Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Rogers:Daily Life

Wow...it has been a long time!!! I am back at Castlewood. I got back a week ago- last Monday. My stay at Rogers did not go well, to say the least. I will try to do my best to summarize my experience.
I flew into Milwaukee after a layover in Memphis, TN. It was sort of odd to have to fly directly south from St. Louis for an hour to Memphis and then directly north for two to get to Milwaukee, but I suppose that is how the airlines work these days. The driver from Rogers was calling to ask where I was before I even made it to the baggage claim. He was an interesting fellow- Norm is his name. He would ask me a question (in a very low voice, so that I would have to have him repeat it several times), such as what was I studying in school? to which I would have to shout back the answer ("Biology!") because he could never hear me. Then he would reply with some completely random or inappropriate response such as "Oh, thats too bad, we don't all get t do what we want in life." Anyways, as we pulled in front of the admissions building, a cop pulled in behind us. I was alarmed at first- was I going to be brought into the building in shackles? Nope, Norm had just ran a stop sign.
After the whole admission and paperwork process I was taken up to the unit. It is a locked psychiatric unit with two halls; one hall is for the adult mental health and drug/alcohol detox patients and the other hall is for the adult eating disorder patients. My stuff was searched and I was given a room. I lucked out in that I got a single room with a bathroom, although it is not that great since the rooms are bare with just a bed and locked windows with heavy screens. Most of the other rooms are doubles and everyone shares the shower rooms located off the hallway.
Since I came in on the weekend I was not able to meet with a dietician right away and was given the standard meal plan they give to people who first come in- the lowest plan which is ver, very little food. That night I asked for some extra fruit for snack, which practically floored them.
The first day I met with the doctor on call. She was able to write me an order that allowed me to have my clothes that had drawstrings and I was also allowed to have my yarn and knitting needles. The dietician that was filling in for the weekend came up to meet with me and we discussed what I had been eating at Castlewood and she greatly increased my meal plan. Rogers goes off the exchange system, which I despise because it tends to make me become more obsessive on calories (it did). They also require 3 meals and 3 snacks, like most programs.
That first day I also completed all of the assignments they give you- a couple of worksheets abut body image and exercise and a workbook about your eating disorder. Monday I met with my regular doctor who advanced me to level three- the highest level. This meant that I was allowed to eat in the dining room (although I still ate off of a prepared tray) and was allowed outside. The days are all the same at Rogers: wake up at 6:30am for weights and vitals (if you have bloodwork ordered, they come around 5 or 5:30 in the morning), shower and get ready. Breakfast is at 7:45. Then everyone kind of hangs out, at some point we have goals group where we would all state our goal for the day. Then came rec group for an hour where would play a teambuilding game (with the exception of Mondays- no group at that time), followed by snack, and an hour of process group. Lunch is at 11:45an, and then we chill until 1pm when we have social serives group for an hour. Sanck at 2, art at 2:15, dinner at 4:45, snack and goals at 8pm. day in and day out. No individual therapy or anything. The weekends are worse- just art group in the morning and process group in the afternoon surrounded by all of the meals and snacks. I fulfilled my time doing lots of jigsaw and sodoku puzzles and crocheting dishcloths.

1 comment:

katiebug said...

No individual therapy??? And they're supposed to be a good treatment facility? I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but there's no other way to say this...I feel like Rogers is a feeder/grower place from what you've described. Just put some weight on the patients, and then send 'em home or somewhere else. Which is a fucking shame. I HATE it that you had to waste your time there. I wish more than anything you could have gone back to CFC, and then back to Castlewood.

The trick now is to use the time you've got left at Castlewood to get things in a place where you're not being sent home to relapse. You really do have some control over that...(I'm NOT saying it's easy, at all). I wish there was something I could do or say to help you along this journey. I love you Jen!