Silhouetted by a low-hanging, orange August moon, Mary looks small. She's standing in the parking lot of Rail City, a Sparks casino. "They're after me," she says. The moon, nearly red from the fire burning in the west Reno hills, casts an eerie, ominous glow. There's been a string of storage-unit burglaries in Carson City and Mary Reasoner is the prime suspect. She says she didn't do it. But no one's going to believe her - not with her history of burglary - so she's leaving town. [continues 1718 words]
Reporter's Notebook Mary first called us because she wanted to make a difference. She wanted to use her own life to show others the horrors of methamphetamine addiction. And she did. It would be easy to judge Mary on the surface. She's certainly made mistakes, some with potentially devastating consequences. She may not deserve your sympathy, but she does deserve your attention. There are lessons to be learned. Don't we all have addictions, compulsions or bad habits that are holding us back? [continues 315 words]
Chrystal Main, spokeswoman for the Division of Child and Family Services, said children being raised in homes where meth is used is a common scenario in Carson City. "They're subject to a total lack of supervision," she said. "Their home life becomes chaotic, and their basic needs are neglected." As a result of the neglect, she said, they are often left vulnerable to abuse and injustices committed by unsavory people hanging around the house. However, the department works first to rehabilitate the family rather than removing the children. [continues 262 words]
Reporter's Notebook Sometimes, when Mary laughs, the sadness disappears from her eyes. She does her best to keep laughing, to stay constantly surrounded by a posse of friends and chaos. Most of her friends were wary of Brad and me. They couldn't understand why she would give us so much access into her life. I'm not sure I understood it either. She no longer claimed the meth wasn't in control of her life, that she's not "running amok." [continues 270 words]
Mary's sitting on her bedroom floor, applying mascara in front of her full-length mirror. Behind her a single sheet of paper is taped to the wall. It says: "Just because you're miserable doesn't mean you can't enjoy life." And she is. "I'm just having too much fun," she says. "I like drama. I thrive on drama." Her makeup, along with clothes and anything else she needs to get through the day - including bags of meth - is shoved into a purple backpack. [continues 1612 words]
The torture of not knowing the end of the story, is not knowing the end. When Mary first came home from the hospital, it seemed she was moving in the right direction. By virtue of being in the hospital for two months, she had that time clean, and was feeling it. Sobriety translated to hope. When she spoke, her eyes almost sparkled. There was a lilt in her voice. I saw a person who you'd be friends with. [continues 379 words]
At the hospital, they tell Mary she has an abscess on her spine. She may never walk again Dark moments are punctuated by periods of misery. But the surgery on Oct. 14 is successful. She's expected to make a full recovery. Then infection sets in. She spends nearly two months in the hospital. One day seems just like the day before, and tomorrow holds promise of little else. She starts reading "A Million Little Pieces," the story of one man's battle and eventual triumph over drug addiction. [continues 1631 words]
The names of Mary's children were changed in this story. It was an agonizing decision. We wanted to present the most accurate image to the community of the effects methamphetamine has not just on the users, but on those around them. At the same time, we wanted to minimize any harm that could come to her boys. Although neither of them have anything to be ashamed of, we ended up changing their names. [continues 194 words]
Imprisoned By Meth: Mary's Story Mary's resolve tempers with reality as the days go by and the ache in her back becomes increasingly debilitating. "It's the worst pain I've ever been in, in my whole life," she says. It started just after a fender-bender on the way to a follow-up appointment after her gall bladder surgery a month ago. But instead of healing, the pain keeps getting more intense. In a matter of weeks, it hurts too badly to walk upright. [continues 1737 words]
Reporter's Notebook When Mary first called the newsroom in August 2005, she left voicemails with several reporters. As natural skeptics, most dismissed her declaration of being scared straight and her vow to never use methamphetamine as premature at best. And it was. Addictions are rarely cured by a moment's realization. But I wanted to see recovery from the inside, so I asked if photographer Brad Horn and I could follow her through the process. She agreed, and we went to her house to meet her. [continues 166 words]
'I'M TOTALLY SCARED STRAIGHT' In August 2005, Mary Reasoner called the Nevada Appeal. The mother of two said she'd been "scared straight" after a near-death experience brought on by years of methamphetamine abuse. She was home recovering from gall bladder surgery, but wanted to find a way to reach the community to tell people of the horrors of meth, swearing she'd never use again. She agreed, instead, to allow a reporter and a photographer to follow her through her recovery process. [continues 1119 words]
Part I: Running Away Stumbling through the front door, she sees the note her father tacked to the wall. "Get your stuff and get out," it says. Raquel knows he's scared. He saw her lying for a week in a hospital bed, nearly dead from a heroin overdose. And for the two weeks since she's been home, they've been fighting constantly about where she goes and who she sees. Then she didn't come home last night. [continues 3550 words]
Everything has to change. From the clothes she wears to the food she eats, even when she uses the restroom - it is all dictated by counselors at the center. They tell her what to talk about and correct the way she walks. In return, she learns how to understand her feelings, to recognize what thoughts lead to which behaviors. Before she leaves on June 27, she makes a list of positive peers and those who will be destructive. [continues 1356 words]
'WHY CAN'T THEY JUST LET ME GET HIGH?' Editor's note Carson City has identified the battle with methamphetamine as its No. 1 priority. Throughout the year, the Nevada Appeal will run stories highlighting addicts' struggles, as well as the struggles of family, friends and the community. This is the second installment of a three-part series which follows a girl through three years, beginning with her addiction to heroin and cocaine in Dallas and following her through her transition to Carson City and introduction to methamphetamine. [continues 1670 words]
Students were called out of selected classes Monday afternoon at Carson Middle School while Tahoe, a trained yellow Labrador, sniffed their desks and backpacks for drugs. Nothing was discovered, but seventh-grader Cody Malterer supported the random search. "I think it's good because then you know nobody has drugs," he said. "It helps keep kids safe." Sheriff's Deputy Brian Humphrey and Tahoe routinely search the high school and middle school for marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroine. "Unfortunately, it's in our schools and we want to deter that," Humphrey said. "We want them to know school is not the place for drugs." [continues 302 words]
High school baseball players must spit out their chewing tobacco or leave the field according to a new state policy. The same goes for a student participating in any extra-curricular activity - --from drama to debate and basketball to baseball -- using alcohol, drugs or tobacco. Carson High School vice principal Fred Perdomo and principal Glen Adair explained the new policy outlined by the Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association to trustees at Tuesday's school board meeting. "You have to adjust your rules to make sure you're in alignment with all NIAA and state regulations," Perdomo said. "That can happen every year." [continues 396 words]
Fewer Nevada teens are smoking cigarettes, but more are smoking marijuana since 1993, according to a study released by the state Department of Education. It's a trend that did not surprise Carson High School senior Ash Dauenhauer. "Smoking (cigarettes) is a lot worse because pot's not addictive," he said. "People who smoke seem to kill their bodies a lot faster, but I'm no doctor." A tennis player and member of student council, Ash said he would be more likely to associate with other teens who used marijuana than those who smoked because marijuana does not have the same stigma. [continues 370 words]
