Episodes

J Smiles chats with Kimberly Cooper, a sandwich generation wife determined to honor her mom's passion for independence even after dementia enters their lives. Kim details her mom's stroke which nudged the cognitive decline. J...

Finally J Smiles has a healthy sleep hygiene routine... and it works, perfectly. Well, she sleeps long and hard. The problem is the depth of slumber unlocks unknown caregiving consternation. She has to decide whether to ditch...

J Smiles takes a big trip to Washington, DC to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is elated to take a such a meaningful vacation. A newbie caregiver at the time, J is looking forward …

For once J is able to get Zetty in the bed before 2am, excited and sound asleep all hell breaks loose when the house alarm blares "intruder alert." J is delirious, rubbing her eyes and trying to determine what to …

J Smiles believes that dating is self care. The problem is she cannot seem to secure a date. She takes the listener on a journey of her pre-caregiver dating existence. After Zetty's ALZ diagnosis, there is so much sacrifice,...

Caregiving is so nuanced. We can identify the major things swiftly -- medicine and food must be consumed; bills paid and so on. What happens when non-harmful modifications appear? Those creature comforts - habits - preference...

Who knew skipping sleep could add up so quickly? Not, J Smiles! What J believed was a supernatural power is now bad for her. She struggles -- yet again -- to accept a monumental shift. Most of her life she …

J Smiles opens Season 2 with a riveting story of personal panic. J wakes up but cannot find Zetty anywhere. On vacation and without her local support system, J scrambles to create a strategy to trace Zetty's steps. But where …

Omar Hamilton joins J Smiles on a deep dive into the life of a child flying blindly into the foggy cognitive abyss of a parent. Omar's dad was living independently and quite self sufficient. Or so everyone thought. Omar, a …

J Smiles and Erika have been thick as theives for over 20 yrs. Howard University and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority cemented their relationship. But as only kids who love to travel, who appreciate fine dining, who have never miss...

Zetty throws J Smiles off with a request for a cell phone. What seems like a simple ask turns into a quest for the holy grail. For Zetty, J soon realizes it is a dignity issue too. J Smiles takes …

Alzheimer's disease is very mysterious. Caregivers are often guessing what their LO's (loved ones) are feeling, experiencing, etc. CG's live a life of magical charades. The first time ALZ shows up in an ordinary daily event c...

Chef Angela (Angela Gorham) joins J Smiles for an in-the-trenches-right-now-conversation. Like J, she is single, childless and her mom's full-time caregiver. Another commonality, another's death made their mother's Alzheimer'...

J Smiles lets listeners meet another main "crew" member, a major supporter on her journey as a caregiver, Monica Cost. Interestingly, their bond started as adults through civic board membership. But wow, did they make up fo...

Caregivers experience quite a few dark, negative emotions. Often they are ashamed to shared such feelings aloud. J Smiles tackles frustration in hopes of normalizing this "negative" expression. She uses a variety of funny and...

Caregivers experience a tsunami of emotions. Positive, negative, neutral, unspeakable. J Smiles tackles resentment. She uses very specific examples of pain and purpose to expose her journey of uncovering this tricky emotion. ...

Routine does not mean regular when it comes to doctors office visits for Zetty. Much to J Smiles dismay, these common appointments are quite eventful. Ever the observant comedic advocate, J Smiles gives the listener a first e...

Quirky, honest storytelling. J Smiles files solo recounting a series of unrelated true events that remind us it will all be okay in the end, one way or another. Each memory spotlights how simple slips into complex and how com...

Choices and options are celebrated all over the world. Everyday we are encouraged to expand more, try more, do more. We are trained to avoid boredom at all cost. And definitely never become too bland or predictable. J Smiles ...

J Smiles moves swiftly to shed light on a normalized bias in the United States that really irks her. The legal marginalization of the elderly. She gives examples of how lawmakers and policy pushers have not included Alzheimer...

J Smiles lets listeners meet one of her main crew members, one her biggest supporters on her journey as a caregiver, Christine Beatty. Their bond started as members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at Howard University alm...

Faced with an awful trifecta, J Smiles and Zetty must quarantine for two weeks with zero additional caregivers. The stress is compounded when Zetty returns from the hospital less healthy than when she went in. J has to throw ...

J Smiles pours out her heart in this episode. Believing Zetty has a simple Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), she is forced to call 911. It turns out to be much more serious. The ER presents one obstacle after another as …

J Smiles addresses the nightmare dilemma every caregiver faces sooner or later... whether or not to use 911 (or another emergency medical service). The decision is compounded by the dementia person's inability to communicate....