Episode 32: Peripheral Friends

Sometimes, support comes from the places you least expect it. The crisis that had Archer in a Silent Scream has passed, at least for now, but Louise has no more answers from the medical team than she did yesterday. She’s also worried about all the narcotics her son has been prescribed. The nurses tell her to ask the doctors, but even the doctors aren’t forthcoming. She isn’t alone, though, not really. This episode is about the friends, even those on the outskirts of our lives, who support us when we can’t support ourselves anymore — sometimes even literally, in the case of Mary Ellen McNally. She questions when to speak up with medical staff and how to do that without alienating or pointing fingers.  And she reflects on life: Faith and hope, and learning when and how to speak up when things don’t feel quite right. 

In this episode, you will hear excerpts of interviews with the following people:

Cathy Giannascoli, a friend in Pennsylvania and the Senft family’s summer neighbor in Cape May, New Jersey.

Mary Ellen McNally, an analytical chemist for Dupont at the time of Archer’s accident, who now works for FMC in their agriculture division. Mary Ellen was one of Louise’s beach friends when Archer was injured on August 5, 2015, in Cape May.

Dr. Raymond Talucci, who was the Acting Chief of Trauma at AtlantiCare Hospital in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the day Archer was medevaced there, and for the duration of his stay.

Join Louise for this episode of Blink of an Eye: Episode 32: Peripheral Friends. August 12. Day 8.

Listen in afterwards to this week’s companion episode for tools to navigate your own traumatic experiences: Trauma Healing Learning: Peripheral Friends where Louise explores secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and addiction, with a special focus on frontline trauma workers and why medical staff might rely so heavily on narcotics for pain management and the deeper implications for trauma healing.

To find out more about Archer, Louise, and this podcast, visit our website at blinkofaneyepodcast.com, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blinkofaneyepodcast, and Twitter @blinkofaneyepod

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Trauma Healing Learning: Peripheral Friends

Frontline trauma workers may be more prone than others to compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and substance abuse, but they aren’t the only ones who might find themselves numbing out. Drawing from her experience teaching conflict transformation to workers in crisis situations, as well as her own experience in the ICU, Louise explores what trauma-informed care might look like for the medical community, and gives reasons to believe that, even in times of trauma and tragedy, there is a way through without losing yourself in the process. Louise also explores why medical staff might rely so heavily on narcotics for pain management, and the deeper implications for trauma healing.

Please share this episode with anyone you know who may be dealing with trauma, past or present. Each week, you can listen to the latest chapter in Archer’s story, then tune in for the companion trauma healing learning episode. If you haven’t already listened to the story behind this lesson, you can find Episode 32: Peripheral Friends wherever you get your podcasts.

To find out more about Archer, Louise, and this podcast, visit our website at blinkofaneyepodcast.com, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blinkofaneyepodcast, and Twitter @blinkofaneyepod

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Trauma Healing Learning: Stay Alert

Louise explores why families’ presence bedside to a loved one in an ICU is one of the strongest risk management secrets for hospitals. She gives tips on how family members can be engaged with medical staff, and why medical staff might want to welcome the input of families, including their questions. Join Louise for this provocative look at how hospitals may transform to be more trauma healing informed. 

Please share this episode with anyone you know who may be dealing with trauma, past or present. Each week, you can listen to the latest chapter in Archer’s story, then tune in for the companion trauma healing learning episode. If you haven’t already listened to the story behind this lesson, you can find Episode 31: Stay Alert wherever you get your podcasts.

To find out more about Archer, Louise, and this podcast, visit our website at blinkofaneyepodcast.com, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blinkofaneyepodcast 

#hopeforeverything   #obtaineverything

Episode 31: Stay Alert

Louise and her family sat at Archer’s bedside every day and every night, caring for him in the aftermath of his accident. Louise recounts various interactions with nurses and doctors, and the conflicting information she was getting and wonders aloud about the danger this was creating for coordinated medical care. You will be inspired to consider your own role as a family member during a medical trauma, especially in an ICU, where there’s so much going on. Can you see yourself as critical to the well-being of your loved one in more ways than loving support? Join her in an episode that might stir up both medical staff and families for harrowing experiences in the ICU. 

In this episode, you will hear excerpts from Louise’s interview with Dr. Raymond Talucci, who was the Acting Chief of Trauma at AtlantiCare Hospital in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the day Archer was medevaced August 5, 2015, and for the duration of his time there. Five years later, in a rare interview experience, Louise and Dr. Talucci talk about harrowing events in ICUs and his experience working in trauma.

Join Louise for this episode of Blink of an Eye: Episode 31: Stay Alert. August 12. Day 8.

Listen in afterwards to this week’s companion episode for tools to navigate your own traumatic experiences: Trauma Healing Learning: Stay Alert where Louise explores why families’ presence bedside to a loved one in an ICU is one of the strongest risk management secrets, and the deeper implications for trauma healing.

