When Autumn Comes: Seasons of Hope for Medical + Disability Moms Susan Geoghegan

Amanda and Suz are talking about the latest encounter they have had with their amazing girls from Heaven. 
Links and resources:
Follow Suz: @suzgeoghegan
Join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/245467847367923 
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhenAutumnComesPodcast
Follow us on Instagram: @WhenAutumnComesPodcast
WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project - a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for caregivers of medically complex and disabled children. 
 
Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories of medical and special needs parenting from families like yours.
And, if you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and a review? Thanks!
 

The internet is an interesting place. A place of connections, for both good and bad. A place for sharing knowledge, and a place for following people you have never met. Every now and again a creepy internet stalker turns out to be an actual really wonderful person. Every now and again, that really wonderful person turns into a friend. Enter Amanda. 
This episode, we get to hear Amanda’s story. Amanda is a fellow mito mom of a beautiful little girl who is now watching over her from heaven. She is also an expectant mother of a baby boy. Amanda shares with us her journey, from the grief of losing her daughter, to the celebration of learning she was having a son. We discuss how she manages the two opposing emotions and how she hopes to keep her daughter’s memory alive. 
“To live in celebration, that’s unknown and foreign to me.” -Amanda
Here are the details from Amanda and Susan’s chat:
Introducing Amanda
Breaking all of the rules
Telling the world
Going in all directions
Grief and joy together
Impossible decisions
Letting the legacy live on
Medical motherhood is one filled with unique and challenging decisions, as well as unique and challenging emotions, sometimes in opposition and at the same time. Amanda has so graciously shared her story with us today, and I hope that it has been helpful for someone at home. Can you relate to Amanda’s story? Let me know in the When Autumn Comes Society or send me a DM on Instagram! I'd love to hear about how this helped you.
 
When Autumn Comes:
WAC Instagram
WAC Facebook Page
WAC Society Facebook Page
WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project
Apply for a Caregiver Package
 
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories from other members of our medical and disabled community. 
 
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review so we can reach more moms with medically complicated, rare, beautiful children. 
 

When “they” say this journey is a rollercoaster, guys, whoever “they” are, they aren’t kidding. These past few months have brought struggles and hardship, along with moments of joy, and glimpses, twinklings, little birdies of hope. Suz is back for an update on life these days and why she has been radio silent on the podcast. 
In this episode, we hear about how Suz took selfies with the president. More importantly, we get an update on Benji, and the state of the Apricity Hope Project. Suz talks about priorities and five year plans. Spoiler alert, nothing ever goes as planned. Sometimes you are surprised with how things turn out differently. Sometimes, you need to let go, just a little, in order to grow. 
“I am not the only medical momma who is a control freak.” --Suz
Here is the what Suz gets into today: 
Where are we now?
White House
Update on Benji
Where does that leave Suz?
For vs to
What’s going on with the podcast?
Five year plan
Medical motherhood is all consuming. How do we take care of ourselves in the process of caring for our children? Do you have tips to do “for” you, instead of “to” you? Let me know in the When Autumn Comes Society or send me a DM on Instagram! I'd love to re-connect.
 
When Autumn Comes:
WAC Instagram
WAC Facebook Page
WAC Society Facebook Page
WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project
Apply for a Caregiver Package
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories from other members of our medical and disabled community.
 

You’ve heard it before…medical parenting is not for the faint of heart, medical parenting is a roller coaster. With hospitalizations come tests, and fear, and pain. After discharge, the family processes everything that just happened, the “new normal”. For some, this happens frequently. How do you manage the in-between hospital time, waiting for the next medical change?
Today, we meet Katrina. Katrina is a mom of three children, one of whom has medical complexities. Katrina shares with us what it looks like to manage her youngest child’s medical complexities, while also parenting two teenagers. We discuss the ups and downs of repeat hospitalizations. We talk about how we all manage the trauma that comes from watching your child experience medical changes, tests, and treatments differently. While some struggle during the hospitalization, others crash once they are home, or in the anxiety of waiting for the other shoe to drop. 
“Every time you come home, you have to adapt again, and adapt again, and adapt again.” -Katrina
Here are the details from Katrina and Susan’s chat:
Introducing Katrina
Connecting
Ellie
Hospital Milestones
Handling the re-admit
The crash
Recovery
Advice
Medical motherhood is often filled with hills and valleys, which are often unpredictable. I hope that Katrina has given you a glimmer of hope when you are deep in a valley. Do you have questions for Katrina or advice for navigating this journey?  Let me know in the When Autumn Comes Society or send me a DM on Instagram! I'd love to hear about how this helped you.
Catch up with Suz:
Instagram
When Autumn Comes:
WAC Instagram
WAC Facebook Page
WAC Society Facebook Page
WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project
Apply for a Caregiver Package

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories from other members of our medical and disabled community. 
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review so we can reach more moms with medically complicated, rare, beautiful children. 

