Jan. 31, 2025

Ep 60: Finding Freedom: Mary's Battle with Addiction, Chronic Pain, and Cancer

Ep 60: Finding Freedom: Mary's Battle with Addiction, Chronic Pain, and Cancer
Kratom Stories Podcast
Ep 60: Finding Freedom: Mary's Battle with Addiction, Chronic Pain, and Cancer

Mary battled chronic pain, opioid addiction, and cancer, finding relief with Kratom. This episode shares her inspiring recovery journey, highlighting Kratom's potential for pain management and addiction support while facing a life-threatening illness. Hear her powerful story.

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On this week's Kratom Stories, Madalyn shares a compelling interview with Mary M., a woman whose life took an extraordinary turn thanks to Kratom. Mary's journey began with a decades-long struggle with opioid addiction, leading to near-fatal overdoses and a cascade of health problems. She candidly discusses her high-functioning addiction, the life-altering consequences, and the desperation that drove her to try Kratom. This powerful story details her difficult path from severe opioid dependence, through life-threatening illness, including cancer and multiple surgeries, and the critical role Kratom played in her pain management and recovery.

Mary’s experience offers a unique perspective on Kratom's potential for both opioid addiction recovery and chronic pain management. She highlights the importance of responsible sourcing and dosage, emphasizing the need for individual experimentation and open communication with healthcare professionals. Her journey is a testament to the healing power of plants, and it underscores the need for a more informed and nuanced discussion surrounding Kratom's therapeutic potential. Mary not only inspires hope but also helps demystify this often misunderstood plant’s role in the complex world of addiction recovery and chronic pain.

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Full show notes for this episode at KratomStoriesPodcast.com/60

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Please note: The views and experiences shared in this episode are personal and unique to the guest. Kratom, while featured prominently in these stories, is a botanical substance that is unregulated in the U.S. and various countries around the world. The Kratom Stories Podcast and its host, Madalyn Sklar, do not endorse, promote, or encourage the use of Kratom. We simply aim to shed light on personal experiences and narratives related to this plant. If you're considering using Kratom, we strongly urge you to seek professional medical advice, conduct thorough research, and comply with all local laws and guidelines.

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Before we dive into today's
episode, I want to let you know

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about Kratom Real Talk.
It's a new community for

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positive, uplifting discussions
about the power of whole leaf

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kratom.
If you'd like to be part of the

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conversation and learn more
about this plate or contribute

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your knowledge, go to
kratomrealtalk.com.

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So I'm here with Mary, somebody
I met through our Kratom Real

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Talk community, and I am so
excited, Mary, to have you here

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with us today to share your
kratom story.

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So tell everybody a little bit
about yourself and life before

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kratom.
Well, my love affair with

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opiates began in 2006.
I had My mother had arthritic

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knees and she always had
Vicodin.

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This is when back in the day,
they would prescribe 100 Vicodin

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for you, the 10 milligram, you
know, every couple of weeks.

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Doctors were just throwing the
opiates out.

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So I learned from the very first
pill that, oh, this is how I'm

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supposed to feel.
Finally had sort of relief from

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the social anxiety that the
stresses that, you know,

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everything.
And so I developed a using

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Vicodin or Norco as a crutch.
Yeah, in 2006, anything from a

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menstrual cramp to a bad day at
work, one of those little

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suckers would just make me feel
like everything was going to be

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OK again.
Well, Fast forward, I don't know

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how much of my history you want
to know, but I was in the same

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profession for 30 years.
It was a very, very high

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functioning alcoholic only would
drink at night then because I

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knew the next morning I could
take a Vicodin or two and I

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could get through the day.
I would be fine and then I'd

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drink again at night.
So I was one of these people

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that were look appeared to be
very successful by day.

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By night I was a train wreck.
I was taking Xanax for every

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emotion.
I was drinking at night.

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I was smoking cigarettes, I was
taking opiates.

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00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:55,560
I had undiagnosed severe sleep
apnea so in 2014 I technically

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died one night and the the man I
was sleeping next to revived me.

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I had stopped breathing because
I had taken my usual cocktails.

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Ambien, methadone because I
didn't have any vicodins.

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My friend gave me methadone,
which accumulates in your system

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00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,320
and can get very dangerous very
fast, especially when you're

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combining it with alcohol or any
other respiratory suppressors

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like benzos, Xanax.
So I took all of those, He

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revived me, and then I made a
huge life decision the very next

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day that I needed to change or I
was going to die.

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I quit my job.
I got my life together for about

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a year.
I'd used all my 4O1K to

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facilitate this new career that
I started back in 2016.

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I took a year off to completely
get fit, get my life together.

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I stopped the benzos, stopped
the stopped the opiates, stopped

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that.
I was still maintaining booze a

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little bit, but it wasn't as
much.

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I was drinking like a normal
person at this point, socially

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00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,880
drinking because my job was
very, very active with this job,

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00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,840
it ended up wearing down the
cartilage in both of my knees.

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00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:13,800
So I knew that I had the
arthritis, but the the

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physicality of this job more the
rest of the cartilage down.

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Soon I was in agony couldn't do
my job function without some

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kind of a, you know, pain
relief.

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Got back to the Vicodin went and
finally my knees just wouldn't

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work at all.
I collapsed on the street,

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couldn't walk.
It was they were done.

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So I had my knee replaced
January of 2023.

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Well, I was given ox, the
granddaddy of all opiates, the

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Holy Grail, if you will, right.
So I get my knee done, I'm

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recovering from my knee.
As I'm recovering I look down

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and I see a golf ball sized lump
that quickly within weeks turns

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into half a softball size.
Find out it's a sarcoma, a soft

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tissue sarcoma.
So after the knee recovery, they

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cut out this sarcoma and I'm
recovering from that.

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They're still giving me oxy
because of the operations, the

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sarcoma now I've got to have
radiation.

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So I'm doing radiation daily for
I think it was 30 days.

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I didn't.
And my leg is it was pretty

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cooked.
The pain was intense and was

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peeling.
It was bleeding, it just it was

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bad.
So can Tim you on with the

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beloved oxy?
We get to the point where the

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doctor says, OK, you know,
you've had enough.

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It's time.
We need to slow this down.

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We need to cut this off.
So they cut me off of the oxy.

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I'm having that gut wrenching
turning just the way if

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anybody's ever withdrawn from
opiates, once you get past the

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physical withdrawal where you're
you passed, where you feel like

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00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,040
your bones are coming through
your skin, then you have that

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00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:02,400
just it's Misty describes it as
an itch that can't be scratched.

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00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,480
It's just the way it is when
you're an opiate addict.

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00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,680
There's just something missing
from your life, something that

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00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,240
you need.
Nothing is quite satisfying

89
00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,520
until you have your precious
little pill that makes

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00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,520
everything right again.
So I scrolling TikTok, I had

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heard about kratom and so I went
down to the local smoke shop and

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00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,240
got, I think they were called
train wreck.

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It was little capsules and I
took four or five of them as

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recommended and half an hour
later, often I nothing hurt, no

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00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:42,680
eggs, that pit of gnawing need
in my stomach gone.

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00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,480
All of a sudden I didn't the
opiates were not foremost on my

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mind.
The pain was gone.

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00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,840
I wasn't obsessed.
I was felt like a normal person

99
00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:55,680
again.
I couldn't believe it.

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00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,960
And I thought, you know, and
still being in that addict

101
00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,520
Phase, I thought, well, gosh, if
four or five are this wonderful,

102
00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:06,560
what would happen if I took 10?
You learn very quickly that you

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00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,440
can't because your eyes will
wobble and then you spew your

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00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,680
guts out.
So you learn.

