CaregiverDave.com

The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect’  –  Peter A Levine,   Every one of us has experienced trauma in some form in our lives. The question is ‘do we let ourselves be defined by that trauma or can we transform that pain into a force that can accomplish good in our world?’    Dr. Randall Bell is an economist and sociologist who has seen firsthand the effects of trauma as a consultant on major disasters worldwide, including the largest climate, environmental and terrorist cases, such as Hurricane Katrina, the Bikini Atoll nuclear test site, and the 911 destruction of the World Trade Center. From these experiences and ten years of research, has come his book, Post–Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science and Stories of Resilience.   His book relates stories of people who were able to use energy generated by working through their traumas to propel them to achieve  great things. Dr. Bell sets out a three stage process (Dive, Survive and Thrive) through which survivors can emerge healed, whole and able to thrive.

Meet Dr. Nina Ahuja... Dr. Ahuja was born in Timmins, Ontario and raised on the property of a gold mine in neighboring small town South Porcupine.  When she graduated high school in 1991, she moved 'down south' where she completed her undergraduate degree at University of Waterloo.  From there studies led her to McMaster University for medical school, and then University of Ottawa where she completed residency in ophthalmology.  She began her surgical practice in Hamilton in 2003.

Cristina Smith helps people get more health and happiness through the power of positive play in her award-winning Yoga for the Brain series of puzzle books. Founder of the Subtle Energy Center and caregiver to her parents through their deaths at home, her work helps care givers do self-care in the short chunks of time between duties and early Alzheimer’s and dementia patients maintain brain function

Join Caregiver Dave and his co-host, Adrienne Gruberg, as they interview Medical Malpractice attorney, Michael Kaplen, who answers all your legal medical questions.

A storyteller at heart who built a career in writing, media & marketing, Paolina Milana’s roots are entangled with mental illness -- having been raised by a mother diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and later having to raise her younger sister, also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. “Caregiving” and “Crazy” have been part of her entire being; her first book THE S WORD: A MEMOIR ABOUT SECRETS published in 2015 and helped to shed some light on the stigma and shame surrounding mental illness. The sequel to that book COMMITTED: A MEMOIR OF MADNESS IN THE FAMILY (SheWritesPress, May 2021) chronicles her struggles to stay sane while serving as primary caregiver to both her mom and sister who continue to battle their mental illnesses.

Lisa Leshko Evers, MA, BSN, RN has enjoyed 35 years of nursing practice with a focus in Emergency Nursing and Addiction Medicine. When the FDA approved opioids for children (ages 11-17), she began asking new questions about pain and listening deeply. After years of study, “Comfort Quest” was born- a transformative, hopeful lens through which pain is viewed as a healing messenger (no longer the enemy). As a veteran herself (retiring after 32 years from the Coast Guard Reserve), Lisa seeks to use this tool/ program to also help other veterans struggling with pain and has partnered with her community to resurrect hope, empower healing, & decrease suicides. To relax & rebalance her own body/ mind/ spirit, Lisa enjoys digging in her garden, repurposing found items, and spending quality time with family (locally in FL and in New England).

Susana Stoica, a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, worked on defining advanced technologies, and has several US patents. She is also a born energy healer, having done her first healing at age 7 and worked with doctors since 1985. She is a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner (a healing method taught at nursing schools) and a Certified Hypnotherapist. Currently, Susana Stoica writes and lectures on topics related to physical and emotional health and healing. Being able to tune into people’s energy field at a distance, Susana has worked with people from US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Australia. Over the years, Susana has worked with a large palette of health issues, and she is especially interested in helping people with brain trauma. As a survivor of two traumatic brain injuries on the same day, Susana knows well the physical and emotional toll brain trauma takes both on the injured person and their families, as well as how difficult it is to find real help. Susana Stoica was invited to present her work at a conference at Harvard Medical School and was published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Join Dave Nassaney, The Caregiver's Caregiver, and his lovely guest co-host,Stephanie Erickson, as they interview Dr Aaron Blight discussing incontenance and all the issues associated with it.

ELLEN LONG STILWELL IS a registered nurse certified in hospice and palliative care. While raising two boys, SHE volunteered as part of the hospice team with Metropolitan Jewish Health System. SHE worked for several years for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, where SHE cared for hospice patients and families in their homes. Also nursing homes, NYU Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital hospice patients. As well as working with Calvary as a Liaison at Weill Cornell, transitioning patients and families from the acute care setting into hospice care. She is currently working with patients and families at home, the heart of hospice. Ellen is also trained as a death doula by a Buddhist Monk. & currently lives in Manhattan.

Rachel Engstrom M.S.W., C.H.E.S has written a groundbreaking memoir/self-book on her experience as a young cancer wife then widow. With the increasing number of young women and men becoming widows/widowers due to not only cancer and serious illnesses, but also now Covid 19, this resource is needed more now than ever. Rachel shares her journey in a raw and honest way, while providing step by step resources to help you navigate your own journey. Never before has there been a combination of the personal grit of the healthcare journey, along with steps on how to navigate treatment, diagnosis, the ins and outs of hospital life, employment, finances, insurance, self care, grief and loss and much more. You can find “Wife, Widow, Now What? How I Navigated the Cancer World and How You Can Too.”