Episode 9: Two paraplegics reveal how embracing the mundane crushed chaos addiction and unlocked real healing. In this raw, hilarious, and actionable episode, Bridger and Elena expose the novelty trap that self-sabotages SCI recovery — and prove “boring” routines rebuild your body, gut, and mindset. Bridger breaks his progress-panic cycle; Elena drops her foolproof meal-prep blueprint, macro secrets, and decision-free freedom. From chicken-thigh hacks to PT-141 science, testosterone truths, and the epic 7-possum massacre, this is your playbook for turning monotony into momentum. No fluff — just vulnerable SCI wins.

You’ll hear powerful moments on:

• Chaos addiction: Why novelty triggers self-sabotage and hidden trauma healing

• Decision fatigue: Uber Eats spirals, fridge stare-downs, and earning dopamine treats

• Trauma integration: Routine fear, receiving lessons, and parasympathetic biohacks

• Gut hacks: Emulsifier-free ice cream, treat snowballs, and whole-food calorie deficits

• Peptides & hormones: PT-141 (3-day effects via ChatGPT), BPC-157/TB-500, testosterone empathy

• Recovery tools: Augment center (ice baths, float tanks, inversion boots), 8-week routine lock-in

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro: Chaos craving vs. routine superpower for SCI healing

3:00 – Meal-prep deep dive: 85/15 ground beef, boneless chicken thighs Configuration, honey BBQ/jalapeño rubs, mango-pineapple-cucumber salsa, scissors hack

10:30 – Uber Eats decision fatigue: $36 cart rage-quit, fridge standards drop, food anxiety fixes, freedom from decisions

15:00 – Self-sabotage cycle: Novelty addiction, trauma integration panic, addicted to suffering, healing from routine

22:00 – Treat demons: Cookies/ice cream triggers, emulsifiers & lactose hacks, earning treats, gut snowballs

30:00 – Macros & cutting: 1550-calorie whole foods, MyFitnessPal tracking, maintenance leeway, protein preservation

39:00 – Peptides unpacked: Sources (Peptide Sciences, PureRawz, ZenTide), PT-141 mechanism (melanocortin brain pathways via ChatGPT)

47:00 – Testosterone truths: Low-dose female optimization (4-10mg/week), “easy mode” empathy, shutdown risks, acne sides

54:00 – Augment center: Ice baths, float tanks, sauna, inversion compression boots, pain-meditation glasses, 8 sessions plan

59:00 – Boring as billionaire biohack: Uniforms save brainpower, routine = parasympathetic healing, GPS framework tease

1:03:00 – Bridger’s 8-week plan: Sunday prep, PT Mon/Wed/Fri, Augment Tue/Thu, work pillars, podcast editing routine

1:08:00 – Possum massacre #7: Blood-covered dogs, tug-of-war crime scene, ex-boyfriend cleanup, 7-total kills

1:14:00 – Animal tangents: Armadillo leprosy (inhale risk), squirrel bites, rabid kudu, Old Yeller tears, dog-eye psychology, pitbull empathy

1:22:00 – Wrap: Mundane beauty, committing to boring for physical/financial/mental progression, therapy-tier insights

1:28:00 – Outro: Chuck roast hunger, next-week tease, episode wrap

🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Everywhere you find FloTalks

❤️ Support Bridger’s RecoveryIf it’s on your heart to help Bridger with his treatment and care moving forward, THANK YOU! Your support means the world.

👉 GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/9cd907308

📲 Connect with us:Bridger → @bridgerleefrederick

Elena → @flostate_recovery | Facebook @elenabrandner | TikTok @flostate_recovery

🔥 Keywords / SEO Tags: spinal cord injury routine, being boring heals SCI, chaos addiction recovery, SCI meal prep hacks, self-sabotage paralysis, decision fatigue wheelchair, Uber Eats spiral, chicken thigh meal prep, peptides PT-141 effects, BPC-157 TB-500 sources, testosterone empathy women, possum massacre story, armadillo leprosy risk, gut anxiety treats, macro tracking wheelchair, neuroplasticity mundane routines, adaptive athlete boring wins, trauma integration podcast, FloTalks episode 9, routine superpower SCI, emulsifier-free ice cream, Augment recovery center