105
00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,320
In fact, I'd watch it started
watching you on TikTok and

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Kratom cows.
And you'd said with this plant,

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less is more.
So then what I did was I backed

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00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,040
way I'd gotten powdered at this
juncture.

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00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,120
I thought, well, you know,
powder is probably better than

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the capsules because I was
running through capsules and I

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started, I'd made tea and I used
to make it in hot chocolate, but

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it just, you couldn't disguise
that bitterness.

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And somebody on to, I don't know
if it was you or somebody taught

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me to take the gulp of water,
throw the the powdered Kratom

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00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:47,960
back and then another gulp of
water and then you don't even

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taste it.
So I just, I got very good at

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that.
But now instead of capsules

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several times a day, now it's
just the kratom once in the

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morning and it's about a
teaspoon.

120
00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:04,160
And then once about 2:00 PM when
it started pouring off.

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00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,880
So 6:00 AM and 2:00 PMI would
take my second dose at 2:00 PM

122
00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,040
and then that would get me
through the rest of the day.

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00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,560
I'd stopped Ambien, I'd stopped
Xanax, stopped all that.

124
00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:18,240
If I needed to sleep, I go for
gummies, not the the CBD, but

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the whole, the full spectrum,
the CBD.

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00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:26,320
I think it's CBN and THC.
So it's a 3 combo for sleep.

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So I was doing that.
I wasn't doing the Ambien

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00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:32,360
anymore just and so I go, I'm
doing that for a while.

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00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,960
I'm happy with the Kratom and
it's given me all the pain

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00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,800
relief from the radiation on my
leg from my still healing

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surgeries.
My left knee was just, it's a

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tight mess of scar tissue and
all of that.

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So now I think, well, my right
knee is still bad.

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That's why I'm still using the
bait kratom, which is now for

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pain.
It's time to get my right knee

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replaced.
So I told my doctor about, you

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know, I'm not taking oxy, I'm
not taking any opiates, I'm

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00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,520
taking kratom.
And of course he want kratom,

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Kratom.
He wants to know all about this

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magical thing, has no idea about
it.

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Even the anesthesiologist came
in and wanted to know all about

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it.
So I'm giving these doctors a

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lesson.
I love it.

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You know, on this on my kratom
journey.

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And so they researched it and
they, they found what they

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needed to know.
And at this time I was taking

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less than 5 grams per day.
And they said really it

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00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,320
shouldn't hurt taking 5g or less
per day should not interfere in

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any way with the anesthesia for
your surgery.

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00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,000
So he said, but I would like you
to just stop the day before your

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knee replacement so that it just
in case it interferes.

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And then I want you to take oxy
again while you're in recovery

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from the knee.
So, you know, OK, if you insist,

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I'll take it again.
Old ways die very hard.

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And so had my knee done.
Got the oxy again.

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00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,200
Fast forward two weeks after my
knee replacement, I looked down

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00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,280
at my left knee.
The sarcoma has come back.

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00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,320
I know.
I tell my doctor, they do the

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00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,600
full scan.
It's now in my knee and my lung.

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00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,920
So they decide, OK, we'll remove
the one from your knee, but

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we're going to need you to do
chemo to get the address the

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sarcoma in your lung.
So then and the doctor says that

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well, I'm sorry, I need to
backtrack again.

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After a reasonable time with the
oxy, I started back on kratom

165
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for my knee replacement and now
the surgery for my left knee to

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get out the sarcoma.
So I'm off the oxy.

167
00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,440
It was on oxy very short time.
I don't even think I got a

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00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,000
refill.
I went straight back to kratom

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00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,920
because of the fact that the oxy
messes with your intestines so

170
00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,480
badly.
And it not only does it, you

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00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:59,840
know, not only does it slow down
your digestion, but if you end

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00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:03,400
up going a few days and have to
go to the bathroom after being

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00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,920
constipated, it is a nightmare.
And.

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00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:07,440
Been through a.
Nightmare.

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00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,880
Yeah, and that, not to be
graphic, but that caused issues

176
00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:15,600
that lasted a year.
And I was very glad to be having

177
00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,680
kratom because kratom seems to
help my digestion.

178
00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:24,000
I also suffer from Crohn's
disease time to time time, and

179
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,760
it's helpful because it moves
things through.

180
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,200
I do drink a lot of water, but I
feel like my digestion health

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00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:35,520
has gotten much, much better
than it ever has in my life.

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00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,720
And I have to credit kratom for
that.

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00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,960
And I know a lot of people have
said with Crohn's disease and

184
00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,000
things, it is very helpful,
helpful for the intestines.

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00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,760
And so then I, you know, I find
out.

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00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,880
So I'm back on the kratom and
then I find out from my doctor,

187
00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:55,240
OK, we need to do chemotherapy
to we want to address the tumors

188
00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,720
with the tumors in your lungs
with the chemo to see what the

189
00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,120
chemo does, what effect it has
on the tumors.

190
00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,560
So essentially I'm a Guinea pig
for this chemo.

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00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:10,240
Turns out that it's AIM chemo,
which is the most brutal chemo

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00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,640
that you can have.
It's very, very hard on your

193
00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,920
heart.
It's very hard on your bladder.

194
00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:19,520
It's not a nice chemo to have.
And so the doctor said, look, we

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00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,960
don't know what the interactions
with kratom and chemo are going

196
00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,120
to be because of this gnarly
chemo.

197
00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,200
I want you to stop the kratom
usage while you're doing

198
00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,800
chemotherapy.
And I said, OK, that's fair.

199
00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,280
So then I've now I've gotten the
golden ticket.

200
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,560
I, he's prescribing me 100 oxys
a week.

201
00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,720
That's a lot of oxy, a lot of
oxy, right?

202
00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:47,400
And I'm on a regular schedule.
I have to say that at this time

203
00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:52,080
also, I had started when I was
in the throes of chemo and very,

204
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,600
very, very uncomfortable from
the chemotherapy.

205
00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:59,640
Oxy can just take the edge off.
It doesn't do anything for your

206
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:04,960
psychological well-being, your
emotional and just your overall

207
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,400
anxiety and and trauma of the
chemo.

208
00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:10,960
Losing your hair is extremely
traumatic.

209
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,640
It's terrible.
I, you know, my hair is down

210
00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:18,760
past my bra strap, you know, a
blonde and it just, it itched

211
00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,920
off my head one day.
That's how brutal the chemo was.

212
00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:27,800
So I had started taking 100
milligram THC capsules and I got

213
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:33,440
it definitely THC and chemo are
meant to go hand in hand.

214
00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,080
I had so much relief from the
THC capsules.

215
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,920
Not only would it sort of still
my mind, my body, I could rest,

216
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,600
I could eat, whereas before I
couldn't think of eating.

217
00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,440
I couldn't drink water.
I just, you know, I could drink

218
00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,240
sort of fizzy water and that was
about it.

219
00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,880
It allowed me to eat, it allowed
me to rest.

220
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,440
It'll, it was just life
changing.

221
00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,840
I don't know how people go
through chemo without marijuana.

222
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,760
It just, it's, it's off.
It's incredible.

223
00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,320
So anyway, I go to, I have the
chemo for three months.

224
00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,800
This was last summer and then
it's September.

225
00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,160
They do my scan after I've gone
through three rounds of chemo.

226
00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:19,960
I cannot do the last three
rounds until they do the scan

227
00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:21,840
and check to see if it's had any
effect.

