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Reference to any specific product or entity during any episode of the Scrambled Eggs and Ham Podcast {the "Podcast") does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by DreamEfforttenacity.LLC or its affiliates.

With abuse, you suffer the loss of soul, loss of self, and loss of meaning"
"In the system, you must fight every day, every minute, to keep from feeling
worthless - to keep your spirit alive" K.W. (Survivor)

One of the healing therapies that Jennifer has done, is called ART which stands for
 Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Child Abuse

Childhelp®
 Phone: 800.4.A.CHILD (800.422.4453)
 People They Help: Child abuse victims, parents, concerned i Sexual Abuse

Darkness to Light
 Phone: 866.FOR.LIGHT (866.367.5444)
 People They Help: Children and adults needing local information or resources about sexual abuse

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

 ―  Maya Angelou 

t's summer, so it's a monthly interview show focused upon the reinvention of the lives of each interviewee as a result of or inspired by the life-changing illnesses or events that have now become part of their daily existence. And this morning, my special, special guest is Jennifer Key. Thank you for having me. Yep, yep, yep. It's a pleasure. It's always a pleasure. So this morning, I am the scrambled egg, and you are the ham, Jennifer. So, Jennifer, tell us a little bit about your background. Tell the audience about, you know, Jennifer. Sure. Fantastic question. Not quite sure where you'd like me to start, but I am a daughter from a family of four. I grew up in the lovely state of New Jersey. And I am a athlete. I am a fan, fanatic, not quite sure what word you want to use regarding Mother Nature and the outdoors. I guess a modern-day hippie, I've been told. And I presently am exploring so many new and adventurous journeys, which has now brought me to you. Wow, that's great. So you love the outdoors. You call yourself a modern-day hippie. Yes. So, Jennifer, today's podcast is about trauma. It's a good one. Okay. Great. Can you tell me a little bit about how it has affected your life? When did this start? You know, was it when you were playing sports in high school, college, or when part of your relationships? How did it start? Like, how did this thing start? Like, you know, no one just, you know, just glides on the top of the water. There's always something underneath the water, right? So what happened? Great question, Bill. And I really thank you for the opportunity to talk about this as it's one that I think doesn't necessarily get enough attention in this particular country and something that's very near and dear to me regarding the healing process from trauma. So for me, it's really centered around sexual trauma. At a very young age, I was groomed, is the term I've been told, by a family member, which the percentages say that's usually the place that sexual trauma happens. And it happened within my home. And from the age of what I can remember, seven to about 11 years old, there was a nice grooming process. And I say nice, and I'll explain shortly. Grooming process of at first just reading stories, right? Being told to listen to, having a book read to me. And that was great. And every night, I would visit with this individual and just read stories, which was awesome. And then I'd go back to my room. So over the course of several years, meaning seven through 11, the stories got shorter and shorter. Okay. And what I mean by that is the sexual exploration of the individual started to happen with me. So he was at an age that I think he was exploring his sexuality and decided to experiment with me. Now, because this was a family member, I really, truly believed that this is what you would do with a family member because of the nature of the grooming. It was pleasant. I wasn't afraid. I wasn't hesitant. I really just thought that everything he asked me to do was what other family members do with family members. And I never really talked about it as it wasn't explained to me by this individual that it was something to hide or not talk about. It just never really came up in, like, general conversation with my friends or with my parents or even with my other family members. So around, yeah, I guess around 10, 11 is when it got a little more aggressive and a little more intense. And the nature of the abuse, and I'll say then the grooming, went from touching to then true exploration minus penetration. Oh, boy. So I was specifically groomed to offer fellatio in a very specific way. And that process, and I say this with great detail, was, you know, horrifying now looking back. But at the time, you know, being a child and not understanding what is happening, I had the need to please. That was kind of instilled in me at that point. And at the direction of that individual, I mean, I can't tell you the rounds and rounds of practice I was forced to do to get it right by that individual. And because I think my nature, you know, was a competitive one. I played sports very early. I started playing basketball, you know, at the age of, like, five. Oh, wow. And I always, yeah. I mean, remember, I grew up with three brothers, so I was like your, you know, roundaway girl, tomboy. And I really aim to please. I really like to win. So in those environments of that grooming and abuse, I kind of put all of my effort into doing it right. And I got to tell you that grooming and that abuse stayed with me even till today and has come out in so many different ways throughout my life, through my relationships with men, through my relationships with women, through my relationships at work as it relates to men and how I interact. So it left a devastating impact. But at the same time, this is the part that I think for folks gets confusing, is I'm not even upset about it. Meaning, I don't want that person punished. I don't want that person to go to jail. I don't want that person to have any harm come to them. And that might sound like, why wouldn't you want that? I mean, they're a pedophile and they should be stopped, right? Yeah, but, okay, let me ask you a question. Yeah, well, you answered your own question, but you're actually going to tell us why wouldn't you want that person to be talked to, counseled? Why wouldn't you? Sure. It's not that I don't want them to. I think as a result of how all of that activity transpired, as I mentioned earlier, I'm a modern-day hippie and have a very strong belief in spirituality, which is, in my opinion, not of this world. I heavily believe in karma. I was going to ask you that. Do you believe in karma? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, man. Wow. Yeah. So that individual I tracked and followed for many years and have come to find out the devastation in their own life and the things that took place in their life as a result of their bad doings. And I say that, again, this only applies to me, in my opinion, in my experience. I'm not suggesting this is how others need to think or believe. But for me, in terms of a reprimand or a punishment, it is happening daily to that person. Okay. Wow. Wow. Wow. The karmic retribution, right? Yeah. Yeah. Cause and effect. Absolutely. And something that's important that I want to share with you is as a result of that experience and being exposed to something too early in life to then understand the ramifications, I didn't become a promiscuous child. I didn't become a promiscuous teenager, nor did I become a promiscuous adult. But it put me in the category of trusting men in the most inappropriate ways. And women. Okay. Trusting men and women in the most inappropriate ways. I'm trying to filter that. What does, can you expand on that? Sure. Sure, absolutely. What I mean by that is because I was a remarkably, I think, beautiful child to the public, I had often been socially groomed to accept the advances of men and women when out in public. 

