Nancy Deyo was a Silicon Valley CEO who climbed Kilimanjaro to prove she was still worthy after selling her startup and came down unable to move her legs. What followed was fifteen years of chronic pain, misdiagnosis, three spinal surgeries, fentanyl dependence, and a one-year taper back to life. On this episode of The Chronic Truth, Nancy and Kim talk about what opioid withdrawal actually feels like, why women in pain get referred to psych while men get the painkillers, and what it means to rebuild resilience from the ground up. Nancy's memoir Perilous Ascent is forthcoming. Find her on Substack.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Chronic Pain and Resilience
06:08 The Journey of Climbing Kilimanjaro
11:59 The Struggles with Opioid Dependence
18:09 Gender Bias in Pain Treatment
24:00 Impact on Relationships and Support Systems
30:01 Writing the Memoir and Sharing the Story

CONNECT & RESOURCES

🌐 Website: https://nancydeyo.com
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsdeyo
🔗 Substack: https://nancydeyo.substack.com
📚 Perilous Ascent — Forthcoming; publisher being finalized at time of recording

The Chronic Truth Podcast:

🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com
📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast
📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast
💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials
📋 Community Survey: Survey

Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic