In episode six of “Journalism 101 with Tripping Raul,” the host recounts the chilling tale of Laura, a woman from New Mexico who attempted to self-surgically remove her silicone breast implants using a disposable razor. Tripping Raul reflects on covering the story during her days as a beat reporter and decides to revisit the disturbing incident.

Tripping Raul sets the scene by conjuring a late-night atmosphere before she shares the harrowing story from April of 1992. Laura believed her health problems, including gangrene in her fingers which resulted in a six-week hospital stay, and other ailments were caused by her breast implants, despite not having a medical diagnosis for multiple sclerosis which she suspected.

Laura initially had the implants placed after a double mastectomy and precancerous lesions were discovered. Over time, she experienced significant health issues, which she attributed to the silicone implants—despite being told they were saline.

One night, with her family asleep, Laura attempted to remove her implants herself, resulting in injury and her husband finding her. The hosts mention Laura’s appearance on the Maury Povich show, where the narrative of why she attempted the removal shifted several times. This exposure led to receiving financial help from television host Kathie Lee Gifford after Laura’s daughter reached out.

Tripping Raul discusses the journalist’s role in dealing with sources and reporting sensitively on such personal stories. The host recalls that Laura was generally pleased with her reporting except for a few discrepancies. Sadly, Laura passed away in 1996 due to health complications.

Throughout the episode, Tripping Raul interweaves thoughts on journalism ethics, touching on the challenges and responsibilities when covering sensitive subjects. There are also asides about the host’s experience and challenges in podcasting and a nod to her supporting team at Blueberry Podcasting.

The host encourages listeners to reach out with stories, questions, or comments via email or Twitter (now on the platform ‘X’), and teases the next episode will feature a story about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s visit to Window Rock, Arizona.

The podcast episode aims to shed light on the complexities of the journalism field, the commitment to the truth, and the humanity of the subjects they report on. Tripping Raul signs off, inviting listeners to join her for the next dive into her journalistic archives.

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