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Kickoff Episode: Today's topics include addiction, dependence, and quality of life, compared to what it used to be; the delightful CDC guidelines, DEA office raids, and Suicide Due to Pain. Every day for the last thirteen years, Mike has held all of this by the hand, so sometimes he drives his points like nails. After all, they didn't ask for this, but here it is, so here we are. The podcast includes optional homework assignments and internet field trips. Then, stick around for his totally self-indulgent bonus filler where Mike talks about the making of his podcasts, including the soundtrack, and a little over four minutes of what he whipped up for today, mixed down to a sensible arrangement, for what it is. Please Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

The last three chapters and the final episode. I will read the last three chapters: Pain Scales; Acceptance; and Not the End. As for the podcast version of this book, it is the end. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

Everybody needs something to hold onto. In the world of overwhelming symptoms and suicidal ideation, a good lifeline is an anchor to this world. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

In these two chapters, I start realizing what I'm made of, and what it means to be a caregiver spouse. I didn't do this much introspect on purpose, but I never gave certain things this much hind-sighted focus before. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

Today is a little self-therapy, letting multiple personality disorders each play a different instrument, a track at a time. This is some of the music I wrote for the podcast - no reading, just the music. A little rough, but a couple nice mood purges. Enjoy. Track 1: Okey Dokey Not Track 2: the hurts Track 3: Fatigue Performed and produced by the only musician I still get along with, most of the time. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

This is about "the new normal," although most will agree there is nothing normal about this. It's about living with, and adapting to the progression of rare diseases. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

Caregiver spouses tend to ignore their own pains and other general maintenance. The first chapter "My Own Ouches" talks that lesson; "Watching" is about seeing things beyond your control, all of the time, when the nurse is married to the patient, and there is nothing else that can be done today. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

Five talks about finding our tribe hiding in closed Facebook groups; Six is about making it to the movies on Easter. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

An intimate look at suicidal ideation, from the caregiver spouse of a CRPS and EDS patient - two conditions with high suicide casualty rates. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

Living with something horrible that nobody else can see, but I assure you, it's there. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

At this point, we've seen a hell of a lot of doctors and every ER in the Valley to find what is causing Shannon's health problems. Be careful what you wish for.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message

Welcome to Chapter One of "A Well Spouse Love Story: In Sickness and in Health," Podcast Edition. This is a true story. This is our life. The book talks about what we went through to get here, from finding the first diagnosis we didn't want, to now living with multiple chronic illnesses and getting through each day, over a decade later. After a brief introduction, I will read Chapter one in its entirety. A lot of this audience are patients and caregivers living with incurable rare and chronic illnesses many of their doctors don't understand. For a lot of reasons, making it through reading a book has a lot of obstacles. Some folks can't see the ink on the page through their symptoms.  For that reason, I present you this podcast. I will be mentioning a couple outside resources for information about specific disorders. Here are the links:  NINDS CRPS Fact Sheet: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Complex-Regional-Pain-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet The Ehlers-Danlos Society: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/ If you would like to send someone a copy of the paperback, click here. You can also follow on Facebook here. Please enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michael-shriver/message