A Contagious Smile Podcast
Stop surviving and start thriving. A Contagious Smile is a globally ranked podcast providing a safe haven for abuse survivors and special needs families navigating the journey of trauma recovery. Whether you are healing from domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, or the daily challenges of disability advocacy, our mission is to turn your pain into power.
Each episode features raw, authentic conversations with survivors, mental health experts, and advocates who share actionable resources for PTSD healing, resilience building, and emotional wellness. We go beyond the struggle to highlight the triumphs of the special needs community, offering support for caregivers and individuals with disabilities who are rewriting their own narratives.
Hosted by Victoria Cuore, an award-winning trauma advocate and survivor, this podcast delivers the "blueprints" for recovery—not just Band-Aids. Join our community to find hope, humor, and the unstoppable spirit needed to rekindle your inner light.
A Contagious Smile Podcast
Standing Tall Through Pain And Change
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Your body can change faster than your mind can catch up and sometimes it takes a mix of laughter, honesty, and a whole lot of standing up through pain to keep moving. We’re checking in from a busy stretch of life with a new recliner we can barely use, real talk about sciatic nerve pain, and the kind of marriage banter that only works when you actually like each other.
Then we get into a weight loss journey update that’s equal parts celebration and reflection. We talk about emotional eating as a response to disability and chronic pain, what it feels like to hit major milestones, and why tools like GLP-1 medication are only one part of a bigger story about coping, identity, and consistency. If you’re navigating weight loss, body image, or simply trying to feel like yourself again, you’ll hear the messy middle, not just the highlight reel.
One of the most powerful moments is a family tattoo story that turns into a lesson on resilience. We share our daughter Faith’s stunning guardian wings tattoo, the symbolism of walking through the storm, and why her asking for Victoria’s handwriting to be tattooed on her hits so hard. We also talk memorial tattoos and honoring a grandmother through a signature and a deeply personal phrase, plus a shoutout to great work done by a trusted artist.
We wrap with community and connection: inviting you into our free mental health resource network Facebook group for caregivers and people living with anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, and CPTSD, and sharing how simply talking to strangers led us to a ventriloquist, veterans with unforgettable stories, and reminders that support can come from unexpected places. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the community.
Dogs, Marriage Banter, And Life Updates
SPEAKER_01Go, woman. Howdy, y'all. Welcome to another episode of Contaneous Smiles Unstoppable with Victoria, Michael, Stucco, and River. Them last two are our dogs.
SPEAKER_00You were just saying who's your daddy? I did. That was so cute.
SPEAKER_01I said, who's your daddy to my dog River?
SPEAKER_00No, that's not whose dog?
SPEAKER_01It's my dog.
SPEAKER_00Well.
SPEAKER_01This is my dog.
SPEAKER_00You always say it's ours. She's ours. Well, she acts more like a mama's girl than a daddy's girl, and you know it. You just don't want to admit it.
SPEAKER_01Fine, she's ours.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. So we've been quite, quite busy. Very much so here lately. Right?
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00We have.
SPEAKER_01Well, if you ask your daughter, she said dad's been lazy. Well because I I I would take a nap at 7 o'clock at night and wake up at 11. 10 30. And then go to bed.
SPEAKER_00And then he's like, yep, I'm calling it
Recliner Gift And Sciatic Pain
SPEAKER_00for the day. You got a very nice early birthday gift this morning.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they got me a recliner I can't enjoy.
SPEAKER_00You can't enjoy.
SPEAKER_01You can't. I I've got this sided nerve pain, and it's it's brutal to sit down. I'm standing up right now. All the podcasts I do from now on are I'm standing up.
SPEAKER_00Not from now on, just until you get this better. So you like your recliner.
SPEAKER_01I love the recliner. I had to uh change up and get another desk to where I stood up on because it's you stand up on top of the desk? Well, I stand up and use utilize the desk.
SPEAKER_00That's not what you said. You said stand up on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I stand up on.
SPEAKER_00Stand up on the desk?
SPEAKER_01Upon.
SPEAKER_00Up on the desk.
SPEAKER_01No, upon.
SPEAKER_00That's not what you said.
SPEAKER_01Whatever.
Weight Loss Milestones And Emotional Eating
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so my husband and I, we do periodic updates, have been on this weight loss journey. He has done amazingly well in such a short period of time. I before I even started a GLP1, I lost 31, 31, 32, something like that pounds. And I told my husband tonight, I was like, I can't believe how big I got. And it was, I was eating my pain from my amputation. And because I've never taken a single pain medication. And so I would just eat it to like, and then I look like a human puffer fish. Like I did. Like I look at pictures and I'm like, wow, that's some extra padding right there. Like it'd be hard to kidnap me with all that extra padding.
