Raising Dakota Podcast
Raising Dakota Podcast
Courtney Sand
When you have a medically complex special needs child it can be a lonely world. Through this podcast I hope to share our family's journey through the special needs and medically complex world. I will be sharing our pregnancy, hospital life, hurdles, and accomplishments with the world. I hope you stay tuned and enjoy!
Episode 21: Effective Communication
In this episode I share how we communicate with school and my expectations with communication. I like to talk and be aware of what is going on in Dakota's life and having effective communication with staff that cares for Dakota is a huge piece of advocating. I always like to have communication establish and provide an example for Dakota so that one day he can advocate for himself. 
Nov 10, 2021
22 min
Episode 20: We are back! FINALLY!
After a long 2 months of recovery I finally had time to start recording episodes again. This episode I just bring you all up to spend on Dakota’s surgery and everything we have been doing the last 2 months.
Oct 22, 2021
21 min
Episode 19: Mentally Preparing for Surgery.
In this episode I share more of the mental toll this surgery has had on me. While it is obvious that there physical things that needs to be done to prepare for surgery it can a toll on you mentally, physically, and emotionally. Physically preparing for Surgery and making sure everything is in place helps me be able mentally be prepared for any procedure and recovery. Knowing possible outcomes, wait to expect and fully dealing with these emotions up front helps me be 100 percent during the surgery and recovery process.
Aug 6, 2021
15 min
Episode 18: Preparing for Surgery
Since we are so close to Dakota's hip surgery I thought this is the perfect time to share how I prepare for surgery, and recovery. There are a lot of things that have to happen to make sure a surgery moves smoothly and I tried to share all the things that work best for our family in this episode. Communication is your biggest friend before, during, and after surgery.
Jul 23, 2021
22 min
Episode 17: Sweet Summer Time!
Being a special needs parent we don't get too many breaks from working on goals but a few breaks here and there is always good. Trying to find a balance between work and play can be hard but is very important for both you and your special needs child. In this weeks episode I share with you how we make summer time work for Dakota. What we do to make activities easier and how we reengage him during summer time. We try our best to make sure Dakota enjoys all the summer activities comfortably and still continues to make strides towards all goals.
Jul 8, 2021
19 min
Episode 16: Equipment, Equipment and More Equipment
Equipment is one thing that makes our life easier but also consumes a lot of our life. We are thankful for the medical equipment and technology that we have access to but it can be overwhelming and a lot. In this weeks episode I share with you the equipment that Dakota has, how we store it and the routines that work best for us with School and Daycare.
Jun 2, 2021
19 min
Episode 15: Struggles I face as a Special Needs Mom
In this weeks episode I was hesitant to share this episode because I am being vulnerable and sharing 2 things I struggle with as being a special needs mom. I want to share them because they have been on my mind a lot lately and I know that I am not the only person who probably struggles with them.
May 13, 2021
15 min
Episode 14: The Impact COVID-19 has had on our family.
In this episode I wanted to share with you all what the past year has looked like with our family. It definitely had its ups and downs but I am thankful for all the one on one time I got to spend with Dakota. 2020 was a curvy ball but Dakota is the king of curvy balls and it was his best development year yet.
May 3, 2021
21 min
Episode 13: Building a support system
In this weeks episode I share about our support system and share information on how to build a support system.
Apr 27, 2021
17 min
Episode 12: Balancing Life Part 2 Hospital Stays
In this episode I share the routine that works for Curtis and I during hospital stays. Hospital stays are hard and it is hard to make sure you are taking care of yourself and your needs so having a routine that works for your family for a hospital stay can make the stay a little less stressful.
Apr 20, 2021
15 min
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