The Identity Project; a My Why Podcast

Thank you to the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation for sponsoring this episode. We are streaming weekly in over 15 countries and have been downloaded over 7000 times! Thank YOU for your support. If you like what you here be sure to spread the word, reach out, suggest someone you would like to hear on the cast and subscribe!

MEET, Jessica Pickford.

1:00: Meet Jessica

2:00: Jessica shares about the social media post she recently shared that was all about crushing comfort zones.

2:20: Jessica reads the post.

2:45: What the word different means to Jessica...

3:05: Not fair to feel shame...

5:50: "No one watching knows that I have a prosthetic arm."

6:24: "Successful people stand out." Why and how this sticks with Jessica.

10:35: Any regrets about opening up?

14:33: Massive action time... "It's my turn."

22:10: Past relationship discussion and the idea of "thriving" in a relationship. "I need someone to push me and challenge me."

23:10 Finding yourself and getting out of a relationship that wasn't right

28:19 Resiliency and how it affects different people

29:00 Jessie shares about "thriving" stands out to her

34:00 Kristen shares about her experience with a hidden disability

46:11 Kristen shares about the kindness comes from a place of surviving the tough stuff

46:31: Jessica shares about her attraction to people in need

57:03 How horses provide calm...

1:01:00 COVID and how life doesn't stop on the farm... "emotionally though this is weird."

THANK YOU JESSICA!

THIS CAST IS SPONSORED BY the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation www.lrhf.ca OR www.lloydminstermentalhealth.ca

The LRHF is passionate about health care in the Lloydminster region! They offer a variety of ways for YOU to get involved with the health of our region. We ask that you check out their website and consider donating to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

0:20 Thank you to the LRHF

1:00 Introduction to Meredith Rhinas

1:42 Kristen shares about her similar circumstances with heart struggles and asks Meredith about her experience in the ICU

2:24 Meredith was born with a congenital heart defect, she always knew she would have to have surgery- SOME DAY

2:49 The diagnosis

4:45 Trusting the system... advocating for ourselves in the health care and medical system

9:00 Things are getting serious

9:33 Getting through the tough feelings... "this sucks"

14:45 When critically important medical results weren't communicated

20:00 Balance

25:00 "Left hanging" and anger... anxiety

30:00 "The jist of it was I shouldn't have had another baby..." Now, how can I deliver safely

31:20 Processing feelings of feeling like Meredith failed

39:27 Discussions about mental health and defining moments. "That day was one of the hardest days of my life."

48:48 Going into the surgery and how Meredith's husband handled the surgery... "We thought this was going to be the easy part, but unfortunately."

50:00 Massive heart attack: "During the surgery there was a complication where my coronary artery was crushed. They didn't realize that had happened until..."

56:30 "The moments I was most nervous about. I had a bad feeling." Writing letters to the children, do it or don't

1:11:57 The Why's and "Thriving"

1:24:40 Social media as a creative outlet

What now...

Thank you to Meredith for sharing with us and we look forward to having you back!

Today we talk with business coach and female entrepreneur Ashley Meadahl. She is empowering women to build a business and life they LOVE. She is host of the Glow Getter Podcast and she is an inspirational follow on social media: @ashleymeadahl

Questions we address:

How are you pivoting in these difficult times to make space to grow and keep your lives/businesses afloat?

Are you able, willing and wanting to pivot?

Do you create space in your day to reflect on what is important to you? Do you goal set?

2:00: Getting to know Ashley. What brought you to this career path?

3:38: Sense of adventure? How do you take big risks?

5:22: When your path changes...

9:50: Ashley is the definition of choosing their life. Ashley shares about "climbing mountains"

12:09: Ashley discusses experience with "burnouts?"

16:00: Getting past the fears and this 'current climate'

18:20: What to do when you are "STUCK"!

18:31: The grief process of our regular routines

21:00: Pivoting... Jessie shares examples of pivoting she is seeing. Steep learning curves and how passion seems to lead to more of a willingness to pivot

22:00: "Everything is figure-out-able."

22:20: Only pivot when it "lights you up."

22:45: When new doors open... What works for us... What doesn't. There will be other "doors".