SPEAKER_01What? I'm keeping a PG. Since when? Since when? Did you just say more cushion for the No?
SPEAKER_00I said I had all this extra soft tissue everywhere.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I'm a sorry I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00Okay, Mr. Take Pizza Crust and make it into bodily body parts. Hey, that was no.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00No.
SPEAKER_01Think about it.
SPEAKER_00No. I don't want to think about it. It's disgusting. It's disgusting. Anyway, so my husband has lost. How much have you lost now?
SPEAKER_01I don't know. Two pounds?
SPEAKER_00No, like 20 something already in just a couple weeks. He's lost like 20 something pounds. And I just hit my 50 pound mark. 50. Yeah. 50. Oh my god. That's like a little person in weight that I've lost.
SPEAKER_01You should be proud.
SPEAKER_00I am, but I can't believe I ever got that big. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I'll never admit it.
SPEAKER_00Well, now you won't, but I won't.
SPEAKER_01I didn't then. I won't now.
SPEAKER_00And he's like, I'll love you no matter how many body parts you lose. And you know, and to some people that might be offensive, but that's just how Stucco rolls. That's how he works. That's how he talks.
SPEAKER_01You know, that's talking about your dog now.
SPEAKER_00No, I'm talking about the original, the OG Stucco. That's you. You're the original stucco.
Faith’s Tattoo Story And Family Meaning
SPEAKER_01Our daughter got a badass tattoo tonight.
SPEAKER_00We love Jeff. Jeff's amazing. He's so and he Jeff's my butt buddy. I need to clarify that. I mean, you have given a person of the gay community a wet dream over you.
SPEAKER_01So we walk into the tattoo part, and he's a friend of ours. Right. And and and our our buddy Jeff, the artist, he turned around and and I looked at his ass. And and and because I looked at his ass is because I don't have an ass.
SPEAKER_00No, you have a dink dink.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I have a dink dink. Whatever the hell that is, y'all. Okay. You have a dink dink. Well, Jeff has the same problem. He's got what's that syndrome? No acetol.
SPEAKER_00You need a noacetol tablet.
SPEAKER_01So he's got no ass whatsoever. Hudson, welcome to the club, pal. So, yeah, that's what I mean by we're butt buddies.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So Faith got oh, this tattoo is just stunning. That's an understatement. First, we have to explain it. She got these gorgeous guardian angel wings, which her guardian angels are my grandparents, and we all know this. And so she got these beautiful, beautiful guardian angel wings. And then her little Billy Bad Butt is going through the wings because she conquered the storm. She overcame all of the obstacles that was put in front of her medically, and just is such a gift. She's just amazing. And then she asks me before we do it if I will write the nickname I've called her since she can remember from day one. And it meant the world to me because I have her writing tattooed on me. And for her to say, Mom, it would mean the world for me to have your writing on me. And I was just choked up about it because that is so sweet. And so I wrote her nickname up there. And then she wanted to have a lightning bolt in there as well. And she's walking through it, and she's in her kick-ass boots, her knee-high, like steel-toe Doc Martin boots with her chain on her hip. And she's just rocking it. I mean, it is just gorgeous.
SPEAKER_01So thank you, Jeff.
SPEAKER_00He does amazing work. And then he did a gift for me. Jeff did a gift for me. My grandmother's birthday is coming up. And as we all know, she meant the world to me. And one of the very sentimental things between her and I is a saying called God Protect Thee. And it's said in French. And so to honor her on her birthday, I got not only God Protect Thee in French, but I also got her actual signature tattooed for her. Because her birthday is coming up. So I got her actual signature and then God protect thee in French, which is incredibly sentimental between her and I, tattooed. And so that, and I did it in her favorite color of all time, which is beautiful. And it meant the world to me to get that. So it was just very symbolic. And then for my daughter to look and say, Will you write my nickname in your handwriting? And I want your handwriting tattooed on me. Just I mean, there's there's moments as a parent that you can't top, and then they find a way to do it. And they did, and she did. I mean, that is such an honor for me to have be a part of that.
SPEAKER_01So if y'all are ever wanting a tattoo and you're down in Hiram, Georgia, look up Pleasure Points. I'm sorry, Pleasure Points Custom Tattoos. Okay, it's in Hiram, Georgia. Ask for Jeff, tell him Michael and Victoria sent you. All right.
