In Sickness
Listen in as Allison Breininger and Justin Bajema, millennial caregivers for their chronically ill spouses, speak honestly about what life is like when there are more days spent in sickness than in health.
Episodes
Justin and Allison both care not only for their spouses, but also pets in their homes. In this episode, they talk about the process of deciding to add pets to their families and the ups and downs they’ve experienced since, specifically related to their caregiving role.
Jessica Kim was the primary caregiver for her mother with pancreatic cancer and later her father with congestive heart failure, both of whom lived their final years in her home. In this conversation, Jessica shares how these two caregiving scenarios impacted her life, family, and home, how she managed her relationship with her siblings throughout, and how this role inspired her to create ianacare.
---
---
The first line of the “I’m Part of the Story” song written by Priscilla Momah for The Negative Space “I’m supposed to be the strong one that rises up when the storm comes,” inspired this conversation in which Justin and Allison talk about how caregivers commonly feel or are told that they need to be strong.
Priscilla Momah is a soul-nourishing song weaver who supports healing and community through the power of sound and music. In this episode, she talks with Justin and Allison about how music and sound can support caregivers and those they are caring for.
---
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Monday, June 9 from 6:00-7:15om CT. Regis...
In this episode, Allison and Justin discuss what their lives may have looked like if their partners had not ever gotten sick, the good things that have come from being on this path, and the parts they would never have chosen to experience.
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Tuesday May 27 from 6:00-7:15om CT. Register Here!
Becoming a caregiver can flip life on its head, upending so much of what we thought we knew and could count on. In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about all the ways caregiving has left them feeling dizzy and unmoored over the years and present some strategies they have found to be helpful.
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Monday, May 12 from 6:00-7:15om CT. Register Here!
---
A terrible car accident left Kelly Lang and her young daughter with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). In this episode, she shares what happened and what it has been like parenting a child with a TBI while living with one herself.
---
The time, energy, and money that is involved with caregiving can often mean that hobbies a caregiver used to enjoy are no longer available to them. In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about hobbies they used to have, ones that are new since becoming caregivers, and ones that have been adapted. Also included are clips and quotes from caregivers of all kinds who submitted their thoughts on this topic.
---
Rodolfo Nieto cares for his wife, Clare, who has struggled with both Dissociative Identity Disorder and Pancreatitis. In this episode, he shares what it's like to care for both her mental and physical health needs, what that's meant for their relationship, and the impact it's had on his life.
---
The Unseen Divide - A Personal Passage from a Spousal Caregiver
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Sunday...
Oncologist Dr. Arjun Gupta’s team has coined the term “time toxicity,”which refers to the significant time investment required for cancer patients and their caregivers to undergo cancer treatment and related activities. In this episode, he talks with Allison and Justin about how he came to be invested in the needs of caregivers and what his team has learned and hopes to accomplish with their research on time toxicity. Note: while D...
Many caregivers end up caring for not just one, but multiple family members, often concurrently. In this episode, Justin and Allison discuss how and why this happens, the impact this can have on caregivers, the boundaries that can be established, and the adaptations that can be made, as well as how supporters can help.
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Monday, March 3, from 6:00-7:15 CT. Register h...
When going through the challenges of caregiving, it’s common for caregivers to struggle to find a safe place to vent. Caregivers may hesitate to share with their loved one, friends may not get it, and some are worried to burden other caregivers with their hard things. Despite all of this, not venting isn’t an option. In this episode, Allison and Justin discuss all of this as well as strategies for both caregivers and supporters.
--...
Trauma-informed yoga therapist, Jacqueline Vlietstra talks with Justin and Allison about the basics of nervous system regulation, how short and long-term caregiving impacts our nervous systems, and ways in which caregivers can find wellbeing in the midst of it all.
---
---
As caregivers, it can feel as if our loved one’s health is in the driver’s seat and that there are few parts of our lives over which we have control. In this episode, Allison and Justin share ways in which they have been maintaining or taking back their agency in various aspects of their lives and how supporters can help.
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Tuesday, January 22 from 6:00-7:15pm CT. Re...
Internet friends who had bonded over caregiving, Justin and Allison set out to record six episodes of a podcast in early 2020. In this, their 100th episode, they look back at how far they’ve come, favorite moments along the way, the impact this podcast has had on them, and what they hope for next as well as listen to messages sent in from listeners.
Becoming a caregiver can happen at any age, and while there are some universal truths, the age and stage of life that a person is in when this occurs can impact the way this feels and unfolds. In this episode, Allison (44) and Justin (42) talk with Ella Whitlecroft (23), Glenn Nishida (65), and Harriette Manis (74) about how the age and place in life they were in when they began caregiving played a role in their life decisions, fin...
There are people in our lives who, because of biology or proximity, we would expect to show up for us in our times of need, and it can be especially painful when they don’t. In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about the grief and disappointment when people close to us don’t show up, but also the beauty when other, less expected connections, do.
---
Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Monday, November...
Caregivers regularly put the needs of their loved ones far above their own, even when that comes at a cost to their own wellbeing. In this episode, Allison shares how, after 14 years of accompanying her husband to a procedure he has regularly, she has made the decision to not attend for the sake of her own mental health. Listen in as she and Justin discuss the steps leading up to this decision, the complexities that surround it, an...
Some caregivers feel there is an unspoken expectation that we only share the positive aspects of our role; that we appear to be brave and strong and grateful. In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about where that misperception may stem from, the damage it can cause, and how supporters can help.
With local and national elections just weeks away, we spoke with Nicole Jorwic, Chief of Campaigns and Advocacy for Caring Across Generations, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to build real, helpful, thoughtful care systems by transforming cultural norms and narratives about aging, disability and care, fighting for policy change at every level, and uniti...
Popular Podcasts
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.