Catching Health with Diane Atwood

When Claire Jeffers and her husband Ben Lake found out that their infant son was deaf, she questioned her ability to be the kind of mother she thought he might need. Three years later, he is thriving and so are his parents. Claire tells their story in this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast.

Being a volunteer for Vet2Vet Maine is a win-win situation. That is what every single person I've ever asked about the program has said. In this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast I put the question to volunteer Sam Kelley. He couldn't say enough. Neither could his wife Jean or Executive Director Sue Gold, who helped found the program in 2014.

When physical therapy clients couldn't come to him because of Covid fears, Maine physical therapist Phil Finemore created a mobile practice. He tells us all about it in this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast.

The day after Labor Day, 2022, Jodie Lapchick rented a car and drove from Maine to Hilton Head, South Carolina to "rescue" her elderly parents. Over recent years, their mental and physical health had declined, and although Jodie and her two siblings did not live nearby, they tried to help manage things as best they could. Jodie says her dad had a plan for everything but not what to do when he and her mother could no longer care for themselves or each other. They relied on a team of home care providers for much of their day-to-day needs, which worked fine for a while. Things came to a head when it became clear they needed a higher level of care and the three siblings scrambled to figure out the best next step. That's when Jodie decided to bring her parents to Maine. Once they arrived, though, their problems didn't go away. In fact, it's been one challenge after another and as is too often the case for caregivers, it began to put Jodie's own health at risk. This is Jodie's story.

It starts with having a clear vision and then engaging 110% in living that vision. That is how Luanne Cameron approaches every aspect of her life. She even wrote a book about it - The 110 Philosophy. Luanne is my guest on this month's episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast.

When Gary Chalk retired, he informed some of his friends in an email. What he wrote made them laugh. So he wrote another the following week. The next thing he knew, he was writing a regular humor column and making lots of people laugh. Gary Chalk is my latest guest on the Catching Your Memories podcast.

Claire Hersom considers herself blessed. She has wonderful children and grandchildren, a safe place to live, and although now retired, does good honest work. That work includes trying to break the stereotype of the poor by speaking the truth about what it means to live in abject poverty. When her three children were young, Claire suddenly became a single parent. Her own parents had passed away. Her father when she was 17 and her mother just the year before. Six months after becoming a single parent, she also lost the family home. She was determined to give her children a "normal" life, but it was a constant struggle. In the 70s, a time when resentment against poor people was on the rise, she had to go on welfare. Even when she was working and off welfare she struggled to make ends meet. In this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast, Claire talks about some of the ways she managed the challenges she faced and the many lessons and truths about poverty, grief, and forgiveness that she learned along the way.

It took several years for Christina Erde to understand and come to terms with her diagnosis of mental illness. Her struggle began as a child when she experienced sometimes crippling anxiety. Her transition into adulthood triggered severe depression and she began seeing a therapist and taking medication. About four years ago, a crisis landed her in the hospital, where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For a while, things went from bad to worse and she was hospitalized again after attempting to take her own life. With the help of professionals and her family, slowly but surely, things began to turn around. Christina came to accept her diagnosis and become more engaged in her recovery process. She realized that her life had meaning and that she was going to be ok. She now shares her story to help others who may struggle as she once did. Christina Erde is today's guest on the Catching Your Memories podcast.

Roland T. describes his childhood as chaotic. The biggest struggle he faced was his father's alcoholism. When he drank he would get angry and Roland never knew what to expect. As a result, he was often fearful and anxious. You might think that he would steer clear of alcohol, but as a teenager, Roland discovered it was a way to escape reality. That is until reality caught up with him several years later. Now in recovery, he shares his story so that others may learn from his experiences and begin their own recovery journeys.

