Life with Stage 4 Endometriosis: Ashley Banek | Ep24

Gary Kiss looked healthy on the outside, but internally, something felt deeply wrong. In his late 30s, he was struggling with severe insomnia, relentless mind chatter, relationship challenges, and a persistent feeling of emptiness. When the pandemic forced him to spend more time alone with his thoughts, things intensified. His blood pressure eventually reached 238/190, and he was warned that he was a "walking stroke." Despite his background in IV nutraceuticals and access to numerous health interventions, nothing seemed to provide lasting relief.

Dr. Amie Hornaman, better known as “The Thyroid Fixer,” was in her early 20s and competing in fitness shows when her body suddenly stopped responding the way it always had. Despite a strict diet and working out twice a day, she rapidly gained around 40 pounds. She went to six different doctors searching for answers, only to repeatedly hear that her labs were “normal,” she was “fine,” and she simply needed to eat less and exercise more. After finally being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Amie thought she had found the answer, but the medication she was prescribed did nothing. Her search for a different approach ultimately changed the course of her career and led her to become “The Thyroid Fixer.” Years later, she faced another rock bottom when abnormal cells progressed to stage one uterine cancer. In this episode, Amie opens up about hypothyroidism, medical gaslighting, thyroid testing, hormone therapy, her hysterectomy, the fear of cancer returning, and why patients need to advocate for their own health. Dr. Amie Hornaman Website: https://dramiehornaman.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramiehornaman Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before making changes to your health routine. Chapters 00:00 Coming Up This Episode 00:23 Podcast Intro: Dr. Amie’s Story 01:10 Interview Begins 02:07 Growing Up Struggling With Weight 03:45 Entering the Fitness World 04:33 Preparing for a National Competition 05:10 “You’re Normal, Everything Is Fine” 05:29 Six Doctors & No Answers 05:50 Hitting Rock Bottom 06:40 Gaining 40 Pounds in Six Months 07:16 Being Medically Gaslit 08:01 “You Know When Something Is Wrong” 08:38 Doctor #7 Checks Her Thyroid 09:17 Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism 09:43 The Medication That Did Nothing 11:07 Looking Outside Conventional Medicine 11:55 Finding the Practitioner Who Changed Her Life 13:02 T3 vs. T4 Thyroid Hormones 16:25 Understanding Reverse T3 18:57 The Thyroid Test Dr. Amie Says to Ask For 20:18 Why the Thyroid Affects the Entire Body 23:00 Finding the Treatment That Worked for Her 25:36 Blood Work vs. DUTCH Testing 26:45 Why She Wrote The Thyroid Fix 29:31 Dr. Amie’s Uterine Cancer Story 31:45 “You Lost the Bet. It Changed to Cancer.” 32:02 Catching Cancer at Stage One 33:02 Deciding to Have a Hysterectomy 33:38 When a Health Advocate Gets Cancer 34:02 The Fear of Cancer Returning 36:22 Getting the Cancer Diagnosis Call 38:46 What Medical Gaslighting Looks Like 40:27 When Patients Start Blaming Themselves 43:35 Finding the Right Thyroid Practitioner 47:00 Rock Bottom Score: “I Was a Two” 49:02 Life Now: “I’m a 9 or 10” Presented by: @JigsawHealthTV Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Zpj6O04BDznHju7zG8ErR?si=bc40afcbe5b145c1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rock-bottom-podcast/id1809787645 Do you have a health horror story that inspires? Apply to be a guest: https://forms.gle/aqwJVZXAFFjnyTyS8

Jon Hacker was just 11 years old when severe OCD made everyday life feel impossible. He hid his struggles from everyone, including his own twin brother, while growing up in a stressful home marked by financial hardship, bullying, and his father's battle with alcoholism. Desperate to understand what was happening inside his mind, Jon became obsessed with the nervous system, eventually transforming his own recovery into a mission to help others better regulate stress and improve mental wellness through innovative vagus nerve technology. In this episode, Jon shares how chronic stress changes the way we experience reality, why modern life keeps so many of us stuck in fight-or-flight mode, and why he believes your brain sees every email, text, and notification as another "tiger" to survive. We also explore the science behind the vagus nerve, practical ways to support your nervous system, and the journey that led Jon to create Zen Bud. Jon Hacker Website: https://zenbud.health Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenbudhealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-hacker Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before making changes to your health routine. Chapters 00:00 Coming Up This Episode 00:22 Podcast Intro: Jon Hacker's Story 01:06 Interview Begins: Welcome Jon Hacker 01:40 Severe OCD at 11 Years Old 03:09 What OCD Actually Looked Like 03:33 Childhood Stress, Bullying & Family Struggles 06:44 Hiding OCD From Everyone, Even His Twin Brother 07:21 The Nervous System Obsession That Changed Everything 11:09 The Practice That Helped Him Overcome OCD 13:46 Discovering the Vagus Nerve 14:52 Why the Vagus Nerve Is Your Stress "Off Switch" 16:03 How Chronic Stress Changes Your Reality 17:49 Why Your Brain Thinks Every Email Is a Tiger 19:53 Natural Ways to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve 21:49 The Story Behind Zen Bud 26:25 What the Vagus Nerve Actually Does 29:07 Can It Help You Sleep? 30:42 Measuring Stress & HRV Improvements 31:52 Are We More Stressed Than Cavemen? 35:27 Why "Your Attention Is the Product" 37:27 Can Kids Benefit From Vagus Nerve Therapy? 39:15 How Zen Bud Changed Jon's Life 40:17 Jon's Thoughts on Neuralink 47:05 Rock Bottom Score: "I Was a One" 47:26 Life Today & OCD Recovery 48:27 The Book Jon Wants to Write 49:00 Where to Find Jon Hacker Presented by: @JigsawHealthTV Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Zpj6O04BDznHju7zG8ErR?si=bc40afcbe5b145c1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rock-bottom-podcast/id1809787645 Do you have a health horror story that inspires? Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://forms.gle/aqwJVZXAFFjnyTyS8

As a functional health practitioner, Jenn Malecha followed a clean diet, exercised regularly, took high-quality supplements, and lived what most people would consider a healthy lifestyle. Yet despite all of that, her health started to decline. She gained 15 pounds without explanation, developed cystic acne, experienced night sweats, and eventually woke up one morning with severe breast inflammation that left her terrified she might have cancer.

Jeremy Malecha spent years doing everything he thought was right. He exercised regularly, ate organic and gluten-free, tracked his health obsessively, and followed expert advice. Yet despite his efforts, he continued to gain weight, struggle with chronic back pain, and watch his health markers move in the wrong direction.