SPEAKER_00Yes, he will take care of you. And he's the owner, so he does beautiful, beautiful work. So, and he's worth the drive. We drive all the way out there for him, and he's totally worth it. So, super, super nice. Really, really great guy. Totally worth the drive. We drive all the way out there, and you should too. So, anyway, that's fun and done. And what else have we got going on? Super busy, crazy busy with everything.
Mental Health Resource Network Invitation
SPEAKER_00I've seen that a lot of people have joined our mental health resource network Facebook group, and we welcome every one of you, anyone that is either a caregiver or someone who is dealing with any type of mental illness situation, whether it's a diagnosis of being bipolar or schizophrenic or depressed and have anxiety, ADHD, the list goes on and on. Or even if it's situational and you have, you know, trauma or you've, you know, it's it's CP, you know, CPTSD or PTSD or any of those things, you know, please, and you take care of a loved one. It doesn't matter. Everyone is welcome. It's totally free. My partner, work partner, Michael Magniak, who founded the Co-Carrolition, came to me and asked me to be a partner with him. And this is just one of the many, many avenues that we have, and it's amazing. And you have a 30-year veteran attorney who is giving you free time and and free reign to ask questions. And you have myself who I think I know a little bit about all of this at your disposal. And that's something that's so hard to find. So please come in and find us and join us and be amongst others like us, and you're welcome and not judged. And so that's you know, a nice place to be where it's safe and welcoming, and that's a nice change to have.
Talking To Strangers And Finding Stories
SPEAKER_01So we're out walking, shopping, whatever we're doing. I tend to jaw jack. You think I tend to meet folks. I know no babe. Strangers.
SPEAKER_00The reason you don't have an ass is because you have diarrhea of the mouth and it works so much that that's why. That's why.
SPEAKER_01So I talk, of course, I'll talk to any veteran out there.
SPEAKER_00No, you talk to anybody with a pulse.
SPEAKER_01All right. Thank you for the correction, darling.
SPEAKER_00I just broke my pen.
SPEAKER_01Am I wrong at anything else?
SPEAKER_00No, but I just broke my pen. Okay, go on.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for the permission. Anywho.
SPEAKER_00Anywho.
SPEAKER_01Y'all. I how can I say this? Verbally. Thank you, darling.
SPEAKER_00You're welcome, honey.
SPEAKER_01You call me hun?
SPEAKER_00Honey. Honey.
SPEAKER_01Oh, oh sh oh.
SPEAKER_00Honey. Why I said it in English.
SPEAKER_01Is that a joke?
SPEAKER_00A lot of people say.
SPEAKER_01I'm not laughing. Oh, I'm not laughing. Nowadays you see so many folks walking around with their head down in their iPhone or whatever phone they have.
SPEAKER_00Or their galaxy.
SPEAKER_01They don't pick your head. You don't pick your head up. You don't look around. You don't put your head on a swivel.
SPEAKER_00A what?
SPEAKER_01You know, a swivel.
SPEAKER_00What the hell is a s?
SPEAKER_01Did we spell it, darling? A swivel. Am I not saying swivel right? I don't think so. How would you say swivel? Did we spell it?
SPEAKER_00Sir. Go ahead. I don't want you to forget what you're talking about because you're SW.
SPEAKER_01What?
SPEAKER_00S what? SW. W. Yes. Try it. Watch. W.
SPEAKER_01I'm not I didn't say a U at all.
SPEAKER_00W.
SPEAKER_01There's no U in there.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it is. W.
SPEAKER_01In swivel. There's no U.
SPEAKER_00There's a W. Are you trying to say swivel?
SPEAKER_01I've been saying swivel for 30 minutes, woman.
SPEAKER_00No, you haven't. But go ahead, let's hang on.
SPEAKER_01The two Utes.
SPEAKER_00Now you're talking. The two Utes. The two Utes. You gotta say it right. It's coffee.
SPEAKER_01Folks, you never know who you meet out there. And apparently it is. I think a lot of times maybe just coincidence because I opened my big mouth. We meet some of the coolest cats. Right? Did you just put lipstick on me? Oh my god, woman.
SPEAKER_00It's only chapstick.
SPEAKER_01But it's not Thursday.
SPEAKER_00It's Wednesday, and when this releases, it's Thursday, so it's okay. At least they can paint your nails again.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, let's not do that.
SPEAKER_00Getting did she put the gay pride on there? Carry on. So you're jawjacking. Who are you jawjacking with? Hey River.
SPEAKER_01Anyone.
SPEAKER_00We met a very cool ventriloquist. How do you say ventriloquist?
