Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This is the all one nurse podcast where we are bridging the gap between the stethoscope and the soul and getting back to the human side of healthcare.
Powered by Riverside did you know that although the United States make up only about 4.6% of the world's population, it consumes approximately 80% of the world's opioids, according to consumerreports.org dot. Welcome back to another awesome episode of all one nurse. And today I have another wonderful guest, Doctor Heather Lucas, DNP and FNP, who focuses not only on medical, but also natural solutions when caring for others. Welcome, Doctor Lucas.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I appreciate you so much.
[00:01:06] Speaker A: Yes, I'm so grateful that you're here with me today.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:01:11] Speaker A: Now, before I get started, kindly ask you, my listener, to open up your heart, as always, to receive this impactful information that we're about to discuss as we go into Doctor Lucas's professional journey. Educational perspective and expertise on pain relief, as well as her business, what it's like to own her own business as a practitioner and what services she provide at the natural pain relief clinic. Did I say that right?
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Yes, you did.
[00:01:38] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:40] Speaker B: Naturally medical clinic, you did just fine.
[00:01:43] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you. So, doctor Lucas, is it okay if I call you Heather?
[00:01:47] Speaker B: Yeah, that's fine.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: Okay.
For my listeners, do not forget to stick around to the end of the episode so that you can find out how you can can connect with Doctor Lucas as well as follow her on social media. So, doctor Lucas or Miss Heather, tell us, what's your background story?
[00:02:06] Speaker B: Well, I'm from West Memphis, Arkansas. Small town, had a lot of friends growing up. I come from a very large family. My mom and dad both have like seven or more siblings, so lots of family. My dad's a pastor, mom's a nurse, baby sister. She's a nurse as well. So family for me is probably the most important thing. Being surrounded by my family has really shaped who I am today.
[00:02:31] Speaker A: Awesome, awesome. Who became a nurse first, you or your sister?
[00:02:35] Speaker B: Me. I'm older than her. She is four years younger than me.
[00:02:39] Speaker A: Okay, awesome. So with that, what was your main motivation to become a nurse?
[00:02:45] Speaker B: My mom. And it was not your typical story. Like a lot of people say, well, I wanted to be just like my mom. No, my mom told me, when you go to college, don't come home without a degree.
[00:02:58] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:03:00] Speaker B: That's what I did.
[00:03:02] Speaker A: I just decided to do nursing.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Yes. And I knew that. I mean, I had a passion for taking care of people anyway, but that kind of motivated me to like, don't come home without a college degree. So. Yes, ma'am.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: So you had to do something.
[00:03:17] Speaker B: I had to do something, yes.
[00:03:19] Speaker A: Now, what school did you go to for your nursing program?
[00:03:22] Speaker B: So Euler was the first one. That's where I got my associate's degree. Then I went another year to University of Memphis, and then from there, I went to the University of South Alabama. So I'm alumni. Euler Trojans, Memphis Tigers, and South Alabama Jaguars.
[00:03:40] Speaker A: Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah. What did you get your BSN at?
[00:03:45] Speaker B: BFN was Memphis, Memphis, and then MSN, and DMP was South Alabama.
[00:03:51] Speaker A: Okay. Awesome. Now, what would you say your biggest challenges were? Coming through nursing school.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Honestly, with nursing. Nursing school, it was learning how to manage my time. Nursing requires a lot of time management, and being this young college student who just kind of. I went by my school schedule, but with nursing, you have to be at the beckoning call of your patients if they need you. And so having to learn how to have time management and become flexible was. That was probably one of the hardest things.
[00:04:26] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. I think for some, it's also studying. Learning how to study for nursing school. Thank you for sharing that.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: With motivation, what would you say your biggest motivation was? To get through nursing school?
