The Only Child Diaries Podcast

Tracy Wallace
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Not just for only children! Info, stories and life experiences for anyone who feels like they didn't get the How-To brochure on life! Host Tracy Wallace, who has been a business owner, a successful fundraiser, a stand-up comedian, a caregiver and an animal lover, shares stories from the front lines of adulting to help others in this journey called life. She does this while finding the humor in the all situations.

  1. 15h ago

    The Brochure on Scams

    Send us Fan Mail Your phone rings and a calm voice says your cable is getting cut off today. They sound professional, they drop a specific dollar amount, and they act like this happens all the time. That’s exactly why scam calls work and why we wanted to talk about them out loud, with real examples and real red flags you can use immediately. I’m Tracy Wallace, and I break down the spam and fraud calls that show up on a predictable schedule: “debt relief” robocalls that mimic a real person, IRS debt scams that try to scare you into compliance, and the classic cable bill scam that pivots from a “credit card glitch” to pushing you toward your checkbook. We talk through the questions that expose the script, like asking for billing details, account verification, and the company name they claim to represent. We also get into the higher-stakes scenarios, including a “your computer has a virus” scam that leads to remote access, lost money, and a painful cleanup, plus a suspicious gift card situation at the checkout that shows how quickly a small lie can snowball. If you’ve ever wondered how to spot phishing, phone scams, bank fraud, Zelle impersonation, or gift card scams, this conversation gives you practical steps to slow down, verify, and protect yourself without panic. Subscribe, share this with a friend who always answers unknown numbers, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. What’s the most convincing scam attempt you’ve heard lately? For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  2. Sep 15

    The Brochure on a Wisdom Tooth

    Send us Fan Mail An 8 out of 10 tooth pain will humble you fast. I woke up in the middle of the night with pain shooting through my head, tried Motrin and Orajel, and realized I had to call my dentist the second the office opened. What followed was the kind of adult problem nobody trains you for: making a scary medical decision while you’re anxious, sleep-deprived, and hurting, then walking into the appointment alone because life logistics do not pause for panic. I tell the full story behind my dental anxiety and why it still feels traumatic even with a kind, sympathetic dentist. We get into the surprising “why do you still have wisdom teeth?” backstory, the cracked tooth history, and the moment the X-ray answers the question I didn’t want to ask: infection. From there it’s real talk about options, including why I said no to a root canal and how quickly “we can do it tomorrow” turned into “we’re doing it today” because of scheduling and nitrous oxide availability. You’ll hear what actually helped in the chair: tissues, steady reassurance, topical numbing, local anesthetic, and nitrous oxide while I focused on breathing and kept my eyes away from anything sharp. I also share what recovery felt like week one, from antibiotics and gauze to soreness that made me second-guess everything, plus the weird emotional jolt of realizing you’ve lost a tooth. If you’ve ever struggled with fear of the dentist, wisdom tooth extraction, or just trying to take care of yourself when it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable, this one is for you. Subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share this episode with a friend, and leave a rating and review so more people dealing with dental anxiety can find us. What’s your best trick for getting through a dentist visit? For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  3. Sep 8

    Rerelease - The Brochure on our Drunk Driver Crash

    Send us Fan Mail Has it really been nine years?  September 7, 2017 is a date I still feel in my body. My husband and I were rear-ended by a drunk driver in Las Vegas, and what should have been a simple vacation moment turned into a dramatic, pivotal memory that never really lets go. I’m re-releasing this story again because “drunk driving” can sound like an abstract warning until it becomes your life, your car, your marriage, your recovery, and your sense of safety. I talk through why this crash matters years later, and why I believe impaired driving should never happen, not once. We get honest about how drastically a DUI crash can change lives and how hard it is to watch accountability play out when the person who hit you has driven drunk before and even drives drunk again after. This isn’t a courtroom breakdown, it’s the human cost of a drunk driving accident, told plainly and without softening the edges. You’ll also hear the love I have for my husband and what the aftermath asks of him, because the consequences of a rear-end collision don’t stop when the scene clears. If you’ve ever wondered how to intervene, how to make a safer call after drinking, or why DUI awareness stories need to be repeated, this one is for you. If this story hits home, please subscribe, share it with someone you care about, and leave a review so more people hear it and choose a safe ride home. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  4. Sep 1

    The Brochure on a Cardiology Visit

    Send us Fan Mail The first cardiology follow-up after a long hospitalization sounds like a simple box to check, until you’re the one figuring out the wheelchair, the car transfer, the heat, the fatigue, and the portable oxygen all at once. I’m Tracy Wallace, and I’m sharing a candid update on taking my husband, Bill, to his first cardiologist visit after 58 days in the hospital and what that “one appointment” really costs in planning, energy, and nerves.  We talk through the curveballs that come with post-discharge care: why the earliest follow-up was a phone call with a nurse practitioner, what changed when we had to go in person to an office near the hospital, and how quickly a rough night with an insulin pump can derail the best intentions. I also share the moment my anxiety spiked when I realized I forgot the oxygen charging cord, and how easy it is for caregivers to spiral into worst-case thinking when you’re responsible for someone else’s safety.  Then comes the part we needed most: a quick heart ultrasound that shows real improvement. Hearing that Bill’s heart function moved from 20% to 30% gave us both a shot of hope, along with a clearer plan for medication, timing, and what may come next with stents. I also update you on in-home physical therapy, using a walker, nebulizer treatments, tracking fluid intake and output, and the slow shift from crisis mode to rebuilding daily life, including the unglamorous basics like plumbing problems and laundry.  If you’re navigating heart failure recovery, chronic illness, or caregiver burnout, I hope this helps you feel less alone. Subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share the episode with a friend, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the support they need. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  5. Aug 25

