hi! i'm McCall!

I'm a proud and imperfect mom of two tiny humans and founder of Southern Smash. I smash scales for a living and help others smash the mental health stigma by sharing my eating disorder story. I believe resiliency is cultivated through the practice of gratitude and that there is always light, even in the darkest of times.

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Southern Smash

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On the blog...

I am HERE.

The House Don’t Fall When My Bones are Good

The Weight of Recovery

Finding Strength in My One Boob Reflection

Red, Hot and ANGRY Boob

Doing the Hard Things: My Prophylactic Double Mastectomy

mccalldempsey

SMASHed Cancer 🎗 Sometimes these TimeHop memor

SMASHed Cancer 🎗 Sometimes these TimeHop memories are a gut punch of hope and grief all together. Crazy to think that it was six years ago today, we heard three glorious words: “no more chemo” It felt like the world rejoiced with us in our wonderful news. While this day marked the end of chemo, we still had a fight ahead. And boy did our Marjorie fight and smash cancer to the curb. Feeling so grateful for my cancer kicking wild woman who currently kicks my booty with her sass and endless energy. Marjorie is our constant reminder that we all can do hard things. 💗💗💗 #miraculousmarjorie #nomochemo #neuroblastoma #pediatriccancer #gogold #survivor #morethanfour #smallbutmighty #smashcancer #wolfsonwarrior #proudmom #jacksonville #florida

Happy 4️⃣0️⃣ to my best friend, partner an

Happy 4️⃣0️⃣ to my best friend, partner and soulmate @jordandempseygolf!! You are our constant endless entertainment and master of hugs and laughter 🥰 You work relentlessly for our family and your students. The passion you bring to work every day is incredible. You lead by example and show our kids to dream big and love hard. You live life full steam ahead, with an energy and wit that can’t be matched. Even when we are doing the hard things, you keep me laughing. Thankful you were born and that you are forever ours!! You are easy to celebrate…even when the sitter doesn’t show up and we end up back in our jammies 😂 Happy happy birthday! We love you! #lordylordy #jordanis40 #alldressedupandnowheretogo #literally #nositternoproblem #jammietime #partyhard #julybaby #pontevedra #florida

Yesterday we returned home after 12 magical days i

Yesterday we returned home after 12 magical days in Virginia with family. We were long overdue for a trip away and to unplug from the day to day routine. Feeling so grateful for my extraordinary family, alpaca farms, boat rides, belly laughs and breathtaking sunsets. It’s truly about the simple things. Until next time Payne’s Creek Farm 💗💗💗💗

Out of office. 📝 After a brutal first six mon

Out of office. 📝 After a brutal first six months of 2021, I feel like I can finally exhale. If you need me, I’ll be kicking back in a sloth float, grateful for two boobs and High Noon. Cheers to hard things🥂 💗💗 #outofoffice #grateful #wecandohardthings #andthenrestinaslothfloat #mommaout #exhale #sunshine #slothfloat #RappahannockRiver #virginia

📣 Not so humble MOM Brag 📣 People thought I

📣 Not so humble MOM Brag 📣 People thought I was nuts for sending Manning to camp for 3️⃣ weeks. I knew he would love @campmondamin like I loved @campgreencove. However, he had a rocky start and we received a few “Pick me up Mom!” letters 📬 Can’t lie. I panicked. I was crushed. 💔 I was also so worried because Manning has some sensory issues with food we are slowly working through and camp challenged them in every way. But my little guy motored on with support from his fabulous counselor and @campmondamin’s fearless leaders, Andrew and @robertwdanos. Manning turned into a barn rat, riding every day, helping with the horses and even rocking a bandana all the time 🤠😂 Today, he proudly walked us all over camp telling us stories and explaining ALL the camp games. Camp shaped me into the person I am today. And watching Manning find his stride and independence brings me so much joy 💙 I can’t stress it enough: send your kids to camp, specifically Mondamin and Green Cove. You won’t regret it! So thankful for this place and its people and beyond proud of my truly HAPPY camper for rocking his first year. Manning is already signed up for 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣! #campmondamin #100years #proudmom #camp #grateful #hurricanemanning #hesmells #sodirty #sohappy #northcarolina

If Elsa and Outdoor Cat can sit peacefully next to

If Elsa and Outdoor Cat can sit peacefully next to each other, so can you. Be like Elsa and Outdoor Cat. Be inclusive. Be kind. 💗❤️🧡💛💚💙 ➡️ also Outdoor Cat is starting to sit like Elsa 😹