Karyn Wing grew up in a home where physical, sexual, and verbal were the norm. She also grew up believing that it was all her fault. That if she were a good girl none of it would have happened. As an adult, she blocked out much of her childhood, but the scars were there, deeply embedded, along with the feeling that she was never good enough. It took several decades and a lot of hard work for Karyn to learn the difference between abusive and healthy relationships. She also learned that before anything else, she had to learn to love herself. Most days she does. Karyn shares some of her story in the hopes that it will help someone else who feels like she used to feel. Written transcript: https://bit.ly/3bOlKhk

In this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast, 23-year-old Marena Koenka shares a story about her mental health struggles. Her experiences are her own and may not be like yours or someone else's, but she has learned that there is great value in sharing them. Doing so helps to connect people, as well as normalize and destigmatize mental illness. A warning: Some people may be triggered by some of Marena's experiences, particularly when she talks about self-harming and suicidal ideation. If you would prefer to skip over those sections, here are some timecodes: Self-harming 12:35 to 13:32. Suicidal ideation 41:37 to 45:11. If you prefer to read rather than listen you will find a written transcript at https://bit.ly/3cPOQgr.

How do you move from a traumatic childhood into adulthood without carrying the demons of the past along with you? How do you cope with the anger, mistrust, sadness and depression, anxiety, self-blame? So many emotions and I've only named a few. For some people, it takes a lifetime, and still, they may be triggered by something as innocent-seeming as a sound or a scent. Christina Huff learned early on that in order to move forward, she had to come to terms with the anger she felt. Now, only 24, she feels ready to share her story of healing from childhood trauma. (Transcript available at https://bit.ly/3PuSCtN)

In her 80s, Rita Losee, from Maine, has lots of memories to share. What she'd much rather do, though, is make new memories. This year, she's already taken a January swim in a frigid ocean, gone whitewater rafting, and run a 5K. What else does she have on her agenda? Hang on, because she'll tell you all about it in this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast.

Keegan Albaugh, from Burlington, Vermont, always knew he wanted to be a dad. He and his partner Stephanie happily welcomed their first child in 2016 and their second in 2018. Fatherhood has been as wonderful and as joyful as Keegan thought it might be. He also knew there would be challenges, but what he didn't realize is the lack of resources and support for new dads in his community. Stephanie had several resources at her disposal, but Keegan found nothing that met his needs. Today, new dads in Vermont have a multi-faceted resource called Dad Guild. My guest on today's episode of Catching Your Memories is Dad Guild's Executive Director — none other than Keegan Albaugh.

July 2022 marks 23 years since Carole Starr was in a car accident that changed her life forever. She didn't even realize at first that she had suffered a brain injury. No one did. She had no marks, and she had no memory of hitting her head. But little by little the signs appeared and they interfered with nearly every aspect of her daily activities. She's learned some hard lessons on this long journey, but some inspiring ones as well. She shares them in this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast. You can also read a transcript: https://bit.ly/3NckOAP

It was the trip of a lifetime. In the early 1970s, WGBH-TV tapped David Atwood to not only direct Julia Child in her French Chef television show but also oversee filming segments with her in France. He shares some memories of those experiences on this episode of the Catching Your Memories podcast. (Read a transcript of the episode and see some pictures from the trip at catchingyourmemories.com/podcast.)

One of the most profound experiences of Leo Couture's life was his time in the Navy. He spent it on a ship in the South Pacific during WWII. At 17, he didn't know fear, but it wasn't long before it became an ever-present companion.

Just in time for Mother's Day, Jen Boggs shares what motherhood is like for her. Her story begins before she became a mother — when she and her husband Mike decided they wanted to become parents. It didn't happen as easily as they thought it might. That was one of the first lessons Jen learned about parenting, and as you will discover in this episode of Catching Your Memories, she's learned quite a few along the way, thanks to her daughter Ramona, who recently turned 12.

It's likely that each one of us knows someone who has Alzheimer's or is caring for someone with the disease. No matter how you look at it, it's a devastating disease that can take its toll on everyone. In this episode of the Catching Health podcast, I talk with Danielle Bernier, whose mother has Alzheimer's, and Tom O'Connor, who cared for his wife Deb until she passed away. Their experiences are both different and similar, but one important common thread is that caring for someone with Alzheimer's is challenging. No matter how much you love someone with Alzheimer's. providing care is not easy — on many levels. In our conversation, Danielle and Tom talk about the ups and downs of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's and how they are trying to help promote awareness and understanding, as well as raise money for research and much-needed services.

