Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the intersections of survival

Rodney Washington
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Welcome to Scarred, Not Silent, a podcast where I open up about life with kidney disease, the transplant journey, and the healing that comes after. I'm Rodney, a kidney recipient, life coach, and social worker who's lived through dialysis, disability, and the quiet moments nobody talks about.This space is real talk for resilient souls. Whether navigating your chronic illness, supporting a loved one, or just curious about what it means to start over with a second chance, you're in the right place.Here, we keep it honest. We keep it hopeful. And most of all, we keep going.New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.Let’s breathe deep, live rooted, and walk this journey together.

  1. 5H AGO

    The Life I Thought I’d Have vs The Life I’m Living Now

    There are moments in life when the picture we carried for decades quietly falls apart. This episode sits in that space. Today’s conversation explores the reality of living with the gap between the life you planned and the life that unfolded. It speaks to the weight many people carry when work, health, or circumstances disrupt the role they believed they were supposed to play, especially the pressure to provide and measure worth through productivity. This episode is for anyone who has looked in the mirror and questioned if they are still whole when life looks different from what was expected. It is honest, direct, and grounded in lived experience. The discussion moves through identity, stigma around not working, internalized expectations, and what it means to rebuild purpose when the old blueprint no longer fits. This is not just about loss. It is about redefining value, reclaiming voice, and recognizing that survival itself carries meaning. If you have ever felt like you fell short of the life you thought you would have, this conversation will meet you where you are and walk with you forward. Send a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    17 min

  2. 3D AGO

    The Neighborhood Lessons That Built My Strength

    Strength and resilience have always moved together in my life.  I first saw strength in childhood, playing a game called “Monster” with the older boys in the neighborhood. It was rough. Drop kicks. Punches. Pure kid energy. At the time, it just felt like play. Looking back, it was preparation. Those moments taught me how to take hits, stand back up, and keep moving forward.  They helped shape my mindset for challenges I could not even imagine back then. Real strength is not about avoiding challenging moments.  It is about learning that you can survive them and still become someone who leads with character and purpose. Send a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    8 min

  3. 6D AGO

    Thankful Through the Fire: Finding Gratitude in Pain

    Gratitude is often framed as something we feel when life is going well. This episode takes a deeper road. It explores how gratitude can exist in ordinary days, difficult seasons, and moments that did not always feel kind or fair at the time. This conversation centers on how perspective shapes what we call a “good” moment. It reflects lessons learned early in life, especially experiences that were not always affirming yet still planted seeds of wisdom. Over time, those lessons became tools for resilience, advocacy, and personal growth. Listeners will hear how gratitude is not always loud or obvious. Sometimes it shows up quietly. Sometimes it shows up after pain. And sometimes it is something we choose to see, even when life does not hand it to us easily. This episode is for anyone learning how to recognize meaning in their journey, honor where they came from, and use both joy and hardship as fuel for purpose and growth. Send us a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    8 min

  4. FEB 3

    The Core of Who I Am Never Changed

    On Scarred Not Silent, I reflect a lot on identity. One thing I have come to realize is that, at my core, I have not changed as much as I once thought. I am still someone who leads with respect and kindness. I never allowed my kidney journey to spill over onto the people around me. If anything, the experience strengthened me. It pushed me to become a stronger advocate, more resilient, and more grounded in who I have always been.  Send us a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    7 min

  5. JAN 31

    Before the Title: Advocacy Found Me First

    In this episode of Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival, Rodney reflects on those early moments of advocacy and how they unknowingly laid the foundation for his future in social work. He then brings listeners into a more recent and deeply human encounter. While waiting for a medical appointment, Rodney shares a brief conversation with a dialysis patient. It lasted only minutes, yet the impact lingered far longer. Two individuals navigating vulnerability recognized something familiar in each other: resilience. This episode is a reminder that advocacy is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like sharing a meal. Sometimes it sounds like a short conversation in a waiting room. Often, it begins simply by choosing to care. Takeaway: Advocacy is less about position and more about presence. You do not need permission to show up for someone. If this story resonates with you, consider where advocacy is already showing up in your life. You may be doing more good than you realize. Send us a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    15 min

  6. JAN 27

    You Can Train the Brain, But Some Pain Still Wins

    Pain is honest. It does not whisper. It shows up loudly, unapologetically, and often without warning. In this episode, I reflect on what pain has taught me. Yes, pain hurts like hell. There is no poetic way around that. But over time, I have learned that pain is not always in charge. I talk about how the mind, the old noodle, can help manage some of the deepest pain. Breathing. Reframing. Grounding. Training the brain to work with the body instead of against it. And I also speak plainly about the truth we rarely say out loud. Sometimes pain is just pain—no mindset trick. No lesson. Just reality. And sometimes prescribed support is the proper support. This episode is not about toughing it out. It is about wisdom. Knowing when to lean on mental strength and knowing when to accept help without shame. If you live with chronic pain, emotional pain, or the quiet pain no one sees, this conversation is for you. Send us a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    19 min

  7. JAN 24

    When Life Says, “Not Yet”

    “What I Learned About Waiting” opens the mini-season chapter of Scarred, Not Silent. In this series, I’m debriefing the sub-topics underneath the big themes, so I can speak more freely and go deeper than I usually do. Today’s focus is waiting. Waiting is something many of us are forced to do as kids, standing in lines, sitting in silence, being told “not yet.” But adulthood has its own kind of waiting, and it hits different. The question becomes: How do we translate waiting into adulthood without losing our peace, our patience, or our purpose? This episode is a reflection on what waiting taught me, what it tried to take from me, and how I learned to live in the in-between. Send us a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    18 min

  8. JAN 20

    The Last Kidney Chapter

    This is the final episode of my kidney journey. As I close this chapter, it is not goodbye. It is a moment to reflect on what this road has taught me, and what it may have quietly taught you, too. Scarred, Not Silent will continue, just with new topics and new directions. I may take a week to breathe, rest, and gather my thoughts, but we will see. To everyone who has listened, shared, and stayed with me through the highs, the setbacks, and the steady days in between, thank you. I hope that this series helped you learn something about yourself or better understand your loved one’s journey, especially if you are walking this path as a caregiver. Send us a text Support the show Thanks for tuning in to Scarred Not Silent: Stories from the Intersection of Survival. Stay connected: www.scarrednotsilent.com | scarrednotsilent@gmail.com | Support the show by leaving a review! Oh! If you would like to support my coffee or cheesburger fund, check the link below. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2226847/support

    15 min
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About

Welcome to Scarred, Not Silent, a podcast where I open up about life with kidney disease, the transplant journey, and the healing that comes after. I'm Rodney, a kidney recipient, life coach, and social worker who's lived through dialysis, disability, and the quiet moments nobody talks about.This space is real talk for resilient souls. Whether navigating your chronic illness, supporting a loved one, or just curious about what it means to start over with a second chance, you're in the right place.Here, we keep it honest. We keep it hopeful. And most of all, we keep going.New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.Let’s breathe deep, live rooted, and walk this journey together.

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