Happy Day to the best dad on the block 💙💗 No

Happy Day to the best dad on the block 💙💗 No doubt your happy place is with our two munchkins draped all over you. We hit the dad jackpot - constant belly laughs, games galore, golf and snuggles 🥰 We love you @jordandempseygolf And Happy day to our Pops and Papa! How did we get so lucky? Counting our blessings today and every day 💙💙💙

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ has been about doing

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ has been about doing the hard things...hospitals, infections, drains, PICC and mid lines. This week was no different. Monday started with 3+ hours in the ER and Tuesday was much of the same. Blown mid lines and bleeding left me feeling down and exhausted. When was it going to end? Answer: today! My ID doctor pulled my (hopefully) final midline. I feel free and for today, hopeful. I also acknowledge my fear of “what’s next”...surely something else is about to go wrong. I see the fear, but don’t let it stop me. I jump in the pool with my best girl. Because for today, in this moment, there is joy. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It could be more hard things or it can be incredibly ordinary. Either way, we will roll with it...in gratitude, embracing hard things and working to live in the now. And not surprisingly, Marjorie is also fully thriving as the only child while Manning is at camp. 💗💗💗 #wecandohardthings #prophylacticdoublemastectomy #chek2 #geneticmutation #genetictesting

Left a piece of my heart in my happy place today.

Left a piece of my heart in my happy place today. 💙🏔 These mountains and this place made me the person I am today. @campgreencove taught me it is okay to be unapologetically myself. Camp gave me my best friends who are family. I blinked and I’ve gone from camper to counselor to now I’m the parent dropping my baby off at @campmondamin for three weeks in the mountains - with “no parents and no girls” as Manning always says. Thankful to have visited Green Cove yesterday and spend the night with my Mountain Momma. Manning and his bunk mate Wyatt jumped out of the car and didn’t look back! Soak up every minute buddy 💙 and please please shower 🥴

Not the accessory I was planning to rock this week

Not the accessory I was planning to rock this weekend, but rocking it nonetheless. My infectious disease doctor extended my IV antibiotics another week. I was bummed and beyond tired of this thing in my arm, but find gratitude knowing this doctor is treating this go round aggressively. Serratia is apparently a tough infection to treat so I’m praying the extra week of meds and then long term oral antibiotics will do the trick. I still can’t believe the infection came back and have moments of sheer panic something else is about to go wrong. But it’s up to me to combat anxiety with facts and lean into excitement for this weekend. Tomorrow we head to my happy place in North Carolina. Sunday we will drop Manning at the world’s best camp - @campmondamin for three weeks! He is counting down to opening day. And so am I! Added bonus of seeing my Mountain Momma @kdoverstreet tomorrow! 🏕🏕🏕

Anxiety is a real bitch sometimes.🥴 An anxious

Anxiety is a real bitch sometimes.🥴 An anxious fear rolled over me at 11pm last night and lingered all day. It started with the usual fear something is wrong with the kids (nothing is wrong) and then the real fear...what if the infection is still here? What if I end up back in the hospital? What if? What if? There is nothing that indicates the infection is worse. All signs are pointing to the midline coming out this week. But anxiety doesn’t like when you hit it with actual facts. Anxiety loves to run around in our mind keeping us awake with pulsing fear. Not much to do other than take my meds (both physical and mental!), go to my doctor’s appointment, acknowledge anxiety and work to stay in my logical/wise mind. Yes, I see you anxiety. And you are big, but we shall keep doing the hard things. And pray to alllll the midline gods this gets pulled tomorrow! 💗💗💗 #infectiongoaway #prayersup #anxietyloves #prophylacticdoublemastectomy #infection #serratia #midline #goaway #anxietylife #hardthings #jacksonville #florida

“Your daughter has cancer.” Four little words

“Your daughter has cancer.” Four little words forever changed our family, creating a permanent line in our story: before cancer and after. Hard to believe it has been six years since our Miraculous Marjorie was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma 4S. The worst day of our lives, turned into a journey filled with people who carried us when we were too weak to stand. From our doctors and nurses @wolfsonchildren to countless prayer Warriors across the globe, we were constantly surrounded with hope and love. Today you would never know our spunky, sassy and always dancing 6- year old fought for her life not once but twice in her first year of life. We remain forever grateful for our answered prayers. God has big things in store for our Miraculous Marjorie and we can’t wait for her to keep on twirling through life. 💗💗🎗🎗

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