RRP 106 — Megan C.; Six Years Clean: Megan C.’s Journey from Homelessness and Heroin to Leading Others Home

RRP 106 — Megan C.

Six Years Clean: Megan C.'s Journey from Homelessness and Heroin to Leading Others Home

Presenters: Peter and Julie  |  Release Date: March 20, 2026  |  Episode: 106

Episode Summary

Peter and Julie welcome Megan C., a peer recovery mentor and program manager whose road to recovery wound through opiates, heroin, homelessness, domestic violence, and two near-death hospitalizations — including a nine-week ICU stay and coma after bacteria ate a hole through her lung the size of a baseball. Now with six years clean, Megan oversees nurses, caseworkers, and peer recovery mentors. She talks about Oxford House, medication-assisted treatment, breaking the cycle of trauma for her daughters, and why giving back keeps her sober.

Key Points

• [00:01:23] Megan introduced via Lunch Bunch AA — connected through mutual friend Darrell (EP 53).
• [00:03:10] Episode records on the two-year anniversary of RRP — 104 episodes, every Friday.
• [00:18:08] Always feeling different; Adderall in middle school made her feel "normal" for the first time.
• [00:18:45] Cocaine in her early twenties — the first time something could grab hold of her.
• [00:19:42] Addiction escalated via a boyfriend: hydrocodone, then fentanyl patches and oxycodone.
• [00:20:44] Went through a sick woman's stockpile of 14 bottles of 480 oxycodone. First severe withdrawal.
• [00:25:11] Methadone for approximately six years — describes it as one of the biggest mistakes of her life.
• [00:26:37] Domestic violence: a man broke her jaw and eye. He went to prison for seven years.
• [00:27:25] Vowed never to touch heroin. Moved a heroin addict in. Within days, fully addicted.
• [00:28:00] Kicked off methadone after heroin showed in her system — which may have saved her life.
• [00:31:15] Homeless on Portland's streets in winter. Kicked heroin over 10 days on a stranger's floor.
• [00:33:30] Julie and Megan share candid parallel experiences in sex work — rarely discussed publicly.
• [00:45:10] Near-death: bacteria entered her lung, ate a hole the size of a baseball. Nine-week quarantine ICU. Went into a coma.
• [00:47:00] Woke on methadone, switched to Suboxone too soon — precipitated withdrawals. Also went septic in a separate stay.
• [00:48:20] Inpatient treatment, then Oxford House — a cornerstone of her recovery.
• [00:52:28] Clean date: checked into detox on her daughter's birthday. Six years clean as of last month.
• [00:53:00] Oxford House led to her career at Our House. Best friend from treatment called about the job.
• [01:08:45] Promoted to program manager last August — now oversees nurses, caseworkers, and peer recovery mentors.
• [01:13:33] Younger daughter now three. Asked father to leave so she would never witness what the older daughter saw.
• [01:14:07] Older daughter, now 18, rebuilding their relationship and talking about moving in.
• [01:21:07] At 40, Megan is entering the first chapter where she gets to choose everything.

Guest Quote

"Anything is possible. You get to a point where you could never even see going back. And anything is possible." — Megan C.

Websites Discussed

Oxford House Our House — Portland Recovery Housing Lunch Bunch / Extended Family AA Online Real Recovery Podcast

Listen & Connect
▶ Listen to this episode 📄 Read the blog post ✉ Subscribe to our newsletter

#Rea