My Story

 

My name is Paula, and I am an addict living in recovery. I say these words several times a week. Whether in person when going to meetings or on zoom meetings. It is now a part of who I am. Once ashamed of being addicted to narcotics, I now have a story to tell.

My story begins on the East Coast where I woke from a Tarsal Tunnel/ Plantar Fasciitis Surgery on my left foot and immediately knew something was wrong. I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), now known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 2. This diagnosis led to my inclusion into a pain management program, and I was assigned to a prominent pain doctor. For 18 years I trustingly followed the directions of my doctor until I went to one of many appointments to find that he had been arrested by the Federal Government for accepting bribes from pharmaceutical companies and over-abundantly prescribing opioids. I was told I would no longer be receiving the medications I had been taking for 18 years. I did not realize it at the time, but I was addicted to these medications, and it would take addiction rehabilitation to bring a semblance of normalcy back to my life.

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I came home from rehab with a new mindset. I now say this every day. "I will not let my past define me.” Going through everything I did has taught me several things. I am not invincible. I am human, and things are going to test my sobriety every day.

Six years have passed since my recovery started. I moved to a simpler life in the Midwest with my fiancé where I have successfully graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and am currently pursuing a master’s degree in psychology.

I built this site to display my creative outlet as a continued form of therapy and to connect with others who have stories of hope and success.