MORTAL AND STRONG - The Podcast

Welcome back to another episode of the Mortal and Strong podcast, and our FINAL episode of Season 1! Today, we are wrapping the season up with the wonderful, and bubbly Gemma! Gemma shares her story of multiple myeloma; from the 5 months of being dismissed for simply having a 'bad back', to coming to terms with such a diagnosis, all the way to where she's at now. Gemma also opens up about her diff...

Welcome back to the Mortal and Strong podcast! This week, for our penultimate episode of the season, we welcome the wonderful soul that is Melissa. Melissa shares her story of living with Type 1 Diabetes, a condition she has had since childhood. Melissa talks us through what it's like to live with such a serious condition, the many different types medical technologies she has used throughout the y...

In this episode of the Mortal and Strong podcast, we welcome the inspiring Bridie, founder of Women’s Health Impact Network (WHIN) who shares her story of endometriosis. Bridie was diagnosed with Stage 4 Endometriosis at the age of 17, 7 years after her first period and first unusual symptoms.  Bridie discusses her initial symptoms; severely heavy bleeding, irregular/long periods, blood clots...

Welcome back to the Mortal and Strong podcast! In this episode, Dr Liz is joined by the wonderful soul that is Holly. Holly shares her story of chronic health issues, beginning all the way in childhood when her chronic pain first set in. Holly talks frankly about her Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), hyper-mobility, Atrial Fibrillation (AF), and cluster headaches. She candidly shares what it's truly l...

Welcome back to another episode of Mortal and Strong The Podcast. Today, we are joined by the fantastic Charlie. Charlie discusses her story of cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac syncope. Charlie's symptoms started during childhood, regularly passing out while playing games and doing exercise at school. She was repeatedly dismissed by doctors, with this cycle continuing throughout Charlies teen years...

In today's episode of the Mortal and Strong podcast, we are joined by the lovely Kim, in which she shares her story of triple negative breast cancer. Kim's story is honest, open and likely relatable to many going through a similar journey. Kim discusses facing this diagnosis, her treatments, surgeries, emotional outlook, worries, and what it was like raising a young child throughout this difficult...

Welcome back to another episode of the Mortal and Strong podcast! Today, Dr Liz is joined by the powerhouse that is Tanya. Tanya talks us through her health journey which started at just 8 years old when she began experiencing severe migraines, these migraines continued for many years until in her early 20's, Tanya suffered a stroke. She was later diagnosed with Factor V Leiden, a blood clotting d...

On today's episode of Mortal and Strong, Dr Liz is joined by the fabulous Natalie. Natalie talks us through her journey of Stage 3 Breast Cancer; from originally finding thickening of the skin on her breast, to receiving chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. Natalie shares her experience of facing her mortality, and the impact it has had not only on her, but on those around her too. She discusses...

In this episode of Mortal and Strong, we are joined by the fabulous Mel. Mel talks us through her story of being diagnosed with De novo Cancer (this is cancer that has already spread to other parts of the body at diagnosis). Mel's story begins with a back ache that was dismissed, even when she lost the ability to walk. After further investigation, tumours were found in Mel's spine and she was shor...

In this episode of the Mortal and Strong podcast, Dr Liz is joined by the lovely Dr Julie. Dr Julie tells her story of late miscarriage and post partum depression, sharing invaluable insight into the emotional trauma of losing a baby and the long term effects of said loss. Julie talks so openly and honestly about this difficult time in her life, and also discusses how the fear and anxiety of losin...

In this episode of the Mortal and Strong podcast, we are joined by the wonderful Lucy! Lucy shares her story of living with breast cancer; both as someone who went into remission, to later receiving a Stage 4 diagnosis. Lucy also discusses her treatment, mastectomy, and finding out she was pregnant shortly after her initial diagnosis. This episode is incredibly insightful as to the emotional impac...

The next Voice for our Scars of Gold campaign, is the lovely soul that is Clare. Clare talks us through her experience of being diagnosed, and living with Fibromyalgia, and Endometriosis. Clare shares how tricky it was to have doctors take her pain seriously, particularly as someone who struggles with her mental health, often having organic physical symptoms brushed off as anxiety. Clare speaks on...

