My Mother: The Person and the Patient

In this episode, I delve into the emotional toll of caregiving and the stress it can cause for those who take on this vital role. I share my personal experience of supporting my mother through illness and the difficulties I faced along the way, including the pressure to be strong and its impact on me. I also examine the stigma surrounding caregiver stress. The societal expectations placed on women...

Becoming a new mom is one of the most transformative experiences a woman can go through. But for some, the journey to motherhood is fraught with challenges that can make the transition to parenthood even more difficult. In this episode, I share the emotional obstacles my mother faced in her inability to connect with her firstborn, her ups and downs, and the lessons she learned.  From struggling to...

In this episode, I delve into the unexpected journey of my mother, who, in her old age, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She developed a painful boil on her back to add to her struggles. I shared my mother's story when she discovered she had become pregnant at fourteen with the baby of a man she had previously divorced. I share how we navigated the complex challenges of caring for someone with Alzh...

In this episode, I explore the powerful story of my mother's journey through illness and cultural tradition, shedding light on the challenges faced by individuals living with Alzheimer's disease. The first half of the episode centers on my mother, who was admitted to the hospital due to high blood sugar levels related to Alzheimer's. I discuss the unique challenges of hospitalization for someone w...

In this emotionally charged episode, we hear the touching story of my mother's journey living with Alzheimer's. From forgetting to wake up, to the pain of not recognizing her loved ones, I explore the challenges and heartbreak of this debilitating illness. As we learn about my mother's life, we are struck by her resilience and determination throughout her years, including how she left her first hu...

In this episode, I share the story of the day my mother forgot to walk. In contrast to that time, she decided to take back her freedom by leaving her husband for six weeks. In 2021, I realized that Alzheimer's is unpredictable and a great thief,  just like how my mother's circumstances as a girl robbed her of her freedom.  Support the show#IAMSAHRABULLE#AlzheimersAwareness #CulturalTraditions #Hea...

Making decisions in keeping my mother safe is like making all my decisions wearing a blind fold. Often I reach the final destination after several stumbles. Similarly my mother makes her decision to leave her first husband without having a plan of all the steps that followed the first step of walking out. Like me she had to figure it out one step at a time.  Support the show#IAMSAHRABULLE#Alzheime...

Soon I realized Alzheimer meant many losses, some came gradually others fast and startling. Similarly Timiro found out that the decision to marry a man older than her father came with too much pain. In this episode, I explore the losses that came with my mother living with Alzheimer. The same she tries to accept the consequences of her marrying Needs-A-Cane. Support the show#IAMSAHRABULLE#Alzheime...

In this episode, the young Timiro does not know what she got herself into when she agreed to marry a man older than her father when she was thirteen years old. Just like I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I hired a handyman.   Support the show#IAMSAHRABULLE#AlzheimersAwareness #CulturalTraditions #HealthAndCulture #DifficultChoices #Resilience #CompassionateCare #MedicalChallenges #...

In the first half of this episode, I share how I changed my approach in dealing with my mother. Once I decided to see things with my mother's eyes, everything became clear to me. My decision to join my mother in her world, didn't eliminated the challenge, but it made it manageable. In the second half, my mother as a girl faces a similar situation. For the first time, she is forced to see her fathe...

The first half of this episode, I share my epiphany moment when I realized my attempt to correct my mother was causing more problems and and it was solving nothing. I discuss what I learned after reading articles about Alzheimers. The second half of the episode, I share a chapter about my mother and her family go back to the village. Just like I gained comfort in moving to my mother's world, Timir...

Trigger: This episode contains a death penalty against the mother and son accused of killing my mother's baby brother. The first part of the episode I share my experience in getting equipment to assist my mother in her day-to-day functions. I explore how not knowing what I needed and where is the best place to get it was difficult. In the second half of the episode, I share a chapter about my moth...

 First part of this episode I share, how important it is to have a  power of attorney for my mother's both finances. This comes up as my mother makes a risk financial decision. In order to protect her, I needed to have a power of attorney signed by her before her cognitive ability diminished. In the second part of the story, I share my mother's story as her family became a victim of one sided just...

The fist half of the episode, I share my struggles in getting a tax break for the cost of my mother's care. I talk about how things made no sense. Still I had to take specific steps I took to get what I was eligible for as a caregiver to my mother.  The second half of the episode tells my mother's story as her father tries to see to it that the people that killed his child would pay a price.  Even...

Trigger Warning: There is sudden death/implied suicide in this episode. In the first half of the episode, I share the story of my first contact with the long term arm of the health care system. What are the process of getting the intake and what are some things you should be aware of in going through the process. Getting documents like Power of attorney. In the second half of the episode, I share...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains the loss of a child and the grief that followed. In the first half of this episode,  I share the challenges I face in trying to find a caregiver for my mother during the day while I went to work.  My attempt to find someone that spoke her language in a city where there is not a large Somali community was very difficult at best and impossible at worst. In the...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes child kidnappingIn the first half of this episode, I share how my solution to keep my mother from leaving the house while we slept created a whole host of other problems. The alarm system I set up was great at first, but soon my mother opened the door every hour for the entire night tripping the alarm system. This brought all three units of the emergency serv...

The first half of this episode, I share the scary situations Alzheimer can deliver through the story of the morning my mother wasn't at home when woke up.  In the second half, I tell the story of that time her baby brother, Isaaq, was not in her father's arms when they woke up. What happened to him? Her mother's question, "Where is my baby?" matches my own question of where is my mother?  Support...

In this episode, I introduce my mother as the patient by sharing what led to my mother's diagnosis. I talk about what were the signs and symptoms that made her family doctor to start the tests and referrals. The final outcome stunned me. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer. In the second half of the episode, I introduce my mother as the person by telling story of her as girl growing up in a sma...

In the first half of this episode, I explore the challenges that came after my mother's diagnosis and my approach in dealing with them. What did I do after I recovered from initial shock of the diagnosis. In the second half of the episode, I share the story of the time my mother and her family had to leave their small village in search of water after a severe drought.  Support the show#IAMSAHRABUL...

This is the trailer for my podcast, My Mother:The Person and the Patient.  Support the show#IAMSAHRABULLE#AlzheimersAwareness #CulturalTraditions #HealthAndCulture #DifficultChoices #Resilience #CompassionateCare #MedicalChallenges #Hospitalization #PersonalDecisions #CursedFinger #Strength #Support #Healthcare #FamilyCaregiving #PatientAdvocacy Do not forget to follow, listen, like, and share.