There are lots of success stories here at the clinic, but I
don’t always get to hear them. The frontline people are much more likely to
hear the stories.
But, this was a patient that I had gotten to know over the
years. She was always vivacious, personable, and friendly. When she was a
patient here, she was struggling in her life.
Turns out, her life had always been a struggle. As a young
woman she had been into drugs and alcohol until age 22, when she married and
had her children. She stopped using drugs, stopped drinking and raised her
family. But, as they got older, and the man she was married to became
increasingly controlling… she turned to alcohol again.
She had a job in the food service industry – low pay, no
benefits. Her health problems brought her to the clinic a few years ago. We
helped her through some of that time. She ultimately went to AA, left her
husband, and got a job in food service in the prison system. She finally had
health insurance, and no longer needed us.
I heard from her about a week ago. Her life has continued to
change for the better. When the state privatized the food services in the
prison system, she lost her job. But, they gave her the opportunity to become a
corrections officer. Turns out, that is what she was meant to do with her life.
She loves it!
She is making good money, has great benefits, loves her job
and has been sober for four years. She credits AA with her sobriety and the
improvement in her life.
So often when people leave here, we don’t know what happens.
It is so nice to hear these stories – to see people succeed, despite all the
odds.
No comments:
Post a Comment