Advertise on podcast: My blurred opinion

John is our next guest and he is somebody that I met for my mother who came highly recommended. As I sat down and talked to him, I knew we had a lot in common, and that our conversation would be a deep one. John talks about childhood drama addiction, being infected with the HIV virus , mental illness and so much more. 

My name is Jenn. I will be 58 years old on 4/17 . I had a very toxic upbringing. I was abused in pretty much anyway you can't think of. I left home at 18. And tried to start my life over Which was not easy to do. And in 2015 I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. I went through almost a year of chemo as well as radiation and many, many surgeries. I still struggle today with all the side effects from treatment. I am in and out of the hospital monthly. I also have severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD from my childhood. I try to wake up thankful every day & push past it. Thank you, Tim, for allowing me to share my story.

As a retired high school counselor, I worked in a rural school setting where distance and transportation constraints made school counselors the only available personal counseling opportunity for many students. Mental health concerns impact the functioning and success of individuals, so my colleagues and I spent a significant part of our day providing crisis and often ongoing personal counseling to students. I hold a Master's Degree and Certificate of Advanced Study in Counselor Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo preceded by a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from SUNY Potsdam. My careers prior to counseling were in social work and as a Red Cross Executive Director. I also spent several years as a trade magazine executive. I have traveled extensively and am an active volunteer and leader in my community.   Check out her website https://lfeigknipe.com/

This episode was inspired by my friend Sarah who had an ideas, she wanted to just sit down and talk about whatever was on our minds. We discussed mental health, of course, our current physical situations with our health, Sarah's and eyes similarities and differences with our living situations and much more.  Her TikTok is @sincerelysarah86

This episode is with Marina. She's somebody I met on my TikTok live a while back, and we instantly clicked. I believe Marina is very misunderstood, and a lot of of it has to do with her upbringing and all that has happened to her in our past. This is a very good episode, but there's a lot of dark , sad, and heartbreaking moments. We discussed the mental, sexual abuse that she suffered by the hands of her family members over and over, and how that led to her out and about, are coming to addiction and getting in trouble. As I said earlier, she may be misunderstood in my view, but she's an amazing person, and one of the strongest people I've come across in this world.   Follow her on TikTok @marinafox30

In this episode, I sit down for a second episode with my good friend Erin. She tells her long journey of trying to get a van and being able to get her license so that she can drive while also being in a wheelchair. We discuss all the roadblocks and barriers that were thrown in front of her, her training, the test she took to get her permit, how she got her van, and more. I am very proud of Erin because I know this was something that really meant a lot to her, as it does for anybody with a disability to find their true independence. The driving school where she got her training done https://brantsdrivingschool.com/ A place where you can buy your accessible van https://www.braunability.com/us/en.html    

This episode is a very important episode for me personally, for a multitude of reasons. This is episode 300, and this is an episode where I get to sit down and talk to my grandma and ask her about her life. My grandmother is very important to me, her wisdom, sense of humor, and the abundance of love she has shown me over the years, has made me realize how valuable and important she is in life in general. She's 94, she has seen, and been through so much, but yet she keeps a level head. This is something that we should all hope to one day reach. We discuss her upbringing, poverty, how she met my grandfather, his eventual, passing and ser, coming to multiple sclerosis, we also discuss her health issues over the years, and how she feels about her life 94 years later.

Hello my name is Matthew colello im a new englander born and raised. Growing up i never felt like I fit in. Always was thr odd one out. I never truly felt like myself. On november 5th 2024 my life had completely changed. I was involved in a motor vehicle accident where a car struck me causing me to lose part of my left leg. November 6th 2024 I had surgery and had my left foot removed due to no circulation or feeling. Because of this accident ive tried to embrace who I am and make the best of any situation no matter how tough. I wound up finding a job working with other amputees in my community, and I can finally say. I feel like I have found myself. No matter what you go through in life, it truly is mind over matter. Got to see the light in every situation. Thank you for taking the time to hear my story and hope it helps others. You can find me on tictok @Amputeestrong thank you everyone.

This episode is with a new friend a young friend. Her name is Megan. She's from Greece, and she wanted to tell her story on mental health. One day she popped into my life on TikTok and her, and I instantly connected, and she felt like she had a lot to say on the subject of mental health. We discussed her struggles, the ups and downs, and everything in between.

Dying at birth, David was exposed to a medical experiment that kept him a live but the side effects were so bad it became Illegal to do to humans just months after it was done to him. Birth defects, sterility and 100% mortality by age 20 were the side effect. He was in chronic pain from his earliest years. Things were so bad by age 20 that he was trying to end his life. Then he went to church and found hope. David was the only person in the experiment to live past 20 and the only one to then have 3 children naturally. David felt called to love people with God's love share that love which is the beginning of hope. David then traveled internationally sharing that hope and seeing lives changed for over 50 years. Since then became an award winning photographer and wrote his new book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble "When the Doctors say NO! God says YES!!!" about his life and how anyone can find hope in Christ and experience their life improved as a result.   You can get his book and check out his website here https://www.davidwebel.com/ And you can check his podcast out here https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/176254519147195937a0e42f5

Jacob is a guy I met on TikTok from my lives, he's a very upbeat and positive guy who just beat stage three lymphoma cancer. We discuss the buildup, the hospital stays, the treatment, and all that went into him eventually becoming cancer free. We also talk about the aftermath and what is still affected, and what lies ahead for him and his future.

This episode is with my friend Sammi, she's a woman who not only has epilepsy, but has multiple diagnosis and health conditions. When we recorded this episode, she was in the hospital, and she still has a goal of soon to be released because she has been there for many years. For as much as she has gone through, she is an ultra positive and strong person, and she perseverance every day. She's one of those people when you meet them, you just say, how do you do it?    Follow her on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@sammie.epilepsy.warrior?_r=1&_t=ZT-93ay80A5TTR

This episode is with a friend I made off of Tiktok named Daniel. We discussed mental health, family, his duty, as being a protector to his younger brother and what he learned about life in his early 18 years of living. Daniel is a really smart kid for his age, and it gives me hope for the future for all young men and women like him.

Chris Rogers is Educating, Emboldening, and Encouraging young people to make healthy decisions is the heart behind my work. When it comes the age of AI, "fake news" and constant, incessant stimulation, it's often difficult to know who to trust and what's true/false. My mission is to advocate for young people in middle-high school's mental health and safety while using the internet, promoting self-advocacy, awareness and accountability. As an experienced public school teacher, performer, public speaker, worship leader and p*rn addiction recovery coach, I'm uniquely qualified to teach a young demographic in a way that is compassionate and engaging without pandering or patronizing. I'm looking forward in engaging in conversation that's invigorating and educational!   Chris Rogers website https://www.rebootedteen.com

My name is Aziel. I’m 23. I’m transgender and I have a neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy type two. Basically means that my brain doesn’t sing the signals for my body to do certain things like walk, roll over on my side you know simple things that a lot of people don’t typically think about they just do. Because of my neuromuscular disease it means I require a lot of care and because my family is older they’re able to care for me in the home without 244/7 care but once you turn 21 you lose that and you go to only 76 hours or less a week. So I live in a nursing home, unless I can find a caregiver that’s willing to be my caregiver full-time I have to live here. Living in a nursing home also means that I don’t have much money to myself at all. I only get to keep $30 of my SSI every month. Unless someone sends money to my Cash app, which isn’t a lot, but when I do get some, it does help me get what I need.