228
00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,120
They do the scan.
It's had no effect on the tumors

229
00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,800
in my lungs at all.
They've removed the one from my

230
00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,360
knee.
They cleared all the margins, so

231
00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,400
now the cancer is only in my
lung.

232
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:38,800
So in September they do a
surgery to resect a wedge of

233
00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:40,680
lung and they got all the
tumors.

234
00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,160
And I knew waking up from
surgery that I was cancer free

235
00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,920
because I can feel it.
I felt it.

236
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:51,040
I wasn't, I would not be able to
carry in a bag of groceries

237
00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:55,840
without sitting down to feeling
normal again, feeling like

238
00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:57,480
myself.
It was like I it was.

239
00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,520
I knew the cancer was gone from
my body even before I had

240
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,000
recovered from that.
So I emailed my doctor in

241
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,440
October and I said, OK, you know
what's going on?

242
00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,960
Do I still have cancer?
I feel pretty great.

243
00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,320
And he confirmed that I was 100%
cancer free.

244
00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:19,560
So that day I stopped the oxy
and I went back to went back to

245
00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,120
the kratom.
The you know, I still have the

246
00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:26,240
open incision wounds and
everything in my leg is still

247
00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,520
exist, still healing.
And I had forgotten to mention I

248
00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:33,320
got Cellulitis infection in my
leg, a skin infection from the

249
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,360
radiation.
And so I still had this, this

250
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,440
horribly painful infection going
on.

251
00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,800
And as soon as you told me I was
cancer free and was not going to

252
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,280
have to do chemotherapy, I
stopped the oxy.

253
00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:47,640
I went right back to the cratum
at six O clock in the morning

254
00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,680
and then two in the afternoon.
And it was just the immense

255
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:56,040
relief that I got both
emotionally and not having to

256
00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,680
take the oxy.
My body immediately felt better.

257
00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:03,680
My digestion issues improved
dramatically and I just, I felt

258
00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,079
like I was more in control.
I just, you know, I got better

259
00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,359
pain relief, which is absolutely
amazing.

260
00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:16,400
And so now I have gotten it down
to it's about a half a small

261
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,720
teaspoon at 6:00 in the morning
and I'm not even taking my

262
00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,599
afternoon dose anymore.
Because I'm.

263
00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:25,839
Not in pain.
So it just, it's amazing.

264
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,440
Your story is incredible.
It's.

265
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,240
Incredible the.
Old me would.

266
00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,680
Have milked that oxy
prescription for and you know,

267
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,320
once you get cancer, you've
you're now you've gotten the

268
00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,000
golden ticket for as many
opiates as you want the rest of

269
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,240
your life.
And I didn't go back to it and

270
00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,960
it just it says so much for this
wonderful plant During my whole

271
00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,880
journey, I've completely changed
my life around.

272
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,240
I don't smoke cigarettes.
I don't I'm 15 months alcohol

273
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,840
free and TikTok helped a lot
with that.

274
00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,000
I follow a lot of sober tik
tokers and that have helped me.

275
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:08,280
I don't attend AAI don't
necessarily believe in rehashing

276
00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:12,120
12 steps and all of that.
I, I believe you, go forward in

277
00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:16,680
life and so now it is just, I
use the crate and half a

278
00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:21,000
teaspoon in the morning and
occasionally marijuana because I

279
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,200
like it, but I don't have to use
anything anymore.

280
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,760
And that just to me, it's a
miracle.

281
00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,600
It really is.
That's got to be an amazing

282
00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,680
feeling to like you don't feel
like you have to take any of

283
00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:35,240
these things anymore.
Yes, yes, you know.

284
00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,960
Doxy the the benzos, all the
other things and that you're

285
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,920
just doing everything naturally.
Kratom, you're talking about the

286
00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:43,840
CBN.
I've been I've been and your

287
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,520
THC.
I've been using CBN in the

288
00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:48,840
evening and I really like it a
lot.

289
00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,120
Right, right.
Gummies, which I never even

290
00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:55,320
heard of right until recently.
So right, plant medicine is

291
00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,000
amazing.
Yes.

292
00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:01,200
But The thing is, big Pharma,
they're not, the doctors are not

293
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,080
going to make a cent off of
this, right?

294
00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,640
You know, and it's, I found it
extremely creepy that they made

295
00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,880
me do the chemo before they did
the operation where they could

296
00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:15,840
have just taken the lung section
out and avoided all the chemo.

297
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,760
But where's the money in that?
The infusion shots that I was

298
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,800
giving myself once a day to sort
of build back my bone marrow,

299
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,760
those were the, my Kaiser
insurance covered it.

300
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,160
But that's $2000 a week for just
the shots.

301
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:31,800
Wow.
So what do you think?

302
00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,160
Are they trying to make money on
the chemo and everything that

303
00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,840
goes along with it?
Of course, of course.

304
00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:39,920
It's big business.
Yeah, I don't think.

305
00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,960
People realize, I mean, when I
was in pain management, looking

306
00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,720
back while I was in it, I didn't
realize what was happening, but

307
00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:46,560
I had so.
Many.

308
00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:47,840
And they treat you like a creep,
huh?

309
00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,240
Right.
I had so many epidural steroid

310
00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,160
injections.
I had radiofrequency ablations.

311
00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,480
They make a ton of money on
those procedures.

312
00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,480
Insurance covered most of it.
I remember I still had like a

313
00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,040
cope.
I had to pay like a percent each

314
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,440
time.
I end up doing a total of 12

315
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,120
between epidural steroid
injections and radiofrequency

316
00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:07,520
ablations on my neck and back
over the years.

317
00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,480
And it's like, and of course you
go to the surgical center to

318
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,320
have it and they disclose that
the doctor is.

319
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,320
Owner of the surgical center,
you know, I just didn't put two

320
00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,520
and two together for a really
long time and it's like they

321
00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,560
keep you in this cycle because
that's how they make money.

322
00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:24,680
But.
Your story's incredible.

323
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:26,680
I have so many questions.
I don't even know where to

324
00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,680
begin.
Let me, I want to start with,

325
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,320
you were this last time with the
cancer treatment and you know

326
00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:37,280
you're going through chemo and
all the things and then you were

327
00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:40,880
back on the oxy this last time
when you went back to kratom,

328
00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,400
how long were you taking the oxy
this last time around?

329
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,160
And to just switch like
immediately go right back to the

330
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,280
kratom?
Was it just months or a year or

331
00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,000
how?
No, I started, I started

332
00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:57,360
chemotherapy July 11th, lost all
my hair July 22nd.

333
00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:02,200
And these the chemo sessions
were four days, 9 hours in the

334
00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,960
hospital with infusion and then
I wore a pump at home and it

335
00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,800
would continue overnight and
into that.

336
00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:12,760
So it was a total of four days.
I did that from January 11th

337
00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,240
until mid-september, I want to
say.

338
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,640
And then I had the lung
recession surgery.

339
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,920
I had COVID in the middle in
September, you know, so that

340
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,280
delayed it a little bit.
Wow.

341
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:30,800
I had the lung recession surgery
on on September 29th and then I

342
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:36,160
healed from that and then
October, it was October 30th is

343
00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,960
when my doctor said no more, I
don't need chemo.

344
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,080
I'm cancer free.
I stopped oxy that day and I

345
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,400
went right back to chemo.
So I was on oxy.

346
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:50,080
I mean right back to creative.
I was so from July until

347
00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,760
October, I was doing the oxy and
the very I stopped it the day

348
00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,400
and then the very next day when
I woke up with all the feels and

349
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,800
the you know, that horrible.
To.

350
00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:02,880
You know.
Oh, yeah.

