🎙️ How Not to Die in the Hospital: Taking Charge of Your Healthcare with Dr. Julie Siemers

💡 Episode Summary:
In this eye-opening episode of Linda’s Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life, I’m joined by patient safety expert, nurse leader, and TEDx speaker Dr. Julie Siemers. With over 40 years of experience in nursing care, education, and executive leadership, Dr. Siemers is on a mission to reduce preventable harm in healthcare—and to empower YOU to become an active, informed participant in your own care.

Dr. Siemers is the founder of Lifebeat Solutions, author of the bestselling book Surviving Your Hospital Stay: A Nurse Educator's Guide to Staying Safe and Living to Tell About It, and the voice behind the powerful TEDx talk "How Not to Die in the Hospital." In this conversation, she explains why medical error is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S., and what we can all do to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

🎯 In this episode, we discuss:

• How communication failures contribute to 70% of hospital errors
  
  
• What CUSS words are—and why you should use them in a hospital setting
  
  
• The importance of asking questions and being curious, not combative
  
  
• How to speak up with confidence when something doesn’t feel right
  
  
• Why knowing your Patient Bill of Rights is essential
  
  
• How to access your own medical information and advocate effectively
  
  
• Why prevention is more powerful than cure when it comes to long-term health
  
  

🗣️ What are CUSS words?
CUSS is an acronym to help patients and caregivers communicate clearly when something feels off:

• Concerned
• Uncomfortable
• Scared
• Safety issue

For example:
🗨️ “I’m concerned about that medication…”
🗨️ “I’m uncomfortable with what I’m seeing…”
🗨️ “I’m scared this isn’t right…”
🗨️ “I think there’s a safety issue here…”

These simple, respectful statements can redirect attention and prevent serious harm.

📘 Learn More About Dr. Julie Siemers:
Website: https://lifebeatsolutions.com
Book: Surviving Your Hospital Stay
TEDx Talk: How Not to Die in the Hospital

🎧 Listen and Subscribe:
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and at HopeForHealingFoundation.org

🧡 If this episode helped you feel more confident navigating the healthcare system, please share it with someone you love. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help others discover the show and join the journey to hope and healing.

#PatientSafety #DrJulieSiemers #HospitalStayTips #AdvocateForYourHealth #MedicalErrorAwareness #LindasCornerPodcast #HopeAndHealing #CUSSwords #NurseEducator #HealthcareEmpowerment #SurvivingYourHospitalStay

🎙️Turning Challenges into Opportunities with Kijuan Amey

💫 Episode Summary:
In this inspiring episode of Linda’s Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life, I’m joined by motivational speaker, author, and U.S. Air Force veteran Kijuan Amey. Kijuan is the founder of Amey Motivation LLC, vice president of a chapter of the Blinded Veterans Association, and an ambassador for the Air Force Wounded Warriors program.

After surviving a devastating motorcycle accident caused by a distracted driver, Kijuan was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent life-saving surgeries from head to foot. Though he lost his eyesight, he never lost his vision—his powerful mindset, resilience, and commitment to rising above his circumstances.

Kijuan's story is not only one of survival, but of thriving. From rock climbing to archery, rowing, and skiing, Kijuan shows the world what’s possible when we refuse to be defined by our limitations. His message is one of hope, empowerment, and unwavering determination.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Kijuan turned a life-altering accident into a platform for motivation
  
  
• Why he believes “I may have lost my sight, but I did not lose my vision”
  
  
• The difference between being “disabled” and “differently abled”
  
  
• The mindset shifts that empower personal progress and purpose
  
  
• How to stop asking “Why me?” and start asking, “What now?”
  
  

💬 Memorable Quotes from Kijuan:

• “I lost the ability to see, but I still have vision. Vision is a mindset thing.”
  
  
• “Don’t let your limitations define who you are. You are the one who defines who you are.”
  
  
• “I’m not dis-abled, I’m differently abled.”
  
  
• “To empower those who feel less than they once were.”
  
  
• “To show people they still can, even when they think they can’t.”
  
  

🌐 Connect with Kijuan Amey:
Website: https://ameymotivation.com/

🎧 Listen and Subscribe:
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and at HopeForHealingFoundation.org

🙏 If this episode inspired you, please share it with someone who may need encouragement. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—it helps others find the show and join the healing journey. 💛

#Resilience #DifferentlyAbled #KijuanAmey #BlindButNotBroken #Motivation #AirForceVeteran #TurnPainIntoPurpose #LindasCornerPodcast #HopeAndHealing #MindsetMatters #EmpowermentThroughAdversity

The Science of Trauma & Joy with Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald - Trauma Researcher, Speaker and Author

🧠 Episode Overview:

In this compelling episode, we’re joined by Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, a trauma researcher affectionately called the “Brené Brown of trauma.” Dr. McDonald brings a deeply compassionate, science-backed perspective on trauma and healing—reframing the trauma response not as a weakness, but as a strength-based adaptation.

We explore why joy can actually feel threatening to people with a history of trauma, and how we can begin to retrain the nervous system to trust, feel safe, and reconnect with joy, peace, and hope.

🔍 In This Episode, We Discuss:

✨ Why joy can feel scary
For trauma survivors or those in chronic stress, joy often feels unsafe. Dr. McDonald explains why our nervous system may reject joy as a protective defense—and how to gently change that.

✨Hope isn’t Fluffy, it’s Neuroscience

How joy and hope rewire the brain for resilience.

⚠️ The 6 barriers to joy
Learn the six common blocks that keep us from experiencing joy and hope:

1. Hypervigilance
   
   
2. Emotional numbing
   
   
3. Fear of loss
   
   
4. Conditioning
   
   
5. Guilt
   
   
6. Shame
   
   

🧠 Fear vs. Hope
Fear inhibits imagination, creativity, and joy. But here's the twist—hope can inhibit fear. Discover how reclaiming hope helps calm the fear center in the brain.

🔁 The problem with numbing
You can’t selectively numb your pain without also numbing joy. Find out why numbing as a coping strategy keeps you stuck—and how to reawaken your emotional life gently and safely.

🌿 Joy as a healing practice
Joy isn’t frivolous—it’s a form of nervous system regulation. Dr. McDonald shares practical tools like the “20-second joy practice” to prove to your brain and body that joy is safe.

🌟 Trauma reframed
You are not broken. Your trauma response is your body’s brilliant way of keeping you safe. And you can heal. Learn how to honor the wisdom of your nervous system while helping it learn new patterns of safety.

🛠️ Resources & Links:

• Visit Dr. McDonald’s website: alchemycoaching.life
  
  
• Connect on Instagram: @alchemycoaching.life
  
  
• Explore her books, trauma curriculum, and online courses to begin your healing journey.
  
  

🎧 Listen now and learn:

• Why joy and gratitude regulate the nervous system
  
  
• How trauma impacts your belief that things will be okay
  
  
• How to slowly and safely reintroduce joy into your daily life
  
  
• Why your nervous system might be afraid of letting its guard down—and how to teach it that it’s safe now
  
  

Whether you're a trauma survivor, a clinician, or simply someone looking to reconnect with hope and wholeness, this episode offers deep insights and gentle, actionable tools to begin reclaiming joy—one breath at a time.