Imagine that your adult child has died from a drug overdose and you are the one who finds her. That is what happened to Ann Cookson. The grief never goes away, but Ann has been able to turn her pain into something positive. She wrote a book called Secrets: A Story of Addiction, Grief, and Healing. Listen to her story and how writing the book has transformed her thinking about drug addiction, as well as her entire life.

Stephen Andrew's mission in life is to help people who are struggling with a chronic illness like alcoholism. He goes about it in many different ways, but at the core of every one of his endeavors is compassion. In this podcast, Stephen, who is a licensed clinical social worker, explains how we can and why we should try to have compassionate conversations — even in the worst of situations.

Looking back at her childhood, Denise Kinney, now in her 50s, says she always had some degree of muscle weakness and she didn't have the stamina other kids had, but she enjoyed athletics. However, whenever she played basketball, by the second quarter, she'd be out of energy and didn't know why. Decades later, she finally got the answer, but not because she had been searching all those years. She'd simply been living and enjoying her life when one day everything changed. Denise shares her story in this episode of the Catching Health podcast.

My guest in this episode of the Catching Health podcast has put me to shame! From the moment she wakes up and wiggles her toes until she slides under her blankets at night, Liz Johnson is on the move. She might be dancing or she might be pulling weeds, but even if she's lounging (I'm not convinced she ever does), her brain certainly isn't. She takes classes, plays bridge, none of which she can do in person right now because of the pandemic. That hasn't slowed her down a bit. She just fires up her computer, clicks on a Zoom invitation, and off she goes. Join us for a conversation about aging that will inspire you to be more active.

What is old? Wendy Adlerstein, my guest on this episode of the Catching Health podcast, suggests that it has more to do with attitude than how many birthdays you've celebrated. She's a licensed social worker with a certificate in gerontology and the Executive Director of FirstLight Homecare in the Boston area. We tackled several issues related to getting older that are definitely worth listening to, especially if you or your parents are getting older.

What does it mean to be you? If that seems like a question that would require deep reflection, you are right. It's exactly what psychologist Dr. Fred Craigie is inviting us to do. In this Catching Health podcast, he has a wealth of questions to help lead us along a path of self-reflection and he has a new book that we should certainly take along on our journey.

When COVID forced a lockdown in London in early March, Hazell Jacobs knew she had to find something to help her cope. She found inspiration in her vast scarf collection and decided to write a blog about them. Its title Scarf Aid is an apt one. The stories about her scarves that she has been weaving since March have brought comfort not only to Hazell but to her growing list of followers. This is Hazell's story.

The title of this post says Catherine Gentile, author. She is so much more, but her greatest strength is her ability to pull gold from her life experiences and observations of the lives of others and weave them into meaningful stories that touch us all. As you will learn from our conversation, Catherine has been writing since she was a young child, and now, a few plus decades later, she is a published author celebrating the release of a new book — Small Lies. One of the personal experiences she draws from is her late mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. It led her to write the book The Quiet Roar of a Hummingbird, start a support group in her community, create an online publication called Together with Alzheimer's, and make some lifestyle changes to improve her health and, hopefully, prevent getting Alzheimer's herself. Enjoy our conversation and learn. I certainly did.

Two friends — one retired, the other thinking about it — were curious about how other working women were handling this monumental transition in their lives. So curious they decided to send out a questionnaire to women everywhere. About 300 women responded and boy, did they have a lot to say. The answers Leslie Inman and Roxanne Jones received were rich and full of truth and wisdom. While retirement or the idea of it, was scary for some women, many others said it was an exciting time of growth. Over and over, women asked if they planned to write a book, and hoped they would. That wasn't the plan when they started their project, but it is now! I guess it's obvious that Leslie and Roxanne don't plan to take it easy in this phase of their lives. Even though they have busy schedules these days, they took a break to talk with me about some of the responses they received and about the book they're working on — Retirement Voices: Women reveal what life after work is really like.