351
00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:05,960
Oh, yeah.
I took my little teaspoon and it

352
00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,200
was all better.
So all better.

353
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,720
You have such an interesting
perspective that I think our

354
00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:12,840
listeners are going to learn so
much from.

355
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,440
So when you the first time went
from kratom back to oxy, you

356
00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,480
know, a while back, what was it
like?

357
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,480
You've been through withdrawals
of opiates.

358
00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:25,880
You know you've had that
experience.

359
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,600
You know what it's like.
What was it like when you stop

360
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,240
the kratom per the doctor's
suggestion and just go to the

361
00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:33,840
oxy?
Did you feel like you had any

362
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:35,640
kind of withdrawals when you
stop kratom?

363
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:40,680
None, none, none.
The only thing that I miss like

364
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,880
since I take the oxy, I sort of
have a routine.

365
00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,160
I'd set up my coffee to start
brewing.

366
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,720
I take the kratom and then
everything's fight.

367
00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:51,640
Well, sometimes I get busy in
the morning and don't take that

368
00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,040
kratom and then like 9:00, I'm
like, I don't have as much

369
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,200
energy as I should.
I don't have that sort of

370
00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,040
euphoric feeling.
My knee's a little, oh, I forgot

371
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,440
to take the kratom.
So it's nothing like forgetting

372
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,120
to.
I mean, you forget to take your

373
00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:07,720
oxy.
You're in the bathroom with

374
00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:08,800
diarrhea.
You're yeah.

375
00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:11,800
And you don't feel good.
Yeah, like you don't forget to

376
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,200
take your oxy.
So many people.

377
00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,440
Practically people, always.
Putting out you know how many

378
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,280
pills you have left.
I have never once in my life

379
00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,960
gone to cupboard and shake in
the bag to see how much left.

380
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,760
Right, right.
I know because we don't sit here

381
00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,440
and dwell on it.
It's just not the same

382
00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,120
experience with opiates versus
kratom.

383
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,520
It's so easy to forget to dose
kratom.

384
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,880
Exactly.
And like Miss T said, it really

385
00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:42,240
allows you to press pause on
your addictions because it takes

386
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:46,960
that obsession away and it lets
you get down to the whys of

387
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,400
things.
Why?

388
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,440
Why do you feel you need it?
Why?

389
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:51,920
You know what's happening in
your life?

390
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,080
And it really, I really can't
say enough about it.

391
00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:58,320
It's like a miracle.
Yeah, it's it's it's an amazing

392
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,880
plant.
And also when you're talking

393
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,120
about going through chemo
multiple times.

394
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,720
So when you went through that,
you did not ever take kratom at

395
00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,600
the same time.
It was always the oxy that.

396
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,840
And I that makes sense because
most people in the medical

397
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:14,600
profession don't even know what
kratom is.

398
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,960
I think it's amazing that you
are educating your doctor, your

399
00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,000
anesthesiologist.
Same with me.

400
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,640
I've yet to meet anybody in the
medical profession locally when

401
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,840
I've gone for anything where
they knew about it.

402
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:31,240
But like you, I've had a couple
surgeries where I tell the

403
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,560
doctors they don't really know
what it is, but they okayed it

404
00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:37,960
with what with a foot surgery I
had, the anesthesiologist said

405
00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:39,440
just don't take it after
midnight.

406
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,000
You know, the usual in the
morning, you know, So I followed

407
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,960
all their instructions and both
times it was a appendicitis.

408
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:50,560
And then I've had a foot surgery
and both times was able to go

409
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:56,320
from kratom to the the IV meds,
you know, opiates, but a long, a

410
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,240
long enough time and pass in
between, like, you know, a

411
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,840
significant amount of time.
And I went right back to kratom

412
00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:04,840
when I got discharged from both
of those.

413
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,840
And just like you, like I didn't
feel like I needed it.

414
00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,640
I always, I always get better
pain relief with kratom than I

415
00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,840
do with opiates.
So it's just, I know not

416
00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:17,760
everybody does, but I think it's
amazing that so many of us do so

417
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:22,560
well with this plant that we can
say no to when doctors want to

418
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,720
prescribe opiates, even though
we know they don't prescribe

419
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:28,720
them like they used to during a
different time now, but still be

420
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:30,520
it's so powerful to say no, I
don't need it.

421
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,480
Well I have a along that same
line.

422
00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,680
Before I got my second knee done
and I was on the Kratom, I

423
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,680
visited my friend in Oregon and
I hurt my knee, my right knee.

424
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,880
I we hiked and I did something
and I couldn't walk.

425
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,600
It was, you know, swelled up.
It was just awful.

426
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:52,720
And she had Vicodin, a whole
bottle of her, her mother's

427
00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,600
Vicodin.
Her mother passed and she had

428
00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,960
this and she hands me this, this
bottle of like 50 Vicodin.

429
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,880
And I said I didn't need it
because I grade them.

430
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,000
I just thought to my I had to
pause and giggle to myself.

431
00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,120
She didn't know my history, but
I had to pause and kind of

432
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:14,600
giggle to myself that, Oh my
God, who am I right now that I

433
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,400
could turn down somebody
offering me 50?

434
00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,040
Mike, that is.
Powerful.

435
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,000
Yeah, very.
For anyone that suffered through

436
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,720
addiction moment.
Oh, I'm sure it was.

437
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:29,120
I never suffered through
addiction at All in all in my 9

438
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:31,240
years with pain management.
I feel very lucky.

439
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,320
I feel very fortunate hearing so
many stories like yourself,

440
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,200
stuff with people in the
struggles of of addiction.

441
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,200
It's heart wrenching.
And I think it's just amazing

442
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:46,680
that this plant allows you to
say no to that when the

443
00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,000
opportunity arises.
And so many people I've talked

444
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:53,360
to have said the exact same
thing and even go so far to say,

445
00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,400
you know, I still got beer in
the fridge from a long time ago

446
00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:57,880
and I just have no desire for
it.

447
00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,880
And I just like, wow.
Like it really does put a pause

448
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,280
on all of that.
Yes, it really, it really does.

449
00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,400
I had wanted to quit.
Well, my job, the job that I

450
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:11,160
have is I'm on call all the
time.

451
00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,480
So there's no drinking because
you can't show up and work with

452
00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,880
law enforcement with alcohol.
Right.

453
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:19,120
Without looking like a total
loser.

454
00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:24,200
I don't know if the kratom
helped me with the alcohol, but

455
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,200
the alcohol was never my first
love.

456
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,640
Opiates were my first love.
You know, I remember the minute

457
00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:33,320
that that when that switched,
switched, when I took my first

458
00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,800
one and felt this is how it
feels to be normal.

459
00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,120
This is how other people feel.
Right.

460
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,320
And you said you're 15 months of
no alcohol.

461
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,360
Do you feel like kratom has
played a role in that?

462
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:51,560
I don't know.
I think that I credit more well,

463
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:54,960
my my lifestyle.
I mean, I right now, I mean, I

464
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,720
don't even put sugar into my
body anymore after having

465
00:27:57,720 --> 00:27:59,920
cancer.
It just makes you Uber aware of

466
00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:05,000
every little thing in your body.
So alcohol is just completely

467
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,560
off the table.
I don't know if that helped, but

468
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,800
that you know, like I said,
opiates were my love.

469
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,400
What I want to know is back to
when you first bought kratom in

470
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,920
the smoke shop, how did you like
first hear about it?

