Yale New Haven Health Doctor Guides Woman Into Sobriety at Bridgeport Hospital’s Addiction Medicine Clinic

At just 15 years-old, a young woman from Stratford introduced herself to Percocet and marijuana, unaware that this would mark the beginning of a dark and dangerous path. 

What started as an experimentation with friends soon spiraled into a deadly addiction, taking her from Percocet to morphine to heroin, and ultimately leading her down the perilous road of fentanyl and xylazine. 

“When the xylazine came into my life, it was a whole new beast. It’s a whole new monster,” said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous.

Xylazine is a common veterinary drug used for sedation, anesthesia, muscle relaxation and analgesia in animals such as horses, cattle and other mammals. In recent years, public health officials have increasingly identified the drug as an adulterant mixed with fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. 

Her chronic usage led to bad skin ulcers and loss of tissue in her left arm. Several surgeries were performed to attempt to save her arm, but she was told the likelihood of saving it was one percent. 

“I had so much scar tissue in the crease of my elbow from shooting up there that my elbow was so tight. My entire arm started turning black. It ate away at my bones, my muscles and my tendons,” she added. 

She later moved forward with the difficult decision to amputate most of her arm in November 2023. 

Once she woke up from the procedure, reality set in. She wanted help to turn her life around.

“I’ve been to rehab. I’ve been to detox centers. But I did it to please my parents. I never really wanted it for me because there was never a reason for me to quit. It was when I got out of the hospital after the procedure was when I hit rock bottom,” she added. 

An appointment was set up with Jenna Ulrich, MD, associate program director of Bridgeport Hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency Program. She is board certified in Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine and runs the Addiction Medicine Clinic at Bridgeport Hospital Primary Care Center. 

“She treated me with Suboxone, and I’ve been clean for over a year and three months now,” she added. 

Now 34 years old, she is hoping to be fitted for a prosthetic arm along with goals to find a new apartment and job. 

What was once her past has now become a story she hopes to share to raise awareness surrounding the dangers of xylazine. During her addiction, her drug dealer had sold her what she thought was fentanyl, until the physical symptoms proved it was not. 

“I was brushing my teeth and my heart rate jumped to 350. They thought I was in cardiac arrest,” she added. “Narcan won’t save you because it’s not an opioid, so if you overdose on xylazine, you’re done.” 

The presence of xylazine is usually only detected through test strips or a urinalysis. 

Dr. Ulrich treats patients suffering from opiate and alcohol use disorders. She uses the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) criteria to determine the severity of the patient’s use. It is a manual frequently used by mental health professionals to assist in their diagnosis. 

“Addiction is a chronic disease. Patients sometimes use substances to cope with something that’s going on in their lives,” said Dr. Ulrich. 

Dr. Ulrich’s clinic is an outpatient program located across the road from Bridgeport Hospital. 

“This clinic accepts patients looking for complete abstinence, patients willing to cut back or those that simply want to reduce their risk of substance abuse,” added Dr. Ulrich. 

“For opiate use disorder, especially medications like Suboxone that I prescribe at my clinic, I do believe this is a lifesaving medication,” added Dr. Ulrich. 

For Dr. Ulrich’s patient, she celebrates those small or big wins by reminding others that guaranteed success only starts with wanting to recover.

“I don’t count days. I count my milestones. If I can do it, especially after losing my arm, anybody can do this,” she added. 

Find out more about more information on the Addiction Medicine Clinic.