Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver
The Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver podcast offers a candid, unfiltered space to confess the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a caregiver through storytelling, guest interviews, and information sharing. JJ & Natalie are a dynamic duo of sisters supporting their mom living with Parkinson's and a husband who survived cancer. Along with their guests, they discuss their shared experiences in caregiving. Viewers and listeners alike will relate to our reluctance, be affirmed in their ability to be caregivers and gain the courage to confidently step out of the shadows to express their own needs. You are sure to laugh, cry, and everything in between but in the end, all will leave feeling better for the journey and part of the sisterhood of care. So grab your favorite guilty pleasure, and let's get to confessing!
Episodes
217 episodes
Competing Priorities: Balancing Family, Career and Caregiving
In this episode, Ed DeVaney joins the sisters of "Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver" to share his deeply personal caregiving experience. Raised in a competitive and close-knit Irish Catholic family in Chicago, Ed describes a childhood filled...
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Episode 149
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52:02
Dad, Devotion, and Dancing: Finding Joy in the Hardest Goodbye
This week’s episode focuses on Christopher “Chris” Schuler—his journey as a son, father, and most notably, a devoted caregiver. Chris, adopted from Colombia and raised in a loving, close-knit family in New York, reflects deeply on identity, bel...
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Episode 148
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1:01:59
Not Stuck in the Yuck: Tricia’s Story of Family, Advocacy, and Strength
Tricia Fitzgerald brings a deeply personal and candid perspective to the experiences of long-term caregiving within a family affected by chronic illness. Drawing from over two decades of advocacy and professional work supporting children ...
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Episode 147
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57:25
Disrupting Care: How Neal Shah Is Revolutionizing Support for Families
Neal Shah’s journey, showcases the impact of caregiving on individual lives and the broader healthcare system. Raised in a close-knit immigrant family, Neal's values were shaped early by the examples set by his parents and grandparents. After b...
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Episode 146
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1:08:45
When Life Calls: Zack’s Story of Stepping Up for Family and Changing the Caregiving Conversation
Zack Demopoulos’s story begins with his upbringing as the proud son of Greek immigrants, whose journey to the United States instilled in him a deep sense of gratitude, resilience, and responsibility. He shares how his family’s experiences shape...
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Episode 145
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1:03:44
Compassion in Action: Donna’s Path from Caregiver to Changemaker
With a lifelong passion for nursing, Donna Steigleder’s journey began in her childhood and evolved into a career in healthcare, where she gained a wealth of experience across various medical settings. Her personal caregiving story started early...
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Episode 144
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1:00:12
The Power of the Pause: Finding Relief in Caregiving with Jenn Fredericks
Jenn Fredericks is the featured guest in this episode, sharing her deeply personal journey as both a long-term patient and a dedicated caregiver. Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease as a teenager, Jenn received her first kidney transplant fro...
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Episode 143
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56:17
The Power of Three and Twelve: Jason’s Caregiving Blueprint
Jason Binder, the founder of Aware Coaching, is a dedicated husband and father of five. His caregiving journey began unexpectedly when his wife, Tracy, a lively marathon runner and mother, received a diagnosis of glioblastoma, a terminal brain ...
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Episode 142
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58:55
Boundaries, Faith, and Family: Lessons from Jenifer Massie’s Caregiving Journey
From a young age, Jenifer Massie was immersed in a culture of service, beginning with volunteering in her school’s “gramps and grannies” program and extending to caring for her own family members. Her caregiving roles evolved over the years, fr...
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Episode 141
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1:00:44
Surviving the Grief Buffet: Angela’s Journey Through Caregiving and Loss
Over the course of several years, Angela Ibarra faced a series of profound losses, including her husband, her mother, her job, and eventually her father. Her caregiving journey began early, shaped by a childhood spent supporting a sister with m...
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Episode 140
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1:06:24
Did Mom Drop Acid? Navigating Dementia and Family Dynamics
Michelle Cain’s journey as a caregiver began when her mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia during the pandemic, a time already fraught with uncertainty and stress. At 47, Michelle found herself in the “sandwich generation,” balancing th...
