In this special episode of Bend, Snap and Chat, Cristie and Drake celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Dolly Parton.

For Drake, Dolly has been part of a lifelong connection to country music. For Cristie, that connection came through a different door: movies like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, Christmas music, Dolly’s humour, philanthropy, fierce business sense and the unforgettable woman behind the rhinestones.

Together, we explore how Dolly became so much more than a country music icon.

We talk about her incredible songwriting and songs like “Jolene” her impact on women and the feminist legacy of 9 to 5, and what it meant to watch a woman build an empire while refusing to become anything other than completely, unapologetically herself.

We also look at the quieter legacy behind the fame: her extraordinary philanthropy, the millions of books given to children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, her commitment to education, disaster relief and her beloved Tennessee community, and the generosity that became such an important part of who she was.

Cristie shares why Dolly will forever remind her of her youngest niece singing “Jolene” at just two years old, while she and Drake reflect on something that has stood out in the tributes following Dolly’s passing: people aren't only remembering what she accomplished. They're remembering how she made people feel.

Finally, we explore the spiritual side of legacy and what happens when millions of people collectively remember someone's kindness, joy and light. In a world that can feel increasingly divided, perhaps Dolly leaves us with a beautifully simple reminder:

Choose kindness. Choose love. Choose the light. ✨

💗 What does Dolly Parton mean to you? Share your favourite Dolly song, movie, memory or story with us in the comments.

Because life bends us all... but some people leave a little more sparkle behind.

#DollyParton #DollyPartonTribute #RememberingDolly #DollyPartonLegacy #Jolene #9to5 #CountryMusic #BendSnapAndChat

Getting older is inevitable. But why are so many of us completely unprepared for what actually happens to our bodies as we age?

In this episode of Bend, Snap and Chat, Cristie and Drake begin a conversation about ageing with grace, and quickly realize there is far more to talk about than one episode could possibly hold.

Cristie shares her recent experience having her hormones tested for perimenopause and discovering that her hormone levels are low. She opens up about the physical changes that can come with declining hormones, the frustration of having to seek testing through a private clinic, and why conversations about hormones and ageing need to become a more accessible part of healthcare.

Drake explores the male side of the conversation, including declining testosterone, maintaining muscle as we age, and the reality that even when the body is getting stronger, change and physical adjustment can still come with pain.

Together, we talk about what it means to support our bodies instead of fighting against them.

In this episode, we explore:

• Perimenopause and declining hormones
• Testosterone and ageing in men
• Muscle loss and maintaining strength as we get older
• Why movement still matters, even when it needs to look different
• Adapting exercise for chronic illness, pain and changing bodies
• The physical and mental impact of chronic stress
• Meditation, journaling and breathwork
• Supporting the vagus nerve and nervous system
• Red light therapy
• Getting outside and experiencing morning light and fresh air
• Supplements we personally use as part of our wellness routines
• Letting go of the idea that ageing well means doing everything the way we used to

Ageing with grace isn't about desperately trying to stay young. It's about learning what your body needs in this season of life, adjusting when necessary, and finding ways to support your strength, health and quality of life as you change.

Because maybe the goal isn't to fight ageing.

Maybe it's to learn how to age with ourselves instead of against ourselves. ✨

Disclaimer: This episode shares our personal experiences and the practices that have been helpful for us. It is not medical advice. Hormones, supplements and treatments can affect everyone differently, so speak with a qualified healthcare professional about what is appropriate for you.

#AgeingWithGrace #Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #HealthyAgeing #Testosterone #ChronicIllness #WomensHealth #MensHealth #StressManagement #NervousSystem #BendSnapAndChat

What happens when something feels wrong, but you can’t tell whether the source is physical, emotional, or something you can’t explain?

In this darker trip into the Z-Files side of Bend, Snap and Chat, Cristie and Drake explore spirituality, chronic illness, the evil eye, hexes, shadow people, cord cutting, dreams, passed loved ones, and the strange experiences that sometimes challenge the boundaries of what we believe is possible.

Cristie shares a recent experience that she interpreted as an evil eye or hex, beginning with several unsettling days and culminating in seeing what appeared to be a shadow figure standing near the end of her bed. Already living with chronic illness, the experience raised an unusual question: when your body is accustomed to unpredictable symptoms and nervous system changes, how do you distinguish a physical flare from something you experience as spiritual or energetic?

She shares what happened during a cord-cutting ritual intended to break the perceived attachment, while Drake describes witnessing the experience very differently. He believed something much more intense was happening, leading him to jokingly describe the ritual as an “exorcism.”

The conversation expands into Drake’s Gnostic beliefs, including archons and loosh, spiritual awareness, energy, and different ways people have tried to understand unseen forces throughout history.

They also explore the gentler side of the unexplained: dreams that feel like visits from loved ones who have passed, signs that seem impossible to dismiss, and Drake’s experiences of his late father seemingly making his presence known by moving objects in the physical world.