so what do you think

• “© 2026 Bill Clarke. All rig

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   Welcome to “ScrambledEggs&Ham”—the podcast that highlights the resilience and strength of individuals who have faced life-altering health challenges, including cancer, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), and neurodiversity. Each episode dives into their personal journeys, revealing how they transformed adversity into growth, empowerment, stroke recovery, and lasting change.

Hi, my name is Bill Clark. I'm the host of the Scrambled Eggs and Ham podcast. And you know, life can change in an instant. One moment, you're cruising along, and the next, boom, everything scrambles. Welcome to the Scrambled Eggs and Hams. It's the podcast that cracks open the real conversations about strokes, health, depression, recovery, and resilience. There was just a basic confusion about why is this happening to me. I thought I was doing everything right. You know, I wasn't stressed out, but I do have high blood pressure and diabetes. And at the time, I did come, when I had my first stroke, I did come out in the kitchen to check my blood pressure, which was high. It was 170 something. Wow, that's high. And my sugar was also 183. And I was like, what are you doing? You know, so those were the mechanisms that made me say, you need to go to the hospital. So whether you're a survivor, a caregiver, or just someone who wants to understand the twists and turns of the human brain, we're here to keep it real. No scapegoating, just honest talk, expert insights, and stories that inspire.

https://buymeacoffee.com/bill1

Prepare to be inspired as we explore the incredible power of the human spirit.

“Health is not merely the absence of illness. A truly healthy life is one of creativity—where we continue to challenge ourselves, create, and move forward, expanding our horizons for as long as we live.”

— The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 1 (Revised Edition), p. 248

© 2026 DreamEffortTenacity LLC / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

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Episode Title: Don't Walk Away: Finding the Person Beyond Alzheimer'sHost: Bill ClarkeGuest: Marilyn Raichle, author of Don't Walk Away: A Care Partner's Journey

Bill Clarke:Welcome to another episode of Scrambled Eggs & Ham.
Tonight, I'm going to be the scrambled eggs, and Marilyn, you're going to be the ham. I hope you like ham!
Our special guest this evening is Marilyn Raichle, author of the remarkable book Don't Walk Away: A Care Partner's Journey.
Marilyn was kind enough to send me a copy of her book, and after reading it, I can honestly say it is one of the most moving books I've read in a long time. It's deep, it's honest, it's heavy in all the right ways, and it truly touched my heart.
Let me read something from the back cover because it captures the heart of her story.
"She grew up in the shadow of Alzheimer's. Nearly everyone in Dad's family and many in Mom's developed the disease. Mom warned us, 'Keep your distance. Your father and I will be in a safe place. There's nothing more you can do. So walk away. We won't remember you. Live your life and don't sacrifice it for us.'
I believed her.
As I began my caregiver journey with Mom, I saw only loss, not the person. Heard only confusion, not the thoughts. Everything changed in an instant.
Then Mom began to paint."
Marilyn, thank you so much for joining me on the Scrambled Eggs & Ham podcast.

