Cat_lady83

I would definitely get a retest of your sample. That's what split screens are for. I came up positive for alcohol on one of my Recovery Trek tests when I had not had anything to drink. I passed the re-test of the other vial. I got no apology from TPAPN for that despite the person that called me to alert me to the result being very nasty and condescending. She said that false positives never happen and that I needed to stop lying....etc. I'll have my fingers crossed for you. If you gave a split screen sample you have options.

Oogie is right. Keep logging in until it won't accept your info anymore. I had to keep logging in for 2 days past my completion date. You might also want to check with your Case Manager to make sure she/he put the paperwork in to end your testing participation. Good work in making it so far!

You will want to avoid products with Ethyl Alcohol and SD Alcohol. Also look for things that just say Alcohol in the ingredients. I believe cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol used as a moisturizer and is not related to ethanol (what is tested for in an Etg test). Screening out alcohol from foods and beauty products is a pain in the A, but you will get through it. Try to get in the habit of flipping things over to look at the label and ingredients. You will be shocked at the things that have ethanol in them: sunscreen, liquid makeup, face moisturizer...look at everything.

I just spoke with my TPAPN Case Manager and I am done! After 3 years of anxiety and hard work I've completed the program and my letter is in the mail. I appreciate the chance I was given to keep my license in good standing after writing a false prescription, but OMG was it a hard road. I have a huge tub of chocolate hemp protein on top of the fridge that is going to be calling my name after barre class this afternoon. I just wanted to let those of you out there struggling and questioning whether going through the program is worth it know that you can do it. I had to restart at the 12 month mark after spending 48 hours in the hospital for panic attacks and depression. I didn't think I would be able to start over again, but I did. I was so angry and devastated and came very close to giving up. I'm glad that I didn't. I've completed the program and I have 3 years of sobriety. Not bad...

Try Austin State Supported Living Center or Austin State Hospital. I am a TPAPN nurse (10 days until I'm done OMG) employed with AUSSLC. It's a state position, so you need to apply through the state portal. I've posted the process in some older replies if you would like to search for them.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you. 1 year into my contract with TPAPN I became very depressed/panicked and had to spend 48 hours in a mental hospital. That was a violation of the TPAPN rules, so I was given the option of starting over or leaving the program. After much gnashing of teeth I started over. Being told that the whole last year of IOP, AA/NA meetings, 90/90 logs, UA tests wouldn't count almost sent me right back to the hospital. I know how terrible you feel and low. Reach out to as many people as you can and hold on. Things may seem hopeless right now, but they will get better. Be patient and you will see. PNAP might give you the option of starting over. Start over and take this episode as a life lesson. Get ALL substances out of your house. I don't keep anything around: poppy seeds, vanilla extract, hair spray, Nyquil, etc. When my husband broke his hand I had him keep the Vicodin in a lock box. I felt like scum admitting to him that it was a temptation/trigger for me, but it kept me from putting the pills in my mouth in a moment of weakness.

I posted a while back about job openings in Austin. Check with the state of Texas job site. I work for Austin State Supported Living Center and they are TPAPN friendly (at least to me). Go to Come to Work...Where Your Work Makes a Difference: How to Apply with DADS | DADS and click the link for CAPPS. That's the job listing portal and the online application site. You should look at other Texas agencies beyond the Austin facility. There are numerous other state supported living centers and state jobs. I never thought I would be working with adults with developmental disabilities. It took me almost a full year to find another job after getting busted. I just had to open my mind to other possibilities. I'm grateful to the previous DON that gave me a job. She hired me when no one else would and I'm so glad.

Thanks! I am really counting down the months and days I have left. I think about TPAPN and recovery every day pretty much all day. There's a lot to the program, but it makes me feel better to check things off and make alarms on my phone/calender to keep me in compliance.

