The Only Child Diaries Podcast

Not just for only children! Info, stories and life experiences for anyone who feels like they didn't get the How-To brochure on life! Host Tracy Wallace, who has been a business owner, a successful fundraiser, a stand-up comedian, a caregiver and an animal lover, shares stories from the front lines of adulting to help others in this journey called life. She does this while finding the humor in the all situations.

The Only Child Diaries Podcast is a society podcast hosted by Tracy Wallace, with 204 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Tracy Wallace hosts The Only Child Diaries Podcast, a society show with 204 episodes published.

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  Episode #46

  After 58 Days in a Hospital, Bill is HOME!

  Aug 18, 202621 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail They tell you “He’s going home today,” and your whole body finally exhales. Then the plan changes. Then it changes again. I’m Tracy Wallace, and I’m sharing what it actually took to get Bill home after 58 days in the hospital, including the oxygen delivery that didn’t happen when we needed it, the new hospitalist who wanted to play it safe, and the tense moment when I had to be the one to deliver the news that he wasn’t leaving yet. Once the discharge finally stuck, we stepped into a program called Hospital At Home, and I had no idea how intense and supportive it could be. Nurses come to the house, labs get drawn and couriered, we meet the doctor by video, and our bedroom fills up with real medical equipment: oxygen machines, monitoring devices, an IV pole, and even an on-wheels chest X-ray that shows up at the front door. It’s a bridge between inpatient care and regular life, and it can be the difference between feeling alone and feeling covered when symptoms change fast. I also talk honestly about the caregiver side: documenting food and fluids, tracking blood sugar, managing neuropathy pain, juggling doorbells and deliveries, and watching our pets struggle with the nonstop activity. There are wins too, like him feeling stronger, eating better, and simply sitting together to watch a movie. If you’re navigating hospital discharge planning, home health services, caregiving stress, or curious about Hospital At Home, this one will make you feel seen. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

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  Episode #45

  The Brochure on Long Awaited Possible Discharge

  Aug 11, 20269 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail A stent can sound straightforward until kidney function enters the chat. I’m sharing a real-time update from day 56 of my husband’s hospital journey, where a nuclear stress test and an abnormal EKG point to heart narrowings that may benefit from stents, but fragile kidneys make the “next obvious step” feel anything but obvious. We talk through what the doctors found, why a treadmill stress test wasn’t possible due to fluid retention, and how treatments like a heparin drip and Lasix fit into the bigger picture alongside lingering blood clot concerns. I also unpack a fear that a lot of families carry quietly: the worry that dialysis automatically means the end is closer, even when medical voices in our circle push back and say it can improve quality of life. Then I zoom out to the caregiver reality that doesn’t show up on a chart. The hour-long drive, parking, metal detectors, badges, bad hospital food, and chronic sleep loss become their own kind of marathon. I’m also trying to prep our home for what comes next, including the possibility of home oxygen, while keeping pets cared for and the house navigable. If you’re navigating caregiving, heart health decisions, kidney disease questions, or the mental load of hospital life, you’ll feel seen here. Subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find honest support. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

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  Episode #44

  The Brochure on Day 45 - Against Medical Advice

  Aug 4, 202624 minS4

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  Episode #43

  The Brochure on Day 40

  Jul 28, 202614 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail Day 40 in the hospital is not a milestone you celebrate, it’s a line you cross and realize you’ve been living in a completely different world. I’m Tracy Wallace, and I’m sharing a candid update on my husband’s hospitalization, including his return to the ICU after diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and the ongoing push to clear pneumonia that keeps making breathing harder than it should be. If you’ve ever felt like you’re learning adulthood and caregiving without a manual, this one will hit close to home. I walk through what the days actually look like: constant transfers, daily imaging, relentless blood draws, and the tension of waiting for a thoracentesis while blood thinners complicate the timing. I also share the small signs that matter when you’re desperate for forward motion, like kidney function improving on labs and swelling finally going down. And I’m honest about the mental exhaustion that comes with watching someone you love struggle, then trying to keep yourself steady enough to help. There’s also a real talk moment about discharge planning and the pressure families can feel to move a patient to long-term acute care or a skilled nursing facility, even when home care may be the better fit. I explain how I advocate, why I hold my ground, and what gives me hope, including one surprising turning point that comes down to something as simple as sitting up in a hospital chair and finally being able to breathe. If this story helps you feel less alone, subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share the episode with a friend, and leave a rating and review so more caregivers can find us. For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

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  Episode #42

  The Brochure on Pneumonia

  Jul 21, 202631 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail I walked into the hospital already shaken, and within hours I was standing at an ICU desk hyperventilating because Bill had been sedated and intubated. That’s the kind of week we’re talking about here the moment when “he’s getting stronger in rehab” turns into oxygen alarms, pneumonia, and decisions you never want to make without your person fully awake. I take you through the timeline: the early hope of discharge, the sudden breathing crash, the move from the rehab unit to a regular hospital room, and the call that changes everything ICU transfer, CPAP, and then intubation. Along the way we talk about what caregivers notice, like swollen ankles and fluid retention, especially when chronic kidney disease and type 1 diabetes are already in the mix. This is not medical advice, but it is the real-world experience of living inside hospital systems and trying to stay steady enough to ask the next question. We also get honest about the human side of ICU care: seeing your loved one covered in tubes, hearing clinical updates that don’t feel like enough, and choosing to talk to them under sedation because your voice still matters. I share what happened with attempted dialysis, why it was such a gut punch, and what it felt like to watch him wake up with the breathing tube still in his throat before extubation. Then we zoom out to the part nobody prepares you for caregiver self-care. I unpack what “take care of yourself” actually looks like when you’re balancing hospital hours, pets at home, sleep, food, and the constant fear you might lose your spouse. If this story hits home, subscribe to Only Child Diaries, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone who needs it. What’s one small thing that helps you get through the worst days? For the Only Child Diaries: Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/ or Threads https://www.threads.net/@onlychilddiaries and on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/onlychilddiaries.bsky.social

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