[00:04:42] Speaker B: Getting through nursing school, like I said, with my mom, for sure, telling me, like, you gotta figure something out. But I would also say that my uncle was a military vet, and he had a stroke several, several years, like, since I was a little girl. And so I grew up seeing my mom and my grandmother take care of him. They didn't send him to a care home. They kept him at home, and they took care of him. Feeding, bathing, taking him outside. I mean, doing all of the things, and I would help do those things. So it was kind of already instilled in me anyway. And so her just kind of helping mold me and figure out, like, what I wanted to do. She just kind of put all that into perspective for me. She didn't literally say, just go to nursing school. Just pick something. She, of course, put it into proper perspective for me. Like, you're empathetic, you're caring. You have the skills. Like, you have the ability to do it. So let's do it. So that was definitely my motivating factor.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: Awesome. You are already prepared. Really.
[00:05:44] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:05:46] Speaker A: Especially the patient care aspect of it. I think a lot of new nurses, they're not prepared for actually connecting with the patient or I. All the things that nursing entails.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: You know?
[00:05:59] Speaker B: Right.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: So tell me more about your experience and why you chose to focus on pain.
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Now, that is a long story.
How much time we got? I'm just playing with you.
I'm always going back to my mom.
Her struggle after surgery, five of those surgeries, to be exact. She had five back surgeries. And again, my mom's a nurse, and so to see her go from being around the house, you know, cleaning, cooking, doing all the things, to losing her memory, having fine tremors, you know, just literally falling apart and deteriorating in front of me, I figured out, like, okay, we've got to figure out another treatment. Like these opioids, these, you know, lyrica Gabapentin. These things are not working. We have to find something else. And Arkansas had a program, a marijuana program. And I went to her primary care doctor with her and was like, hey, can we. I mean, can we do something different? Like, what we're doing is not working, so we gotta do something. He recommended her for medical cannabis in Arkansas, and when I saw her come off of all of the opioids and off of the gabapentin and no more fine tremors, it was a no brainer for me. Like, there are other options for pain. And so that was, that was so important to me, to be able to actually see that. And so that's what actually started my journey with learning how to treat pain from a different perspective.
[00:07:36] Speaker A: Awesome, awesome. So what routes or what have you had to learn? Like, what programs did you have to go through to even open up the door for you to even be where you're at now? What's the process?
[00:07:50] Speaker B: So, for medical cannabis, I did a lot of self education. There were a lot of training modules that I went through because, I mean, I'm recommending it for her, or I'm going to a doctor asking to recommend it, but I don't really know much about it, so. And if you know anything about me, like, I got to know, I gotta know my stuff.
[00:08:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:10] Speaker B: So I started reading books and doing training modules and YouTube videos and all these different things. I've gone through medical cannabis courses online so that I could gain more knowledge about what I'm doing. So I've been studying it probably about three and a half, almost four years now, and it's always something new to learn, but that's how I started, for sure, in that aspect. Everything else, of course, I went to college and all of those things.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: Okay, now with your mom and her back surgeries, you know, as a nurse, and I just told some individuals this as I work in staff development with new hires about using the right techniques or using the lift equipment made available by the hospital instead of just trying to hurry up and lift patients on your own and things like that. So, with your mom, do you think a lot of her back issues came from just her job? Her occupation with nursing?
[00:09:07] Speaker B: 100%.
She worked at Labonner. She's worked at Baptist. She's worked at Methodist. And as you and I both know, nursing work is back breaking work. Yeah. Not to mention my uncle, who is the, you know, quadriplegic. She turning and lifting and doing all these things that tears your back. And if you're operating from a place of not really thinking about it, realize that it's too late.
And the other thing with my mom, too, she was born with degenerative disc disease, and she has a deformity that she was born with on her arm. And so she has always overcompensated and kind of ignored pain anyway, because in her mind, I've got to do what I've got to do.
So when it finally hit her, there we are.
[00:10:07] Speaker A: Yeah. The consequences of overworking. Absolutely.
[00:10:11] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:10:12] Speaker A: Oh, man. Thank you. And that just gives insight to. We got to be mindful of ourselves and taking care of ourselves as well. So, with your experience in dealing with learning more about other remedies for pain or pain relief, what insights have you gained about healthcare in general?
[00:10:30] Speaker B: Healthcare?