I'm on year 3 of a 3 year stint in TPAPN. I originally signed a contract for 2 years and then was forced to sign another for 3 years after admitting to suicidal ideation ( I was unemployed, pregnant, and we were close to being homeless). As nowim clean stated, with TPAPN some things are best left unsaid. My best advice would be to stay under the radar and toe the line. The list of products with alcohol that you need to avoid can be daunting, but you get used to it. Buy non-alcohol hand sanitizer on Amazon and carry that with you when you get working. Try to keep a good attitude when dealing with them because they wield an enormous amount of power over you. I have a friend in TPAPN who was given more urine drug screens because she was deemed to have a "bad attitude". If you've been in recovery for 4 years then I think you've got this. Go to meetings and check Recovery Trek every morning. Set an alarm on your phone and computer so you don't forget.

I would say that you should ask a medical attorney what your rights are. I reported to TPAPN (while in the program for diversion) that I was having suicidal thoughts related to being un-employed and homeless. As a result, another year was added to my program for having a "relapse of the mind". I'm not joking. It was termed a "relapse of the mind" that put me at risk of using again. Be careful.

My case manager is also very rude and sometimes inappropriate. When I called to report that I was pregnant, she asked me if I had given up on the program. What!?! I'm a married woman just going on about my life. I also had a false positive EtOH where she told me I should be ashamed of myself and that sometimes people just aren't made to succeed. She makes me crazy, but I bite my tongue because TPAPN is still better than losing my license or getting in legal trouble. I deserve so much worse, so I'm biding my time. Eventually I will be done and she'll be out of my life I have 2 years down and 1 more to go. I would say you should move on with your life and look towards the future. One day you won't be under her thumb anymore and you can laugh about the stupid things she said to you.

Try applying at Austin State Supported Living Center. We need RN's and LVN's for all shifts badly. It's a state job with good benefits and there are other TPAPN nurses here. They're willing to give 2nd chances to good nurses. Go to the HHS website or apply in person at the job center here on campus. They gave me a chance and I was promoted after 5 months on the job.

I had a baby while in TPAPN. Before the delivery, my case manager told me I would need to have my discharge paperwork faxed to her with all the meds I was given during the admission. Then I would need a clean UA to go back to work. I followed those directions, had a clean UA postpartum, and went back to work after 6 weeks. Talk to your case manager about it. It is a pain not being able to work until you get a clean UA, but being in the program kept me accountable. I took only the Vicodin's offered to me at the hospital and didn't ask for a home prescription. I didn't need them, but it helped knowing I couldn't go back to work if I kept taking them. It's a toss up I suppose.

I know this is an old post, but I thought I would provide my circumstances. I have been in TPAPN for 2 years and had a false positive on the EtOH test. I was called by my CM and thoroughly HUMILIATED and degraded. I asked for a second run on the specimen since it was split. The 2nd run came back utterly negative. If you know 100% you did nothing wrong, don't let TPAPn bury you. I never received an apology and get nervous every time I test. I have had the worst luck with TPAPN, so I'm not surprised to hear of another false positive. In fact, my advocate had a false positive for Meth while in the program. It was never explained and she didn't get an apology either after having her name dragged through the mud. When I finish this program I want to become an advocate so that I can help others navigate safely and with confidence. We are people too!

I am 2 years into a 3 year stint with TPAPN. I was forced to re-start after admitting that I was having suicidal ideation. That was a lesson learned in keeping my mouth shut! Anyway, I digress. I was like so many nurses in recovery - jobless and hopeless. However, I did find a job that has been a god send. Try applying to Austin State Supported Living Center through the Health and Human Services job portal or come to the job center on campus. There are other TPAPN nurses here and administration isn't afraid to give you a second chance. There are many positions for RN's and LVN's during all 3 shifts. After working there for 5 months I was promoted and now I have a great position :) Don't give up! I'm counting down the days to when I can wake-up and not log into Recovery Trek or First Lab. Getting this job was what I needed to believe in myself again.