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Episode 139
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57:47
The Power of Family: Navigating ALS Across Generations
The story of Mollie and Maureen powerfully illustrates the emotional depth and complexities of family caregiving when ALS profoundly impacts a household. Maureen, a pediatric nurse from Philadelphia, took on the primary caregiving role for her ...
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Episode 138
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57:13
Confessions of a Young Widow: Rising Above Grief
Shannon Traphagen became a caregiver at 43 when her husband Mike was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. Their 14-month battle was fraught with heartbreak, including losing an adoption opportunity just before his diagnosis. Despite the chall...
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Episode 137
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57:49
Not What We Signed Up For: Embracing an Unexpected Path
When Rachel Shapiro’s daughter suffered a severe stroke just before her second birthday, Rachel and her husband were told their child might not survive. Despite the devastating prognosis, they refused to give up, navigating a complex medical jo...
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Episode 136
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1:01:22
Surviving, Thriving, and Loving Again
Stacy Ryan’s powerful story is a testament to love, resilience, and the human capacity to heal after profound loss. Her journey began with her own cancer diagnosis at 45, which she survived, followed by her husband John’s battle with cancer tha...
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Episode 135
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1:00:01
Love Creatively: A Caregiver's Colorful Journey
This week, Ari Medrano delivers a powerful testament to the depth and complexity of caregiving. As a Mexican immigrant who came to the United States at age one, Ari's approach to caregiving is deeply rooted in her family's values of service, lo...
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Episode 134
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59:00
The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide
Julia Mayer, a clinical psychologist, shares her extensive caregiving journey spanning nine years, which involved caring for her father after her mother's unexpected passing and then supporting her husband Barry's mother, Jean, and stepfather, ...
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Episode 133
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56:08
Forever Caregiver: The Lucas Project & Life Beyond Loss
"I became a forever parent caregiver." - Jesse RonneWhat happens when caregiving, loss, and love collide? Jess Ronnie, writer, speaker, podcaster, and founder of The Lucas Project, brings her powerful story to the mic, offering a moving ...
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Episode 132
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52:26
“And Other Duties Assigned”: When caregiving is unexpectedly added to your Job Description
"I felt this sense of odd FOMO." - Taylor FixMeet Taylor Fix, a remarkable caregiver whose journey began in childhood. Growing up in a close-knit family, caregiving was second nature. But it wasn’t until she became a farmhand and full-ti...
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Episode 131
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1:02:34
Unlock the Healing Power of Reiki | Energy Healing for Caregivers
“We’re all made of energy.” - Yvette LeFloreAre you a caregiver running on empty? 🎙 Step into a soul-stirring dialogue where healing meets everyday life, Yvette LaFleur, intuitive energy healer and Reiki master teacher, sha...
Subscriber Episode
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28:33
Inside the World of Special Needs Caregiving: One Father's Powerful Journey
"You don't know what you don't know." - Dave KrikacWhat happens when love meets lifelong responsibility? The realities of caregiving for individuals with special needs, the triumphs, the trials, and the transformative love it takes...
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53:58
Surrendering Control: The Hardest Part of Saying Goodbye
"I am sunny with a chance of tornadoes." - Yvette LeFlore🎧 Intuitive energy healer Yvette LaFleur opens up about her deeply personal caregiving journey through love, loss, and healing. As the caregiver for her late husband Walter, who br...
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Episode 129
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54:13
You Can’t Make This Up! Sister Updates
“Caregiving never ends. No, it never stops.” - Natalie and JJ Caregiving is a journey—full of love, lessons, and let’s be honest, a few laughs along the way. In this candid conversation, we dive into the realities of caregiving: nav...
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52:50
Caring Through Chaos: A Journey with Frontotemporal Dementia
“I was in therapy, that was a lifeline.” - Allyson SchrierThis is a powerful one! Natalie and JJ sit down with Allyson Schrier as she opens up about her deeply personal and emotional journey caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with...
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Episode 127
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1:00:03
Faith, Culture & Raising a Child with Special Needs
“Never say never in your journey.” - Eleni ParisNatalie and JJ sit down with Eleni Paris, a licensed therapist and devoted mom, as she shares her deeply personal journey raising her daughter Sophia, who has cognitive and speech imp...
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Episode 126
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55:48