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Episode #7 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Spousal Caregiving
with guest Melissa Miller
Dawn Taylor invites guest Melissa Miller, a former Certified Nursing Assistant, to the show to talk about her new life now as a stay-at-home mom and full-time caregiver to her husband. Melissa shares the two year journey she’s been on and why she’s passionate about opening discussions on this subject.
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View our Show Notes for more information!
CW: Spouse with epilepsy / chronic illness and medical emergency
Dawn Taylor invites guest Melissa Miller, a former Certified Nursing Assistant, to the show to talk about her new life now as a stay-at-home mom and full-time caregiver to her husband. Melissa shares the two year journey she’s been on and why she’s passionate about opening discussions on this subject.
Melissa and her husband were both relatively young when he had his first seizure in 2020 and since then his epilepsy has intensified, leading to more and more seizures. Melissa is now his full-time caregiver as well as stay-at-home mom to their three year old daughter. She talks frankly about the impact of such a sudden and life-changing illness on her life and her family, and sheds light on the reality of caregiver burnout.
Dawn, whose own husband has chronic illness and has required her to be a full-time caregiver in the past, can relate and together, she and Melissa explore the feelings that come the new role, how it affects your relationship with your spouse, and how to identify the signs of burnout before you’re in the grips of it. Melissa has firm advice about needing to still connect with the person you were before you were the caregiver for a sense of wellness.
About Melissa Miller:
Melissa Miller is a former Certified Nursing Assistant. She worked primarily in long term care facilities before she had to transition to being a full time Stay At Home Mom and Caregiver for her husband, Darryl, and daughter, Linda. Melissa is now passionate about taking what she has learned over the last two years to help other younger moms/spousal caregivers through the ups and downs of their journeys.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
An Update on Melissa’s husband, Darryl:
"We are still working on finding the right dose of XCopri medication for him to stabilize him so we can start the testing process to see if he is a good candidate for the laser ablation surgery."
Meghan
I felt like my life had been squandered a little bit in the season of having babies and people needing me. But after working with Dawn, I realize I have the potential for greatness. It was the first time in my life that I realized I actually have the potential to do amazing things.
Sarah Snyder, MA, LPC
I had been in therapy since I was 16, over 20 years of going to therapy before I met Dawn. But in 14-15 months of working with her, my brain has essentially rewired itself. How I view my friends, myself, and God has changed. But you have to buy in, and be willing to work through the tough stuff to get to the other side.
I Get It -
Life is Hard!
Like many of my clients, I’ve also felt ugly, useless, and forgotten.
I’ve gone through depression, molestation, and a brain aneurysm.
It took me years to understand what I had gone through and how to use my past to support others in conquering their fears and self talk.
That’s why I’ve condensed what I’ve learned into strategies to help you overcome your own stuff efficiently.
With multiple different certificates, training courses, and a whole lot of courage and stubbornness, I decided that if I could heal myself I could help others heal too.
If you’re ready to take back control of your life so that you can live with more fulfillment and peace, then contact The Taylor Way today!
