The Long road to recovery
After Gabriella was released, she started the day programme at the hospital
in which she had to attend five days a week. This was part of the treatment
plan they had set-up, mainly so they could monitor her in a controlled setting, as
well as see how she was reacting, on the medication .
There was three therapists, as well as a social worker and of course the out-patient
doctor, running the programme . The number of out-patients involved in the day
programme varied, but there was always at least fifteen men and women.
Joanne was assigned to Gabriella as her therapist, with whom she had to meet with
every morning, before the start of the programme. Joanne, was a short very petite lady,
in I would guess her middle thirties. She had been a therapist for almostt fifteen years
making her quite qualified.
Gabriella, did attend the programme faithfully, which covered everything from learning
to cope with her illness, to life skills. Most of the time I went with her, to the
programme and hung out until she was finished.
Soon after she started the programme, they secured her a room in a half-way house,
close to the hospital. The house was a rather large house with a neatly cut lawn in the
front and a lovely garden in the back.
There were about seven boarders living in the house, which attended various programmes
not only at the hospital, but other places as well. The married couple that ran the house
seemed a little strange though .
It wasn't long before, I found a room, in a rooming house, in the same area as the
half-way house . So by thef ollowing week, I moved into my new place just around the corner
from Gabriella.
At the beginning though our families, didn't give our relationship, much of a chance due to the
fact that Gabriella was very sick and I also had problems. We felt lonely and isolated
from them because of it .
The road to recovery for Gabriella, is still very much ongoing but through many tears
and prayers, we will make it.
They say that faith can move a mountain well; that mountain has not moved yet but
it is a little smaller...
see my next article; con't in a couple of days...