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Bereaved But Still Me

Bereaved But Still Me

De: Anna Jaworski
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 "Bereaved But Still Me" is a podcast for the bereaved community that was formerly known as "Heart to Heart with Michael." As we entered Season 5, we decided to rebrand our podcast to make it easier for the bereaved community to find us.

We are happy to announce that "Heart to Heart with Michael," was nominated for a 2020 WEGO Health Award. "Heart to Heart with Michael" was a finalist in the Health Podcast category. This was a great honor for our podcast.

"Bereaved But Still Me" is a product of the Hearts Unite the Globe Network of Podcasts. Our Host is Michael Liben, our Producer is Nancy Taylor Jensen, and our Executive Producer is Anna Jaworski. Our monthly program has been designed to empower, educate, and support the bereaved community. New episodes are broadcast every 1st Thursday of the month.
For more information about the "Bereaved But Still Me," please check out our website: www.heartsunitetheglobe.org and look at the "Bereaved But Still Me" tab.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support.Copyright Anna Jaworski Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodios
  • Grieving Someone Who's Still There: Lessons from Pick's Disease

    Grieving Someone Who's Still There: Lessons from Pick's Disease
    Jun 5 2025
    (00:00:00) Introduction to Ronda's Story
    (00:02:10) Understanding Pick's Disease Symptoms
    (00:05:04) Mother's Previous Health Battles
    (00:07:30) Living With Someone With Dementia
    (00:11:41) Anticipatory Grief and Life Lessons
    (00:15:25) Ocean Dream Fulfilled
    (00:19:12) Final Reflections and Closing

    Watching someone you love transform before your eyes while they're still breathing creates a unique form of grief that few discuss openly. In this deeply moving conversation, Ronda Adamo shares her family's journey through her mother's battle with Pick's disease, a rare form of frontal temporal dementia that claimed her just ten months after diagnosis.

    Before receiving that life-changing medical news, Ronda and her sisters faced a painful confusion as their mother's personality shifted dramatically. The godly woman they'd always known began exhibiting uncharacteristic behaviors - falling frequently, speaking in uninhibited ways, and seeming cognitively distant. Having watched their mother previously battle multiple forms of cancer, the family mistakenly attributed these changes to potential medication abuse, a misunderstanding that still weighs heavy on Ronda's heart years later.

    "Not everything is as it seems," Ronda reflects. The diagnosis revealed their mother's brain was being altered by an accumulation of tau protein, transforming the woman they knew while her heart still beat. The family pivoted quickly from disappointment to determined support, learning what it means to grieve someone who hasn't yet died. Despite the rapid progression of the disease, they created a precious memory by fulfilling their mother's lifelong dream - walking in the ocean wearing a flowing white dress, even though winter's chill meant abandoning their original spring timeline.

    Ronda's story offers profound wisdom for anyone supporting a loved one through dementia: allow yourself to grieve throughout the journey, practice patience and forgiveness, and consciously choose to let positive memories burn brighter in your mind than the difficult moments. Her vulnerability reminds us that in our most painful human experiences, we can still find moments of beauty that sustain us through grief and beyond.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support.
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    21 m
  • When Loss Becomes a Gift: Finding Meaning in Grief

    When Loss Becomes a Gift: Finding Meaning in Grief
    May 1 2025
    Grief is not simply the absence of someone we love—it can also be the absence of what we deserved but never received. In this profound conversation with counselor and trauma specialist Fonda Miller, we explore the often-overlooked dimensions of loss and healing that shape our emotional lives.

    Fonda shares a perspective on grief that transforms how we understand our deepest sorrows. Using the striking image of a balanced teeter-totter, she explains how the weight of our grief directly corresponds to the depth of our love—making grief itself a testament to how deeply we connected with what we've lost. "It's a gift," she says, "because what it says is I loved deeply and I was loved deeply."

    But what about the grief that comes from never having what we deserved? Fonda guides us through understanding childhood trauma as a form of hidden grief that follows people into adulthood, often without recognition. Through powerful metaphors like pressure cookers and release valves, she offers insights into how we can support those carrying these invisible burdens.

    As a certified Mental Health First Aid trainer who's worked with trauma victims across various contexts, Fonda brings extraordinary wisdom to everyday situations we all encounter. She explains how to notice when someone might be struggling with unprocessed trauma and provides practical guidance for creating safe spaces where healing can begin. The conversation touches on everything from talking to children about death to supporting survivors of trafficking and abuse.

    Whether you're processing your own grief or supporting someone through theirs, this episode offers compassionate perspectives that honor the complexity of human suffering while providing pathways toward healing. Because as Fonda reminds us, "Everyone is facing something"—and understanding this truth is the first step toward greater kindness in our world.

    Join us in exploring how grief, in all its forms, connects to our deepest capacity for love and resilience.


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support.
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    36 m
  • Carrying Grief Forward Doesn't Mean Leaving Love Behind

    Carrying Grief Forward Doesn't Mean Leaving Love Behind
    Apr 10 2025
    (00:00:00) Carrying Grief Forward Doesn't Mean Leaving Love Behind
    (00:00:47) Introduction to Host and Guest
    (00:02:09) Mother's Cancer Diagnosis and Family Hope
    (00:04:16) The Hospice Experience
    (00:10:10) Announcement and Disclaimer
    (00:10:56) Sister Jackie's Struggle with Alcoholism
    (00:17:37) Understanding Ambiguous Loss
    (00:21:31) Finding Joy Amid Grief
    (00:27:35) Writing About Grief and Loss
    (00:28:48) Closing Thoughts and Resources

    Award-winning journalist Dina Gachman takes us on a profound journey through the landscape of loss, sharing how the deaths of her mother from cancer and sister from alcoholism transformed her understanding of grief. With remarkable candor, Dina reveals the unexpected realities of home hospice care—administering morphine every few hours with minimal professional support, experiencing moments of dark humor amidst heartbreak, and feeling the conflicting emotions of not wanting a loved one to die while being exhausted by their prolonged suffering.

    The conversation explores the concept of "ambiguous loss"—grief experienced not from death but from relationship changes—which Dina encountered during her sister's years-long battle with alcoholism. She articulates how this differs from the anticipatory grief she felt watching her mother's cancer progress, offering valuable insights for anyone navigating complex family relationships affected by addiction or illness.

    Most powerfully, Dina challenges the common misconception that grief follows five neat stages before we "move on." Instead, she describes learning to integrate grief permanently into her life: "I'm now a person forevermore that carries grief with me every single day, but I have a ton of joy." This reframing offers tremendous hope to listeners feeling overwhelmed by loss, demonstrating how we can honor our departed loved ones while still embracing happiness.

    Dina's book "So Sorry for Your Loss" emerged from recognizing how uncomfortable most people are discussing grief. She combines personal memoir with journalistic exploration of topics like pet loss, hospice care, and the connection between food and mourning. Her work reminds us that acknowledging grief openly doesn't diminish joy—it creates space for authentic healing and deeper connection with both the living and those we've lost.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support.
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    30 m
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