keep putting the newsletters out, on time,each month. Hey!! Us addicts like all our ducks in a row,ya know what I mean??? Something you can rely on and know it will be there. I think the information we give is important, not only to the patients but to their families as well.

The director is also asking the other clinics to have their people send in suggestions,articles of interest and stories of success for the newsletter.If that happens we may have to go to a different format with more pages!!!

Our dear Suboxman said just recently that it is very important to give back and to help other addicts, and that by doing that you will be helping yourself. I agree with that wholeheartedly which is why we do the clinic meetings and the newsletter.Everybody wins!! If just ONE person is given a chance of being clean by using methadone as a tool in the fight to recover,all our work was worth it.

Anyway, that is my good news this week except maybe for the fact that my grandkids are out of school for a 3 day weekend. Sleeping-in for me!!!

Granny

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I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH LOVE MY HEART COULD HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE CALLED ME GRANDMA.


STOP AND LISTEN TO THE BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES. WHEN THE BIRDS ARE SINGING EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS OK.[FONT=Courier][FONT=Arial]


Posts: 2606
Joined: August 18, 2005


Posted: August 26, 2012, 9:21 AM
congratulations Grannie
i KNEW YOU GUYS COULD PULL IT OFF-
i REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE JUST GETTIN IT OFF THE GROUND-
I'm glad I was able to contribute in a small way- - we advocates for recovery with the help of medicine, aren't too popular- - a lot of XA groups dont go for any medicinal help - not all- but some-
It just doesn't help the awful stigma, when a powerful recovery group doesn't stand with us and say "Hey ,whatever it takes to get away from your old behaviors and criminal ways" - as long as at the end of the day your clean, sober, and a productive member of society who is able to mentor those who are still battling their demons
Really no matter, its kind of a silly ego thing->> as long as we know we are helping others and helping to get rid of all the bad vibes, and myths that the medical community has perpetrated on society <

I remember long ago , I was hesitant to use this forum for a methadone thread. Reason being, I thought that all the substances on this thread were abused substances. Drugs of choice- -

I didn't think methadone belonged in that group- - I believed (and maybe still do) that methadone was not a drug that people abused, it just didn't fit that definition.
I considered methadone a drug used as a tool in the recovery process- -some needing for long periods of time, maybe forever, some just needing to use it to get over a hump-
As time went one- I could see that methadone ,like many other drugs used in treatment of different decease's-brought many questions, questions about side effects, about length of time, about dose amounts ,about pay scales, and much much more...

So not being a drug that one seeks out to abuse, doesn't mean there aren't questions about it-
I hope granni,s site brings many answers to those debating using methadone in thier treatment- on thier path to recovery
You probably noticed I haven't been around ,or as vocal as I was in the past-- its been 9 yrs, Ive made great friends, and Ill continue to pop in from time to time- kinda like Carson did when he left the tonite show- haha
So everyone be well, some of you have my e-mail - -
I will never think that I dont need this site or advise from all you wise addicts- but if you notice my absence , know that even though I may have gone- I certainly I haven't gone far-
Im also aware that even though I have all these yrs w/o heroin use- I would be silly and delustional to think that Im cured
If I were to take the time to thank each one of you for your insight, help, and support, it would take 3 days and a memory that I certainly dont have- -so accept one big ThAnK YoU

with all the love and respect I can gather
jack

This post has been edited by jackofhartzz on August 26, 2012, 9:29 AM

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"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."
— Hunter S. Thompson[COLOR=blue]


Posts: 6750
Joined: September 15, 2005


Posted: August 26, 2012, 11:10 AM
CONGRADS GRANNY---Pretty cool work. Special.

Jeffrey

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It is Just Not worth it.

"Inside every older person is a younger person
wondering what the puck happened."

One Day At A Time


Posts: 1059
Joined: August 29, 2011


Posted: August 27, 2012, 6:16 PM
Thanks for the congrats....nice to hear.
Each month I try to find things that are interesting,informative, to both the patients and their families or friends, and if possible something funny.

I still firmly believe that there are so many people, patients included, that dont really get the whole concept of being on methadone. Or rather that methadone can be a stepping stone to never having to live the life of an opiate addict ever again.I also still firmly believe that many of our public officials are uneducated about it as well...

For some, it means staying on it for the rest of their lives if need be. For others a 6 month detox may be the 1st step they need to get them going toward not using. Every persons addiction is their own personal hell, and when that person is really ready to stop the craziness of addiction whichever way they can accomplish that is their choice. There are so many ways to accomplish that in this day and age, some work and some don't and some addicts will try all of them, sometimes more than once,until they finally find the one that works best for them.