23:04: Ashley shares about what makes her excited about this new climate

26:00: The reset...

29:13: Lessons in tough times; burnout, rest

32:37: Kristen asks: How do you take time off?

36:50: The "Why's" (Ashley shares her My Why's)

39:25: What is next for Ashley?

My Why would like to thank the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation for sponsoring this podcast. More information available after the show notes on how you can get involved in the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation.

Melissa is a Registered Nurse and Manager literally at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis in Phoenix, Arizona. Melissa is originally from Canada and received her Bachelor of Nursing in 2000. She spent the next 5 years travelling around the US as a travel Nurse, from New Mexico to California to Arizona before settling down in Phoenix Arizona. Currently, she is the Manager of a pulmonary unit in a large hospital and with this current global pandemic, she has had to make some extreme shifts in her personal and professional life.

During this Coronavirus Pandemic, Melissa’s unit has been designated to care for the COVID-19 positive patients. The My Why team sits down with Melissa to discuss.

2:00- Melissa talks about why she went into nursing and how her passion evolved

3:50- Melissa talks about the changes in her unit as the adjusts the hospital adjusts to the influx of COVID-19 patients

7:35- Melissa discusses Personal Protective Equipment for her hospital (PPE)

8:15- N95 and surgical masks are discussed

9:15- Jessie asks Melissa to talk about delivering the news that her staff on the unit would be responsible for caring for COVID-19 positive patients

11:00- Melissa shares her views on the virus and how they have changed as a healthcare professional

13:10- Kristen asks Melissa to share what the staff is feeling and what it is like to work and manage a unit designated to patients testing positive to COVID-19

18:00- The women discuss how the staff is coming together and the community is rallying around healthcare professionals in the face of these challenges

19:30- Symptoms of COVID-19 that Melissa is seeing are discussed

22:30- Discuss how there is no evidence-based medication or treatment that is proven for COVID-19 and what is possible in the future for clinical studies and trials

25:00-Melissa talks about census and how the status of patients are changing all the time

28:00- Jessie asks Melissa about her thought on the media's influence

26:00- Politics and large group congregations are discussed

30:00- Kristen asked Melissa to discuss what personal sacrifices she has made

28:40- Melissa talks about not seeing her daughter for weeks and her staff not being able to see family

31:00- Media in America is discussed while social distancing and how we can be more mindful of our actions to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus

33:50- gloves and surgical masks for the general population are discussed

36:00- Healthcare professionals and mental health are discussed. The women talk about nursing as a calling however it can be draining on mental health...

37:00- Melissa discusses her "Why's" during this global pandemic

43:00- Melissa talks about what makes her hopeful for the future

The Lloydminster Region Health Foundation would like to thank our local healthcare team who responded so quickly to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our local hospital leaders moved fast to secure life-saving supplies for our frontline staff and within days our hospital had a strong stock of life- saving supplies from the local community. This happened because of you, our donors. Thanks to the strong support from all our donors over many years, our frontline workers are empowered to care for all of us through the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation.

If you are looking for ways to help, a COVID-19 Emergency Fund has been started. While there is no pressure to give in these uncertain times, we are taking donations to cover various items that have already been purchased and still need to be purchased including:

- Personal Protective Equipment

- iPads for isolated residents and patients

- Care Packages for Staff

- Optiflow Machines

- Food, Coffee and Meals for Staff

- Room Monitors

- Mobile Carts and Shelves for

THIS CAST IS SPONSORED BY the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation www.lrhf.ca OR www.lloydminstermentalhealth.ca

The LRHF is passionate about health care in the Lloydminster region! They offer a variety of ways for YOU to get involved with the health of our region. We ask that you check out their website and consider donating to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

We are excited to share that we have hit over 6000 downloads and are now telling stories in over 10 countries each and every Wednesday! We welcome you to subscribe and share our casts! We appreciate you!

Our guest today is the one and only Dr. Hassan Masri. He is an Canadian and American Board certified ICU specialist and a PROUD Saskatchewan resident. Join us as we talk about everything from the Humboldt bus tragedy to the coronavirus. This is a cast YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS.