471
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,160
Do you hear about it somewhere
on the Internet or word of

472
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,000
mouth?
Like how did you first know it

473
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,400
even existed?
You know, I think my friend that

474
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,080
likes to hike and she's a total
nap nature girl, she had one of

475
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:32,800
those little feel free Kava
kratom shots and I don't know if

476
00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:37,120
that's an extract or not, but
she was saying how wonderful it

477
00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:41,640
was and she said yeah, it
supposedly helps with opiate

478
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,360
withdrawal.
So my ears perk up really.

479
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:49,480
So I did have the desire to not
want to take opiates and take

480
00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,200
opiates.
So I think with the kratom and

481
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,320
just the fact that I knew about
it, I knew I had to do something

482
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,040
to mitigate these horrible
withdrawal feelings.

483
00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:03,760
And I was kind of at the last my
last sort of hope and I thought,

484
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:05,400
well, I'll try anything at this
point.

485
00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:10,760
And that I mean really that at
that unclenching of that aching

486
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:15,360
me just dissipated so.
So it started with the.

487
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,960
Feel free you tried that first.
Yeah, tried that. 1st so and

488
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,600
that's an that is an extract
that is feel free is an extract

489
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,960
of cava Alfredo.
It's a little small bottle.

490
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,880
It looks like a little like the
little 5 hour energy drink shots

491
00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,080
that they call it.
It's a yeah store and these are

492
00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,360
readily available in gas
stations.

493
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,920
Convenience very, very yes,
they're very expensive.

494
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:42,960
Now I'm not sure what the for
that one, what the serving size

495
00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,080
is, but usually those little
bottles or multiple servings.

496
00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:49,600
But it's not obvious because
who's paying attention to the

497
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,760
fine print that says, oh, this
little tiny bottle is 3 servings

498
00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,120
and now you got to figure out
how to make 3 servings out of

499
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:59,440
it, which nobody does.
So while I'm not a big fan of

500
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:03,080
the extracts, if you are
suffering with pain and

501
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,400
addiction and you're just, you
know, finding something for

502
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,240
relief and it helps you, that's
great.

503
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,320
But then do your research,
people need to spend time

504
00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:14,760
researching and learn about the
because there's different types

505
00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,000
of kratom.
And then to let you know, I

506
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,960
think when people realize the
whole leaf powder does so much

507
00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,920
because it's the whole plant,
you know, it's just magic.

508
00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,280
I think more than the extracts
and the extract can be, you

509
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,040
know, some people get addicted
to them because they could,

510
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,320
because again, they're not
paying attention to the serving

511
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,240
sizes on extracts.
And I think for somebody that's

512
00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:39,840
been through addiction, I think
it's easy for them to fall into

513
00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:42,480
that trap.
I'm glad that didn't happen to

514
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:47,000
you because so many times people
I talked to, they just find it

515
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,440
in a smoke shop.
They just buy whatever the clerk

516
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,640
tells them to buy, not realizing
it could be an extract when

517
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,400
they're just trying to really
watch what they're consuming.

518
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,240
But they're not educated yet
because they're just brand new

519
00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:03,560
to it.
Exactly, exactly, which is why I

520
00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:07,400
had gotten the train wreck
capsules and just a few of them.

521
00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,760
I mean, it just it took that,
that it scratched that itch.

522
00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,840
It's amazing that you got that
the very first time you took it

523
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,600
because yeah, I've talked to so
many people over the years and

524
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,000
what I pretty much have
determined based on all the

525
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,880
people I've talked to is about
South like 5050.

526
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,080
About half the people I talked
to say the very first time I

527
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,000
took kratom where there was a
powder, an extract, whatever.

528
00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,440
It was magic.
This is amazing.

529
00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:32,520
I love it.
And then there's like the other

530
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,000
half that I'm in where it took
trial and error.

531
00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,440
It took some trial and error.
I'm like, OK, let's see what the

532
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,800
fuss is all about.
I'm like, okay, that didn't

533
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,600
really do anything.
We try a little more, still

534
00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:44,480
didn't do anything.
Let me try.

535
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,640
There's other colors.
Let me try one of the other

536
00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,560
colors.
Like I went from trying the red,

537
00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:53,240
which just didn't help my pain,
to the white, which was like, my

538
00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,160
gosh, why did I ingest that?
Because that just made my eyes

539
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,800
just a little too much.
Kind of got the wobbles.

540
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,280
I didn't throw up, but just my
eyes just were like kind of

541
00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:02,720
like, oh, I got too much
caffeine.

542
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,800
And then I tried the green.
I'm like, OK, I'm getting

543
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,640
something with this green one.
And it's just trial and error to

544
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:12,160
figure out the dose and and you
know the color of the dose.

545
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,880
There's just so much to it.
But I love hearing stories like

546
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,480
yours where that very first time
it was magic.

547
00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:21,080
It just and and you have to
remember too, I was in

548
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,440
withdrawals.
I was day I was probably on my

549
00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:30,760
25th hour without the opiates.
And so I was definitely feeling

550
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,320
pretty bad and that didn't I
didn't get a high.

551
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,440
I just got relief is the best
way to describe it.

552
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:42,680
But the little the little feel
free shots that definitely is

553
00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:44,320
too wiry.
I don't like it.

554
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:46,840
It was just not it's not a good
fit.

555
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:51,480
But yeah, you, I, I credit you
with a lot of, you know, helping

556
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,160
me with the with the sort of
dosage and less is more.

557
00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:59,160
And in fact, I just ordered from
Etha and I'm getting.

558
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,440
Oh, Etha, Etha botanicals.
Yeah, the pressed.

559
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:06,560
Pills today.
Oh, you know, I wish I had known

560
00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,760
about those pressed tablets when
I started creating because, you

561
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,840
know, like earlier you were
talking about the toss and wash

562
00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:14,560
method Where?
And you probably learned it from

563
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,240
Misty because Misty does that.
I don't.

564
00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,800
Yeah, that's probably Misty
because, yeah, you put a little

565
00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:22,560
bit of, like, water or some kind
of drink in your mouth, then you

566
00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:26,440
tap your little, you know,
teaspoon or whatever of powder,

567
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:29,520
then you'd get some more water
and then just wash it down.

568
00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,400
It's called toss and wash.
And I knew the first time I saw

569
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:34,760
a video of what that was, I'm
like, oh, that's not for me.

570
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,960
I was worried I would choke.
So I've always done the swamp

571
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,840
water, and it was really hard to
get down because it tastes so

572
00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:44,640
bad, even with juice.
But it gave me amazing pain

573
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,240
relief once I started getting
the relief.

574
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,040
So for me, it was worth it.
But had I known about those

575
00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,720
tablets, I would have started
with that.

576
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,800
But The thing is they do cost
more because it takes more labor

577
00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,560
to make them.
They they're pressed.

578
00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,240
And it is what I love about
ether's tablet.

579
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:01,240
And these are not the seven Ohi
know people are hearing about

580
00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:03,800
these 70 tablets.
This is just whole leaf kratom

581
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,360
powder press into a tablet.
What I love about ether, it is

582
00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,120
just the powder.
There's no fillers.

583
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,520
They have come up with a method
to press it into a tablet.

584
00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,120
I love them.
So what I do, I normally do my

585
00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:19,320
powder when I'm at home, but if
I'm out and about I'm going to

586
00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,520
have, if I leave my home, there
are tablets on me because you

587
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:24,840
never know.
And one time I end up in the ER

588
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,120
a few years ago I also had a leg
infection.

589
00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,320
I know what that was like.
I've had that and I was in the

590
00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:34,480
ER for about 6 hours and I was
like, thank God I brought my

591
00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,800
kratom tablets from Ethan with
me because of course you're in

592
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,960
the waiting room forever.
And if I tell them I have

593
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:42,600
chronic pain, are they going to
give me something?

