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Category: Archive

02/05/201622/04/20172016, Archive, Chronic disease, Disability, Discrimination, Family, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Stories

This is what I want you to know (and didn’t say on TV)

This We Don’t Talk About story was originally published in shortened form as ‘I Feel Sorry For The Person Who Left Me This Note. They Clearly Don’t Understand Disability’ by The Huffington […]

02/05/201622/04/20172016, Archive, Chronic disease, Disability, Discrimination, Family, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Stories

I Feel Sorry For The Person Who Left Me This Note. They Clearly Don’t Understand Disability

This We Don’t Talk About story was originally published by The Huffington Post on 2 May 2016. You can read it here. A longer, more complete version of Justine’s story is published […]

Evelyn Wise, negotiating life post-cancer
01/04/201622/04/20172016, Archive, Cancer, Employment, Family, Friends, Medication, Medication side effects, Post-treatment, Stories

Navigating life post-cancer

 Evelyn WiseRhodes, New South WalesTen years ago, Evelyn (now 62) was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She survived the cancer, but lives with the effects of […]

01/02/201622/04/20172016, Archive, Chronic disease, Employment, Family, Finances, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Stories

Juggling MS, family and work: Priorities and possibilities

 Mike WelshWest Footscray, VictoriaMike is a digital banking guru at ANZ Bank. English-born, he migrated to Australia with his partner, Kate, twelve years ago. They married in 2009 and have two […]

Bek Paroz for We Don't Talk About
21/01/201622/04/20172016, Archive, Chronic disease, Depression, Disability, Discrimination, Employment, Family, Lupus, Medication, Medication side effects, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stories, Suicide

Working through the pain: A life with Rheumatoid arthritis

Becky ParozRedland City, QueenslandBecky is 41. She grew up in a dysfunctional family environment, exposed to alcohol-fuelled violence from an early age. At 18, when she was already living away […]

07/01/201622/04/20172016, Archive, Chronic disease, Employment, Family, Finances, Medication, Medication side effects, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Stories

Getting on with it: A mother and business woman living with MS

Rachael HendryToongabbie, New South WalesRachael was diagnosed with MS in July 2014 at the age of 33. She works full time, and also runs her own side business. She is […]

07/12/201522/04/20172015, ALS, Archive, Celebrity, Disability, Dying, End-of-life, Medication, MND, Motor Neuron Disease, Stories, Terminal disease

Neale Daniher: Fighting to fund the cure

Neale DaniherCanterbury, Victoria Living with MNDNeale Daniher, AFL great now fighting Motor Neurone Disease (MND), is ready to open up further about the disease and disability. MND is a swift and merciless disease, […]

27/11/201522/04/20172015, Anorexia, Anxiety, Archive, Chronic disease, Depression, Dying, Medication, Stories, Suicide

Surviving anorexia, depression and someone else’s suicide

 Ashleigh Hill-BuxtonCollingwood, VictoriaAshleigh is 25 years old. Petite, pretty and obviously a determined perfectionist, she is already an old soul. She overcame anorexia and completed one year of a degree in […]

26/11/201522/04/20172015, Archive, Cancer, Chronic disease, Crohn's disease, Dying, Medication, Stories, Ulcerative colitis

Living and training with ulcerative colitis

Kane PickenElderslie, New South WalesKane is 35 years old. He is a husband, father, son and athlete. At 31, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Even though he looks healthy, […]

25/11/201522/04/20172015, ALS, Archive, Chronic disease, Disability, Discrimination, Interviewer, MND, Motor Neuron Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Parkinson's disease, Stories

We Don’t Talk About featured on Channel Ten News in Sydney

Channel Ten News in Sydney featured the We Don’t Talk About project on Saturday 22 November 2015. Thanks go to Frank Lyons, who previously shared his story living with Motor […]

19/11/201522/04/20172015, ALS, Archive, Depression, Dying, Employment, Medication, MND, Motor Neuron Disease, Neurological disease, Stories, Terminal disease

Living with MND on the other side of the world

 Frank LyonsRozelle, New South WalesFrank is almost 63. He was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND, or known outside of Australia as ALS) a year ago. Born in Scotland, he […]

15/11/201522/04/20172015, Archive, Chronic disease, Employment, Medication, Neurological disease, Parkinson's disease, Stories

Coming to terms with Parkinson’s disease

 Rob MillerBurwood, New South WalesRob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010, when he was 49. He is now 54 and adapting to life with the disease. He has been […]

11/10/201522/04/20172015, Archive, Cancer, Chronic disease, Diabetes, Dying, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Terminal disease

Life after pancreatic cancer

 Barbara RiddellKiama, New South WalesBarbara is 63 years old. I know her as a family friend – her daughter and my sister are school friends – but not intimately. She […]

09/10/201522/04/20172015, Alzheimer's disease, Archive, Chronic disease, Depression, Disability, Finances, Medication, Neurological disease

The ravages of early onset Alzheimer’s disease

 Jurg KunzleWollstonecraft, New South WalesJurg is 65 years old. Born in Switzerland, he still has a Swiss accent and European mannerisms. He was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in […]

07/10/201522/04/20172015, Archive, Chronic disease, Interviewer, Stories

The point of We Don’t Talk About

This project would not have been possible without the support of The Wheeler Centre, who awarded me a Hot Desk Fellowship in 2015.For the record, this post contains my original […]

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