An adventure in Cushing’s and stroke

or

30 things I’ve learnt in the past year

Jen Lihttp://slight-hiccup.comjennigan@gmail.com

1. How to say “endocrinologist”2. What an endocrinologist does3. How important the medical team

looking after you is.4. Some of the differences between

the public and private health systems.

5. How much healthcare can cost (a lot).

6. That people in the medical profession are wonderful and often very willing to help.

7. That people in the medical profession are exactly that – people, with lives and stories.

Photo: Me and my endo, Dr Champion at the patient case study day at Nepean hospital.

8. How to say “pituitary”9. What the pituitary gland does.10. What Cushing’s Disease is.11. What the symptoms of Cushing’s are.12. What causes Cushing’s and how it can be “cured”.

Photo right: Soft toy pituitary gland. The letters on the block it sits on spell out “You are a champion”.

Photo above: Stretch marks

13. What a stroke is14. What can cause a stroke.15. The number of people involved in the stroke recovery process.16. What being half-paralysed is like.17. What freedom is like.18. How wonderful fresh air is.19. What being in hospital for an extended amount of time is like.20. How much you rely on the people around you.21. How depressing hospital menus are.

22. That the public health system is so important, and doesn’t deserve all the flak it gets.23. That Medicare is a really damn good system.

24. That if there’s anyone who deserves scrutiny, it’s not the public health system, it’s the private health system.

25. That fundraising is hard, stressful and frustrating, but so worth it.

26. That you really don’t forget how to ride a bike.

Photo: James Brickwood (The Sun Herald)

Stroke Awareness Morning Tea: 23 July 2009- Urban Research Centre in Parramatta (workplace)

-About 20 attendees- Raised around $360

Stroke of Genius trivia night: 14 September 2009- At the Rose of Australia Hotel in Erskineville- Hosted by Reta Svans from Trivia Magic- Silent auction prizes donated by local businesses

- About 40 people attended- About 8 teams- About $1500 raised

Great Race around Sydney: 10 October 2009- 16 people; 5 teams- Run by Brett and Josh from the Great Race- About $450 raised

Notes for Stroke 16 October 2009

Photos: Phil Rogers

Notes for Stroke

- Five bands- Four bar staff- Photographer- About 220 crowd- Raised about $3235- Red Rattler at Marrickville- Cost of $325 (bands, bar staff and photographer all volunteered their time and talents)

27. One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.

William Feather

28. The best way out is always through.Robert Frost

29. Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

Confucius

30. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.Ralph Waldo Emerson