594
00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:45,120
No.
And so I'm just popping my

595
00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,239
kratom tablets like, oh, thank
God I brought them.

596
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,679
So I like it for that and I like
it for my early morning dose so

597
00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:52,520
I don't have to worry about
getting out of bed and making

598
00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:55,639
some swamp water.
So I love them, but they do cost

599
00:34:55,639 --> 00:34:58,400
more.
So I know for plenty of people,

600
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,920
they'll say it's just a little
bit pricey, which is, you know,

601
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,360
understand.
I can't wait to hear what you

602
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,440
think of them because it is an
impressive product.

603
00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,560
And not very many vendors make
press tablets.

604
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,600
And when I had them, I've had
them on the podcast, the two

605
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:18,760
founders, Victor and Alexander.
So Alexander's the one that

606
00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,400
developed it.
But Victor tells the story in my

607
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,600
podcast when I interviewed him
of how they didn't like the

608
00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:25,920
powder.
They were both using it for

609
00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:27,680
chronic pain.
They didn't like the powder.

610
00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:31,600
And he does asking Alexander,
like, can you please come up

611
00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,480
with a way?
Like, we don't like the capsules

612
00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:35,080
because it's messy and we're
making them.

613
00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:39,720
And it's a pain like to come up
with some kind of pressed tablet

614
00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:43,040
with no fillers, nothing else
did because you could take one

615
00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:44,920
of those tablets and just crush
it up in your hand.

616
00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,440
And it is just the power, just
the pattern.

617
00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:49,800
It's genius.
It is because you don't really

618
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:50,960
tell.
I mean, of course, if you like,

619
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,720
let it sit on your tongue,
you're going to.

620
00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:54,720
Yeah.
But if you have tablets, you're

621
00:35:54,720 --> 00:35:56,720
just popping up like pills,
right?

622
00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,360
Right.
I, I just not much of A taste.

623
00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:03,320
And they work really good.
And because they're pressed, I

624
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:05,400
think we're better than capsules
because capsules, those shells

625
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:07,240
have to open up.
Like I would solve.

626
00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:08,960
I would.
Open the capsules.

627
00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,960
Yeah, all those capsule shells
would make me nauseous, but as

628
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,520
tablets, they work so well, I
think in the stomach.

629
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,760
And also I feel like it lasts a
little bit longer because of the

630
00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,600
way they're dissolving and
stuff.

631
00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,040
So I'm so glad you're trying
them.

632
00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:26,640
You have to let me know what you
think.

633
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:28,280
Yeah, I'm.
Anxious.

634
00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:32,360
So let's talk about like, how is
this playing in kratom affecting

635
00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:35,680
your overall day-to-day life?
Are you kidding?

636
00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,640
I would.
I'm not counting out pills to

637
00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:41,920
see how many I have left until
my next refill.

638
00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:44,280
We've all played that game.
Yes, we have.

639
00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:51,600
So it's given it back honestly
it just you know, there's no, I

640
00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,720
can't see any negative side
effects to it.

641
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:59,040
I don't see other than the taste
is the only sort of but I avoid

642
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,720
that and now with the press
powder it's going to be all

643
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,160
avoided even more.
Right, right.

644
00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:07,520
Yeah.
It's, it's amazing how many

645
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:10,520
people have gotten their lives
back because of kratom, whether

646
00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,480
it was suffering with addiction,
chronic pain, both.

647
00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,560
So many people I talked to, it
helps them with their anxiety,

648
00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,840
depression.
A lot of people say they take

649
00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:24,040
Kratom for pain relief or they
take Kratom for addiction and

650
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:27,080
use it for the recovery.
And it just happens to also help

651
00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:31,280
them with other issues like
anxiety, you know, because so

652
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,440
many people said, yeah, like,
this has been amazing for my

653
00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:38,600
sobriety and my recovery.
And also I don't need my Xanax

654
00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:40,400
anymore.
I don't need, I don't need my

655
00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:43,600
ADD medicine anymore.
Like it's like a secondary thing

656
00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:45,480
that they weren't even
expecting.

657
00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:50,840
And it's amazing that a plant is
doing this for so many people.

658
00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:53,720
Right.
Because I well like in my case I

659
00:37:53,720 --> 00:37:57,600
did it specifically to mitigate
the drug withdrawals, the

660
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,600
addiction, and then it ended up
working for the pain too, which

661
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:03,560
was an added bonus.
Right.

662
00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,120
Yeah, so great.
And do you get nice little

663
00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:09,640
energy boost with Cranos?
But so it's popping your stuff.

664
00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:12,080
Too.
It would be like to me, it would

665
00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,240
be like having a cup of coffee
in the afternoon, which I

666
00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:16,000
wouldn't think of because it's
not.

667
00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:18,360
I don't want anything to
interfere with my precious

668
00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:19,720
sleep.
Right.

669
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:22,560
And you know, it's interesting
to learn that kratom is in the

670
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:27,080
same plant family as coffee.
So it's not surprising that you

671
00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:31,080
do get like some energy, but a
lot of people get a little

672
00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:34,640
energy boost from it, but in a
much better way than caffeine, I

673
00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:35,880
think.
I feel like this is no.

674
00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:37,800
Jittery.
Because yeah, it's not jittery.

675
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:39,840
It's like a clean.
It's like a clean caffeine.

676
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:44,160
Well, and also and with the
because the opiates give a

677
00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:47,480
energy boost too, but it also
makes you feel like you smoked a

678
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:49,920
pack of cigarettes.
It makes you that nauseous,

679
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,720
wiry, horrible feel.
With the kratom, you don't get

680
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:58,560
that nauseous horrible, really.
It's more like you say, it's a

681
00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,680
natural caffeine boost.
Yeah.

682
00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:06,560
And so I'm also so amazed that
you take such a small amount of

683
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,400
Kratom, like it doesn't and
everybody's different, you know,

684
00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:13,000
like for me, I'm taking 2
teaspoons every six hours.

685
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,480
So that's about 5 grams.
That's 20 grams a day.

686
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:17,960
That's kind of like a moderate
to a little high.

687
00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:22,080
But also it is individualized.
Some people need a couple of

688
00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:26,040
tablespoons for their pain
relief or to help it with their

689
00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,320
recovery.
Then you get somebody like

690
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,280
yourself that like you said, you
take, what was it, half a

691
00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,000
teaspoon, you said.
A teaspoon.

692
00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:38,200
Such a small because a teaspoon
is roughly 2.4g, so you're

693
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:41,240
taking like half of that, so
you're going to take a little.

694
00:39:41,240 --> 00:39:45,600
Over gram, under 5g per day at
the very very most it's always

695
00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:47,800
under 5.
That's.

696
00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:50,800
Just amazing you get the relief
from that because also because

697
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:52,960
like you were saying earlier,
you always hear us saying less

698
00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,680
is more, less is more.
Because I think so many times

699
00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:58,040
when somebody's brand new to
kratom and there's so much to

700
00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:02,120
learn about if you're coming
from the chronic pain community

701
00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:05,120
like me, where you are taking
high doses of Oxycontin,

702
00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:08,160
Percocet, gabapentin, all these
things.

703
00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:10,440
You're just automatically
assuming I'm going to need a

704
00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,120
high dose of this Kratom exactly
because people will say, why

705
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:16,080
have high tolerance?
You know, so I, I take a lot, a

706
00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,000
lot of opiates.
I'm like, doesn't mean you

707
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:19,240
necessarily need a lot of
kratom.

