# 212: Surgeries | The Feelings We Have Before, During, and After + How Families Cope w/ Madeline

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/212-surgeries-the-feelings-we-have-before-during-and-after-how-families-cope-w-madeline
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/212-surgeries-the-feelings-we-have-before-during-and-after-how-families-cope-w-madeline.md
Podcast: [The Rare Life](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619)
Published: 2026-02-05T16:15:58+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-rare-life/episodes/212-Surgeries--The-Feelings-We-Have-Before--During--and-After--How-Families-Cope-w-Madeline-e3embu7
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/22c0499c/podcast/play/115076487/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-5%2F18998076-b602-9fa1-ce22-4325e0c20f26.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-rare-life-1239619/episodes/212-surgeries-the-feelings-we-have-before-during-and-after-how-families-cope-w-madeline
Duration seconds: 4361

## Resource

Surgery of some kind or another is a near universal experience for medically complex kids. (And yes, procedures that involve anesthesia or something similar count too!) And these experiences don’t just affect our children, but our entire families. In this episode of The Rare Life, Alyssa and Madeline dig into all of the big feelings that come up before, during and after our kid’s surgeries, the heart-rending questions we ask ourselves when deciding which surgeries are necessary, and advice from the community for getting through these tough moments. Whether you’re planning for an upcoming surgery for your child or you’ve been through one in the past and feel like you’re still processing, there’s something for you in this episode. And our FUEL The Rare Life fundraiser is live! Help us fund the podcast for another year by sharing our fundraiser with your loved ones and community so we can keep supporting you! Learn more here. Links: Share our FUEL The Rare Life fundraiser! Listen to Ep 170: Hospitalizations. Listen to Ep 180: Does It Get Easier? Listen to Ep 140: A Mistaken Brain Surgery (Alyssa’s Story). Join The Rare Life newsletter and never miss an update! Fill out our contact form to join upcoming discussion groups! Follow us on Instagram @the_rare_life! Donate to the podcast or Contact me about sponsoring an episode.

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