    The Brochure on Brownie Doing Her Lassie Impression

    Send us Fan Mail A house can turn into a mini hospital overnight, and nobody warns you how loud adulthood can get. Between the heat, the air conditioner, and an oxygen concentrator running in the background, I’m trying to sleep while my husband recovers at home and medical equipment takes over our normal routines. Then our dog, Brownie, does something she’s never done before: a strange, short bark at three or four in the morning that won’t stop. At first I’m irritated, because when you’re exhausted, every sound feels personal. But that bark isn’t a random dog moment. It’s an alarm. Brownie is trying to wake me up because something is wrong, and I can barely hear my husband calling over the noise. That tiny interruption becomes a big reminder about caregiving, recovery after a hospital stay, and the way family support can show up when you least expect it, even from a small dog who never planned on a heroic “Lassie” scene. We also circle back to a core Only Child Diaries theme: that feeling of not getting enough guidance for major life issues, and still having to figure it out in real time. If you’re navigating adulthood, caregiving stress, or the emotional whiplash of managing health changes at home, this short story offers a grounded moment of gratitude and perspective. If it resonates, follow the Only Child Diaries Podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend who could use a little light right now,   For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  6. Aug 18

    After 58 Days in a Hospital, Bill is HOME!

    Send us Fan Mail They tell you “He’s going home today,” and your whole body finally exhales. Then the plan changes. Then it changes again. I’m Tracy Wallace, and I’m sharing what it actually took to get Bill home after 58 days in the hospital, including the oxygen delivery that didn’t happen when we needed it, the new hospitalist who wanted to play it safe, and the tense moment when I had to be the one to deliver the news that he wasn’t leaving yet. Once the discharge finally stuck, we stepped into a program called Hospital At Home, and I had no idea how intense and supportive it could be. Nurses come to the house, labs get drawn and couriered, we meet the doctor by video, and our bedroom fills up with real medical equipment: oxygen machines, monitoring devices, an IV pole, and even an on-wheels chest X-ray that shows up at the front door. It’s a bridge between inpatient care and regular life, and it can be the difference between feeling alone and feeling covered when symptoms change fast. I also talk honestly about the caregiver side: documenting food and fluids, tracking blood sugar, managing neuropathy pain, juggling doorbells and deliveries, and watching our pets struggle with the nonstop activity. There are wins too, like him feeling stronger, eating better, and simply sitting together to watch a movie. If you’re navigating hospital discharge planning, home health services, caregiving stress, or curious about Hospital At Home, this one will make you feel seen. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  7. Aug 11

    The Brochure on Long Awaited Possible Discharge

    Send us Fan Mail A stent can sound straightforward until kidney function enters the chat. I’m sharing a real-time update from day 56 of my husband’s hospital journey, where a nuclear stress test and an abnormal EKG point to heart narrowings that may benefit from stents, but fragile kidneys make the “next obvious step” feel anything but obvious. We talk through what the doctors found, why a treadmill stress test wasn’t possible due to fluid retention, and how treatments like a heparin drip and Lasix fit into the bigger picture alongside lingering blood clot concerns. I also unpack a fear that a lot of families carry quietly: the worry that dialysis automatically means the end is closer, even when medical voices in our circle push back and say it can improve quality of life. Then I zoom out to the caregiver reality that doesn’t show up on a chart. The hour-long drive, parking, metal detectors, badges, bad hospital food, and chronic sleep loss become their own kind of marathon. I’m also trying to prep our home for what comes next, including the possibility of home oxygen, while keeping pets cared for and the house navigable. If you’re navigating caregiving, heart health decisions, kidney disease questions, or the mental load of hospital life, you’ll feel seen here. Subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find honest support. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

  8. Aug 4

    The Brochure on Day 45 - Against Medical Advice

    Send us Fan Mail Day 45 hits like a trap door: just when Bill seems to be recovering from pneumonia, the swelling returns and an ultrasound reveals a blood clot. I walk you through what it’s like to be the spouse in the chair next to the bed, trying to catch doctors during rounds, translate medical options in real time, and keep a clear head while the plan keeps shifting. We talk thoracentesis, fluid balance, clot risk, and why a single new diagnosis can change everything about a hospital stay. Then the diabetes piece explodes into the open. After a recent DKA trip back to the ICU, Bill’s blood sugars climb again, and getting his insulin pump resumed turns into a lesson in delays, weekend coverage gaps, and the emotional cost of “you need to advocate for yourself” when you are already doing exactly that. I share the moment I finally text our outside endocrinologist, the contrast in responsiveness, and the confrontation that follows when accountability starts bouncing between teams. From there, the story becomes about patient safety and trust. With conflicting opinions on anticoagulation, kidney concerns affecting blood thinner choices, and pressure to move to skilled nursing before things feel stable, I make the call to transfer Bill back to Cedars even though it means leaving against medical advice. I explain what that process looks like, what we learn once we arrive, and the small but meaningful progress that brings a little hope back into the room. If you’ve ever felt like healthcare is a maze, this one will feel painfully familiar and strangely empowering. Subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share this with someone who is caregiving right now, and leave a review so more people can find these stories and tools. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Not just for only children! Info, stories and life experiences for anyone who feels like they didn't get the How-To brochure on life! Host Tracy Wallace, who has been a business owner, a successful fundraiser, a stand-up comedian, a caregiver and an animal lover, shares stories from the front lines of adulting to help others in this journey called life. She does this while finding the humor in the all situations.

Information

  • Creator
    Tracy Wallace
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    210
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Only Child Diaries Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Only Child Diaries Podcast