Welcome back everyone! We are so excited for Season FIVE of When Autumn Comes! It has been a summer and we have a lot to catch up on.
Today, Susan fesses up about what happened at the end of season four. Season four ended? Why yes it did, but not in the way we intended. You see, Susan has been a busy bee outside of When Autumn Comes, working on some really exciting projects for medical moms. The podcast took a bit of a back seat, but for a really really good reason.  This episode, Susan introduces us to the most amazing, pink, water-front house where medical moms can escape and refresh. Moms-you are going to need to see this place, it is AMAZING! You also meet her wing-woman Christen, the one who reminds her to drink water and edits the podcast… But that is far less exciting than the house. For real, you gotta see the house.  
“It’s literally on top of the water.” -Susan

Here are the details from this episode:
Katrina, we are so sorry
Apricity Hideaway
Where is Diane?
Team of two
What is going on this season?
Is it a gala or a gayla?
An EPIC party
Benji update
We are so excited to launch another season of When Autumn Comes. More than that, we are so excited about the amazing things that the Apricity Hope Project is doing for medical mothers. What are we doing that is the most meaningful to you? Let me know in the When Autumn Comes Society or send me a DM on Instagram! I'd love to hear about how these projects have helped you.
Here at the Apricity Hope Project, we appreciate any size donation. Your donation will help fund our many projects such as hospital go-bags for medical moms, Take five meet-ups, Retreats for medical moms, and the When Autumn Comes Podcast. Donate HERE!  
 
Catch up with Suz:
Instagram
 
When Autumn Comes:
WAC Instagram
WAC Facebook Page
WAC Society Facebook Page
WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project
 
Join Us!
Apply for a Caregiver Package
Apply for a Retreat



Thank you so much for joining us on this journey. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories from other members of our medical and disabled community. 
 
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review so we can reach more moms with medically complicated, rare, beautiful children. 
 

You and your child have what probably feels like a million appointments scheduled. Medical specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists. All of these people are members of your team. Your child’s team. They are supposed to work with you and your child toward a common goal. But who decides what that goal is? And who decides when you’ve reached it, or how to get there, or when it’s time to take a break?
Today, we have a chat with Kim. Kim is a physical therapist and owner of a therapy company that specifically works with young children in Early Intervention and outpatient. We talk about the importance of establishing goals that are meaningful for your everyday life. She tells us what to do when the activities in the therapy session don’t feel like they match what makes sense for your family, or when personalities clash. Kim gives us insight on knowing when to step back, take a break, and focus on living life rather than making it to appointments; and how to navigate coming back to therapy after a break, when the time is right. Most importantly, she drives home the important point that communication is key with your team. 
“No one knows what they don’t know if somebody doesn’t speak up.” -Kim
Here are the details from Kim and Susan’s chat:
Getting to know Kim
Early Intervention 
Using what you have 
What should parents know?
What if it’s not working? 
Taking a break 
Realistic expectations 
Finding Kim 
What gives Kim hope? 
Medical motherhood is often filled with so many appointments. I hope that Kim has shown you that your child’s therapist is on your team. Do you have questions for Kim?  Let me know in the When Autumn Comes Society or send me a DM on Instagram! I'd love to hear about how this helped you.
 
This episode was sponsored by Children's Therapy Concepts, LLC. You can learn more about their pediatric therapy services that are offered across the state of Virginia at childrenstherapyconcepts.com
 
Catch up with Suz:
Instagram
 
When Autumn Comes:
WAC Instagram
WAC Facebook Page
WAC Society Facebook Page
WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project
Apply for a Caregiver Package
 
Connect with Kim:
Instagram
Facebook
Children’s Therapy Concepts
Email: admin@childrenstherapyconcepts.com
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories from other members of our medical and disabled community. 
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review so we can reach more moms with medically complicated, rare, beautiful children. 
Top 3 tips from this episode: Communicate with your team
Identify goals that are meaningful to your family
Its ok to change course if that is what your child needs