RRP 125 — Check-In / Be the Mountain

Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell57 minutesJuly 31, 2026

Peter's nine years sober and one year cancer-free — and he didn't know which doctor he was seeing until he got there. In this check-in, Peter and Julie catch up on 90 days that changed everything: the clean scan, the TMS study at Another Chance, Julie's expungement after 32 years, and what it means to be the mountain.

Key Points

00:00 Welcome to the check-in — Peter and Julie catch up after the Glam Lot roundtable. They celebrated three promotions and three birthdays the night before.

02:00 Nine years and a parade — Peter hits nine years sober. The Pride Parade falls on his anniversary. He's never been sober — this year he goes with clear eyes.

06:00 The cancer scan — Clean one-year scans. When they said he'd see Dr. Leidner instead of the NP, his mind went dark. It was just his annual. Three to four years to remission.

19:00 TMS and breaking the cycle — Peter explains transcranial magnetic stimulation and the study at Another Chance, run by former guest John Morgan. Non-medication treatment for addiction cravings.

24:00 Julie's expungement — She found the paperwork while hunting for taxes. Eight charges removed. Thirteen dropped charges that still printed. Thirty-two years out of prison.

13:00 Dress for Success, full circle — Julie donates five business suits to the same organization that gave her an outfit 33 years ago. She wore those black pants for 12 years.

40:00 The mountain — Julie brought Peter to her workplace for the GTD fundraiser. He saw the mountain she prays on. "The mountain doesn't care about the seasons. Be the mountain."

30:00 Community shout-outs — Devlin's new apartment. Amanda's 10 years. Rogue Recovery and 4D Jackson County hit one year. Babies, promotions, and Al is out of hospice.

52:00 What's next — Two new board members, a media intern, someone writing grants. Fred Meyer sent $11.01. They finally have a standup banner.

"The mountain doesn't care about the seasons that are coming or the storms that may hit. It stays in the moment, it's strong. Be the mountain."— Peter B. Dowell

Websites Discussed

Dress for Success •Another Chance Rehab •GTD Go The Distance •True Colors Recovery •Rogue Recovery Center •4D Recovery •Fred Meyer Community Rewards •Real Recovery Podcast

Listen Read the Blog

#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #OneDayAtATime, #RecoveryPodcast, @realrecoverypodcast