Life Expectancy Podcast
Life Expectancy is a podcast about the unexpected pitfalls of health and the sisterly support needed to come out the other side. Every week, we discuss our history, our struggles, and the hope that was never lost during addiction, transplant, and cancer. We have smart conversations with each other, special friends, and insights into the difficulty navigating the healthcare system, sisterly bonds, and the expectations that come with life. We hope to inspire and provide comfort in times that are less than inspiring and more than uncomfortable. We are bound to get messy; It’s a work in progress.
Special Between-the-Seasons Episode
UC Health Liver Transplant Picnic 2025
We visit the UC Health Liver Transplant Picnic for the first time and find themselves surrounded by people who truly understand what transplant life feels like. They capture short, powerful conversations with recipients from brand new to decades out, each sharing raw moments of fear, resilience, setbacks, and gratitude. The episode highlights community, connection, and the shared experience of surviving the unimaginable while honoring the gift of organ donation.
Season 1
Julee and Stacey introduce the series with a candid look at what lies ahead. This episode sets the stage for the personal, emotional, and sometimes messy journey they’ll be sharing; touching on transplant, cancer, caregiving, and what it really means to survive and thrive.
Julee and Stacey unpack their complicated family history and the roots of their sisterhood. From childhood estrangement to years of reconnection, they reflect on the moments that shaped their dynamic and how those early rifts still echo in their story of survival and healing.
The sisters explore how the same moment can feel entirely different depending on your role. They unpack key turning points from both the patient and health advocate sides – revealing emotional disconnects, missteps, and moments of clarity that shaped their journey.
The sisters reflect on news stories that hit close to home during their transplant journey. They unpack how current events can stir up personal memories, shift perspectives, and reveal just how deeply public narratives can impact private healing.
Stacey and Julee unpack the realities of getting on the UNOS transplant list. They break down MELD scores, hospital systems, and hard choices – blending lived experience with insight into what it takes to fight for a second chance at life.
Stacey and Julee dive into the roles that define a medical journey—patient, partner, advocate, and caregiver. They share what it takes to navigate hospitals, directives, and family dynamics while balancing control, trust, and compassion through the chaos of serious illness.