Marilyn Raichle:My pleasure. Thank you for inviting me.

Bill:I really appreciate you sharing your time with us and with our listeners.
There's so much in this book that resonated with me. One part that especially touched me was your mother's painting because I'm also a painter. After my stroke, painting became part of my own recovery. I know firsthand how art can reconnect us with ourselves.
So I'd like to begin with the question that stayed with me after finishing your book.
Your mother repeatedly told you to walk away.
What happened inside you that made you decide to walk toward your parents instead?

Marilyn:Well... with huge reluctance.
There were five children in our family, and Mom told all of us over and over again to walk away if this ever happened.
We believed her.
That was the family plan.
Then I went away to graduate school. When I came back, it was during the recession, and there simply weren't any jobs.
My family got together and said,
"Okay... we're going to pool our resources, we'll keep your phone on, and you're going to become the family caregiver."
Well... suddenly I had a job.
Not the job I wanted.
Not one that paid very well.
But it was a job.
I couldn't walk away.
The truth is...
I wasn't a very good caregiver.
Every day I'd hear Mom's words in the back of my mind telling me,
"Walk away."
I'd spend my visits looking at the clock.
I didn't know anything about caregiving because I never intended to become one.
For that first year, though, Mom and Dad were still my parents, and we all wanted the best for each other.
Mom wanted the best for Dad.
Dad wanted the best for Mom.
Then everything changed when Dad died.

Bill:Let me ask you something.
Did your father also have Alzheimer's?

Marilyn:He had Parkinson's disease, and Parkinson's can also cause dementia.
He likely would have developed Alzheimer's-type dementia had he lived longer because it was in his family as well.
Both of my parents needed care.
I always want to make something very clear.
I was not a full-time home caregiver.
Those caregivers have the hardest job imaginable.
My parents lived in a wonderful community where their daily care needs were met.
My role was different.
I helped them stay connected to the world.
I took them to medical appointments.
I advocated for them.
At first, I wasn't very good at it.
But over time, I stopped fighting the experience and slowly became better.

Marilyn:When Dad died, he was eighty-nine.
My brother, my sister, Mom, and I were all in the room.
Mom happened to be asleep.
We debated whether we should wake her.
We thought,
"If she won't remember... are we just going to make her relive this every day?"
But they'd been married for seventy-two years.
So we woke her.

Bill:Seventy-two years.
That's incredible.

Marilyn:It really was.
What surprised me most was seeing my mother cry.
I'd never seen her cry before.
You have to understand our family.
We were Scottish Calvinists.
There was an unwritten rule:
You do not cry.
If you cried, it suggested you didn't believe the person was going to Heaven.
So...
you simply didn't cry.

Bill:If crying wasn't allowed...
how did people grieve?

Marilyn:Honestly...
they didn't.
Our family was emotionally very restrained.
Emotions were considered an indulgence.
You swallowed them.
You simply kept going.
There were no funerals.
No memorial services.
No public grieving.
I once asked Mom why.
She said,
"Because it's showy."
That was simply how our family operated.
When someone died...
life just moved on.

Bill:That's an incredibly different way of looking at loss.

Marilyn:It was.
The next morning, I visited Mom.
She remembered Dad had died.
We talked about him.
The following morning...
she remembered again.
Then on the third morning I found her lying in bed crying.
She looked at me and said,
"I just want to be with your father."
Without thinking, I answered exactly the way the younger version of my mother might have.
I said,
"Well Mom... you should have thought of that before you spent your whole life taking such good care of yourself."
She laughed.
Then she smiled and said,
"Well... that's life."
From that moment forward...
it was almost as if she placed her grief in a small box and chose to reconnect with the world.

Marilyn:She was terribly bored.
So I took her to a painting class designed for people living with memory loss.
Neither of us expected much.
Then she painted something beautiful.
I was stunned.
So we went back.
Again and again.
That's when I realized something remarkable.
My mother was still there.
She still had imagination.
She still had humor.
She still had joy.

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Today’s guest is Dantes Chapman, returning for a follow-up conversation about where life has taken him since our last appearance together.

In his first visit, Dantes spoke openly about living with bipolar disorder. This time, we focus on the present—how he’s doing today, what he’s learned along the way, and how music continues to shape his life as an artist.