SPEAKER_01Vantriloquist?
SPEAKER_00What? Say it again.
SPEAKER_01Again.
SPEAKER_00Say ventriloquist.
SPEAKER_01Vantriloquist.
SPEAKER_00Okay, carry on.
SPEAKER_01I don't know why y'all are making fun of fun of me.
SPEAKER_00Everybody talks about even Aram talked about your accent. He was everybody loves that.
SPEAKER_01Aram gave me a compliment.
SPEAKER_00He also told you to shut up and listen to your wife. I have the t I have the audio bit.
SPEAKER_01I don't know if we can be friends anymore, Rom.
SPEAKER_00I love him. He is the best. He's the best. And then I asked him, do I sound southern? And he said, uh no.
SPEAKER_01I was like, so we're walking in a store. I won't name it. Starts with Big K.
SPEAKER_00Kmart's out. They don't even have a Kmart anymore.
SPEAKER_01And I got this harebrained idea.
SPEAKER_00Oh, you got a hare brain what?
SPEAKER_01Idea.
SPEAKER_00You dare what?
SPEAKER_01No, idea.
SPEAKER_00A a deer a deer.
SPEAKER_01You know when the light bulb comes on, you got an idea?
SPEAKER_00It's an idea. Idea.
SPEAKER_01That I needed a damn mannequin from the store.
SPEAKER_00Keep it clean. What are you making for? You're making. Is this enough to go back to your ass thing? Or your vibrator you have?
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01To demonstrate some of the t-shirts that we'll be printing up. So I asked random guy walking with a you know ID on, hey, do you work here? He said, yes. So this is Roderick. Roderick enters our life. Later on, I asked him the silly question, hey, do you have any mannequins? He calls up managers. Hey, do we have mannequins for sale or that we can donate? All right. So fast forward a little bit. We're almost on our way out of the store. Starts with a letter K.
SPEAKER_00Store or door?
SPEAKER_01Store. Roderick flags us down as hey. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And starts talking to us. And we get more depth in our discussion and you know find out we have a lot of interest in common. And that he was or is a famous ventriloquist. Very proud of it. Author. So we invited Roderick onto our show. We would like for him to tell his story, and he's got several. So I hope to look forward to see Roderick here in the near
Veterans Conversations And Coping With Pain
SPEAKER_01future. But you know, we were at Johnny's the other day eating wings and some pizza.
SPEAKER_00You eat his wings.
SPEAKER_01You know, I got I got to have a conversation. I got to have a conversation with two vets. One of the vets was from Desert Storm, like myself, and the other one was from World War II. He was he was old. And it's very interesting to hear that that side of the story coming straight from the mouse.
SPEAKER_00The mouse? The mouse. Mice? Mouse.
SPEAKER_01What is wrong with you?
SPEAKER_00What is wrong with you?
SPEAKER_01Are you high?
SPEAKER_00No, I'm not the one taking gummies.
SPEAKER_01You how many gummies I had today?
SPEAKER_00How many have you had today? I had not enough, apparently.
SPEAKER_01I had four.
SPEAKER_00Michael. What?
SPEAKER_01My two vitamin? Whatever the hell they are.
SPEAKER_00That's not a gummy.
SPEAKER_01It is a gummy.
SPEAKER_00No, the T C whatever.
SPEAKER_01And then my two magnesium.
SPEAKER_00So how many hemp things have you taken?
SPEAKER_01I've taken two. At a time? Nope. Or just it two today. That's it. I've got this bad sidic pain that's killing me. I'm st that's why I'm standing up right now. And so someone loved me to get a gummy.
SPEAKER_00Well, you got the non non-thc.
SPEAKER_01Whatever it is.
SPEAKER_00And it's supposed to be helping.
SPEAKER_01It helps unless I sit down.
SPEAKER_00Well, you're not sitting. Why are you hurting? You're standing. You're squatting over. I can't understand. I have to ask. How the hell do you make a pizza crust into a woman's body part?
SPEAKER_01It looked exactly like a badge.
SPEAKER_00No. Girl! It did not. It did. It did not. And then you sent it out.
SPEAKER_01I sure did. If you go over to my Facebook page.
SPEAKER_00It will not be on your Facebook.
SPEAKER_01You're right, dear.
SPEAKER_00Deer. It will not be on Facebook.
SPEAKER_01You're right. It's kind of like I deer, but just you're a deer. What? You're a deer. You're a deer.
SPEAKER_00You're a deer. You're a deer.
SPEAKER_01You're a deer.
SPEAKER_00You're a deer.
