Britney Hiser

HR Senior Professional & Owner of Lyric's Roast Coffee & Tea

I have been a chronically ill child since birth with regular sickness since my parents can remember with weekly doctors visits for things as simple as regular allergy shots, asthma interventions to more complex things such as an early cancer scare as a toddler. Through a majority of my life I struggled with weight issues only to be diagnosed later in my teen's with POCS to mark the 1st official long term diagnosis for me. in 2018 I had gastric bypass and lost 170lbs and was living my best life or so I thought outside of some small sciatic issues and minor back issues from all the years I was not successful with weight loss even with being in the gym 5 days a week and seeing a nutritionist starting at 3rd grade. In around 2019, I was finally into pain management for degenerative disk disease and sciatic nerve issues and on low doses of pain medication. In Aug of 2019 i got pregnant for my 1st time. It ended up being ectopic and 6 months later in April of 2020, I had a miscarriage and began to get more focused that I had to have autoimmune issues. Still, the doctors would not listen and continually brushed me off and diminished my symptoms and how I expressed feeling. In January of 2021 I had my 1st bout of COVID-delta variant and never fully got back to myself 100% I had a grandmother years ago diagnosed with Lupus and at that time a mother-in-law with it as well and I began to notice my symptoms and issues very much mirrored some of theirs. In Mid 2022 I was hit with my 2nd round of COVID which really bottomed me out I felt like I had the flue 24/7 energy levels in the negatives to the point I could to stay away a lot of the time and had to take naps on any break at work I had. By this point due to insurance changes I was in a different Pain Management group and the NP really was the 1st to listen and hear me completely and finally ran testing to determine autoimmune issues and in April of 2023 I was diagnosed with PsA, Epstein Barr, fibromyalgia and Lupus and was on the track of getting better through trail and error with medications for those diagnosis and in Aug of 2023 I lost access to pain management as well as all the medications for my autoimmune issues and I hit rock bottom thee were many days I could not get out of bed no matter how bad my mental wanted it and I began to feel like suicide might be the best option because I had lost access to those life lines of medication to even be able to exist and have some since of basic quality of life. It was impacting my job as I was constantly sick or in flare and friendships suffered and relationship as well. Honestly I should have been living my best life ever at this point after my major weight loss.
One day someone mentioned to me Kratom and explained to me they knew someone who used it but for addiction/withdrawl and so I instantly thought negative of it and wanted no association with it as at the time I had a brother and sister deep in the throws of active addiction and I was not going to use or learn about anything that had some ties to that space. Finally after about 30 of the worst days of my life I began researching Kratom and where to get it and decided to try it as I was so nieve about that stuff I had a friend come stay with me and had narcan out incase anything went ary and told them to call 911 if a list of things happened from me taking it. I did not understand dosing or strains at the time and had gotten capsules of the blend the person at the shop recommended and took a 1 gram capsule and watched the clock and about an hour later no difference so I was let down but something told me read the instructions again and low and behold I had not even taken the minimum recommended dose out of fear so I took 2 more 1g capsules and with in the next hour I could feel the inflammation leaving every part of my body and once I felt it creeping back about 4 hours later I took all 3 at once and saw the real effect and benefits and my life has been so much better since as it helps manage pain that even all my biologic and pain medicine did not improve.
Now I have a much better quality of life and have less flares and am able to enjoy more. I currently use the powder form daily and green and white strains seem to suit me the best.
I am a firm believer that Kratom could be a huge break in the current "opioid crisis" they portray us to have. I also found out once my sister got into a recovery program that she used kratom to help her transition from using in active critical addiction, to be in a safe state to seek the care she has needed for the last 32 years.