We talk about personal growth, mental health, creativity, and the challenge of staying balanced while pursuing your goals. Dantes shares insights from his journey, his outlook on life today, and how music—whether R&B, rap, or other influences—serves as both a creative outlet and a way to connect with others.

During our conversation, Dantes also addresses misconceptions people may have about him. As an artist, he explains that songwriting often reflects emotions, observations, and stories rather than personal actions or experiences. He emphasizes that creative expression should not be confused with reality and that people sometimes project their own fears or assumptions onto artists.

We also discuss loss, family, resilience, and the importance of remaining true to yourself despite outside criticism. Throughout the conversation, Dantes returns to a central message: stay focused on growth, stay positive, and keep moving forward.

In this episode:

• Life today with bipolar disorder
 • Personal growth and self-reflection
 • Mental health and resilience
 • Music, creativity, and artistic expression
 • Dealing with misunderstandings and public perception
 • Family, loss, and perseverance
 • Lessons learned since our last conversation

This is a candid conversation about growth, perseverance, and the ongoing work of becoming the person you want to be.

Please welcome back to ScrambledEggs&Ham — Dantes Chapman.

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© 2026 Bill Clarke / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

Good evening, hi, this is Bill Clark, and I'm the host of the Scrambled Eggs and Ham podcast. And tonight, we're gonna cover what you don't know about multiple sclerosis, or as you might know as MS. And this evening, we have a superwoman on the phone with us. Her name is Carla. Carla Basanti, is that correct? Yeah, she's a superwoman. She is from the Kessler Foundation,is that correct? Wow, so Carla is a superwoman. Why I say Carla is a superwoman, actually, I'm the scrambled egg tonight and Carla's the ham. So I hope you like ham, Carla. Okay. No, you're very kind. Thank you for being, taking this interview with me. So, so Carla, there's so many things. I looked at your bio, and that's why I say you're a superwoman. You are a cancer survivor, is that correct? Okay, that's right, that's right. That's very positive thinking. And I also, you know, I think that way too, you know, let's just keep going and get off the off-ramp and get back on and just keep moving forward, you know, out to sea, out to sea. So, you know, you did a lot of research. You focused very much on MS research, is that correct? Oh, wonderful. Right. Right. Hold on a second. Carla, what is that? Can you explain that to the audience? What is exoskeleton?

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© 2026 DreamEffortTenacity LLC / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

Today’s conversation is important because it reminds us that not every struggle is visible, and not every hard day has a clear explanation.

I’m joined by Sheri Melody. Sheri is not a stroke survivor, but her story matters deeply here because mental and emotional health plays a huge role in how we cope, how we support others, and how we survive difficult seasons.

Sheri, thank you for being here.

Sheri:

Thank you for having me. I’m glad to be here — and a little nervous.

Bill:

Nervous is more than okay here.

Sheri, you’ve been open about living with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Can you talk a little about what hard days look like for you?

Sheri:

Hard days are the ones where everything feels heavier than it should.

Even simple things take effort — decisions, focus, motivation. Sometimes my mind just won’t slow down, and other times it feels like it’s shut off completely.

From the outside, people might not notice anything is wrong. But inside, it can feel overwhelming.

Bill:

That invisible part is so important. A lot of people listening — especially caregivers, survivors, and family members — know what it’s like to carry something others can’t see.

There’s often pressure to “push through” or “stay positive,” but that’s not always realistic.

Sheri:

Exactly. And that pressure can make things worse.

Some days, just getting through the day is the accomplishment. And learning to accept that took time.

I had to learn that rest isn’t failure, and needing support doesn’t mean I’m weak.

Bill:

That’s such an important message.

On this show, we talk a lot about resilience — not the Instagram version, but the real kind. The kind that shows up quietly, on days when no one’s clapping.

What helps you get through those days?

Sheri:

Being honest with myself.

Letting myself say, “Today is hard,” without judging it.

And leaning on people I trust. Even just one person who understands can make a difference.

Bill:

That honesty is powerful.

And it connects directly to what so many people listening are dealing with — whether they’re recovering from a stroke, supporting someone who is, or managing their own mental health.

Sheri, what would you want someone listening — someone having a really hard day — to hear right now?

Sheri:

I’d want them to know they’re not broken.

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.

And tomorrow doesn’t have to be solved today.

Bill:

That’s beautifully said.