708
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,040
Or you get somebody that has
been, you know, dealing with

709
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:24,680
addiction.
They're trying to find this

710
00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:27,320
plant for their recovery and
also making this assumption,

711
00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:29,720
well, I took a lot of drugs.
I'm going to need a lot.

712
00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:33,120
Of drugs, right?
Yeah, I started with a

713
00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:39,600
tablespoon and have worked my
way down because the tablespoon.

714
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:43,640
Too much.
I had no, I was out in my yard

715
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,000
and my eyes got wobbly.
I just feel it in the bushes.

716
00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:52,840
So but yeah, I started with more
and with that mentality.

717
00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:56,480
And when it was the cap, the
just the capsules, I would start

718
00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:00,280
out with, you know, a few and
take it multiple times a day.

719
00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,120
And then I thought, well, the
capsules are bugging my stomach

720
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:04,880
too.
So then I would empty the

721
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:07,000
capsules and just start taking
the powder.

722
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,400
So then I went on to the powder
and yeah, you know, and then the

723
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,800
reputable kratom distributors
that and they test their stuff,

724
00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,560
the ones that you recommend and
all of that.

725
00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:19,320
So you have that sort of
confidence that you're not

726
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,160
getting it from a smoke shop,
but it's not laced with other

727
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:25,560
things, right, and all of that.
So.

728
00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:28,360
It's so important to the, you
know, make sure you're getting

729
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:29,920
it from a reputable online
vendor.

730
00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:33,120
That's why I always mentioned to
people the, you know, which ones

731
00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:35,160
I buy from because I did a lot
of research.

732
00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:38,280
I have links to it on the on the
Crime Stories podcast website.

733
00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:41,400
It'll be LinkedIn, the show
notes here for this episode

734
00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:44,040
because when I was first
starting, it was hard to figure

735
00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:47,240
out where do I buy this?
And and people weren't always

736
00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:49,480
forthcoming with like where to
go get it.

737
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,880
And I did so much research and I
learned a lot on my own.

738
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,200
That's awesome.
That's and I.

739
00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:59,720
Met a lot of great people.
Oh absolutely.

740
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:01,880
Yeah.
So many amazing people.

741
00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:05,400
And that's why I love running
the Kratom Real Talk community

742
00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:08,160
that you're a part of because
it's so nice to have a place we

743
00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,960
can all gather and ask questions
and help each other so we all

744
00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,000
feel so alone in our journey.
Well, there's nothing out there

745
00:42:15,240 --> 00:42:19,560
and, you know, and there's still
is the stigmatism that, well,

746
00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:23,600
you're not sober, you're still
using, you know, well, it's

747
00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:26,120
plants.
And I'm sorry, but consider

748
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:31,080
plants to be drugs.
Exactly, exactly, and you've.

749
00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:34,200
Run into people that have this
stigma that you are still taking

750
00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:37,120
drugs.
You know, I, I hear that more

751
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:40,880
with people who suffer from
addiction that went to kratom

752
00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:43,040
and that a lot of them are
viewed that way.

753
00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:46,280
As a matter of fact, we just did
A2 part episode with Misty Brown

754
00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:49,760
and Cassie talking about kratom
and recovery.

755
00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:52,800
And we've talked about, you
know, that stigmatization, like

756
00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:55,440
what you're discussing that
there's a lot of that in the

757
00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,000
recovery world where it's like
you're just training in one

758
00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:01,880
addiction for another, right?
That they just don't see kratom

759
00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:05,280
as plant medicine, right?
And that's, you know, we're

760
00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:07,080
trying to change that.
We're trying to change that

761
00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:12,120
narrative because it, you know,
I just think it can help so many

762
00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:13,520
people.
So many.

763
00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:17,320
So many that don't accidentally
take a pelvis laced with

764
00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:22,040
fentanyl because it happened so
easily and so quickly and it

765
00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:22,960
just.
Right.

766
00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:25,120
Yeah.
Or in recovery, they're putting

767
00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:27,960
everybody on Suboxone and that
rots your teeth.

768
00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:29,480
There's all kinds of lawsuits
now.

769
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:32,400
I've talked to so many people in
the Crane community that were on

770
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,080
Suboxone for years and they've
lost all their teeth.

771
00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:39,400
How to get them replaced, other
health, other health issues.

772
00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,680
Oh yeah, it's terrible.
It's like they don't.

773
00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:44,280
The doctors I know it's
disclosed this, they don't ever.

774
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:48,360
Talk very very, very expensive.
Isn't it like $70.00 a dosage or

775
00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:50,800
something ridiculous?
I I'm not sure.

776
00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:54,760
I just know that that like in
recovery, they're typically

777
00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:57,960
prescribing Suboxone.
That's that's their way of

778
00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:00,600
dealing with it.
Whereas plant, you know, if they

779
00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:06,120
use kratom, be healthier,
probably work better, just so

780
00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:09,240
many pluses.
But it's just there's a stigma

781
00:44:09,240 --> 00:44:11,680
still.
And that's why, you know,

782
00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:14,360
there's so many of us loud and
proud advocates for kratom

783
00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:17,160
because we're just trying to
change that this perception

784
00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:20,640
people have now.
For me with chronic pain, I

785
00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:23,400
don't really feel too much
stigma.

786
00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:27,760
Like I went from 1:00 to like, I
just say I use a plant, right.

787
00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,720
As a matter of fact, I just did
a post on my Facebook the other

788
00:44:31,720 --> 00:44:35,800
day because there's actually
going to be a news story, an NBC

789
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:39,360
News story with me about Kratom.
And so I posted some pictures.

790
00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:42,360
It was it was last week when
they came over to my home and

791
00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:46,200
talked to me about Kratom for my
crown pain and they had filming

792
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:49,680
making my Kratom tea and stuff,
which was so I posted some

793
00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:52,640
pictures on Facebook and I'm
like, oh, no big deal, NBC can

794
00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:53,960
my home and blah, blah, blah,
blah.

795
00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:58,040
And I have a I've been in social
media and digital marketing for

796
00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:00,680
a long time.
And so I have a pretty large

797
00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:02,640
following because I've built so
many, I've been building online

798
00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:06,080
communities since the 90s.
So on my Facebook, I have a very

799
00:45:06,080 --> 00:45:08,960
diverse group of Facebook
friends from all my different

800
00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:10,640
communities, including the
Krannom one.

801
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,440
But I don't always talk about
I'm going to start kind of

802
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:15,200
putting more Krannom information
out there.

803
00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:19,960
But when I put this info and the
photos I mentioned about how,

804
00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:22,360
because I was thinking of the
people who are going to read

805
00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:23,720
this, I don't know what Kratom
is.

806
00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,800
And you know, we're getting
older, we're getting more pain

807
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:28,560
issues.
I'm like, this is probably going

808
00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:30,760
to help some people that I've
known a long time or maybe some

809
00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:32,320
old high school friends are
going to see this.

810
00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:35,120
And I made a point to mention
that, you know, they came to

811
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,360
talk to me about Kratom, a plant
that I use instead of

812
00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:39,960
pharmaceuticals for my chronic
pain.

813
00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:43,440
I've already had several people
that I've known a long time

814
00:45:43,720 --> 00:45:47,000
message me and go tell me more
about this kratom and how it's

815
00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:50,120
helping your chronic pain.
So I think it's just so

816
00:45:50,120 --> 00:45:54,000
important for our voices, you
know, just let people know that

817
00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:56,840
this that's why I'm so glad
you're doing this podcast.

818
00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,160
Thank you so much because your
story is going to help so many

819
00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:01,320
people.
You.

