030 — Tough People Do Tough Things

Host Dave Harris sits down with long-time friend Lara Jackson to discuss her extraordinary journey through chronic pain, medical misdiagnoses, and profound personal trials.

Lara opens up about feeling as though her body was "broken," detailing a decade-long battle with debilitating headaches, severe eye conditions, and painful miscarriages—until a surprising Celiac disease diagnosis finally brought answers. She also candidly shares the emotional toll of caregiver burnout while supporting her husband through severe physical pain, medication-induced mania, and complex mental health challenges, all while raising three young children.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Uncovering Hidden Root Causes: How going gluten-free cured years of debilitating pain initially diagnosed as cluster headaches.

• The Heartbreak of Infertility & Loss: Processing recurrent miscarriages, postpartum depression, and the emotional weight of medical finality.

• Navigating Mental & Physical Crises in Marriage: Supporting a spouse through Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, and Trigeminal Neuralgia.

• Finding Light in the Dark: The power of prayer, faith, and how her children served as daily "miracles" that kept her moving forward.

Laura’s story is a powerful testament to human resilience, reminding us that even when we feel under the water and breathing through a straw, we are strong enough to keep surviving.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional, and this should not be taken as any kind of medical advice. If you need assistance, I highly recommend working with mental health professionals. I use many myself.