Hopefully, something I write in our newsletter will spark someones interest,or give them the strength to take that first step towards recovery and that is the entire reason behind my wanting to do this newsletter for so many years. I have been blessed to be given the opportunity to hopefully help someone.

Thanks for your support.
Granny

This post has been edited by Granny2 3 on August 27, 2012, 6:17 PM

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I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH LOVE MY HEART COULD HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE CALLED ME GRANDMA.


STOP AND LISTEN TO THE BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES. WHEN THE BIRDS ARE SINGING EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS OK.[FONT=Courier][FONT=Arial]
Guest






Posted: September 7, 2012, 9:38 AM
bye jack
Nancy






Posted: September 27, 2012, 2:15 PM
chagate@aol.com Hey Granni!

Ho do I get a copy of your newsletter? They used to print one called "Malta" out of a clinicin Sacramento.
Anyhow, my clinic is in Escondido, CA. It' called Mission Treatment and I know other patients who would be interested too.

I would also contribute to your mag. I have been on clinics for over 30 yrs.

Hope to hear back from you soon!


Posts: 1059
Joined: August 29, 2011


Posted: September 27, 2012, 4:58 PM
Hi Nancy,

Wow, that was a nice surprise!!

I too, remember the "Malta Messenger", from many moons ago. Community Health Projects,was owned by a Dr. Tennant (sp?), was where my husband and I went when we first started on methadone.That is where the newletter came from,one of his clinics. I loved reading the newsletter and because it was written solely by the patients it made it even better. Ours is written only by MMT patients as well.

In 1998, I believe, Comm.Health Proj was purchased by Aegis Medical Systems. For years I've wanted to do something,anything to bring more good attention to methadone. Finally, the manager at our clinic gave us the go-ahead and in October 2011 our first issue was written.

While not quite as large,yet, as the M.M. it has been received exceptionally well by our corporate office. In fact, they want to have it go each month to all of the 25 clinics Aegis owns throughout California.Our clinic is in Ontario. So far, I think we are the only newsletter written at any of the clinics.
We are always looking for "Patient Journeys", about recovery, and just truthful info on how methadone helps addicts on the road to recovery.

You are the 2nd person to spell granny with an i. Interesting. Makes it cute I guess. LOL.
I just finished the Oct issue,so I'll see about emailing you a copy.Maybe even a couple other issues just so you can see what its all about. Any chance you have any old issues of MALTA?
Thanks so much for your interest.
You say you've been a patient for 30 yrs?

Nice to meet you.
granny

This post has been edited by Granny2 3 on September 27, 2012, 5:10 PM

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I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH LOVE MY HEART COULD HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE CALLED ME GRANDMA.


STOP AND LISTEN TO THE BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES. WHEN THE BIRDS ARE SINGING EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS OK.[FONT=Courier][FONT=Arial]
Julie






Posted: March 28, 2014, 7:25 AM
Granny2 3 could you please email me a copy of your newsletter. (jehutchinson84@gmail.com) I've been put in charge of doing our clinic's quarterly newsletter and I don't know where to start. Previously our newsletter just sits on a table in our clinic, and may only be read by a couple of our clients. I want a newsletter where our clients ask us when the next issue is coming out. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!

Julie


Posts: 1059
Joined: August 29, 2011


Posted: March 29, 2014, 9:01 PM
Julie,
Thanks for your interest!
I'd be more than happy to send you copies. I have been doing this newsletter going on 3+ years every month and our patients seem to enjoy it. I try to write about a variety of things for the patients as well as family members and friends. Its all about education, and getting the right info out. I am forever telling the patients "don't listen to the Lobby doctors!!!" I hate the stigma that methadone still has to endure.

I just got Windows 8 and I am having a real hard time figuring out how to get the right format for the darn thing. Windows 7 was so much easier. The ones I will send you are no where near as presentable as the ones from last year but I also don't think the patients are going to notice all that much. I am hoping what's in the newsletter is more important. I will send the ones I can, most were lost in the other tower.
Let me know if and when you receive them as I will try to send them to you in a couple minutes. Our newsletters are right up by where the patients check in with the front office staff before dosing. I also use colored paper, a new shade for each month. Green for xmas, pink for Valentines, yellow,Easter, orange for Halloween......
Granny

This post has been edited by Granny2 3 on March 29, 2014, 9:04 PM

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I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH LOVE MY HEART COULD HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE CALLED ME GRANDMA.


STOP AND LISTEN TO THE BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES. WHEN THE BIRDS ARE SINGING EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS OK.[FONT=Courier][FONT=Arial]
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