23 years!!! You should be very proud of that despite the fact you went back out for a while. Relapse is sometimes a part of the bargain. Just this week, a woman I know in AA went back out after 21 years...no one could have seen it coming.

I know very little about methadone & I didn't have withdrawls when I stopped drinking, so I can't offer you much advice...Just a lot of luck no matter how you decide to handle your situation. It's commendable that you want to hang onto your job, but even more so that you want to stay clean for your kids! Be well.