Next up on the Mortal and Strong Podcast, is the wonderful Kerrie. Kerrie talks us through her journey of being born with congenital heart disease, eventually being formally diagnosed with Aortic Stenosis experiencing her first open heart surgery as a baby. After this, Kerrie grew up mostly unaware of her heart condition until the age of 27 when she found out she also had a bicuspid aortic valve,...

In this episode, Dr Liz is joined by the ray of sunshine that is Lisa! Lisa talks us through her story of being diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at just 18 years old. Just as she was ready to go off to university, Lisa's world was turned upside down by cancer, chemo, and the physical and mental after-effects a diagnosis like this has, especially at such a young age. After getting back to some norm...

Next up on the Mortal and Strong podcast is the wonderful soul that is Amie. Amie talks us through her story of experiencing sudden Cardiac Arrest, resulting in a serious car accident, that she incredibly walked away from fairly unscathed. Amie shares of the years and years she was dismissed by doctors, despite having continuous cardiac symptoms since she was a teenager, and tells of the mental an...

Today, we are joined by the vibrant soul that is Natalie. Natalie shares her story of facing a Stage 2 triple negative breast cancer diagnosis; from first discovery of a lump to treatment of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and a lumpectomy. Natalie speaks on the difficulties of receiving a diagnosis like this, whilst simultaneously talking with such hope and positivity - an attribute th...

Welcome back to the Mortal and Strong podcast! Today we’re welcoming our newest voice, the wonderful Bev. Bev shares her story receiving two diagnosis’ of primary breast cancer, and being a carrier of the BRCA1 gene. From first discovery of a lump, to having a double mastectomy, Bev talks openly and honestly about her family history, genetic testing, her experience of facing a double mastectomy, a...

We are delighted and honoured to share our latest interview with another incredible Voice from the Scars Of Gold campaign - our wonderful charity Ambassador and a voice from the record-breaking band Atomic Kitten; Natasha Hamilton. Natasha has joined our charity as an ambassador and as one of the 100 Voices sharing her story of facing life changing health conditions at a young age. In this episode...

Introducing our latest voice to be interviewed by Dr Liz Murray - the fabulous lady that is Gloria. Gloria shares so beautifully and honestly how life was feeling 'too much' with several challenges and then after being unwell for months without anyone finding a cause Gloria found a lump and skin changes on her breast. Gloria describes the classic 'orange peel' effect that can happen with certain t...

Our latest Voice - the lovely and ever optimistic Laura H sharing with Dr Liz her experience of having tracheal cancer (a rare type of cancer Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma ACC), having a tracheostomy and the impact of this on her life. Laura woke one day to have a change in her voice but no sore throat, then began having breathing difficulties. For so many people this could have been dismissed as a vir...

Our latest interview with Voice No. 80 in the Scars Of Gold campaign; Emma W. Emma shares her experienced of how finding a slight 'dent' in the skin of her breast became a life changing diagnosis of breast cancer requiring a double mastectomy. Emma is a wonderful example of how the need for humour and an optimistic but honest approach to life is needed. Emma shares with us a really important insig...

Our latest Voice to be interviewed for the Scars Of Gold campaign is the beautiful and always-smiling Jemma sharing her experience of triple negative breast cancer. Jemma is a nurse and shares how suddenly experiencing what it was to be a patient posed new perspectives. Jemma shares the honest challenges of having to make decisions quickly about fertility at a time when so much turbulence and conf...

Our latest interview with Dr Liz is the next Voice - the lovely and gentle human that is Astrid. Astrid shares how she has spent her entire adult life with major life changing health issues, which actually originally started from a childhood viral illness. Astrid had a childhood viral illness called Henoch Shonlein Purport which can be a simple uncomplicated illness, but in rare cases can cause ki...

Our latest interview in the Scars of Gold campaign is with Hayley who shares insight into what it is to have multiple chronic health conditions and how it takes mental strength to not let the relentlessness take it's toll. Hayley has experienced cancer, endometriosis, ME, anaphylaxis and surgical complications. After experiencing an extremely rare complication during surgery whereby Hayley 'woke u...

Nikki is our latest Voice to share with us her reflections on living over 3 years with secondary breast cancer. After her close friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, Nikki had been breast aware but only thought the symptoms to be mindful of were lumps until seeing one of the Lorraine 'change and check' stickers at a hair salon. This alerted her to the fact that pain could be a symptom and promp...