It's something that every sibling thinks about, consciously or unconsciously, but when it really happens, there's still a lot of unexpected twists and turns no matter how much we think we've thought out. Take a listen to Susan's story about becoming the primary caretaker of her older brother and how that's changed their sibling relationship. Check out episode 22A for part 1 of her story.
In this episode we talk about:
About Susan’s family and oldest brother with neurofibromatosis (NF type 1), hydrocephalus, and Dandy-Walker syndrome, and a stroke later on in 2015
Very young childhood and some highlights of major milestones of her brother’s disability
Her living situation where her brother is living with her after their parents have passed
Remembering when she realized her brother was different when he couldn’t help her with her homework anymore
How her mom interacted with her when her brother was in the hospital a lot
The emotional toll that comes with becoming the guardian/caretaker of your sibling
The role of the sibling changes and how hard it is
Taking her brother to get a tattoo, which then became multiple
Her brother’s love of sweets and the consequences that come with eating too many
Constantly being ready to step in for things at the drop of a dime (and even her dog too)
Her advice to consider putting your sibling into a home earlier vs later
Her oldest brother is still the oldest brother despite the disabilities
Drinking on vacation (and necessary limits)
Her brother’s anxiety about both scary and exciting things
The in-house support of her partner and the litmus test when she was dating growing up
Her circle of friends and their relationship with her brother
Stay tuned for part 2 to hear more of Susan’s story in episode 22B! (plus her encouragement for fellow sibs)
More Info:
Check out the blog and contact Charlene here: https://thespecialneedssiblingpodcast.com/
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Support the podcast on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thespecialneedssiblingpodcast
Music by:
AlexGrohl from Pixabay
QubeSounds from Pixabay