Not one size fits all. I've learned that in healthcare, especially in school, we were taught that, you know, certain medications work for certain things and certain treatments work for certain things, but it's so important to use a personalized care approach with each person. Although we understand that drug classes will treat a particular ailment or, you know, this treatment plan is supposed to treat this. As we know, people have different responses to medications and treatment modalities, and so healthcare is just not one side all. When you're talking to your patients, it's so important to really get the full picture, the full history, to understand what it is that they need from you as the provider. That is probably one of the most important things I've learned about healthcare. And then in terms of healthcare and my business, I'm learning that to be relevant, you absolutely have to stay aware of the nutrients.
There are drugs that were prescribed years ago that are no longer being prescribed. And if you're not reading and staying in touch and in tune, then you get left behind. So it's very important to stay abreast of what's going on in healthcare.
[00:11:48] Speaker A: Oh, wow. I didn't think about that. You know, some drugs that are tried and true, but I'm not on a provider end things. And I. And it makes me think of, just, like, technology, technology is constantly advancing. And so, yes, I can only imagine you having to stay abreast with that. With technology itself, yes. But now, what advice do you have for new nurses?
[00:12:12] Speaker B: Find your passion, align it with the career or business plan. And I say career or business plan? I say that because I don't want. I don't want anyone to pursue entrepreneurship as the easy way or it's an escape. It's definitely a path that requires, you know, dedication, perseverance, but neither feel like work as long as it's aligned with your passion. So, so important to find that passion and walk in your purpose with whatever you decide to do.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: Okay, awesome. Awesome. And with entrepreneurship, how do you balance clinical practice, entrepreneurship?
[00:12:53] Speaker B: Pray a lot.
Absolutely. I pray a lot. I spend time planning my weeks and months in advance. When I can, I delegate tasks and I ask people to help me instead of trying to take on the world myself.
When I first started this journey, I thought I was supposed to do everything. And so I learned while I was starting my business that it's okay to ask for help. So that's. That's how I balance it is to make sure that I'm asking other people around me to help me.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: Okay, awesome.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: And hiring the appropriate people to help.
[00:13:25] Speaker A: Gotcha. Gotcha. Now, tell me more, or tell us more about your clinic.
[00:13:30] Speaker B: Like I said, it was born from seeing my mother's recovery through medical cannabis. I absolutely love to see people get better. And so we're going to be expanding our services to other things that will treat pain.
A lot of people don't know the connection between inflammation and weight. And so a lot of people have high cortisol levels, and they have all of these issues with pain and joint issues, and a lot of that has to do with what you're eating. And so we're going to be incorporating other things to help patients tackle their pain from a holistic standpoint versus just throwing medicine at you. Even with medical cannabis, there are certain foods that will enhance some of the portions of the plant so that you're getting the maximum benefit versus sitting back and we're eating donuts and all these things. That's not going to help you with pain because your body's in an inflamed state. So overall, natural relief medical is treating patients from a holistic standpoint and on a personalized care approach.
[00:14:33] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. So you do the cannabis. So you. You do, like, medical cards and all that. Is that correct?
[00:14:40] Speaker B: So we. Yes, we do medical marijuana cards and then we do consultations. So every patient that leaves natural relief medical understands medical cannabis.
I want them to understand that, how it can benefit them with whatever their diagnosis is. And so we go through a whole consultation process, and then by the time they leave the clinic, they're able to go to the dispensary and purchase the medication to help them.
[00:15:08] Speaker A: Okay. Okay.
[00:15:10] Speaker B: We call it medication in the cannabis world.
[00:15:12] Speaker A: Awesome.
So with that, any other services you want to mention over the podcast that y'all do as well?
[00:15:19] Speaker B: Shockwave therapy that you uses, trigger point to help patients with pain. We also do red light therapy that helps with weight loss, skin tightening, inflammation. We do injections b, twelve lipo, b, things like that. We sick visits. And we're now expanding into direct primary care, where I have a lot of patients that come in that just do not have a primary care provider.
There's just a limit of, you know, out there. And so we're also expanding into that arena as well.
[00:15:54] Speaker A: Oh, wow. You're gonna be pretty busy.
[00:15:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes.
[00:15:58] Speaker A: But that's awesome, though. And I love it because you're not just limited to just primary care, but you provide all these other resources.