In this episode, we explore:

• Evil eye, hexes and spiritual protection
• Shadow people and unexplained experiences
• Cord cutting and breaking energetic attachments
• Chronic illness, body awareness and spiritual interpretation
• Gnostic beliefs, archons and loosh
• Dreams, intuition and messages from passed loved ones
• Signs from the other side
• Grief, spirituality and continuing bonds after death
• The blurry line between what we can explain and what we simply experience

As always with our Z-Files conversations, we’re not here to tell you what to believe. We’re sharing what we experienced, exploring what it could mean, and leaving room for the possibility that not everything fits neatly inside the boxes we’ve created for reality.

Because life bends us all... and sometimes reality gets very, very weird. 👁️🕯️

Who gets access to your time, energy, identity and even your body?

In this candid, unplanned conversation, Cristie and Drake explore the boundaries we create with others and the ones we must learn to honour within ourselves. They talk about energy vampires, keyboard warriors, unwanted attention and recognising the people who dim our light instead of helping us become our best selves.

Drake opens up about ageism within the LGBTQ+ community and the deeply personal language we use to describe our identities. After sharing why he identifies as a gay man rather than queer, a word connected to painful experiences with bullying and his father, he faced criticism online. His message is simple but important: everyone deserves the freedom to choose the words that feel right for them without having another identity imposed upon them.

He also shares the emotion, healing and clarity that have come from reconnecting with his former wife after 26 years. That conversation leads Cristie to reflect on her relationship with her high school sweetheart and the rare beauty of being known by someone who has witnessed many different versions of who you have been.

Cristie also gets honest about body image, confidence and the frustration of a weight-loss journey that hasn’t unfolded the way she hoped. When a photographer friend shared beautiful images taken at her highest weight, Cristie was reminded that confidence, beauty and sensuality do not belong to a number on the scale. But feeling visible can be a double-edged sword, especially when some men treat confidence as an invitation and push past clearly established boundaries with intrusive messages and demands for attention.

From body confidence and LGBTQ+ identity to aging, old relationships and protecting your peace, this episode asks an essential question: Are the people closest to you helping your light shine or slowly dimming it?

Because boundaries aren’t about shutting everyone out. They’re about becoming more intentional about what and whom you let in.

Sometimes a major change begins with something as seemingly simple as cutting your hair.

In this candid and unexpectedly emotional episode, Drake shares why he decided to cut off his beard and how much the change affected him. What began as a conversation about facial hair opens into a deeper discussion about identity, attachment, self-expression and the emotions that can surface when we change something that has become part of how we recognize ourselves.

Cristie also shares that she is finally ready to cut her hair after everything her body has been through. This leads to the possibility of Drake giving her a complete makeover and perhaps picking up his scissors again for the first time since the pandemic. After working as a stylist for 30 years, could this be the moment that brings him back to a part of himself he left behind?

From there, Cristie and Drake share the latest chapters in their health journeys and ask the question they have both been afraid to hope for: Are the treatments finally working?

Drake discusses his progress after prolotherapy, including the major pain relief he is experiencing after a difficult and unpredictable recovery. With his pain now almost completely gone, his focus is beginning to shift toward physiotherapy, rebuilding strength and gradually increasing his endurance.

Cristie shares what happened after starting medication for HyperPOTS. Although it helped calm many of the symptoms that had been taking over her life, an unexpected side effect raised concerns about a possible obstruction and led to conversations with her pharmacist, GI nurse and GP’s office.

She also talks about spending a week in Prévost receiving adjustments to her atlas, shoulder and hips. As her body adapted to unfamiliar positioning, she felt exhausted, disoriented and, as she describes it, like she had temporarily landed on another planet.

We discuss:

• Drake cutting off his beard and the emotions that followed
• The connection between hair, identity and self-expression
• Cristie feeling ready to cut her hair
• The possibility of Drake returning to his stylist roots for a makeover
• Rediscovering parts of ourselves that have been put aside
• Drake’s progress after prolotherapy
• Experiencing major pain relief after a difficult recovery
• Rebuilding strength and endurance through physiotherapy
• Starting medication for HyperPOTS
• Managing a frightening and unexpected side effect
• Knowing when to contact your healthcare team
• Atlas, shoulder and hip adjustments
• The exhaustion of adapting to changes in the body
• Why improvement can still feel uncomfortable or destabilizing
• Finding hope in someone else’s progress
• Accepting that healing rarely follows a straight line

There is still a long way to go, but this episode is about change in all its forms. It is about releasing pieces of ourselves, rediscovering parts we thought we had left behind and noticing those moments when uncertainty finally begins to make room for hope.

Because life bends us all… and sometimes healing begins by seeing ourselves in a new way.

This episode shares our personal experiences and is not medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional about symptoms, medications and treatment decisions.

