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Written by Marcel Gemme C.C.D.C

New beginning for myself and my daughter

I would like to have the story of my daughter and myself told. I would like this to be from me as a parent about my child with drug-related issues. My daughter has had drug-related issues since the age of 13, and she's now 19 years of age and is into her second day of an intense drug rehab program for the first time. Our relationship has been an emotional roller coaster. I as a parent have suffered a lot due to Kayla's drug issues, but I have always believed that one day Kayla would get help, and we could then work on our relationship that failed so many years ago.

The pain in the family due to Kayla addiction to drugs was excessive, with our family Kayla's drug use had police at our door all the time, stealing rent money, physically hurting myself and her sisters, destroying our rental unit, 24 to 48 hours straight without sleep because if Kayla didn't sleep, I didn't. So much strain that I had Kayla removed my home at 14. Then the foster-care program took over. Medications for ADHD that she would sell on the street, running away, getting high from ATV gas, unprotected sex, hospital stays due to drug overdose. At 15 Kayla got into a relationship with a 20-year-old man who also used drugs. Soon she was mixing pills for a high, not eating due to drug expenses; pregnancy at 16 yet continued to live a drug lifestyle. Once the baby was born there was physical abuse. I have seen Kayla bruised and bloody due to physical abuse by her man. The police would do nothing as Kayla would make excuses for the beatings and refused to press charges. Kayla at 16 signed full custody of her child to the child's fathers, this is now a legal issue due to Kayla's age at the time of giving away all parental rights.

I have not seen or heard from my only grandchild since she was three weeks old; she is now 3 years old. Then Kayla left her abusive boyfriend, but the drugs continued. Every second weekend I was called to the ER due to a drug overdose not to commit suicide but for the high. I saw tubes, wires and pain for nothing more than a high. Kayla would say I will never do that again as I almost died only to be at the hospital for the same thing a week later. I have worried about Kayla everyday and night. Is she high, dead, a victim of STDs or beaten up? Had some drug dealer decided to collect for what Kayla owes them? Who has Kayla hurt today to provide for her drug habit and what did I do to cause such a mess.

Kayla has finally decided to go to rehab. This is an intense in-house program for three months. You can't leave this program. I'm so proud of Kayla for taking this big step on her own, and I believe that this may work for Kayla but now the cycle has started again only now it's to help not to hurt. It is now day 2 of Kayla's rehab. She has called me 10 times with the same story... I hate it here, they won't give me withdrawal medication; I want to leave; I'm ill; my belly hurts; I'm sweating, in between the tears and sobs. I'm trying to comfort and encourage her telling her I know it must be hard to do but in time, it will get better, and once she's clean the pain will end, and we can work on our family again. This story can go on forever, and I think it might assist anyone who has to deal with drug-related issues.

M.T