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Life Expectancy - Sisters Surviving & Thriving

Life Expectancy - Sisters Surviving & Thriving

By: Julee Johns and Stacey Smith
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About this listen

 Julee and Stacey's podcast is a raw, honest, and deeply personal exploration of navigating life after addiction, breast cancer, and the complicated realities that come with both. Through heartfelt conversations, personal reflections, and unfiltered storytelling, they offer listeners an inside look at the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned, and the small victories that carried them through. But this isn’t just a survival story — it’s a guidebook for anyone who finds themselves fighting battles they never expected. It's about advocacy, self-advocacy, sisterhood, and what it truly means to rebuild a life after trauma. Without glossing over the hard parts, Julee and Stacey show that healing is messy, imperfect, and absolutely worth fighting for. Listeners come away not just with inspiration, but with real-world insights into surviving, thriving, and finding meaning through adversity.© 2025 Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • 05 The UNOS List

    05 The UNOS List
    Aug 27 2025
    In this powerful episode of Life Expectancy: Sisters Surviving and Thriving, Stacie and Julee break down the complexity of the UNOS transplant list through both lived experience and medical insight. They explain how the national system works, what MELD and PELD scores mean, and the brutal math behind liver transplant eligibility. Julee shares the advocacy it took to get Stacie accepted after multiple rejections, while Stacie recounts the physical, emotional, and cognitive toll of end-stage liver disease and hepatic encephalopathy. Together, they explore the logistical, ethical, and deeply personal realities of navigating a life-or-death waitlist, culminating in Stacie’s placement on […]
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    48 mins
  • 04 Headlines to Hospitals

    04 Headlines to Hospitals
    Aug 14 2025
    In this episode of Life Expectancy: Sisters Surviving and Thriving, Julee and Stacey reflect on real-world events that struck a personal chord during their transplant and recovery journey. From headlines that triggered painful memories to public narratives that shaped their private fears, the sisters explore how the news intersects with illness, advocacy, and survival. What starts as commentary on the world around them becomes a raw, deeply personal look at trauma, loss, and the fragile hope that comes with second chances. With their signature blend of candor, wit, and vulnerability, they unpack the emotional echoes of current events and invite […]
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    43 mins
  • 03 Perspectives

    03 Perspectives
    Jun 28 2025
    In this episode of Life Expectancy, the sisters go head-to-head in the best way possible—comparing notes from opposite sides of the hospital bed. Stacey was the patient. Julie was the advocate. But their experiences, emotions, and responsibilities couldn’t have been more different. This episode explores the clash between what it feels like to be sick and what it feels like to watch someone you love nearly die. They unpack: There are sharp moments and soft ones. Laughter and tension. And some truly illuminating insights into how misalignment—even with the best intentions—can create chaos. But most of all, this episode is […]
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    34 mins
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