To find out more about Archer, Louise, and this podcast, visit our website at blinkofaneyepodcast.com, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blinkofaneyepodcast 

#hopeforeverything   #obtaineverything

Episode 30: The Painful Past Informs Us

As the heat rushed through Louise’s body, she wondered how dark is the place where she and Billy were in their marriage, or was it dark at all? Past conflicts, unresolved anger can surface suddenly engulfing us in their force with strong bodily sensations. Did past trauma play a role in Louise’ trauma with Archer?  Louise steps into the collective traumatic experience we all had after 9-11 and explores how we may not realize the impact that had on us then, and continues to have on us. She explores what is possible and not possible when we are living a trauma. And she explores how the past resides in our bodies and  how the painful past might also provide opportunity and resiliency even in the midst of new trauma.

Join Louise for this episode of Blink of an Eye: Episode 30: The Painful Past Informs Us  August 11 DAY 7. 

Listen in afterwards to Episode 30: The Painful Past Informs Us Trauma Healing Learning. 

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Episode 30: The Painful Past Informs Us Trauma Healing Learning

Past trauma, either personally, or collectively takes a toll on our bodies. It can also give us valuable information to handle current traumatic situations.  We may just need to take the time to pause, get curious and ask, “WHY is this bothering me so much? What am I remembering that is triggering this reaction in my body?” Louise gives us tips on how we can sit and get to the heat of it in order to handle it with grace, head-on.  You may want to share these tips with a friend or family member to begin to digest past traumas, or give a lift to someone going through a traumatic situation now. 

If you haven’t listened already to the story behind this learning, please listen in on Episode 30: The Painful Past Informs Us.   

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Episode 29: Mediation for the Mediator

The volume, the tension, old wounds filled the dining room as Billy and Louise knew they were in trouble and needed to come to some resolution in order to get back to Archer as one unified heart. This is a messy episode. Louise’s trusted and professional friend, Rachel Wohl, was more than a fly on the wall while witnessing two people she cared about in the throws of trauma - she was brought in to help them actually hear each other. Her discomfort in unfamiliar territory also shows the strength of her deep love for the Senft family.

Join Louise for this episode of Blink of an Eye: Episode 29: Mediation for the Mediator  August 10, Day 6. 

Listen in afterwards to Episode 29: Mediation for the Mediator Trauma Healing Learning. 

In this Episode you will hear an interview excerpt from

Rachel Wohl. She is a dear friend of Louise’s. Rachel is a retired lawyer and 

the former Executive Director of the Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office for the Maryland judiciary. She is also a mindfulness teacher and a volunteer mediator in international and social justice. 

 
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Episode 29: Mediation for the Mediator Trauma Healing Learnings

Two steps forward, one step back was the best Billy and Louise could hope for as they were in the throws of mediation to give them strength to pick themselves up again and again after falling apart several times since Archer’s accident. In this trauma healing learnings episode, Louise drives home the importance of bringing in a neutral party to help navigate a crisis - even when it gets very messy, and loud.

You may find tips for yourself, and ones you can share with a friend or family member going through a traumatic situation, tips that can aid in recovery from the trauma. Such tips can also begin to relieve suffering and be the bridge of a partnership. 

If you haven’t listened already to the story behind this learning, please listen in on Episode 29: Mediation for the Mediator. 

Episode 28: Tell Him Everything

Do people remember their near-death experiences? Will telling someone in the hospital everything dash their hopes or empower them?  Put their mind at ease or create despair? What about when it’s your child? This is what Louise and Archer discussed as Archer continued to ask when he would be off the lung machines. Does he want to know everything?  Everything? What about parental boundaries? You’ll also hear the other side of the hospital experience from that of a trauma doctor who assured Louise no one will ever forget working with Archer and her family and how a patient’s trauma has lasting effects on medical staff - both positive and negative. 

Join Louise for this episode of Blink of an Eye: Episode 28: Tell Him Everything August 9 DAY 5 and how to be a witness for each other's truth as we walk together on the trauma integration journey.

Listen in afterwards to what we can learn together about trauma. Episode 28: Tell Him Everything Trauma Healing Learnings

In this episode, you will hear from 

Dr. Raymond Talucci, who was the Acting Chief of trauma at Atlanticare Hospital in Atlantic City, New Jersey the day Archer was medivaced to Atlanticare August 5, 2015, and for the duration of his stay at Atlanticare for 30 days.

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Episode 28: Tell Him Everything Trauma Healing Learnings

Medical information should be complete, forthcoming and easy to digest. But when you have many people at many levels involved in the care of a loved one, they all interpret the truth differently. They may think it’s complete, but they can only share what they understand and what they feel they are permitted to share. Then we have the job to decide how much medical truth is to be shared with not only the patient, but others who are emotionally invested and whom the patient relies upon. Louise walks us through the questions to consider in various scenarios to help us have the conversation before it becomes necessary to have the conversation. And she takes a look at how such conversations might ease the later trauma integration journey. 

If you haven’t listened already to the story behind this learning, please listen in on Episode 28: Tell Him Everything