[00:16:07] Speaker B: Right.
[00:16:08] Speaker A: That people don't even know exist.
[00:16:10] Speaker B: Right, exactly.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: And so. And I like it because you don't come, I can't come to you and just say, give me a pill and let's fix this. It's Leslie. Let's create a plan. That's what I'm hearing.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:16:24] Speaker A: It's like, it's more about quality of life than just, hey, a quick fix or instant gratification. That's not really a long term fix.
[00:16:34] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: And so I think that is awesome. I think that's awesome.
[00:16:37] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:16:38] Speaker A: Thank you, Heather. Thank you for sharing that information with us about the clinic. And again, it's natural pain relief medical clinic. And where is it located?
[00:16:50] Speaker B: It's in South Haven, Mississippi.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: Okay, South Haven, Mississippi. I do want to leave my listeners with some things to consider about opioid use and just the crisis itself. And so I have some information here. And Heather, you let me know. You can chime in as well. The opioid crisis in the US has been a significant public health issue for decades, and it's been evolving through several distinct phases, which I thought was interesting. According to the CDC dot gov dot, the first wave of the opioid crisis began in the 1990s with an increased prescribing of opioids for pain management medications like oxycontin were marketed aggressively, leading to a widespread misuse and addiction. And the overdose deaths involving prescription opioids rose sharply during this time period. Now, the second wave of the crisis started in 2010. As regulations tightened on prescription opioids, many individuals turned to heroin, a cheaper and more accessible alternative. And this shift led to a surge in heroin related overdose deaths. And then the third wave, which the time frame is 2013 to the present. It states that the most recent phase involves synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin. Illegally manufactured fentanyl has been a major driver of overdose deaths, often mixed with other drugs like heroin and cocaine. And I will even say they mix it pretty much with anything because of what I've heard personally in the news, dealing with a lot of more fentanyl overdoses, and it has no respect of persons from the young to the old when it comes to explicit drug use.
What's your take on that?
[00:18:40] Speaker B: Opioid crisis is one of the most devastating health emergencies that I've seen.
We are seeing millions of people being affected by it, and thousands are dying. I mean, on a regular, I actually stumbled across a Facebook group one day, talked about supporting one another. And when I started digging into it, this was a group to support families that had lost a loved one secondary to opioid overdose. And that is mind boggling. Like, that is so sad. Know that that's how bad it is. It's something that we have to address with urgency. It's just time to change and make the changes. I think that information is extremely accurate. You hit it right on the head.
You know, this is a very, very devastating crisis right now, for sure.
[00:19:31] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:19:32] Speaker B: What I love about medical cannabis as an alternative is that it is safer, it's non addictive, and it can also help manage chronic pain. We know that opioids have a higher risk of addiction overdose, while medical cannabis does not. Of course, you have a couple of side effects, but when you are treating it like medicine and you understand how to take it appropriately, then it runs a lower risk for those side effects. And I'm not anti opioids because for someone who has a hip surgery and they're in acute pain, I see nothing wrong with them getting medication for that pain in that moment. But to send a 60 or 70 year old woman home on opioids with no bridge program or no tapering plan, it becomes a problem for them, and it runs a very high risk for addiction. And so I'm hopeful to see that medical cannabis will be introduced into treatment plans, you know, to help manage pain for that very reason. Because the opioid crisis is.
It's devastating.