"A shapeshifter, crafty and intelligent. It mutates, resists lethal weapons, keeps itself just out of reach of just the smartest interventions." These are the words that Sally Connolly uses to describe glioblastoma, the brain cancer that took her husband Peter's life in 2016. In her newly published memoir, Sally not only recounts their three-year struggle that followed her husband's first surgery and diagnosis but she also tries to provide some guidance and lessons about caregiving that she learned mostly the hard way. Her story is both heart-wrenching and heartening.

Rita Losee describes herself as a Woman of adventure, Doctor of Success, Proponent of Prosperity, InspirACTional Speaker, Author. She is that and more. Decades ago, she made a promise to herself that she would live a life of adventure. What a ride it has been and she is not even close to slowing down. At 78, Rita is also doing her best to encourage people to follow her lead. Instead of thinking it's all downhill from here, you could be a soaring senior — just like Rita.

Whether they were caught off guard or they've been expecting their parents to divorce for years, many adult children are rocked to the core when it actually happens. Family therapists Carol Hughes and Bruce Fredenburg have written a book called Home Will Never Be the Same Again. They did it because, in their experience, few people recognize the impact divorce can have on adult children. In this episode of the Catching Health podcast, the authors offer a useful guide for so-called adult children of gray divorce.

How can you grow older with joy, fulfillment, resilience, and no regrets? You could begin by reading the book Our Wisdom Years by psychologist Dr. Charles Garfield. Instead of fighting against aging or later life as he calls it, he suggests that we embrace the opportunity to live a more meaningful life. His book provides a roadmap that is guaranteed to lead you down a road of adventure and deep reflection. Listen to our conversation and learn more.

At 98, Jim Mardin has led an incredible life, and he intends to keep on living it for several more years. We had our conversation shortly before COVID-19 forced him to stop his three days a week volunteer job. He still drives, takes no medications, enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, and loves sharing stories about his life. He is kind, optimistic, curious, unafraid, and very entertaining.

Wayne Newell is a Passamaquoddy Indian Man who was born and raised on the Pleasant Point Indian Reservation in Maine. After getting a Master's degree at Harvard he and his family made their home on the nearby Indian Township Reservation, where he taught until his retirement in 2012. Although struggling with health issues, his mind and spirit are going strong. I hope you enjoy our conversation and learn as much as I did.

For many people in Maine, my guest in this episode of Conversations About Aging is like an old friend. For 37 years, he broadcast the weather on the state's top news station — WCSH-TV. What's Joe Cupo up to now? He's enjoying retirement to the fullest and still keeping an eye on the weather.

What do you think it would be like to live your life as a nun? In this episode of Conversations About Aging, Sister Maureen Wallace gives us a glimpse into what it's been like for her. Trust me, it may not be exactly what you had imagined.

Ann Quinlan was born and raised in Ireland and now makes her home in Falmouth, Maine. If you've always wanted to visit Ireland, you're in luck. Ann has been leading tours for many, many years and knows some of the best and most interesting spots. That’s just one of the tales she’ll tell us about in the latest episode of Conversations About Aging.

Today's guest and her husband are retired now and making the most of their time together. They keep busy with chores, hobbies, and family, but once a week they choose someplace interesting and fun to visit. It's an opportunity to enjoy each other's company and to explore Maine. You never know where you might find them!

Alma Thomas was the next to the youngest of 10 children. Now she is the only one left. She lived through the depression and World War II and was working in New York City when the war ended. She eventually moved to Maine to marry a widower with five children. They added two more children to the family and lived a full life together until his death in 2001. At 96, you can bet that Alma has lots of stories to tell. I'm so grateful that she decided to share some of them with us.

It may be a cliché, but life does have its ups and downs. That's certainly been true for Loring Newcomb, who prefers to be called Bob. He says if he could go back in time, he might change a few things. He'd change some things right now, too. At 94, he's pretty active, but he says he's often lonely. Hear Bob's story in the latest episode of Conversations About Aging.

