My relationship with Mend Repair & Recover began in May 2019 when my unit dietitian recommended I use the product to help heal from a pending shoulder surgery.  Up until that point I had never heard of Mend, but when a special operations dietitian with a PhD recommends something, you would be wise to listen. I bought a couple of jugs.

It's amazing how the body shuts down to protect itself after a trauma.  For some time after the surgery my entire arm was useless.  While enduring the standard post-surgery rehabilitation process with my medical providers, I diligently adhered to the simple directions on the Mend jug.  I recovered quickly, and I attribute this recovery to being surrounded by a solid team of medical professionals, and to, you guess it, Mend Repair & Recover, as it provided my body with much-needed nourishment.

My dietitian told me that I could continue taking Mend even after I was fully recovered from surgery, so this is what I did.  It soon became one of the only supplements in my cabinet.  I, like so many others, have a long history of abusing my body in the name of military service.  I have amassed quite the collection of symptomatic orthopedic issues (meniscus tears in both knees, shoulder and wrists tears, and a bulging disc to name a few), and making Mend a part of my life nurtured these problem areas easing the painful burden that I carry daily.  

The time came to challenge myself again.  You know how it is--always seeking the next hard thing.  Well my next hard thing was a notoriously difficult tryout for another military unit.  The train up before attending this tryout was just as hard, if not harder, than the tryout itself.  Once again, Mend to the rescue.  The new shock of the increased training intensity pushed my body to its limits.  All of the issues I listed above became very symptomatic.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to attend the tryout as my knees would lock in stabbing pain each time I ran.  I increased my self-care and doubled my Mend intake.  Again, my body responded with a smile and I was able to complete the train up and attend the tryout.  

I told myself that this tryout would be the "last hard thing I'd ever do."  Well, that wasn't true.  I decided to leave active duty to become a fireman.  My already bruised and battered body was about to endure yet another beating, but this time it would be a sustained beating for seven months.  I have done many physically difficult things in my life, but never daily for seven straight months.  

Time to double up!  This time I used Mend not only for physical support, but also for mental and emotional support.  I calculated how many jugs I would be going through during the fire academy and purchased this amount.  I stored the jugs in their own dedicated cabinet and used them as a way to gauge the time remaining until graduation.  "Five more jugs to go," "Four..."  "Three..."  Eventually I took my last scoop and graduated the academy.  My already battered body took a good beating, but Mend saw me through.

Mend Repair & Recover has seen me through some of the hardest physical events of my life.  It has earned my trust and has become a staple in my diet.  It is the only supplement I wholeheartedly recommend to others experiencing orthopedic pain, and just for daily use.  Is it a magic pill?  Absolutely not.  It is better.  It is real.  

-A former active duty Special Operations warrior