NPORTC Magazine

R odger has MRSA in his left leg. He’s had two operations, where he was put on oxycodone. In his words, “I got carried away with the medication, and I got addicted real fast.” He was on the opiate for three years. His daughter—his only child—was concerned. “She's always in my corner. It was a decision I wanted to make with her.” She took him to a doctor. And he decided he wanted to get off the oxycodone. The doctor put him in a hospital for detox for two months. “The detox was terrible because I had

He learns a lot about the dangers of addiction in all its forms,

and he shares his wisdom. “I try to speak out a lot because there are a lot of things that I don't know. From being in Ms. Nnenna’s group, I’ve learned about fentanyl, about people shooting with needles, and about heroin. That wasn't my thing, but it was interesting—I was learning a lot about all this.” And he understands the commonality of substance abuse. “We all have the disease of addiction. I tell everybody, ‘It’s a big world out here, and you got to stay strong. As long as you have the disease, you need to stay away from places, people, and things.’ They say, ‘You’re sure right, Mr. Rodger’—they call me Mr. Rodger because I’m older.” He adds with gratitude, “I got my daughter, my grandkids, my dad—I got my whole family behind me, and that makes me feel good. And they support me in everything I'm doing. I'll talk to my dad. My dad’s 94 years old, and he says, ‘Son, there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who are running free and those who are running scared. How you running?’ But what he said is true. I want to run free; I don't want to run scared. I want to live a normal, sober life, and that's running free. And Ms. Nnenna is helping me a great deal here.” Rodger states his goal for the future: “The top of my list is to get my GED. I'm doing one step at a time, but that right there is at the top of my list.”

sweats and stomach aches, but I pulled through. It was the best course—it was the best thing for me because I had a heart murmur and seizures.” From the hospital, he went to Westminster Rehab. However, he was hospitalized again with hernia surgery— and pneumonia. He recovered and went back to Westminster but got an infection and had to go back yet again to the hospital. Rodger is allergic tomorphine,

and the doctors wanted to put him back on oxycodone. He explained his past addiction, but they were worried about his blood pressure. He was put back on oxycodone. But this time, because of his medical problems, Westminster Rehab wouldn’t take him back. “So, somebody reached out to me about Ms. Nnenna. They told her all about me, and she took me in. I appreciate that because nobody else would take me in. She’s a great lady. I love it here.” He dove into the group meetings and, after twenty-eight days, received his certificate. “I've never missed Ms. Nnenna’s groups, and the people are wonderful.”

29