The first documented case of AIDS was reported in Los Angeles, California in 1981. Back then, someone who was newly diagnosed might not survive even a few months. New medications were developed in the 90s that helped slow the progression of the disease but did not offer a cure. Today, another generation of medications called antiretrovirals has led to a dramatic decline in the number of people who are dying of AIDS. Or put another way, a dramatic increase in the number of people who are living longer healthier lives. Tom Antonik is one of those people. In 1986, Tom found out he was HIV positive. A year later he was diagnosed with AIDS. He thought it was a death sentence, for sure. But here he is 33 years later at the age of 63, still alive and doing well. I interviewed Tom many times back in the 80s and 90s. He wanted to make a difference, to help break the stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS. He is still trying to make a difference.

At 62, Vikki Choate has started thinking about her retirement plan. I'm sure there's relaxation built into it, but most of it involves moving into a new career. She's got more than a full-time job and she's working toward a doctorate degree. All part of the plan. She's a dynamo, but she also has a strong spiritual side that guides everything she does, including becoming a newlywed last year. Join us for an inspirational Conversation About Aging.

Imagine living most of your life on an island off the coast of Maine. That's what Paul Quinn has done and he has lots of stories to share. Like about the time he came home to find a lobster boat (not his) half in his garage and half out in the driveway. I'm Diane Atwood and I'm traveling around Maine talking to people 60+ about what it's like to be growing older. Listen to Paul's stories in this episode of Conversations About Aging, a Catching Health podcast.

Joanne Santee was diagnosed with a chronic lung condition 25 years ago. She knew that someday she'd need to be hooked up to an oxygen tank in order to breathe. That day arrived, but it hasn't stopped her from enjoying life. Whether reminiscing about adventures she's been on, talking about a recent conversation she had with a group of 11-year-olds or contemplating her future, 78-year-old Joanne has a lot of wisdom and humor to share.

My name is Diane Atwood and I'm traveling the state of Maine interviewing people 60 and older about their perspectives on aging. At one time, Ernie DeRaps was a lighthouse keeper in Maine. After retirement, at age 80, he became an artist. What do you think he painted? Mostly lighthouses, of course! I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Bill Taylor packed away his windsurfer when he was 92. Didn't have the balance he needed any more. He didn't pack away his zest for life, though, or his curiosity. He talks about the lure of windsurfing, some of the adventures he's had these past 97 years, and love in the latest episode of Conversations About Aging, a Catching Health with Diane Atwood special series.

Try to imagine living to 98 years old. Mary Hamblen didn't and yet, it happened. She's had a good life filled with ups and downs. You just have to go with it, she says. We talked about her life, her thoughts about being older, and her last car, which she misses a lot.

At 93, Bill Saltzer is still an active man. Up until last winter, he was living alone in the house he had shared with his wife until she passed away several years ago. His children worried about him and had been urging him to move into an assisted living facility, where they thought he would be safer. He fell while shoveling last winter and hurt his back. After that, he decided maybe his kids were right. In the latest episode of Conversations About Aging, a Catching Health special series, he talks about his decision to move and what it's been like for him. He also reminisces about his time in the Marines during World War II.

Have you ever heard of the Code Girls? They were part of a top-secret mission that helped end World War II. You're about to meet one: Leona Chasse, now 95 and living in Cornish, Maine. Listen to our conversation. I think you'll be glad you did.

Shirl Weaver was born and raised in Minnesota. After serving in the military and getting her master's and doctorate degrees, she moved to Maine. In the ensuing years, Shirl made a difference, not only in her community but also around the entire state of Maine. Now retired, she continues to make a difference in people's lives. Listen to our conversation in this episode of Conversations About Aging, a Catching Health special series.

Joy Hare tries to live up to her name in all aspects of her life. You can't make it to 75 without experiencing some heartache, and she has. But she is always seeking joy, which is reflected in the poetry she writes, the art she produces, the work she does, and the adventures she takes. She reflects on all of that in the latest episode of my special series Conversations About Aging.