SPEAKER_01You're a deer.
SPEAKER_00See, I need a translator just to have a conversation with my husband. Look at my river. She's so sweet.
SPEAKER_01You're talking on air. How can they look at her?
SPEAKER_00Helen Keller couldn't, but she would know if she touched her. Because Helen Keller was blind.
SPEAKER_01Right, but but you said look at her.
SPEAKER_00I'm talking to you. Youths. Youths. So what are you planning to do?
Merch Plans, Pets, And Home To Do List
SPEAKER_00With all of this hats and shirts and stuff that you're starting. And congratulations, we are starting to sell jewelry.
SPEAKER_01Oh Lord. You know what this we shit means.
SPEAKER_00You bet yeah, because we do I take care of you and you take care of me.
SPEAKER_01I don't take care of you. Shit.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh. I call shit. Yeah. Are you gonna fix the doorknobs? When?
SPEAKER_01Tonight here.
SPEAKER_00Tonight.
SPEAKER_01Like relax, kid.
SPEAKER_00Are you kidding me right now? So I saw this really cute little video, and I'm not big about videos at all. Like I have stuff playing in the background all the time, but I had to go back and look. This girl's talking to her older sister, and she was talking about her body parts, and she was like, I got hair growing where it's not supposed to. And she's like, Oh, down there in between your legs. I call that a monkey. And she goes, Oh, okay. And she's like, you know, that's what you do. So the next day she sees her sister, her other sister, right, at the table and they're having dinner. And she goes, Everybody's like, How's your day? What'd you do today? Blah blah blah. So the younger girl says, I got a monkey between my legs. And without missing a beat, the older girl, who now got in a lot of trouble, says, Oh, that's okay. Mine's been eating a banana for years.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00The older girl was like 15 or 16.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_00Can you even imagine?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I just visualize it. Thanks.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we don't have to worry about that.
SPEAKER_01A monkey eating a banana. I got it.
SPEAKER_00Okay, pizza crust into the female anatomy. Well, you're welcome, Jeff. No, but I mean, how do you create that? Like, how do you visualize that a piece a pizza crust looks like a Vijay Jane? I've got my degree in colourism. Yes, you do. No, no, no, no. You don't have a degree, you have a doctorate. You have a doctorate. He's married, and he no longer cheats on spouses.
SPEAKER_01Did you have to plural that?
SPEAKER_00But you don't cheat on me. You don't have you didn't cheat on me this time. So I think it's a nice thing to say. Like, I don't understand. Why do you get all bit out of shape about it? Tell him, Rusty. You want to say hi? Hi, Rusty Bear. Would you like to say hi to everybody on air? Rusty likes to talk sometimes. He's so sweet. This morning he was so gentle. He literally came up, put his pal in my back, and gives me kisses. Every morning. Every morning he does that. He's just the sweetest thing.
SPEAKER_01These are mama's boys. Even after I stepped on them last night.
SPEAKER_00Can't believe you did that to my mother.
SPEAKER_01It was dark. I couldn't see him.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's why you have a motion sensor light. Duh. They're all mama's boys and girls. They're so sweet.
SPEAKER_01You got anything else?
SPEAKER_00This has not been anywhere near long enough of a show. And you're just trying to get through it as fast as possible so you can go play a video game.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely not.
SPEAKER_00Or do what are you gonna go do?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna shower.
SPEAKER_00No, you're not gonna shit, shower, and shave. I thought you just said you were doing doorknobs.
SPEAKER_01I gotta do doorknobs.
SPEAKER_00So if we ended this right now, you're gonna go do doorknobs.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna go do doorknobs.
SPEAKER_00First.
SPEAKER_01First.
SPEAKER_00Before going to shit, before going into TikTok and shit, before you're going. Shave.
SPEAKER_01You're pushed it.
SPEAKER_00No. Isn't that your job?
SPEAKER_01You PG 13.
SPEAKER_00You lost that rating when you started making pizza crust into the JJ's.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it wasn't the the dink dink.
SPEAKER_00Your butt is like a dink dink. It's like the you even the word dink, the four letters, is is wider than your butt cracked.
SPEAKER_01Are you serious?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Except it's so hairy. Maybe it's bigger if there was so much hair on it.
SPEAKER_01No, you're not waxing it ever again.
SPEAKER_00I have waxed it your ass. I wrong wife. I wasn't the one to wax your ass.
Closing Jokes And Good Nights
SPEAKER_01Good night, y'all.
SPEAKER_00Wow. If he doesn't do doorknobs, then our next podcast will be like three hours long. Good night, guys.