You can follow Dr. Hassan Masri on Instagram at @hassmaz

THEMES: The Humboldt Bronco bus tragedy, COVID-19, "The Vacuum" and more..

Introduction: Thank you to Jess Tetu and information on the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation. We want to send a big thank you to the The Lloydminster Region Health Foundation for sponsoring this episode! They would like to thank our local healthcare team who responded so quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our local hospital leaders moved fast to secure life-saving supplies for our frontline staff and within days our hospital had a strong stock of life- saving supplies from the local community. This happened because of generous donors.

If you are looking for ways to help, a COVID-19 Emergency Fund has been started. While there is no pressure to give in these uncertain times, we are taking donations to cover a variety items that have already been purchased and still need to be purchased.

https://www.lrhf.ca/donate/ (https://www.lrhf.ca/donate/)

We also welcome you to learn more about blood, tissue and organ donation in Canada on the Government of Canada website.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/healthy-living/blood-organ-tissue-donation.html (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/healthy-living/blood-organ-tissue-donation.html)

3:26: Welcome Dr. Hassan Masri!

4:00: Why Medicine?

5:06: Mentorship and going the extra mile

5:22: Being beyond a "doctor"

5:50: Growing up and how the path started

6:16: When it clicked, the start of saving lives

6:31: "This is no joke. I just saved someones life."

7:10: Making a huge difference and no one knows... finding the meaning of it all

7:32: Being beyond just the doctor

9:55: Jessie's personal experience with Dr. Hassan's bed side manner

10:25: Pride in Saskatoon and in Saskatchewan

14:21: "I can't do anything if you don't trust me."

14:40: April 6, 2018 "changed the way I looked at Saskatchewan."

17:30: Entering the ICU before knowing about the Humboldt Bronco bus accident

18:00: Hoping this is a minor accident and no one is seriously injured... then news starts coming in about the severity of what happened. "This is more than what I ever wanted to sign up for."

21:00: Permission to share about his interactions over Bed 6 and "Logan"

23:00: The continuation of the "Logan Effect"

23:50: Team work

26:41: Delivering the news to Logan's parents...

27:35: Can we save other people

31:29: Surge in organ donations (70%)

31:40: "Logan saving more lives than I will in years!"

35:05: When emotions enter into medicine. Dr. Masri shares how his emotions and mental health are affected by his important work

40:35: Jokes, humour and its okay to have a sad day.

43:00: Listening to his patients... common-sense and thinking of hospital rooms as someones residence

Transitioning to COVID-19.

46:00: The words to describe everything we are going through right now. How this is going to be humbling. How things have evolved since first hearing about the virus.

48:10: FREE PRESS in a free society.

51:40: How serious is this virus?

51:51: Positives from tragedies...

54:27: What you are

Today the My Why team comes in via Zoom to share lessons from home and what the word auto-immune means to them! Next week we welcome a registered respiratory nurse from Phoenix, Arizona who is in the middle of the tough work and decisions facing health professionals all over the world. Thank you for your support.

4:30-Jessie talks about missing each other and what life lessons we may learn through social distancing

5:30- Kristen asks Jessie about her autoimmune issues

7:10-Jessie talks about journey with auto-immune hepatitis

9:59-Jessie talks about her treatment regime and medication

10:09- Various autoimmune issues are discussed like lupus, vasculitis and MS and type 1 diabetes

15:30- Kristen and Jessie discuss how important movement is in autoimmune management

17:00- Jessie and Kristen discuss the lessons that covid-19 and sheltering in place are teaching them

17:30- Kristen talks about stroke and post stroke fatigue.

20:00- Jessie talks about her older brothers death and her own bucket list and shifting to making memories at home

22:00- You don’t have to hustle for your worth

24:00- Kristen discusses that life is a process and we need to learn lessons over and over again

24:30- Jessie talks about having a friend that makes you accountable

26:00- Kristen talks about her love of nursing and how its evolved into what she is doing now

30:00- Kristen talks about what autoimmune looks like for her: septic shock and celulitis, seizures and pneumonia

34:30- Kristen talks about neutropenia and inability to create neutrophils and fight off infection

35:33- 80 types of autoimmune diseases and symptoms are discussed

37:35- Surrendering and learning the lessons

40:00- Jessie discusses losing people and understanding that lessons come from that.

