Could use advice/suggestions about a sponsee

[Moontime]

I have a new sponsee we've been talking everyday since last week. We've met a few times last week, yet we haven't etched out our once-a-week meeting time/and place. Anyhow, this man suffers from a stomach disease that causes him severe pain. He also suffers from severe back problems. Anyhow, his drug of choice were oxycotins. He's in a lot of pain right now and his doctor (who is an addictionoligist at our local outpatient treatment center) wants to put him on Methadone. She also is a owner of our methadone clinic in town, so I'm confused on a possible self-interest here. I didn't understand that they would give methadone for this type of treatment. My sponsor asked me to ask a few questions/suggestions; "How long will you be on methadone, Get a second opinion on this, make sure I go with him, make sure he reads page 99 in the Basic Text, read the times of illness, etc..." Then he said it's a judgement call on my part on whether I feel comfortable sponsoring a man, who's not totally clean. Can I work the steps with him and feel comfortable with him using? Then I think it's "what he wants to do about his problem and how I can help" If he wants to use, then it's his problem. I'm kinda confused, any help would be appreciated.

[bikewench]

Yup.. it's a judgment call for sure...

But.. this is what I see...
This man is in pain...and so he probably isn't "using"...

In our own best self-interest... we sometimes have to eliminate triggers in our lives... but.. what if God put this person in your life to be a teacher to you...

It happens... ;o)

Sometimes we have to take a risk and see how far something can go...


Praying for clarity for you around this...

[abtchonamission]

I believe that methadone has also been used for pain management.

[Moontime]

Thank you both for your time.
Not to take away from the topic, but abtchonamission, I see your from asheville. Are you going to Pearl Jam tonight? I usually go to Asheville in December for the Warren Haynes X-Mas Jam. We have a large group in recovery that go.

[Paulie]

IMHO It is not 'using' unless he is not taking the medication as it is perscribed. I know people that will not sponsor people on medication, I don't agree with that at all. If for some reason I should at some point have to be on some sort of pain meds I know my sponsor would not drop me.

You have to do what you are comfortable with. Everyone is put in our life for a reason.

[godsonmyside]

Oxycontin is a hell of a drug to get clean from when you are still in pain, I am. Because it comes from a doctor we tend to think its a liscense to use. Metadone I more for those who think drugs are the problem, in my opinion, which some may not like but anyway. Page 99 is a very important page in the text for those in pain. My experience with oxycontin , I change my clean date after 7 years clean, once they were in my body, I didn't know the differece between perscription or just wanting to get high.
Today I barely even take tylonol for pain. Not to say I'm not in pain, Because at times I really want to cut my lower back off and remove my legs, But I get through with prayer and meditation and a positive attitude.
It would be a judgement call yes, I would have to ponder about why Methadone would be used as pain maintenance, its like antibuse for the alcoholic to not drink. Their are other options for pain, maybe this dude brought it up to his doctor? Good luck, have fun at the concert, I wanted to see the Dead and Alman bros. this year, Warren Hates playing with the Dead, awesome.

[Moontime]

Thanks everyone, I will pray and continue to pray. I do believe god put him in my life for a reason, more will be revealed. Thank you!

[oxy-cleaned]

Moontime:

September 2002, my husband fell multiple stories off of the roof of a building he was constructing and landed on his feet. He sustained multiple culcaneus (heel) fractures in both of his feet, coupled with multiple, severe fractures throughout both of his feet and ankles. His feet were so pulverized that the doctors compared them to two bags of broken glass. They considered amputation. The grace of God, nine surgeries (and many more in the future) and excruciating physical therapy have saved my husband’s feet.

Obviously, pain management has been a huge issue in my home since he fell (in more ways than one). His doctors and surgeons put him on every conceivable pain killer in an attempt to control his pain. He was on oxycontins for the longest period of time, but as his tolerance (and abuse) went up, his usage reached scary proportions. Unfortunately, they just didn’t work that well for him (again, in more ways then one), but it was the best thing his doctors said they could offer him. We finally found an excellent pain management doctor who worked very hard to find a pain management program that could give my husband’s life back to him. He took my husband off of the oxycontins and put him on methadone, and the methadone has worked a miracle in his life. Methadone is an excellent medication for chronic pain sufferers and is used regularly by pain management doctors. My husband has not had the tolerance issues he had with all of the other pain medications (and the abuse factor has completely disappeared) and has remained on the same dosage of methadone for a long time now. It is an absolutely viable pain medication that would probably be used much more often if it didn’t have a “reputation” and/or its connection to heroin.

