July 29, 2023 Issue, Page 8 of 8

Page Text

Community 8 - The Elk City News July 29, 2023 KOLLIN TEAFATILLER A Jaash Dug i=} 3925-2121 Robbins Celebrate "Your Hondo Dal” 50th Wedding Anniversary 1580) 225-8500, After years of fighting addiction, Elk City woman finds peace in recovery also ended up with a broken A year later, nearly to the she has now was possible. foot — an injury that led to month, one of her dearest “But, I am here to tell you pain pills being introduced dai- friends also died from addic- that if I can recover, anyone ly to her life. tion. can, I will not say it won't take Experts say that for many Paige found herself in the work or it will be easy. You people, it only takes three grasp of double grief. Her path might mess up in there. You weeks for a patient to become has numerous other stops in probably will. But, it has to be physically dependent upon detoxes, jails, and rehabs. you that wants to. No one can opiate medicine. “There's probably too many do it for you, and you can't Paige was among them and to list out,” she half-heartedly stop when you fall down once was not fighting two substanc- laughed. you decide you are sick of that es that would send her into But, three years ago, she world. I would tell these young physical withdrawal if she was made her last first steps out of kids not to handcuff them- without them. darkness and went to her final selves to something that evil, Pictured are John and Arlie Robbins who will be celebrating their Marian Paige While pregnant, her doctor detox. but God and determination 50th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, Aug. 27th, at the Opera put her on Suboxone, a medi- She spent days and nights can get you through it when House in Elk City, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration will be a cine used to temper opiate in excruciating anguish from “Come and Go Party,” so all their friends and family will have an (Bditors note: This piece is a withdrawal. the withdrawals of opiates, you decide it is right. We do recover, and those of us who opportunity to congratulate them on this Golden Anniversary. contribution to Sheryl Ponce's se- But, like anything, it can be meth, and alcohol. Courtesy photo. ries on the opiate settlement and abused. Once again, she would “Those opiates are a beast have want to help you.” KA-BOOM! the fentanyl epidemic) find herself in the physically to get off of,” Paige admitted. horrible state of withdrawal “Really all three were. But it is By Shonda Little and seek any way to alleviate it. tough and can be dangerous. It “I would find pain pills on took me a full year to have nor- street,” Paige remembered. mal sleep.” Mariann Paige smiled as the “T would chew morphine pills. I She went immediately to she politely asked, “Well, how couldn’t function without that rehab. While battling the phys- are you?” ical ailments, the thoughts and and pain pills. I also started She knew the subject ahead drinking heavily, so I became memories she had been trying of her would be heavy, dipping physically dependent. I'm talk- to dull were rushing in, into some of the worst times of inga ton of vodka and whiskey. Paige credits her father, her life — times that she also T couldn't get out of bed with- her long-time boyfriend, Joey acknowledges being essential out that to even go find pain Word, her siblings, and a few that she never forgets to con- pills or meth. So I was ina ter- friends for supporting her dur- tinue to maintain the serenity rible cycle.” she has now found in recovery. theirDHS eventually came into ing her long recovery. It is still a daily journey, You just got hit with the power home because of the do- At 37, Paige has lived the and her hard work at Pizza Hut mestic issues but found tract vast majority of her life in Elk marks on her arms. Her son has also been a stable force. City. She moved other places was taken from her custody. She has battled several for brief times — sometimes “T would go to the classes medical issues during her re- of advertising! freely, but briefly — to other to get my son back sometimes, covery, some of which she places. but I missed some because of knows are a result of her de- Then there have also been all this. Then the cops would cades of substance abuse. Still, drug rehabs and detoxes, juve- come looking for me,” she ex- she powers through that — de- nile facilities, and prison. plained. termined to make it. Her journey into addic- Paige had finally decided to And for her peace, she tion started early in life, long go to detox but was busted that found fishing. She now calls it Local newspapers reach engaged readers. before she could even under- day because she had sold to an her “favorite obsession.” stand what it was. informant. Her boyfriend, Joey, has You're proving that point right now! “I think I was about 13 She signed custody of her been a long-time fishing en- when I first started smoking son to her ex-husband and thusiast. While she was still Did you know there are 163 local newspapers pot,” Paige recalled. “Meth eventually had to serve three in her addiction, she said she seemed to come immediately, years in prison. in Oklahoma? Every one of them can get your would stay home and get high and it was an immediate prob- “T really thought when I while he fished alone. advertising message in the hands of educated, lem. I craved it and wanted it. was getting out then that my But, after she completed re- I did dabble at that time in al- journey would end there, but hab, she asked him to go. influential readers. cohol, but it wasn’t one of my I wasn’t ready. My parents had “T was hooked just like a primary things then. It was my son when they came to get fish,” Paige laughed. “I started Contact this newspaper and ask how they can definitely enough to be a prob- me from prison, and I got to be bothering him to take me even help you harness the power of local advertising lem, but meth was the start of in his life. When he was gone when he wanted to relax after the show then.” in your community. Partying every weekend be- for the weekend, I thought I work. I wanted to be the best could drink and handle that. It and catch everything” came her norm. By 15, she was led where it always will for me Partying has now been re- If you want to reach dozens of specific markets or “shooting,” or intravenously — back to meth and the pills,” placed with fishing. the entire state call Oklahoma Press to learn more using meth. Paige said. When she caught her “I went to boot camp for Paige's mother also strug- first fish with her hands, also about newspapers and their power to help you kids. There was one time that gled with alcohol issues. She known as noodling, she found succeed. I went to a kid’s place with a says within her parents’ home, a high unlike anything she has fentanyl patch on me,” Paige she could find various pills, ever felt. added. Suboxone, and alcohol. She “It’s a rush I can’t explain,” In fact, she met her ex- blames no one for this, as she she gushed. husband in a rehab facility. Co- knows it is a disease. But she Whether it is trout fishing OKLAHOMA incidentally, he had also lived in Elk City. The two struck up a relationship that produced also couldn't manage that level of access, “Then my mom eventu- in the wintertime or noodling in the prime summer months, Paige is there for it. PRESS her only child —a son she now ally got very sick, and I was too Her bucket list starts with travels to see as her sobriety messed up to really understand spending as much time as she has allowed her to make him a how sick she was and that she can with her son, something 3601 N LINCOLN BLVD. primary focus. was dying, I thought I was she saves her money for to OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73105 Paige said her marriage was helping her, even though I was make the long trips to Odessa, often reported for their fights. sometimes bringing her what Texas, for visits. OKPRESS.COM Between substance abuse and made her sick,” Paige stated. ‘The rest, however, is con- For more information about Oklahoma Press contact: that, the Oklahoma Human She was shocked when her sumed with catching prize fish Services got involved eventu- Landon Cobb, Icobb @ okpress.com, 405-499-0022 or mother died, even though she and fishing in new situations. ally. had seen all the signs. She never thought the life Cindy Shea, [email protected], 405-499-0023 During that time, Paige