RRP 110 — Host Check-In

108 Miracles and Counting

Hosts: Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell Released: April 17, 2026 Runtime: Approx. 55 min.

Episode Summary

Co-hosts Julie and Peter step away from the guest format to mark two years of the Real Recovery Podcast. Peter reflects on his cancer diagnosis, 80-pound weight loss, and clear scans. Julie shares her parallel journey through job loss and a new beginning. Together they celebrate 104 episodes without missing a Friday, global listener reach, and the guests — 108 of them — who have shaped the show. They cast a vision for year three: round tables, community events, new guests, and a Fred Meyer-funded grant that could change everything.

Key Points

00:02:00 Julie and Peter open from Studio H — no guest tonight, just the hosts (and Boots the cat).
00:05:00 Two full years: 104 episodes, every Friday, without missing one.
00:06:00 Peter’s cancer journey: sublingual carcinoma diagnosed March 2025, 80 lbs. lost during treatment, latest scans clear.
00:09:00 Post-diagnosis planning mode — wills, finances, zero camping trips (vs. 12 the year before).
00:11:00 Up to five recordings a week to bank episodes before treatment. Julie draws a parallel to guest Doyle Smith (EP 56), who fought a nearly identical cancer.
00:12:00 Julie’s parallel hardship: laid off, severance gone, interviewing as Peter started treatment.
00:13:00 Julie prayed for a sign — GTD – Go the Distance sponsor Izzy Alvarado walked into her building that same day.
00:16:00 Despite everything, the podcast flourished. A listener told Julie the show saved their life.
00:19:00 Global reach: #32 in Australia, listeners in Portugal and Italy. Childhood friend Felicia binged 70+ episodes.
00:21:00 Julie: “I’ve had 108 miracles in my life.” The show features only real, known stories — no pay-to-play.
00:26:00 Both hosts work full-time jobs. GTD became the podcast’s first-ever sponsor.
00:30:00 On overcoming shame: Julie hid her addiction; Peter once thought recovery was for “bums under the Burnside Bridge.”
00:32:00 Julie credits two male guests for helping her heal from trauma she held until age 55. Former guest Ebony is now on a full scholarship to Portland State University.
00:41:00 Year three preview: peer services round table, cancer recovery episode with Doyle Smith, new guests including Mordecai from True Colors Recovery.
00:43:00 Julie’s sponsor told her she’s his favorite person — the first time in her life she’d heard it unconditionally.
00:47:00 The mission: be “one voice for all recovery” — amplifying every resource, every organization, every path.
00:49:00 Oregon Humanities Grant (Fred Meyer-funded) submitted; decision expected June. Third year at Oregon Recovers Walk and GTD 5K coming in September.
00:51:00 Gratitude to guests, home groups, Lunch Bunch / Extended Family AA, and number one fan Leanne. Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Featured Quote

“I don’t know how many people can say they know a miracle or have had a miracle in their life. I know 108 of them. I’ve had 108 miracles in my life. These people probably shouldn’t have made it, didn’t know they could have — and they did.” — Julie P. Lewis

Websites Discussed

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