California Care saved my life and gave me my family back!There were a lot of conversations with the admissions team between myself, my mom, and my husband to make us all comfortable enough for me to hop on a plane from Wisconsin and fly across the country to a place I've never been and to be treated by people I've never met. There were 2 amazing fellas that would not give up on me. They found solutions to all of the problems I threw at them and consistently checked in on me until my departure date. The absolute sweetest gal picked me up from the airport and made me feel comfortable from the moment I met her. It was late in California and even later where I had flown in from but the 2 gals that did my intake were amazing and got me settled in quickly so I could start my detox process. I was highly impressed with how clean and livable the house was from the moment I walked in. There were multiple places to have our group sessions inside and out, comfy beds to lay my head on, an overly stocked kitchen with snacks and healthy meal options galore, clean bathrooms, a fitness area, and so much more! The first few days are a bit foggy but I do remember that I felt safe, cared for, and ready for what lie ahead. Over the next month amazing things happened 1 after another. I began to truly wake up and experience life in a new mindset. I participated in multiple enlightening daily groups led by staff at the house, different forms of meditation and mindful activities led by multiple amazing people that came in weekly to spend time with us, workout sessions with the physical trainer that came 3 times weekly to work with us and help us understand our bodies and any physical issues we may have, daily meetings (AA, NA, HA, CA, CMA) outside the house, and the weekly outing of our choosing (within reason) to stretch our legs and minds in the new sober state of mind. The nursing staff was outstanding! Any questions or concerns I had were immediately dealt with and explained to me in a way I could understand. The amount of knowledge I gained about my health was mindblowing! They brought me to a doctor for bloodwork to find out about my health, which gave me knowledge about a few issues I was having and continued to work with the doctor to form a plan to deal with these issues. My hormone levels were checked and also the compatibility of different medications with my DNA were tested. Those results were surprising and extremely helpful in my understanding about what was going on in my body. The food was fantastic! The staff makes sure we are well fed and also included us in cooking meals with providing cooking groups for us to learn/do things in the new sober mindset. My previous passions; cooking, singing, dancing, writing poetry, telling jokes, and smiling all came flooding back during my time at California Care. They showed me that people will still love me and want me around when im not using. I could go on and on about how I was truly blessed to end up at California Care, but I feel like I've said enough. PLEASE if you have the opportunity to have California Care as your home during your recovery DO NOT PASS IT UP! This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am completely confident that they can help you get back to the amazing person you are when you are not using just like they did for me! Don't worry about leaving either. The people that once were staff become friends and allies that you can reach out to at anytime. They truly care about the people they invest their time in and even after you are out of the house they check on you and want to hear about your new life. I know how busy they are in the daily grind but I also know that if I text them I will hear back fr9m them. They continue to check in with me and appreciate hearing about how my day is going. THANK YOU CALIFORNIA CARE! You made magic happen for me! I love you all and will never forget my recovery home! See you all for my 1 year birthday!