44:30- Kristen and Jessie discuss staying connected and loving despite loss, living a life that is meaningful. Better to have loved and lost than have never loved at all

46:10- Make your pain worth it

46:36- Quote: "When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself."

49:10- Favourite time of day

50:00- In closing and thank YOU

Welcome Maryn! This is a heavy one today but a story we are so honoured to share. Maryn is a survivor of a violent physical and sexual assault... and she is taking this time in her life and turning it into a platform to speak out, support others and rise up as an advocate for others.

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DISCLAIMER

Listener discretion is advised. This podcast shares a true story that contains descriptions of a mature nature which may cause discomfort and/or trigger sensitive thoughts in some people. Please seek help from a trained professional or call 911 in emergencies.

1:28- 22 is the best age...

2:00- Maryn growing up on a cattle ranch

3:45- Lessons learned in rural Saskatchewan (respect, hard work)

4:33- Take care of things and always do your best

6:23- Hard to fit in as a teenager, the blow up of social media

8:37- Maryn is a physical and sexual assault survive

8:50- July 14th, 2018 "I woke up... it was a Saturday."

11:08- Maryn was stabbed 6 times

11:21- Maryn describes the assault... (Please take care in listening to this. Protect yourself and reach out to someone if this triggers anything for you.)

11:55- It seemed like hours and hours... the concept of time during something like this

12:42- Pulling herself up, considering the ambulance and then the decision to drive herself to the hospital

15:09- They asked if I was in a care accident and I said "No, I was raped."

15:27- Damage control...

17:33- "I was pretty beat up."

20:00- Stepping up to be an advocate and shining an uncomfortable light on herself for others

23:00- "I was so uncomfortable." The effects of medication and the start of the healing process.

26:30- The struggle for the first half of a year after the assault

26:43- The pain still exists.

30:08- The start of the writing process and sharing her thoughts, making it softer for others

36:50- The bad days that still come... What to do when times are still tough.

39:56- Finding and owning that connection to your body... TAKE YOUR POWER BACK

43:20- Trying to get back to loving your body... the building blocks

46:05- The trailblazers...

49:10- The fur friends and the connection to animals. "It's like a drug."

53:00- How this happens to others... not just the survivors. "I can't help but think of the people who had to deal with what happened to me."

56:12- "I will die on that hill." (Pride for health care professionals)

56:31- What are Maryn's list of the "My Why's"

59:00- What is next for Maryn

1:00:00- The questions we leave you with...

We welcome you to follow along on Maryn's journey by viewing her blog and pieces of writing.

BLOG: https://www.wickedeloquence.com/home/this-isnt-your-grandmothers-valentines-day-blog-post (https://www.wickedeloquence.com/home/this-isnt-your-grandmothers-valentines-day-blog-post)

BLOG: https://www.marynsutherland.com/ (https://www.marynsutherland.com/)

Please reach out if you are in need.

The Government of Canada website states: "Half of all Canadians are fit to donate blood, but only 1 in 60 Canadians gave blood last year. Our organ donation rates are also lower than many countries, including the United States. (March 2020)" We have information on donating below after show notes...

April is organ donation awareness month and to honour this important event we have organ donor Mrs. Ceanna MacDonald in to share what it was like donating her kidney to then boyfriend, Duncan. She is real and raw and this is a cast you do not want to miss...

PLEASE NOTE: Dates discussed in this podcast have changed due to COVID-19. Unfortunately many of the events have been cancelled. However, we can still support worthy causes from home!

1:30 How did Ceanna and Duncan meet?

3:10 How did the disease factor into your early relationship?

4:11 "You need a donor."

5:00 "You could see your future and then..."

5:25 Extreme exhaustion but making the most of life

7:35 "We were never told this."

7:47 Peritonial Dialysis

8:40 Regular life must go on

10:50 Calling in to donate

10:58 "He didn't want me to donate."

12:38 Getting the call you aren't a match

12:57 The difference three hours can make

15:25 The white coats...

