The Adapted Life, Finding Next

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I wanted to share with my listeners, what I have gone through over the past 15 plus years trying to take care of my severely disabled son, using his state benefits and programs.  The puzzle I face, like so many other special needs parents and care givers, is having help in the home caring for the medically fragile person, so that they can in turn work, take...

Send me a Text Message SELF-CARE. ONE OF THE DREADED PLATITUDES PEOPLE THROW AT CAREGIVERS LIKE MYSELF, IS "YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF TO BE A BETTER CAREGIVER FOR ....." I don't share that opinion, because I see self-care as an extension of self-love for myself.  Because I have to take care of my special needs needs son, is not the reason for self care, its a part...

Send me a Text Message In this episode I'm discussing the importance of the tool of communicating to others what your needs are, and asking for help.  This is easy to say, but for so many of us, very hard to do.  Even with the difficult challenge of taking care of a loved one, it can be hard to realize that you are not a superhero.   Communicating takes on a very different meaning sometimes,...

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I discuss my second "tool" in my tool kit for those dealing with extreme adversity and caregiving responsibilities.  It is gratitude.  I explain that being grateful is an empowering way to stay centered and mindful.  Practicing gratitude can be as creative as you are, but I enjoy writing daily into my gratitude journal.   Caregiving for a severely...

Send me a Text Message In this episode I discuss how my journey to finding meditation has been pivotal in helping me to manage the storms and difficulties that being a caregiver has presented.  Support the show https://www.etsy.com/shop/DanielsSpecialArt?ref=seller-platform-mcnav https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQr7Ot0J0o6_gRnG_fJvzDg

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I share with listeners an inside look at just how complicated it is for me to bring my disabled son on vacation, or traveling anywhere for that matter.  May I first add, that as Daniel has aged and become a young adult, he is heavier and requires more assistance with mobility and transferring and caregiving in general. If we are blessed to be able to take Da...

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I discuss the challenges caregivers like myself face, with trying to get the care needed for their loved one.  In my case, my son is medically fragile and requires nursing care every day.   He has state insurance that is approved for 112 hours a week, but he has never fully had those hours staff.  Or the therapies staff that he also needs.  I discuss the top...

Send me a Text Message April 29, 2022 CRISIS! NO FORMULA FOR MY GTUBE FED SON! In this episode, I wanted to share with you my experience with the recent recall of specialized formula that we needed to feed our 24 year old disabled son.  The recall, of Elecare Jr. and the subsequent supply chain crisis of baby formula and enteral g tube formula for adults and children, was extremely stressful. We w...

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I share with listeners some of the responses I have heard from other caregivers/special needs parents that are the biggest challenges they face caring for their loved one or child. As much as this life feels isolating and lonely, there is some comfort in knowing that there is a connective to the issues that trouble our hearts.  In my quest for answering the...

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I talk about something that I've written about considerably.  As a caregiver, I have so much of me devoted to this role.  But the true essence of who I am, what my souls true purpose is, is far greater than just my role as a caregiver, or even a mother.  I've been cultivating time, however briefly, where I can slip away into the cracks and work on...

Send me a Text Message episode 10.  The Adapted Life Podcast Life in my shoes. Recovering from grief.  Why my podcast matters. My world was crushed on January 23, 2022 when my mother passed away suddenly.  It has taken me a month, but I am finally able to talk about it.  I share with listeners why creating and building this podcast is so important.  Being a caregiver is hard.  But it is also full...

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I discuss what my life entails as a 55 year old caregiver/Mom for my severely disabled son.   It has evolved into caregiving with resilience, but the journey has not been easy. Please join me, in my adapted life, as I share how I've made it this far, and expand into ways that we can connect in the future.   For this episode, I hope to begin to illustrat...

Send me a Text Message The Adapted Life Podcast  Season 1  Episode 7 I did some reflection in this episode, of 4 stories over 24 years, where the kindness and generosity of others, helped us with our needs for our disabled son.   I would like to share some memories with you all, because as you can imagine, after 24 years of being Daniel’s Mom, I have an incredible library in my brain of the best a...

Send me a Text Message Episode 6 Becoming A warrior In this episode I share my experience as a special needs Mom who pushed herself into become a warrior for the things that her severely disabled son needed. From education to health care benefits and nursing, nothing has come without a significant amount advocacy and fighting. There is very little help out there for new parents trying to figure ou...

Send me a Text Message In this episode I share how finding support groups in my community and on line was so vital during the early years of our family growth.  I researched and found many organizations that provided support in the form of fellowship, and getting together, as well as support financially.  It was such an incredible help when my kids were small, because they learned that they were n...

Send me a Text Message The Adapted Life  Season 1, Episode 4  Discussed what happens when a career working Mom (me) suddenly has to leave her career to care for a severely disabled medically fragile child.   From Career to “Caregiver /Stay at home Mom” Welcome back friends.  I think many women go through identity crisis when they have children. The life of “its all about me” becomes the life of “i...

Send me a Text Message In this episode, I discuss how early in our journey as special needs parents, we realized we needed help from a mental health perspective.   Once I began healing from my own trauma, I started seeking out others who were like us.  We searched for and found support groups locally, and I created my own group on Facebook, which at this time was a brand new thing.  The group is c...

Send me a Text Message Welcome to the "Adapted Life Podcast" A place for everyone.  Designed to be a community of people who have been faced with such extreme adversity that it caused them to change everything in their life, unexpectedly, and the fascinating process of we adapted and build resilience, even when at first everything seems so hopeless.    I am SO excited to finally launch m...

Send me a Text Message This is an exciting work in progress!  I have a Youtube Vlog channel, called "Julie Hasselberger" and have been planning the start of a podcast for years.  So here I am.  And welcome friends. This may be messy, but I am ready to go.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQr7Ot0J0o6_gRnG_fJvzDg Welcome Everyone!  My name is Julie Hasselberger, and this is the “adapted l...

Send me a Text Message I introduce myself, Julie Hasselberger, with a brief explanation of what the podcast is.    This is an exciting work in progress!  I have a Youtube Vlog channel, called "Julie Hasselberger" and have been planning the start of a podcast for years.  So here I am.  And welcome friends. This may be messy, but I am ready to go.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQr7Ot0J...