Author
Katrin Heimann, as appeared in Alpha1 Journal 2/2025.
My name is Katrin Heimann, I am PiZZ, I have been receiving opioid substitution therapy for 13 years and I use an oxygen concentrator during physical exertion.
At the beginning of 2025, I received the news that I would be allowed to participate in a rehabilitation program in October at the rehabilitation clinic in the seaside resort of Ahlbeck on Usedom.
I'd like to tell you about this stay. I won't go into the application process, deadlines, etc., because my pension isn't covered by the German statutory pension insurance, but by a professional pension scheme. This means the organization and the support I can expect are very individualized.
The clinic wanted me to be admitted in the morning, which, given my 450 km journey, meant that I checked into a campsite the evening before.
I was greeted very kindly at reception the next morning, seated in the dining room, then picked up by a colleague from the ward, and quickly had my room, an appointment with the doctor, and my first lunch.
The clinic may not be furnished in the very latest style, but it feels welcoming and well-organized from the moment you arrive. The light-filled dining room, the attractively furnished rooms with ample and well-designed storage space, and the sound of the Baltic Sea, which is wonderfully audible in the room, made my start very easy. My therapy was determined by the doctor on the first day, and so it began the following morning.
Medical training therapy, breathing exercises on the beach, coordination training, ergometer training, theraband exercises and water aerobics in the hotel's own very nice swimming pool were combined in a good mix with mud packs, massage therapies and inhalations over the following days and really relaxed me.
Furthermore, I received intensive training on COPD. At first, I thought: YES, I already know all that… But the training was really well done, and I didn't feel like I was wasting my time.
Our condition was only mentioned in passing… but that didn't bother me. For specific information, there's the association (which I did a little advertising for).
Fortunately, I was even able to extend my stay by a week. The organization was a bit bumpy at first, but everything worked out in the end.
If I have any criticism at all, it's that the adjustments to the therapies were sometimes implemented with a slight delay. I think that's hardly surprising in clinics of this size. As a patient, I quickly felt like time was running out. Ultimately, everything always worked out in the end. My advice to everyone is to take initiative, whether by asking questions or by actively shaping your own free time (e.g., through PROMISE training sessions... another topic... but also great). When I had problems, I simply asked the therapists about them and always found them receptive.
The ladies who arrange the seating in the dining hall have a real knack for it. I truly felt like there were benevolent spirits at work. I had incredibly nice people at my table. Looking at the surrounding tables each day, I got the impression of a general sense of contentment. There was laughter and chatter; the illnesses were grouped across various medical specialties, which pleasantly helped to fade into the background.
Some evenings I ended the day in the Viennese café belonging to the clinic, which was open to the public; on other days I was able to go for a short bike ride.
Describing the incredible beauty of the Imperial Spa architecture, the wonderful feeling of "just hopping on your bike" to Poland, or the beauty of the hinterland of the sunny island of Usedom would be beyond the scope of this article. "Take the waters where others vacation" says it all.
I was very satisfied with my stay at the rehabilitation clinic in the seaside resort of Ahlbeck.
