The SH!T Sandwich Generation

MaryBeth Parisi and Susan Parisi

Raw. Relatable. Real Life.

Welcome to the Sh!t Sandwich Generation, the podcast for those caught in the messy middle - juggling aging parents, growing kids, demanding careers, and a life of your own (if you can find it). Hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan Parisi, we share unfiltered stories, expert advice, and honest conversations about navigating the emotional, financial, and logistical chaos of caregiving from both sides.

Because this isn't the highlight reel - this is survival with a heap of heart, humor, and hard-won wisdom.

📱 Follow us on Instagram: @marybethp6

💻 Listen + learn more: pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1

🥪 Have a sandwich story? We want to hear it — find us on Instagram and send us a DM.

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13 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 31 min
English

Episodes 13

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#13
Thursday · 35 min
Home—but Far From Healed: When Hospital Care Becomes Family Care
Send us Fan Mail We thought getting our mom out of the hospital would be the turning point. Instead, she came home with a gaping wound, conflicting instructions, and no clear plan—and our relief was quickly replaced by the overwhelming reality of managing her care at home. What happened next exposed a side of hospital discharge most families never see until they are living it: the moment professional care ends and the people who love the patient are expected to somehow take over. If you care for an aging parent—or know that someday you might—this is the episode to hear before the discharge papers are signed. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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S1 · E12
October 8 · 32 min
Who's Actually in Charge? Navigating the Hospital Maze
Send us Fan Mail One specialist says one thing. Another team says something different. Rounds happen before you arrive - or after you leave - and the person you love may not remember what anyone said. Even as physicians, MaryBeth and Susan struggled to understand who was making decisions about their mother's care. In this episode, they share what every family should know about asking questions, tracking the daily plan, speaking up when something is missed, and advocating respectfully when no one seems to have the whole picture. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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S1 · E11
September 24 · 31 min
When the Hospital Becomes Home
Send us Fan Mail It was supposed to be 48–72 hours. Then three days wasn’t three days. Slowly, the hospital stopped being somewhere we visited and became where our family lived. Clothes stayed in the car. Meals came from cafeterias. Work happened from hallways and bedside chairs. And life outside the hospital somehow kept moving. In this episode, MaryBeth and Susan share what happens when a hospital stay stretches far beyond what you expected—the exhaustion, the waiting, the guilt of leaving, and the practical lessons they wish they had known when those first three days turned into much more. If you’ve ever spent days beside someone you love in a hospital—or you’re doing it now—this episode is for you. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#10
September 10 · 32 min
When Surgery Doesn't Go As Planned
Send us Fan Mail We thought we were finally nearing the finish line. Our mom had made it through one major surgery. Then came the surgery we hoped would finally remove the cancer—and at first, the news was everything we had prayed for. Until it wasn't. In this episode, we share what happened when a surgery that seemed to go according to plan suddenly took an unexpected turn, and the finish line we thought was finally within reach kept moving farther away. What happened in that operating room changed everything that came next. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#9
August 20 · 31 min
Sibling Silence & Showdowns: Who Will Actually Show Up?
Send us Fan Mail When a parent faces major surgery, someone has to manage the appointments, hotel rooms, transportation, work schedules—and decide who will actually be there. But what happens when the family group text goes silent? As our mom prepared for two major surgeries, the logistics were only part of the burden. We talk honestly about unequal caregiving, unspoken expectations, resentment, disappointment, and the family dynamics that surface when everyone is under pressure. Because a family crisis doesn’t create the cracks—it reveals them. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#8
August 6 · 30 min
Playing Ping Pong
Send us Fan Mail Our mother had already endured one brutal surgery and vowed she would never do it again. Then an aggressive cancer left us facing an impossible choice and a plan that kept changing faster than we could process it. Two major surgeries. Two different hospitals. Multiple specialists. And through it all, Mom kept asking the one question that mattered most to her. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#7
July 23 · 34 min
When the Floor Falls Out
Send us Fan Mail Just when we thought we could finally breathe again, the floor fell out beneath us. After months of treatment, our mom was doing well. We had started making plans again. For the first time in a long time, we allowed ourselves to believe the hardest part might be behind us. Then one message changed everything. In this episode, we share what it feels like to have hope ripped away...and how, somehow, you keep showing up anyway. We talk about the fear of waiting, the impossible decisions that follow, and the quiet reality of anticipatory grief: grieving someone while they're still here. This isn't just a story about cancer. It's about what happens when life forces you to redefine hope, one decision at a time. If you've ever watched the future you imagined disappear in an instant, this episode is for you. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#6