At 22, Elena was thrown from her Jeep at 70 mph, shattering her spine and being told she’d never walk again.Three years later — she’s walking.In this raw, scientific, and faith-driven episode, Bridger and Elena unpack how she turned a devastating L2 spinal-cord injury into a miraculous recovery. They trace her journey from a medically induced coma to crutches, revealing how real food, functional medicine, peptides, and unshakable faith combined to rebuild her body and spirit.You’ll learn how small, radical choices — like refusing gabapentin, feeding real bone broth through a tube, and re-training her nervous system through activity-based therapy — created the foundation for healing what doctors said was impossible.Elena also shares the framework that kept her alive and aligned: G.P.S. = Gratitude, Perspective, Service.This episode isn’t about miracles — it’s a manual for them.You’ll hear powerful moments on:• The hidden hospital practices that slow recovery (and what to do instead)• Rebuilding neural pathways with movement, peptides, and faith• Why pain is sacred and how to transform suffering into strength• Daily routines that rewire the brain and body for healing• The real science behind “impossible” recoveries⏱️ Timestamps0:00 – Intro · Elena’s story in one sentence3:25 – The crash and initial injuries8:45 – Inside the coma and how real food saved her foundation15:10 – Hospital meds that block neuroplasticity (Gabapentin, Robaxin, etc.)22:50 – Learning to suffer well and choose your hard31:20 – Mindset rewiring and the power of community40:00 – The GPS framework: Gratitude, Perspective, Service47:30 – Early rehab, activity-based training, and FES bike57:40 – High-dose peptides (BPC-157 + TB-500) and nutrition for healing1:08:10 – Faith, prayer, and why surrender creates momentum1:17:30 – Coaching vs therapy and the difference in real change1:27:40 – Daily routine breakdown for spinal cord recovery1:38:20 – Bodywork, parasympathetic healing, and restoration1:47:10 – If you had $250K to heal — the ultimate protocol1:57:25 – The tools of faith, discipline, and hope2:03:00 – Outro + final reflections on miracles and meaning🎧 Listen on:Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Everywhere you find FloTalks❤️ Support Bridger’s RecoveryIf it’s on your heart to help Bridger with his treatment and care moving forward, THANK YOU! Your support means the world.👉 GoFundMe link📲 Connect with us:Bridger → @bridgerleefrederickElena → @flostate_recovery | Facebook @elenabrandner | TikTok @flostate_recovery💬 About FloTalksFloTalks is a weekly show about rebuilding your life after everything breaks — physically, mentally, and spiritually. Hosted by Bridger Frederick, a contractor-turned-creator rebuilding his body after a spinal cord injury, and Elena Brandner, a trauma-informed coach and adaptive athlete, the show explores what it really takes to heal, grow, and find faith in the middle of chaos.🔥 Keywords / SEO Tags:spinal cord injury recovery, faith healing, paralysis to walking, adaptive athlete, neuroplasticity, peptides for healing, BPC157, TB500, mindset training, activity-based therapy, FES bike, gratitude practice, trauma healing podcast, overcoming paralysis, miracle recovery, faith and science, healing journey, rehab motivation, FloTalks podcast, impossible recovery, spinal cord story

This week is raw, hopeful, and brutally honest.

Bridger and Elena talk about what it’s like to WALK again after years in a wheelchair — the exhaustion, the grief, the miracles, and the mindset it takes to rebuild your body and your faith at the same time.

They unpack the idea of the “liminal space” — the in-between of who you were and who you’re becoming — and how patience, truth, and daily discipline shape recovery. They also react to the Charlie Kirk assassination, the outrage on socials, and what it says about empathy, division, and living by truth instead of emotion.