Obviously, you must follow your heart on this issue and do what you think is right. I just thought I would offer my story as something to chew on and to assure you that methadone is a very legitimate medication for pain management. It is my personal opinion that taking medication prescribed by your doctor in the manner in which it is intended in order to achieve a certain quality of life is a lot different than “using.” If this man were diabetic and had to take insulin to live, would you be asking yourself these questions? If he needs pain management to live a normal life, is there much of a difference?

God bless you and may He guide your heart.

P.S. Warren Haynes! I have traveled many miles on numerous occasions to hear Warren play with his various friends. Moontime, you sound like my kind of guy!!!

[Moontime]

Thank you Oxy! I really appreciate your post. I'm going with my heart and I'm going to sponsor him and work steps with him. Your post just solidified it for me, thank you. He really needs the methadone to cope with everyday body movement. He doesnt' want to pick up a key-tag though until he's officially done with methadone. I'm not sure if there will ever come a time, if he's in such severe pain, but I said that was his choice and I'm here to help him. Like you said, if he was a diabetic he would need insulin.

[Moontime]

P.S., I didn't know we had that many Gov't Mule/Warren Haynes/Dead/Allman Bros fans on board. I'll be seeing Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes) for Halloween in Richmond, Va. We'll have a crew of recovering addicts with us, if anyone is interested.

[Gooch]

The mule kicks ....

I'm a big Derek Trucks fan too.

heard a new cut the other day on the radio .. interesting .. recognized the band right away even though the classic Allman bros influence was subtle if not undetectable.

[Recoveree]

Of course because we are addicts, we tend to think of Methadone as a drug replacement for Heroin. The fact is, Methadone is one of the most widely prescribed pain management medications for moderate to severe pain.
People with chronic pain, joint and bone disease and some cancers especially benefit from its use as a pain management regime. It is as effective as Morphine, but less addictive.

[godsonmyside]

A little off topic, Mule is going to release a new cd at the end of the Dead/ brothers tour. can't wait to hear it.

[WeDoRecover]

I agree with alot of what's been said. I think when it comes down to pain medication, even if prescribed by a doctor, we need to look at our motives. If my motives aren't in the right place (and I can usually tell that by the state of my gut), I'll abuse the drug even with justified pain. At some point, a switch might occur in my head and I'm no longer managing pain, I'm using. That said, I do believe that a recovering addict, even one who liked opiates, can take pain medicine if absolutely necessary. But how one might do that is another discussion entirely.

I guess what I'm saying is that it's not up to anyone but me when I cross the line from pain treatment to using, when I'm clean and when I'm not. If I'm secure in my motives and in justified pain, I feel comfortable continuing with my clean time while on medication. When I get sneaky and take the prescribed dose a little earlier, or maybe double up, that's when the line has been crossed. Was I entirely honest with the doctor about my history?

Does that make any sense at all? Probably not but oh well. Moontime- if you're comfortable with it, go for it. If it starts effecting you spiritually, seek some guidance and maybe this isn't the situation for you. You never know unless you try.

And I'm so happy to see other GOOD music fans on the board. Rock on!

[union tin]

This is my first time on this site, and you have the answer that I might have been looking for. I lost my leg due to a gunshot wound to my foot and it got infected. Three operations later They had to take off my right leg below the knee. I have been on oxycontin for 2 years. At first it worked fine then I built up a high tolerance to it. I also take 6 30mg roxicodone per day. Thats on top of the 3 80mg oxycontin. I am at the point that I am starting to worry about how to get off of the medicine. If I come up short wich seems to be every month, I suffer till I can get a re-fill, My doc wants me off, I still have the phantom pain, I also have neuropathy pains up and down my legs from Diabeties. She will not give me more medicine then I am already on. I need to go to a pain management center by the next time I see her or she will stop the medicine all together. She is worried about loosing her liscence, so she says, My origanal doc left the practice and she came in and wanted me off this stuff the first time I met her. Its good to know that there is a medicine that will work, How bad were his withdrawls? How long did it take for him to adjust to the new medicine. If you dont mind can you tell me how many milligrams of the oxy he was on, and how much methadone does he take now? You said it perfact I need that medicine to maintain a normal life, not to get high, but even be able to sit and watch tv and acually pay attention, instead of just worring when the meds run out and how much pain I am in. If you could e-mail me back that would be great. franklin8865@yahoo.com Thank You

[Shakur T.]

Originally Posted by Moontime

Thank you Oxy! I really appreciate your post. I'm going with my heart and I'm going to sponsor him and work steps with him.

Peace Moontime,

You're heart is in the right place. We cannot always choose who God puts in our life or why. Our literature tells us that it is a privilage to respond to a cry for help.

Peace & Blessings, Shakur (The Midnight Rider)