[00:20:44] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. And speaking of, just to show how profound the crisis is, or the impact of it, I have here, according to the CDC, dot gov and usafacts.org, with overdose deaths, that over 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2022, with opioids involved in more than 75% of these deaths. And then when it comes to the economic costs, the crisis has cost the us economy an estimated 1.5 trillion in 2020 alone. And so that's a lot. And with the public health response, it says that efforts to compact the crisis include improving opioid prescribing practices, as you mentioned, expanding access to treatment for addiction and increasing the availability, blah, blah, blah, blah. And increasing the availability of naloxone, medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. And so for those of you that don't know naloxone, it is actually Narcan. I think we hear the word narcan more than anything, which is an awesome drug because it can help with drug overdose. And with Narcan, it is a lifesaving medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. And it comes in the form of nasal spray injectables. It has a quick action and it can help restore normal breathing within two to three minutes. And so, and I've also read that with Narcan, people that should carry it are high risk individuals, those who have an opioid use disorder or taking high dose opioid medications or using opioids with benzos or benzodiazepines, which is an antidepressant drug. Bystanders, friends, family, caregivers need to carry Narcan as well as medical professionals carry Narcan as well. Like emts, paramedics, like, they have it on board with them as they respond to calls. In addition to talking to the opioid crisis and talking about the impact that it has, how profound it is on the economy and individuals as a whole, we also have to talk about treatment, right, addiction treatment. And so I also want to share with my listeners some of the options that are out there, like substance abuse and mental health services Administration.
They have a national helpline and the number is 1806 six two. Help. And help is the numbers 4357. It's free and it's confidential and it's 24 7365 days a year. And they have treatment, referral and information services. And then you have findtreatment dot Gov and it's also a confidential and anonymous and anonymous resource for finding treatment for mental and substance abuse disorders. Then, of course, you have 988, suicide and crisis lifeline. You can call or text 988 for 24 hours, toll free confidential support for people in distress. There's also Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where they have behavioral health treatment services. They have a behavioral health treatment services locator and the Opioid treatment program directory. And then there's also the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the NIDA, and it has treatment information that offers patient information on drug use and addiction treatment. And you also have HRSA, health resources and services Administration. They have a health center locator that helps find health centers that provide behavioral health services. And then, of course, last but not least, I have here the veterans crisis line that support veterans. And you can reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans affairs by dialing 988 as well and probably pressing a certain option on that line. So I wanted to share that with individuals. And my reference for that is from Samhsa dot gov, which is Sa HsA dot gov, the CDC dot gov. Then another website is the well Nida dot nih dot gov. And so I just want to make sure I put that on here as well, since we're talking about pain relief and natural solutions. But we also got to think about those who are actually dealing with opioid use or opioid use disorders or family members that may be experiencing it. So I just want to make sure I shared all that impactful information or resources. Information.
Okay.
[00:25:26] Speaker B: That's great information.
[00:25:28] Speaker A: So, is there anything else you would like for our listeners to know before we end this episode?
[00:25:34] Speaker B: To the young nurses, the young entrepreneurs, healthcare providers, all healthcare staff, just remember that the journey you've chosen is one of the most rewarding paths you can walk. There will be challenges, but every tough moment is an opportunity to grow stronger, more compassionate, and more skilled. Stay focused on your passion, and never stop learning. You have the power to change lives, to heal, and to inspire. Keep pushing forward, trusting your abilities, and remember, the challenges you face today are shaping you into the incredible leader you'll become tomorrow. You've got this.
[00:26:11] Speaker A: Yes. I love it. There's nothing else to say.
Nothing else to say. But how can my listeners connect with you?
[00:26:20] Speaker B: Facebook, LinkedIn, instagram, naturaleafmed.com.
i forgot to mention, we are also located in Tupelo, Mississippi as well. We have an office there, and then we also have one in South Haven.
[00:26:33] Speaker A: Okay. Now, what's your, what's your handles on, on LinkedIn and Facebook. Is it just your name?
[00:26:39] Speaker B: My name on LinkedIn. And then on Instagram, it's natural leaf medical. Same thing for Facebook. Natural relief medical.
[00:26:46] Speaker A: Natural relief medical. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:26:50] Speaker A: And for my listeners, she is doctor Heather Lucas.
[00:26:54] Speaker B: Yes. Thank you so much.
[00:26:56] Speaker A: Yes. And that's Lucas.
Yes. Yes. And then as for your host, me, nurse Chanel. Here. You can find me on Instagram and on TikTok and Facebook at all one nurse. And on Instagram, I actually put all one nurse underscore Chanel shenell to make it more personable. Eventually, I'm gonna get to YouTube. I'm not there yet. I may be there as of this recording. I don't know. Yay. But I'm heading to YouTube as well, everybody. And until next time, let your light shine.
Bye.