If you’re healing from anything — physically, mentally, or spiritually — this one will hit deep.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro — “Hell yeah, Episode 6” 0:40 – From ASIA C to walking again (T11/T12) + how the ASIA score works 3:15 – The exhaustion + grief of learning to walk 7:20 – Crutches vs wheelchair: carrying stuff & daily logistics 12:10 – Patience, productivity, and giving yourself grace 16:30 – Living in the “liminal space” (in-between seasons) 21:10 – Taking mobility for granted → real gratitude 25:20 – Info overload vs creative boredom (why being bored matters) 33:10 – The Charlie Kirk shooting: shock and first reactions 39:20 – Online hate, dehumanization, and why we didn’t post hot takes 45:10 – Faith, humility, and letting people help 50:10 – Feelings vs facts — truth over emotion 54:40 – Asking for help & GoFundMe gratitude 58:40 – Healing updates: bilateral femoral neck fractures, what’s next (PEMF/HBOT/PT) 1:06:10 – Closing — movement is medicine, keep the faith

🔗 Follow & Subscribe

🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts 

📺 Subscribe on YouTube 

📸 Shorts & BTS → @FloStateRecovery @bridgerleefrederick (Instagram / TikTok)

💬 We’re building a community around healing, growth, and rebuilding life after trauma.

❤️ Support Bridger’s Recovery

If it’s on your heart to help Bridger with his treatment and care moving forward, THANK YOU! Your support means the world. Here's the GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/9cd907308

✨ Keywords

spinal cord injury recovery, walking after paralysis, ASIA C recovery, neuro rehab, physical therapy inspiration, faith and healing, mindset for recovery, resilience podcast, paralysis motivation, GoFundMe story, bone healing journey, liminal space meaning, patience and productivity, Charlie Kirk discussion, truth vs emotion, gratitude in suffering, rebuilding after injury, FloTalks podcast, Bridger Frederick, Elena Flores

#FloTalks #HealingJourney #ParalysisRecovery #FaithAndResilience #MindsetMatters #WalkingAgain #NeuroRecovery

🎙️ FloTalks Ep. 7 — Chosen Pain vs. Unchosen Pain: Build Capacity, Not Suffering

There are two kinds of pain in life: the pain you choose and the pain that chooses you.
One builds you. The other breaks you — unless you learn how to turn it into purpose.

In this raw and transformative episode, Bridger and Elena dive into what pain really teaches us — from grueling workouts and sleepless nights to the agony of injury, loss, and rebuilding your identity from the ground up. They share the tools, philosophies, and stories that helped them move from suffering to strength.

This conversation isn’t about avoiding pain — it’s about learning to love it enough to alchemize it into growth. They explore how to build willpower when it’s gone, how to find gratitude when you’re angry at God, and why resisting pain only multiplies it.

You’ll hear powerful moments on:
• The difference between pain as a teacher, test, and trap
• How to separate pain from suffering through mindset and breathwork
• Finding the balance between grace and excuses
• Turning despair into discipline and gratitude
• Reclaiming willpower, quitting opioids, and falling back in love with life itself

If you’re battling physical pain, emotional grief, or just the heaviness of being human — this one’s for you. It’s truth, humor, faith, and philosophy all in one hour of honesty you won’t forget.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro: “Choose Your Hard”
3:10 – The pain we choose vs. the pain that chooses us
8:45 – Building capacity through discomfort
15:00 – Chronic pain, willpower, and mental endurance
22:30 – Breathwork, focus, and escaping the spiral
29:20 – Grace vs. justification
36:10 – The difference between pain and suffering
42:00 – Energy: fear vs. gratitude
48:20 – When people’s reactions make healing harder
54:10 – Community, shared suffering, and real support
59:15 – Pain as teacher, test, and trap
1:01:00 – Outro + gratitude to the FloTalks community

🎧 Listen on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Everywhere you find FloTalks

📲 Connect with us:
Bridger → @bridgerleefrederick
Elena → @flostate_recovery | Facebook @elenabrandner | TikTok @flostate_recovery

❤️ Support Bridger’s RecoveryIf it’s on your heart to help Bridger with his treatment and care moving forward, THANK YOU! Your support means the world. Here's the GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/9cd907308

💬 About FloTalks
FloTalks is a weekly show about rebuilding your life after everything breaks — physically, mentally, and spiritually. Hosted by Bridger Frederick, a contractor-turned-creator rebuilding his body after a spinal cord injury, and Elena Brandner, a trauma-informed coach and adaptive athlete, the show explores what it really takes to heal, grow, and find faith in the middle of chaos.