15:45 The support group

17:20 Medications for this donation

20:18 Rarity of the disease and chemo medications

23:05 Pregnancy risks?

24:46 What do you wish you would have known?

27:36 "I thought I was going to loose him."

27:51 What would you tell someone interested in donating?

30:40 Local events and broadening your circle

Some information may have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Becoming a Donor in Saskatchewan: (found March 2020)

Add an Organ and Tissue Donor sticker to your Saskatchewan Health Services card and sign the Intention to Donate card (available from eHealth Saskatchewan by calling 1-800-667-7551.) Talk to your family​ about your decision to be a donor, so they can support your wishes.

Information from: https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/organdonation (https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/organdonation)

Becoming A Donor in Alberta: (found March 2020)

To give consent to be an organ or tissue donor in Alberta you must be 18 or older: register on the Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry(AOTDR), and mail or fax a copy of your completed (dated, signed, and witnessed) donation consent form (as per Human Tissue and Organ Donation Act) to Alberta Health, or.

Information from: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/pages/otdrhome.aspx (https://myhealth.alberta.ca/pages/otdrhome.aspx)

We are honoured to have Candice Willetts on the cast today. She is an endlessly talented makeup and hair artist and a boss babe who continually supports others.

Her social media feeds are ones to follow as they are inspirational and genuine but also funny and educational. Go give her a follow if you haven't already: @candicewillettsmua

0:44 Intro over

1:08 Professional life

2:32 How social media supported businesses growth

4:28 How the business has evolved

5:10 What is important to me... the false illusions

5:26 Imperfection

7:14 Sharing her own health struggles and the reality

7:40 Health wake up calls

9:10 Unable to swallow and doctors visits

12:30 Managing the symptoms

17:04 The struggles with finding the right diet

21:30 The cycles of how we are raised...

25:26 "No amount of guilt can solve the past..."

29:00 The importance of including therapy

29:30 Feeling your surroundings

36:40 Women working with women

41:55 Giving people grace

42:07 Not the same person I once was

49:00 Wear what you want! Shed the fear

52:00 Closing advice from Candice

DISCLAIMER

Listener discretion is advised. This podcast shares a true story that contains descriptions of a mature nature which may cause discomfort and/or trigger sensitive thoughts in some people. Please seek help from a trained professional or call 911 in emergencies.

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We are proud supporters and advocates for Residents in Recovery and today we have a special guest who has benefitted from this incredible organization. Today you will meet Justin, a man who had it all until addiction took over. Surrounding with support and paired with hard work Justin is rebuilding his life with a new outlook.

Resource links for support is at the end of these show notes:

SHOW NOTES:

1:53 Moving from Toronto out to Alberta, family struggles with addiction

4:00 "He had everything."

6:00 Turning 16 and working in the oil industry...

7:57 Loosing a friend

9:20 Processing loss

10:42 Mourning is a process

12:48 Getting lost in the shiny things

13:00 "I am worth more than what is in my bank account."

15:09 Insomnia and using to excess

15:35 Drug use, working and "the means"

18:18 How the addiction "thrived"

18:55 Working twice as hard to use

20:50 Spending time with the wrong people

21:30 When it really got bad...

23:45 Trying to reach out to help

24:10 "You end up alone."

28:54 Starting with treatment centers

29:10 "The effects of drugs don't just go away because you are clean for a week."

29:32 Not following the plan

30:00 The ongoing battle

30:07 "It's not a car wash."

30:53 Losing it all

34:36 The right place at the right time

38:33 "I couldn't do this on my own."

41:23 "The opposite of addiction is connection."

45:00 Addiction stemming from mental health

45:38 "When you took drugs out of my system I had to..."

46:00 "You are chasing something."

48:00 Opening the dialogue

50:00 A work in progress

51:42 Closing advice from Justin...

Tyler's Story (a film by My Why)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI9Octp2k-8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI9Octp2k-8)

Residents in Recovery:

https://www.residentsinrecovery.com/ (https://www.residentsinrecovery.com/)

Lloydminster Mental Health

http://lloydminstermentalhealth.ca/ (http://lloydminstermentalhealth.ca/)

Canadian Mental Health

https://cmha.ca/ (https://cmha.ca/)