#HyperPOTS #POTS #Prolotherapy #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #EDS #ChronicIllness #AtlasAdjustment #Physiotherapy #ChronicPain #HealingJourney

What does it mean to call yourself disabled—and why can that word feel empowering to one person, uncomfortable to another, or different at various points in life?

In this Disability Pride Month episode of Bend, Snap and Chat, Cristie and Drake have an honest conversation about their own relationships with disability, identity and the word disabled. Although they share some diagnoses and experiences, disability has shaped their lives in different ways and those differences are an important part of the conversation.

Together, they explore why Disability Pride Month is still necessary, the many forms disability can take, and why disability is not separate from the human experience. They also discuss the barriers disabled people face, including poverty, housing insecurity, isolation and inadequate mental-health support.

Cristie shares the story of Erin, someone she connected with online during the pandemic whose loss made the consequences of these systemic failures deeply personal. This conversation honours the human being behind the statistics while asking what meaningful care, dignity and community support should look like.

We discuss:

• What the words disabled and disability mean to each of us
• Why people may embrace, reject or have complicated feelings about these labels
• Visible, invisible, dynamic and episodic disabilities
• Why disability is a natural part of being human
• The purpose and importance of Disability Pride Month
• The connection between disability, poverty and housing insecurity
• Mental health and the need for accessible, compassionate support
• What has helped us survive difficult seasons
• Some of our favourite disabled content creators and advocates

This isn’t a conversation about pretending disability is easy. It’s about making room for pride, grief, anger, humour, complexity and the right to live with dignity.

Because life bends us all and disabled lives deserve to be supported, represented and celebrated.

This episode discusses mental-health struggles, housing insecurity and suicide loss. Please listen with care.

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Chronically Jenni | Disability Education & Hacks (@chronicallyjenni) • Instagram photos and videos

https://www.instagram.com/adisabledicon

https://www.instagram.com/mrcolitiscrohns

https://www.instagram.com/dr.clairfrancomano

https://www.instagram.com/thebendypediatrician

https://www.instagram.com/robynfog

#DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #Disabled #ChronicIllness #InvisibleDisability #MentalHealth #DisabilityAwareness #EDS #POTS

👻 Have you ever experienced something you couldn't explain... but never forgot?

In this episode of Bend, Snap and Chat: Z-Files, Cristie and Drake explore ghost stories, haunted places, paranormal experiences, and the mysterious signs that many people report after losing someone they love.

Rather than trying to prove or disprove the paranormal, they share personal experiences that challenged how they understand reality, while also exploring the psychological, scientific, and spiritual explanations that might exist alongside them.

Together they discuss:

👻 Haunted houses and unexplained encounters

💜 Signs from loved ones after death

✨ Reiki experiences and sensing a loved one's presence

🏚️ Haunted places, historic buildings, and whether locations can hold energy

🪞 Drake's haunted mirror experience

👶 Cristie's childhood encounter in a house with unexplained activity

🧠 Skepticism, critical thinking, grief, memory, and why extraordinary experiences can feel so real

🌙 Whether the meaning of an experience matters more than finding the perfect explanation

Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or simply curious about the mysteries we can't fully explain, this episode invites you into a respectful conversation about the unknown.

We'd love to hear your stories. Have you ever experienced a ghost, felt the presence of someone you've lost, witnessed unexplained activity, or visited a place that felt different? Share your experiences in the comments or join the conversation in our community.

Because life bends us all... sometimes reality does too.

Michael Jackson remains one of the most influential, celebrated, and debated figures in modern history. But beyond the music, the performances, and the headlines was a human being shaped by childhood trauma, extraordinary talent, relentless fame, public scrutiny, and a lifelong search for connection.

In this episode of Bend, Snap and Chat, Cristie and Drake explore the life and legacy of Michael Jackson through a compassionate and balanced lens. Rather than trying to prove innocence or guilt, they examine the bigger questions his story raises about childhood trauma, identity, body image, creativity, media narratives, fame, spirituality, and what happens when someone becomes larger than life.

Together they discuss:
• Michael Jackson's childhood and the lasting effects of early trauma
• The psychological cost of global fame and isolation
• Body image, vitiligo, identity, and self-perception
• Public opinion, media influence, and how narratives are formed
• Creativity, purpose, spirituality, and the healing power of art
• Why Michael Jackson's story continues to resonate decades later
• Synchronicity, intuition, and the lessons we can still learn from his life

Whether you're a lifelong fan, a skeptic, or simply curious about one of history's most complex public figures, this conversation invites you to look beyond the headlines and explore the humanity behind the legend.

Because sometimes the most meaningful conversations aren't about finding certainty. They're about asking better questions.

#MichaelJackson #ChildhoodTrauma #Fame #Legacy #MentalHealth #BodyImage #Creativity #Spirituality #Psychology #PersonalGrowth #Healing #Podcast