🔥 Keywords / SEO Tags:
pain vs suffering, chosen pain, chronic pain recovery, healing podcast, spinal cord injury story, stoicism, gratitude practice, trauma healing, adaptive athlete, paraplegic motivation, mental resilience, mind body healing, overcoming adversity, faith through suffering, pain as teacher, choose your hard, build capacity not suffering, podcast on healing, inspirational talk, emotional intelligence

In this raw episode, Bridger opens up about the scariest month of his life: a broken femur and a necrotic femoral head, hospital days that felt endless, and the loneliness that comes with uncertainty. Elena coaches through how fear disguises itself as “logic” — excuses, procrastination, and staying comfortable. Together we break down the 4 core fears (judgment, success, failure, and the unknown). We unpack fear = ego / faith = spirit, why surrender is the only antidote to big unknowns, and how to flip “what if” spirals into “even if” action.This is a conversation about naming fear, reframing it, and moving anyway.This is awareness → surrender → action.🎙 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:🔹 How fear hides in plain sight (excuses, procrastination, comfort-as-“safety”)🔹 The 4 core fears & how they show up daily: judgment, success, failure, unknown🔹 A simple mindset shift: What If → Even If (faith-led reframes you can use today)🔹 Ego vs Spirit: why fear is ego-protection and faith is surrender + trust🔹 Practical tools to calm the unknown: presence, prayer, journaling, tiny disciplined actions🔹 How to ask for help without shame — and why receiving is part of the lesson🔑 Topics We Cover:🔹 Mindset & faith under pressure; the “spirit of fear”🔹 Fear of the unknown during real medical uncertainty🔹 Identity, worthiness, and receiving help (without feeling like a burden)🔹 Perspective shifts that turn anxiety into action🔹 Daily disciplines that anchor you when life feels out of control🔹 Community, courage, and choosing purpose over image👥 About FLOtalksFLOtalks — Figuring Life Out Talks — is hosted by Elena Brandner & Bridger Frederick, two paraplegic athletes who turned extreme adversity into purpose. Episodes are often filmed post-sauna and breathwork, when the mind is clearest and the conversations are the realest. We break down discipline, mindset, fitness, faith, and personal growth — sharing lessons from recovery and resilience to help you rebuild, adapt, and live with purpose.📲 Connect with UsInstagram: @FLOstate_recovery // @bridgerleefrederickWebsite: FLOstateOfficial.comPodcast: Apple & Spotify → FLOtalksYouTube: Subscribe for new episodes weekly🤝 Support Bridger’s RecoveryIf it’s on your heart to help Bridger with his treatment and care moving forward, THANK YOU! Your support means the world. Here's the GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/9cd907308🎧 Subscribe & Join the Movement🔹 If you’re rebuilding after a setback — or you’re ready to stop letting fear dictate your life — this show will help you choose faith, discipline, and action.👉 Subscribe, drop a comment “EVEN IF”, and share this with someone who needs it!

In this unfiltered episode, Bridger Frederick shares the raw truth of the last three weeks: two broken femurs, rhabdomyolysis, severe edema from hormone chaos and mast cell activation, and a hospital experience that became a hard reset.

He opens up about fear, PTSD, and the moment he decided—never again—to rebuild health naturally, patiently, and with faith at the center.

We talk about leaving TRT/PEDs, why systems and standards matter more than motivation, and how to pursue purpose (podcast, book, community) while using “safe” work as a bridge—not a cage. This is an honest look at suffering, surrender, and choosing trust when nothing makes sense.

This is a story of breakdown → breakthrough → blueprint.