July 9 · 28 min
Who Am I in All of This?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we step away from the timeline of our mom’s illness to talk about something less visible—but just as real. What happens to you in the middle of all of it? When you’re constantly moving between roles—parent, caregiver, professional—you don’t always notice the shift happening. You’re showing up. You’re functioning. You’re doing what needs to be done. But somewhere along the way… you can start to feel disconnected from yourself. We talk about what it’s like to live in that space—where everything looks the same on the outside, but internally something feels different. And what happens when things finally slow down… and instead of clarity, you’re left with the question: Now what? If you’ve ever felt like you’ve lost a piece of yourself while trying to be everything for everyone else—this conversation is for you. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#5
June 25 · 29 min
How Do You Choose? The Sandwich is loaded with Guilt!
Send us Fan Mail How do you choose between your kids and your parents when both need you at the same time? In Episode 5, MaryBeth and Susan unpack one of the heaviest parts of the sandwich generation: guilt. The guilt of not spending enough time with aging parents. The guilt of missing moments with your kids. The guilt of putting work, goals, and your own life on hold while trying to care for everyone else. And the guilt that comes from feeling pulled in completely opposite directions — all at the same time. This episode explores the invisible pressure of being “the responsible one,” the emotional weight of caregiving, sibling dynamics, resentment, exhaustion, and the constant feeling that no matter what you choose… someone loses. Raw, honest, and deeply relatable, this conversation reminds listeners they are not alone in carrying the emotional weight of trying to do it all. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#4
June 11 · 27 min
We Weren't Raised For This; The Generational Shift No One Prepared Us For
Send us Fan Mail Getting her home felt like a turning point. After everything that had happened, we thought the hardest part might be behind us. But it wasn't. It was just different. We talk about what it actually looked like bringing her home — how quickly things changed, how much we had to adjust, and how nothing really felt normal anymore. This was the beginning of a new reality. She wasn't herself yet. And neither were we. This is the part people don't always see. Not the crisis — but the day-to-day. And how you learn to live in it. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#3
May 28 · 34 min
When There's No Clear Answer
Send us Fan Mail This episode continues our Mom's healthcare journey - when everything shifted from trying to understand what was happening... to being asked to make a decision we didn't feel ready to make. Do we stay local or go into the city? Do we pursue a clinical trial? When is something an emergency - and what do you do in that moment? We share what it actually felt like to navigate those decisions in real time - balancing information, emotion, and the weight of responsibility. When things escalated and she began bleeding, everything became urgent. Decisions had to be made quickly, without clarity, and without the luxury of time. We also talk about something that helped us along the way - the "rule of 3": getting multiple opinions to find some direction when there isn't a clear answer. Because this is the part no one prepares you for. You don't get certainty. You just take the next step. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#2
May 14 · 41 min
Our Mom, Her Health, and the System that Failed Her and Us
Send us Fan Mail This episode is a deeply personal conversation about our Mom's healthcare journey - from the early signs something wasn't right to the moments that felt confusing, overwhelming, and uncertain. We share what it was like navigating the system as daughters - and as physicians - while offering insights on how to move through a system that can feel incredibly difficult to navigate. This story was too important to fit into one episode. We pause this part of the story the moment everything shifted...when we learned she had metastatic cancer and were trying to get answers, including a PET scan. This is where the reality of it all began to set in. Part 2 continues in the next episode. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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#1
April 24 · 24 min
Welcome to the Mess
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the mess. We're kicking off The Sh!t Sandwich Generation by talking about the stage of life no one prepares you for. You're raising kids. Managing a career. And quietly, your parents are aging. This episode is an honest conversation about how we got here and what it feels like to live in the middle of all of it. The pressure. The guilt. The chaos. And the moments that catch you off guard. It's real life. And if you're living in the middle of it too... you're not alone. We are having the conversation that no one is talking about. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram. 🎙 The Sh!t Sandwich Generation is hosted by sisters MaryBeth and Susan — raw, honest conversations about navigating life between aging parents, growing kids, and everything in between. 📱 Instagram: @marybethp6 💻 pursuelifecoaching.com/podcast-1 🥪 Have a sandwich story? DM us on Instagram.
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