Episode 24 - bonus

Daily Dump #19: Tech Gremlins, Caregivers & Justice

Published on: 19th November, 2025

Hey Bari Besties 💜

Today’s dump is a mix of tech frustration, family dynamics, and some pretty heavy reflection on justice and how we treat people.

Sacha starts with a “womp-womp” confession: she forgot her Miracle Morning for the first time this month and blames at least some of the chaos on Mercury being in retrograde. Riverside keeps eating recordings, tech is glitching, and the patience tank is low.

She also shares about her interview with Gail Showalter, a Texas storyteller with a powerful life journey and founder of Single Moms Empowered, a nonprofit that helps single moms upskill and get credentials so they can support their families. That sparks a reflection on how little structured support exists for single dads, and how complicated it is for any single parent to juggle childcare, sick days, and work without a net.

From there, Sacha circles back to yesterday’s episode: finally talking directly with her aunt about why she’s been distant, and realizing how hard it is for her aunt to be around Sacha’s mom in her current state. That conversation brings up old wounds about not belonging in her family, being written off as “not wanting to work,” and how much those narratives still sting when she’s actively trying to find work while caregiving.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • The emotional cost of hosting The High-Functioning Disaster and holding space for guests’ trauma
  • The shortage of accessible mental health care and how rare weekly therapy really is
  • Losing her excellent insurance at the end of the month, stepping down to lackluster coverage, and what that means for care
  • Why she calls this country a “high-functioning disaster”
  • Her frustration with how immigration, race, and violence show up in policy, rhetoric, and real cases — including a local shooting where a woman was killed after going to the wrong house for a cleaning job

It’s part diary, part rant, part processing-out-loud — and all brutally honest.

Links you might hear referenced:

  • Scentsy link: sachasmells.com
  • Venmo: venmo.com/sachasmells
  • Single Moms Empowered (mentioned nonprofit)
  • The High-Functioning Disaster podcast

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Missing a routine day (like Miracle Morning) doesn’t erase the streak; perfection isn’t required.
  • Tech issues (especially with recording platforms) can be emotionally brutal when you’re creating daily content.
  • Nonprofits like Single Moms Empowered can be lifelines for single moms seeking education and better jobs.
  • Single dads often fall through the cracks of support systems, even though they face many of the same challenges.
  • Family estrangement and feeling excluded can echo old wounds and shape how you see yourself.
  • Holding space for trauma stories (as a podcast host or helper) is meaningful but energetically draining.
  • Access to mental health care is limited — not just by cost, but by the sheer lack of providers and appointment availability.
  • The U.S. healthcare and insurance system often fails people who most need stability.
  • Anti-immigrant sentiment, racial bias, and “stand your ground” narratives can combine into deadly outcomes.
  • It’s possible to be politically “purple” — leaning left but still holding nuance — and still be deeply disturbed by how people are treated.

⚠️ Content Note

This episode includes discussion of family estrangement, painful comments from relatives, caregiving stress, job loss anxiety, and feeling like you do not belong in your own family.

✨ Connect with Life in the Bari Lane:

🪶 Keywords

Daily Dump, bariatric journey, caregiver stress, family estrangement, single moms empowered, support for single dads, Riverside.fm tech issues, Mercury retrograde, mental health access, therapy scarcity, emotional exhaustion, High-Functioning Disaster podcast, U.S. healthcare struggles, COBRA insurance loss, immigration and racial bias, stand-your-ground shooting, Indianapolis news, vulnerability, podcasting burnout, personal growth, Scentsy consultant, sachasmells.

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to Life in the Bari Lane so you don’t miss my next dump.

📌 Standard Disclaimer

This podcast is based on personal experience and is intended for information, education, and entertainment purposes only. I am not a medical professional, therapist, or financial advisor. Always seek the guidance of your qualified health, wellness, or financial professional regarding any medical condition, treatment, or decision. Listener discretion is advised. 💜

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About the Podcast

Life in the Bari Lane
Come along for the ride — it's no fun going alone.
Life in the Bari Lane is your 30-minute dose of real talk about life after bariatric surgery — the good, the hard, the weird, and the “nobody warned me about this” moments. No fluff, no “just follow the plan” nonsense — just honest conversations about what it’s like to change your body, your habits, and your whole damn life.

This podcast is a space for the highs and lows of the weight loss journey. Because here’s the truth: bariatric surgery is a tool — not a magic fix. It’s still work. It’s still messy. And it’s still life — with a different GPS.

Whether you’re pre-op and researching, post-op and thriving, or somewhere in the “what the hell did I just do?” stage, you’re in the right lane. This show is about building community — the kind that gets it, supports you, and doesn’t sugarcoat the process.

I’m Sacha — a real-life bariatric patient navigating this wild ride — and I’m here to keep it honest, funny, and deeply human.

You’ll hear:
💥 Unfiltered talk about the hard days
🥗 Nutrition talk that’s actually realistic
🧠 Mental health, body image, and identity shifts
👯‍♀️ Support systems and “friendship fallout”
💪 Motivation that doesn’t suck
🙃 Oops moments, progress wins, and honest reflections

New episodes drop weekly — short enough to fit into your day, but packed with the good stuff to keep you going.

About your host

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Sacha Holder

Sacha Holder is a project manager, podcast host, and bariatric patient who’s not here to pretend it’s all perfect. With over a decade of professional experience and a whole lot of lived experience, she creates podcasts that tell the truth about what it means to live, heal, and grow — through chaos, and curveballs, while keeping it together (mostly).

She’s the voice behind Life in the Bari Lane, a bite-sized bariatric podcast for real people navigating post-op life, and The High-Functioning Disaster, a show about showing up even when everything feels like too much. Through humor, honesty, and zero judgment, Sacha builds community through conversation — because no one should have to figure it out alone.