🎙 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 How an E2 crash + mast cell activation led to edema and a rhabdo scare

🔹 Why the hospital stay triggered a “never again” health reset

🔹 The role of faith when panic and uncertainty peak

🔹 Why Bridger quit TRT/PEDs to go fully natural

🔹 Systems, habits, and gradually raising personal standards

🔹 Using “bridge work” to pursue your true calling

🔹 Reframing setbacks as redirection—not failure

🔑 Topics We Cover:

🔹 Resilience, mindset & faith under pressure

🔹 Health rebuilds: hormones, edema, rhabdo, inflammation

🔹 Fitness, nutrition, and sustainable daily systems

🔹 Recovery, rehab & spinal cord injury realities

🔹 Purpose, identity & letting go of ego

🔹 Discipline, standards & avoiding burnout

🔹 Community, coaching & building a mission-driven life

👥 About FLOtalks

FLOtalks — Figuring Life Out Talks — is hosted by Elena Brandner & Bridger Frederick, two paraplegic athletes who turned extreme adversity into purpose. Episodes are filmed post-sauna and breathwork (most weeks), where the mind is clearest and the conversations are realest. We break down discipline, mindset, fitness, faith, and personal growth—sharing lessons from recovery and resilience to help you rebuild, adapt, and live with purpose.

📲 Connect with Us

🔹 Instagram: @FLOstate_recovery // @bridgerleefrederick

🔹 Website: www.FLOstateOfficial.com

🔹 Podcast: Apple & Spotify → FLOtalks

🔹 YouTube: Subscribe here

🎧 Subscribe & Join the MovementIf you’re looking for real conversations on mindset, resilience, and recovery—or inspiration from people rebuilding in public—this podcast is here to help you rise and figure life out.

👉 Subscribe now and don’t miss new episodes every week!

Disclaimer: We share personal experiences, not medical advice. Consult your clinician before changing medications or protocols.

In this unfiltered episode, Bridger Frederick shares his powerful story. From the car accident that left him paralyzed — and the terrifying hours waiting to learn if his girlfriend had survived — to the reality of being told he’d never walk again, Bridger opens up about the moments that changed everything.He reflects on the dark path of greed and power he was pursuing before the crash, and how catastrophe became the only thing strong enough to force a course correction. Bridger takes us inside the early days of hospitalization and spinal cord injury, where challenges only grew more difficult over time.We discuss the pain of facing continued complications, how reliance on opiate painkillers led to addiction, and the hard truth of replacing one addiction with another when the root issue wasn’t solved. Most importantly, Bridger shares how mindset, resilience, and discipline gave him the tools to not only overcome addiction but to transform his pain into purpose.This is a story of struggle, failure, recovery, and ultimately — hope.🎙 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:🔹 The accident that changed Bridger’s life forever🔹 The reality of spinal cord injury and early rehab🔹 Facing the truth: “you’ll never walk again”🔹 Why challenges actually got harder over time🔹 Addiction, escape, and the fight to overcome it🔹 How resilience, mindset, and discipline became lifelines🔹 The power of faith and purpose in recovery🔑 Topics We Cover:🔹 Coaching & mentorship through adversity🔹 Mindset, resilience & personal development🔹 Fitness, nutrition & daily discipline🔹 Recovery, rehab & spinal cord injury🔹 Addiction, escape & finding real healing🔹 Faith, identity & transformation🔹 Life after accidents & disability🔹 Leadership, discipline & growth👥 About FLOtalksFLOtalks — Figuring Life Out Talks is hosted by Elena Brandner & Bridger Frederick, two paraplegic athletes who turned extreme adversity into purpose. Episodes are filmed post-sauna and breathwork, where the mind is clearest and the conversations are realest.We break down discipline, mindset, fitness, faith, and personal growth — sharing lessons from recovery and resilience to help you rebuild, adapt, and live with purpose.📲 Connect with Us🔹 Instagram: @FLOstate_recovery // @bridgerleefrederick🔹 Website: www.FLOstateOfficial.com🔹 Podcast: Apple & Spotify → FLOtalks🔹 YouTube: Subscribe here🎧 Subscribe & Join the MovementIf you’re looking for real conversations on mindset, resilience, and recovery, or inspiration from those who’ve pushed past limits, this podcast is built to help you rise and figure life out.👉 Subscribe now and don’t miss new episodes every week!

