We Are The Faces Of Kratom. We Are The Faces Of America, With Danielle Betz.

I met this beautiful soul and had the pleasure of speaking with her on the phone. She has a heart of gold and has a sweet but fierce nature, like myself. I think it’s safe to say that she is my sister of our one-love Kratom Tribe.

If you think you have a lot of struggle in your life, please read Danielle’s story. It is filled with courage, hope, strength, heartbreak, and sadness. But, mostly it is filled with honesty and love. She has been an advocate for so many years. We appreciate your continuous support in the fight to keep Kratom legal.

Thank you so much for sharing your rawness and being vulnerable, for all the world to see. I’m so glad you survived so many hardships in which you describe below. I’m glad you are HERE with US. ~ Respectfully and Lovingly Yours, Kami Ann Davis

“What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” — Charles Bukowski

“Life tried to crush her, but only succeeded in creating a diamond.” — John Mark Green

“A heart filled with love is like a phoenix that no cage can imprison.” — Rumi

“She never seemed shattered; to me, she was a breathtaking mosaic of the battles she’s won.” — Matt Baker

“And when all that was left was ashes, she would again clothe herself in flame. Rising from the dust of her past to rekindle the spark of her future. She was a Phoenix, her own salvation; rebirthed, renewed, resurrected.” — LaRhonda Toreson

Here is the amazing story of Danielle Betz ~

‘Even before I had actually tried it, I started telling folks about this plant in 2015. I wanted to help people who were in chronic pain or hooked on opioids. In January 2016, I had lost the ability to afford my pain management and I turned back to buying Norcos off the street. I had tried some massive doses of Fentanyl in the past from a neighbor who either wanted to trade or sell his, for whatever reason. I could burn through opioids and other drugs incredibly fast. My sister is a Nurse and wants me to get tested for that condition where opioids metabolize out of your system, at some ridiculous rate. I know multiple people who also have that diagnosis. Mine isn’t official. I’ve spent much of my life in and out of the hospital. I remember the Nurse was taken aback because my pain would return within an hour or two at the most. I remember the nurse tripping out because my BP would start shooting up.’

‘I don’t often feel the pain. The doctor who discovered that problem joked that I had ghost pain. I had injured myself falling down the stairs on a Christmas Eve morning and had to wait until the 26th to be seen. I didn’t really feel it as a pain, but couldn’t sit or walk normally. It didn’t hurt. It was just wrong-feeling.’

‘I have Stage 4 Endometriosis and recurring Epstein Bar from Mono, I believe. The kid I got it from ended up passing a few years later from a condition I now have. Twenty-four years later, I’m beginning to have noticeable symptoms. Weird symptoms I just dealt with for decades, suddenly ..are making sense now. I will discuss this more in length after I see a Specialist, and can say with certainty that I have. It is believed by my last PCP that I also have EDS (Elhers Danlos Syndrome), which explains pretty much everything I’ve suffered from around the age of 9.’

‘I have no functional immune system. I have migraines and strep throat every other month. When I get a tiny cold or stomach bug, they can take me down for weeks or months. Normal people get up in a few days, recovered. I have always hurt, to extreme levels, so I guess I developed an ability to just ignore or not even notice it. If I am really hurting, it usually ends up in me passing out. My limbs dislocate every so often. I have a co-worker and several chiropractors who will pop them back in for me, if I’m unable to do this myself.’

‘Back to January 2016, I bought the Norcos from a dealer friend. I bought eight. I usually ended up taking, for example, seven of the eight and saved one for the next morning. I had two new jobs and wanted to start getting away from those habits. I took one and went into work five minutes late. Ten to twenty minutes later, I get the worst migraine of my life. I recognized the Fentanyl buzz fast. I knew almost immediately that I was overdosing. I had a habit of taking hundreds of pills every month. I will never forget going through all 120 painkillers, 90 baclofens, 30 benzos, and 30 fiorcets in a 3-day frenzy. My pain management stopped accepting insurance and I was paying almost $700 monthly. I just couldn’t afford that. When I realized I was overdosing, I told my two co-workers I was sick and going home.’

‘I drove home incredibly fast and spent the next 24 hrs in and out of consciousness, but awake and vomiting over and over. I found out shortly after that the best friend of the dealer’s girlfriend also bought them and she passed away. He just recently got charged with that murder.’

‘My immediate thought was, “Did I just mess up”? Like take something dangerous? I went to work, had a great shift, and never looked back. I had been talking to others, since reading about it in 2015 and after actually trying it in 2016, I started becoming more and more vocal about it to people; addicts, etc.’

‘In 2015 sometime, I had read about a Florida politician fighting to ban Kratom, named Kristen Jacobs. This story regarding ‘Kristen against Kratom’, was in a news article and that was where I learned of Kratom. I did my usual researching on it and was intrigued, but not convinced any natural substance could actually do anything like the prescription pills. After the overdose, I really got scared and that was enough. I googled Kratom near me, found it in some skeevy shops, and took White Bali capsules. Thanks to my weirdo metabolism, I was feeling them in about 15 minutes and it was pretty potent, as I had already been detoxing for several days prior, and had little to nothing in my system.’

‘In August 2016, I went on my first family vacation in decades. I was glued to my home for 16+ years, unable to leave because I’d end up withdrawing. My family was so happy. The day I got home, I see an article at the top of my feed about the DEA 30-day notice and I freaked out. I started calling anyone and everyone who I thought may be able to help. I learned about the AKA and their petition. I called and emailed hundreds of friends and family and even strangers and asked them to sign if they had seen the transformation I had made.’

‘That was it. I started advocating, meeting other advocates. I think all but a couple people signed the petition and it was only due to their jobs, making them sign contracts, regarding political issues and not saying certain things publicly or signing petitions, etc. I have an incredibly political family and significant other who is actually in local politics, which is a big reason I had to tone down alot of my posts and activities, etc.’

‘My immune system has recovered, and I am a chronic pain patient, due to my illnesses, so stopping for too long doesn’t work well for me. My family starts to notice, I get very grouchy after maybe a week of no Kratom, and chew me out to take it again. I pass out Kratom as often as possible, to help educate others suffering. Pretty much your basic story. I wrote some political opinion pieces right out of college and that was my dream. Here I am 5 + years later, almost 5 full years clean from opioid addiction and dependence. Life isnt always fun, but it’s so beautiful compared to before.’ ~ Danielle Betz