820
00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:05,560
Know, because I feel like these
first hand stories is the most

821
00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:08,280
helpful thing when you're
starting your cram journey.

822
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:10,880
Gosh, it's, it's scary in the
beginning because you you don't

823
00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:13,240
know what to expect.
You don't know much about it.

824
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,240
You know, no, it's not
prescribed by the doctor.

825
00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:19,880
It's not FDA approved, which
these days doesn't really mean

826
00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:21,440
much.
You know, it's like, no,

827
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:25,720
considering what they're, yeah,
I think people are it's like it

828
00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:29,800
could be FDA approved, but they
choose not to do it not to that

829
00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:31,280
it's on the FDA.
Money in it.

830
00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:33,360
Right.
So they're not regulating it.

831
00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:35,360
So the industry is self
regulated.

832
00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:37,720
That's why it's important to buy
from third part.

833
00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:41,720
You know, vendors that lab test
from third parties that make

834
00:46:41,720 --> 00:46:44,840
sure it's all correct.
It is what the package says it

835
00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:47,680
is.
And I can see in the 5 1/2 years

836
00:46:47,680 --> 00:46:49,960
I've been Ukraine consumer is
getting better.

837
00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:53,280
The packaging is so much better.
When I first started kratom

838
00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:56,520
packaging was not very good.
Like you didn't always know what

839
00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:58,720
you were getting and you're just
trying the vendor.

840
00:46:58,720 --> 00:47:01,760
Whereas these days they have so
much information on the package

841
00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:05,840
and, and it's just nice to know
like, OK, the FDA should be

842
00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:10,120
mandating this, but they're not.
So we just got to take the bull

843
00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:12,840
by the horns and and understand
what we're doing and what we're

844
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:14,840
consuming, which we should be
doing anyway.

845
00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:17,160
I think it's easy to not pay
attention.

846
00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:20,200
To people are just trusting and
I think people are starting to

847
00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:23,240
realize you must educate
yourself.

848
00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:27,000
You must be your own doctor, you
must be your own nutritionist

849
00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:30,120
and find out what you are
taking.

850
00:47:30,600 --> 00:47:35,520
I had an interesting point to
make last year when I had first

851
00:47:35,720 --> 00:47:38,560
after my first knee replacement
and started the kratom.

852
00:47:38,920 --> 00:47:43,560
I had also started a therapy,
talking to a therapist and had

853
00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:47,000
told her, you know, all about my
past history and my drug

854
00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:52,400
addiction and all of that and
she was just vehemently against

855
00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:54,800
kratom.
She said I hate kratom.

856
00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:58,720
I have so many patients that are
trying to get off of kratom and

857
00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:02,600
are going into drug rehabs and
just she said she absolutely

858
00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:05,480
hate it.
And I that keeps sort of

859
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:10,200
wringing my head about why she
hates it so much and why why it

860
00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:14,040
was such an evil thing to her.
I mean, she was just viably

861
00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:18,000
against it, but I think the
people that abuse it are going

862
00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:22,200
to abuse. 100%, yeah.
And they're not taking

863
00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:23,520
responsibility.
They're blaming.

864
00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:26,920
It's like, wait a minute, did
you blame the alcohol you used

865
00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:27,400
to drink?
Yeah.

866
00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:30,960
Would you blame your benzos?
Like, I don't understand why

867
00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:34,480
people don't blame all the other
things that they abuse, but they

868
00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:37,280
blame freedom, a plant.
It makes no sense, right?

869
00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:40,640
Well, it was, it's like when I
used to have panic attacks and

870
00:48:40,640 --> 00:48:42,960
anxiety.
That was all alcohol related.

871
00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:46,960
Alcohol causes anxiety, period.
So they don't look at the

872
00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:51,000
contributing factors, right?
Kratom basically is for when

873
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,320
you're ready to get a hold of
your life and you're ready to

874
00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:57,920
get a hold of yourself.
It's a nice gentle substance

875
00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:01,280
that can assist with that.
But it is truly up to you to get

876
00:49:01,280 --> 00:49:04,760
your own life in order and to be
the captain of your soul,

877
00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:07,440
really.
So I love that.

878
00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:09,320
That is awesome.
This has been such a great

879
00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:12,040
conversation.
I'm so glad you're doing this

880
00:49:12,040 --> 00:49:13,920
with me.
My last question for you is

881
00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:16,200
knowing everything you know now
about kratom, and I know you

882
00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:19,080
haven't been in it for years,
but you know a lot.

883
00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:20,600
You've been in this for quite a
while.

884
00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,880
What advice would you give to
someone else that would help

885
00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:25,440
them in their journey getting
started?

886
00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:29,600
Wait until you're in the thick
of withdrawals and then you will

887
00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:33,800
appreciate the magic of this
plant because it just eases

888
00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:36,360
that.
And start very small.

889
00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:39,400
Work up to where your eyes
wobble and you know you've taken

890
00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:41,720
too much.
It's a sort of a hit and miss.

891
00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:46,360
Always go to a trusted vendor.
Read as much as you can, listen

892
00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:50,120
to as many podcasts as you can.
Make your own decisions.

893
00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:54,200
Make up your own mind about it.
Try it when you're in the in the

894
00:49:54,200 --> 00:49:58,080
throes of withdrawal and you
find something natural that

895
00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:00,800
takes that away.
You've got to run with that and

896
00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:03,600
change your life.
I mean, it's, it's giving you

897
00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:07,320
tools to regain control of your
life.

898
00:50:07,720 --> 00:50:09,480
I think that's the best way to
describe it.

899
00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:13,160
Well said, I love that.
Thank you so much Mary for

900
00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:16,600
taking fine, hanging out with me
and talking about your journey

901
00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:22,480
is you've had an incredible 1.
Yes, yes, so, well, thank you.

902
00:50:22,480 --> 00:50:26,320
I appreciate your interest and I
appreciate all that you do for

903
00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:28,640
this wonderful plant in this
community.

904
00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:31,000
And you know, I know you're
helping people.

905
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:35,160
And if, if it saves one life,
it's all worth it for sure. 100

906
00:50:35,160 --> 00:50:41,080
percent, 100%.
Thank you for listening.

907
00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:44,920
You can get more information at
kratomstoriespodcast.com,

908
00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:47,320
including show notes from this
episode.

Mary M. Profile Photo

CFO

My love affair with opiates began in 2006. My Mom had arthritis in both of her knees, which I would develop later in my life. Mom believed a Vicodin would cure all ills 🥰. I’d ask for one from anything from a menstrual cramp to a bad day at work. Later in my career, I would take one of these magic pills with me to work, in case I needed an escape hatch. This went on for years until my high functioning alcoholism began. Instead of one pill at 2 in the afternoon, I’d have to take one to manage the crippling hangover. This allowed me to drink at night, knowing it would all be better in the morning, because of my magic little besties. I was now drinking and smoking heavily at night, taking Vicodin in the mornings, zanex for every emotion and ambien to pass out, every night. If I didn’t have the Vicodin, my friend would hook me up with methadone. One night in 2014, my combination of alcohol, methadone, zanex, and ambien combined with severe undiagnosed sleep apnea, almost killed me. The man I was dating at the time revived me when he saw that I wasn’t breathing. That day I made the decision that I could no longer go on like this. I quit my 30 year career, took a year off to start my own company. During this time, I quit the zanex, Vicodin, heavy drinking and resolved my sleep apnea with a cpap machine and got very fit. Fast forward to my now career, it was extremely physical and quickly wore the cartilage down in both of my knees. I was having to take Vicodin again to control the pain until I could have my knees replaced. 1/13/23, I had my first knee replaced and had been p…Read More