In this powerful episode, Elena Brandner shares her full story for the first time — from life before the accident to the moment everything changed. We show the actual accident video and walk through the reality of spinal cord injury, hospital life, inpatient rehab, daily struggles, and the fight to walk again.

Recorded post-sauna and breathwork, this conversation is raw, unfiltered, and emotional. Elena opens up about the discipline, mindset, and faith that carried her through paralysis, pain, and doubt — and how she turned adversity into purpose through fitness, recovery, and coaching.

Her journey isn’t just about survival — it’s about transformation.

🎙 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

The day that changed everything: Elena’s accident

What life in the hospital and inpatient rehab was really like

The daily struggles of living with spinal cord injury

The fight to walk again — and the role of discipline & mindsetLessons in resilience, self-advocacy, and faith

How fitness, nutrition, and personal development fueled recovery

Why this story proves nothing is impossible with the right mindset

🔑 Topics We Cover

Coaching & mentorship for growth

Personal development & resilience

Mindset mastery & mental toughness

Fitness, workouts & bodybuildingNutrition, discipline & daily structure

Spinal cord injury, disability & recovery

Life after accidents & transformation stories

Online training & the role of trainersFaith, leadership, and purpose

👥 About FLOtalks

FLOtalks — Figuring Life Out Talks is hosted by Elena Brandner & Bridger Frederick, two paraplegic athletes who turned extreme adversity into purpose. Every episode is filmed post-sauna and breathwork, where the mind is clearest and the conversations are the most raw, reflective, and real.

We break down discipline, mindset, fitness, faith, and personal growth — sharing lessons from recovery and resilience to help you rebuild, adapt, and live with purpose.

📲 Connect with UsInstagram: @FLOstate_recovery // @bridgerleefrederick

Website: www.FLOstateOfficial.com

Podcast: Apple & Spotify → FLOtalks

YouTube: Subscribe here

🎧 Subscribe & Join the Movement

If you’re looking for actionable strategies to build strength or inspiration from those who’ve pushed past limits, this podcast is built to help you rise and figure life out

.👉 Subscribe now and don’t miss new episodes on mindset, fitness, recovery, and resilience.

They told us we’d never walk again. Instead, we built FLOtalks.

In this first episode, hosts Elena Brandner & Bridger Frederick dive into the mission behind FLOtalks — why it was created, what it stands for, and how our stories of spinal cord injury, recovery, and resilience shaped this movement.

Recorded post-sauna and breathwork, each conversation is raw, unfiltered, and honest. We talk about adversity, mindset, fitness, nutrition, and the importance of self-advocacy — sharing lessons learned through recovery, exposing flaws in the health system, and highlighting the power of discipline, adaptation, and faith.

This is more than just a podcast. It’s coaching, mentorship, and a movement to help you rebuild, evolve, and live with purpose.

🎙 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

The mission and purpose behind FLOtalks

How adversity can become the foundation for growth

The role of discipline, mindset, and faith in recovery

Insights into fitness, nutrition, and personal development

Why FLOtalks is about more than conversation — it’s about transformation

🔑 Topics We Cover

Personal development & resilience

Mindset mastery & mental toughness

Spinal cord injury & navigating disability

Life after accidents & transformation stories

👥 About the Hosts

Elena Brandner & Bridger Frederick are paraplegic athletes who turned extreme adversity into purpose. Together, they share their stories of recovery, fitness, and faith — proving that no matter what life takes from you, you can figure life out and rise stronger.

📲 Connect with Us

Instagram: @FLOstate_recovery // @bridgerleefrederick

Website: www.FLOstateOfficial.com

Subscribe here🎧

Podcast: Apple & Spotify → FLOtalks

YouTube: @FLOtalks

Join the Movement

If you’re looking for actionable strategies to build strength or inspiration from people who’ve pushed past limits, this podcast is built to help you rise and figure life out.

👉 Subscribe now and don’t miss new episodes on mindset, fitness, recovery, and resilience.