Sheri, thank you for sharing your story and your honesty. Conversations like this remind us that strength doesn’t always look like progress — sometimes it just looks like staying.

• “© 2026 Bill Clarke. All rights reserved.”
• 
  
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Kelli tells her story about the event that changed  her life.

Stroke survivor stories, brain injury recovery, post-stroke confidence, neurorehab inspiration, Scrambled Eggs & Ham Podcast, DreamEffortTenacity, Bill Clarke

• “© 2026 Bill Clarke. All rights reserved.”
• © 2026 DreamEffortTenacity LLC / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bill1

https://www.sgi-usa.org/basics-of-buddhism/

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© 2026 Bill Clarke / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

© 2026 DreamEffortTenacity LLC / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

Recovery isn’t just healing.

It’s a decision.

A decision to leave behind a version of yourself
 that you thought was permanent.

A decision to step into uncertainty.

A decision to move forward… even when it hurts.

And yeah… sometimes it does hurt.

Sometimes the dream feels like pain.
 Sometimes the process feels like loss.

But there’s something else in that space too.

There’s movement.
 There’s possibility.
 There’s a version of you forming…
 that didn’t exist before.

Pause.

So if you’re listening right now…

and you feel like you’re standing at your own edge…

and part of you is scared…

and part of you knows you can’t stay where you are…

Maybe that’s your moment.

Maybe that’s your harbor.

And maybe… just maybe…

you’re more ready than you think.

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Bill (Host):

Because a lot of people do not survive TBIs, I want to start here. Irene, can you tell the audience how this event happened in your life? How did it occur?

Irene:

I’m very glad to be on your podcast and to be able to talk about it, because you’re right—many people don’t understand what a traumatic brain injury really looks like. It’s one of those invisible injuries, and most people are honestly perplexed by it.

For me, it happened seven years ago to the day—November 19th. I had a catastrophic fall in the parking lot on my way to work. I slipped on black ice, fell face-first, and hit my head on the ground. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was unconscious for a while. When I finally woke up, I went inside thinking, “That was a nasty fall,” but assuming I was still okay. I wasn’t.

Bill:

You said you quickly realized you were not okay. What was happening that made you notice something was different—about your thinking, your perception, your life?

Irene:

It was a difficult time already. I was struggling at work, dealing with health issues. I had an appointment that very afternoon to start the process for bariatric surgery. And we were moving to a new office building.

And that new building… honestly, I believe that’s how this happened. At the old building, they salted the parking lot well. At the new one—they didn’t. I stepped onto a patch of ice and fell. If we were still at our old building, someone would have seen me. But at this new site, no one saw a thing.

When I got inside, my boss thought I was late just because I overslept or something. Meanwhile, I had been lying unconscious in the parking lot.

Bill:

So you were outside on the ground, alone? No one came out to help?

Irene:

No one. Not a single person saw me fall or helped me. That was terrifying in hindsight.

Bill:

And this was in Detroit?

Irene:

In Southfield, our neighboring city. And it was cold. We had something unusual that day—freezing fog. The roads and the parking lots were coated. I had ice on my windshield when I left home. But I didn’t expect the ground itself to be a sheet of black ice.

Bill:

So you go inside, trying to function, trying to push through. What happened next?

Irene:

I went to the ladies’ room to regroup and ended up just crying. Everything hurt. My head hurt. My body hurt. Something inside me said, “This is not normal.” But I kept thinking, “I’ve got to get to work.” You don’t expect that one step—one fall—can change your life instantly. But it did.

Bill:

The symptoms—when did they start showing up fully?

Irene:

The next day. That’s when it hit me—this is serious. My entire body was in pain. My mind felt off. I couldn’t think straight.

Bill:

And you were in IT, right? A systems and business analyst?

Irene:

Yes, I was. But I never went back to work. Not once. The TBI took me out of the workforce completely. After the ER visit, I started seeing doctors, and eventually I saw a neurologist. Everything changed after that fall.

#TBI #TraumaticBrainInjury #StrokeAndTBI #BrainInjuryAwareness #HealingJourney #Buddhism #NamMyohoRengeKyo #Chanting 

• “© 2026 Bill Clarke. All rights reserved.”
  © 2026 DreamEffortTenacity LLC / ScrambledEggs&Ham. All rights reserved.

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At 6 am in the morning Joe Concato was in bed, when heard a loud noise. It sounded like it came from down stairs.  He jumped up and rushed to see what happened, and found his wife laying at the bottom of the stairs.  

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