Pill Pop

Pill Pop hosts Izzie Austin and Silvi Vann-Wall alongside Jane Rosengrave, Lucy Carpenter and Carly Findlay.

‘This book will change history. It’s the first of its kind in Australia. And I hope it won’t be the last. We deserve better representation in literature.’

Edited by writer, speaker and appearance activist Carly Findlay, Growing Up Disabled in Australia captures the complexity and nuance of life with disability, reflected by its diverse range of more than 40 contributors. The landmark anthology offers disabled people of all backgrounds and life experiences a chance to see themselves reflected on the page, in a world that should – but often doesn’t – accommodate impairment as an expected aspect of human diversity.

In this live Pill Pop event, recorded at the Wheeler Centre, hosts Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin were joined by Growing Up Disabled in Australia editor Carly Findlay and contributors Lucy Carpenter and Jane Rosengrave to discuss the anthology and the experiences explored within.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of physical and mental illness.Further reading

Growing Up Disabled in Australia, edited by Carly Findlay. A rich collection of writing from those negotiating disability in their lives – a group whose voices are not heard often enough. Contributors include senator Jordon Steele-John, paralympian Isis Holt, Dion Beasley, Sam Drummond, Astrid Edwards, Sarah Firth, El Gibbs, Eliza Hull, Gayle Kennedy, Carly-Jay Metcalfe, Fiona Murphy, Jessica Walton and many more. Get in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your own love stories while chronically ill at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected].

In this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin, this episode celebrates the release of Growing Up Disabled in Australia.

This podcast was recorded live at the Wheeler Centre on 15 April 2021.

This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Jon Tjhia, Beth Atkinson-Quinton and Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie GleddenTranscript

A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love, sex and gender can be just about the most complicated parts of having a body. Add chronic illness into the mix and you’ve got a potential recipe for awkward dates, bedroom compromises and self-loathing ... OR NOT! As Erin Kyan explains, chronic illness can be a gateway to completely unique, unforgettable experiences, and relationships that go the extra mile in terms of communication and intimacy. Sometimes, knowing the limits of your body also means seeing its possibilities.

In the season finale of Pill Pop, hosts Silvi and Izzie receive a mystery tape, plus audio producer and disabled performer Erin Kyan talks love, sex, gender and accessibility. We don’t recall Dolly Doctor ever answering a dilemma about chronically ill love and sex, but if they did, it would probably be something like this!

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of physical and mental illness, transphobia, hospitals and medical trauma.Further reading

Erin Kyan's website

Erin Kyan's Fibromyalgia tweet: ‘just saw a picture that said "fight like a girl; fibromyalgia awareness" and while this isn't the first time I've been misgendered by my condition, it sure is the weirdest. (ffs people "fibro more commanly affects women" is not the same statement as "fibro only affects women")’, published 25 November, 2019

Passer Vulpes Productions

Quippings: Disability UnleashedGet in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your own love stories while chronically ill at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected]. In this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Podcast producer at Passer Vulpes Productions and Quippings performer Erin Kyan is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne and Silvi and Izzie's respective home offices. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Jon Tjhia, Beth Atkinson-Quinton and Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere. Sound effects sourced from freesound.orgTranscript

A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you live with an illness for long enough, you become something of an expert in it – at the very least, in how it affects your body. Sometimes, though, doctors don’t take your expertise seriously. They’re the experts, after all, and they’re used to having the power in these interactions. This is why it's important to learn how to advocate for yourself or find someone to advocate for you.

In this episode of Pill Pop, hosts Silvi and Izzie speak with physiotherapist, PhD candidate, and health communication researcher, Louisa Walsh. They speak about her experience advocating for herself and others as a person with Cystic Fibrosis and a double lung transplant recipient. 

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of physical and mental illness, hospitals, medical trauma.Further reading

Using Social Media to Facilitate Consumer Engagement in Health Service Improvement, Louisa Walsh's PhD research, La Trobe University

Impure Science: AIDS, Activism, and the Politics of Knowledge by Steven Epstein, published 1996, University of California PressGet in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your own health advocacy stories at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected]. 

In this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. PhD Candidate, physiotherapist, and lecturer Louisa Walsh is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne and Silvi and Izzie's respective home offices. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere. Sound effects sourced from SoundSnap and Klankbeeld.Transcript

A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Photo of Kaitlyn Blythe

Did you know that Halle Berry is diabetic? Izzie's dad once told them that and they've never fact-checked it. They think he meant it to be encouraging, like, 'Hey, you’ll be okay, see? Catwoman has diabetes,' but unfortunately that movie was terrible. In this episode ofPill Pop, hosts Silvi and Izzie speak with writer and performer Kaitlyn Blythe about media representation of chronically ill people. They’ll give you the good, the bad, and the Jeremy Renner in what was easily the hardest time they’ve had staying on topic in an interview.

Kaitlyn Blytheis a writer and performer living in Naarm (Melbourne) and dealing with encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She also has a podcast,Just A Spoonful(currently on hiatus), where she talks to other chronically ill folks, and is working on her first book, a collection of essays about life with a disability.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of physical and mental illness, hospitals, medical trauma.Further reading

An Inconvenienceby Kaitlyn Plyley, Seizure, published 19 January 2017

The ‘feminist’ advice that is actually holding women back by Kaitlyn Plyley, Sydney Morning Herald, published 3January 3 2017

A Deep Dive Into The Latest (And Completely Bonkers) Taylor Swift Fan Theoriesby Kaitlyn Plyley, Junkee, published 28 February 2019

Movies spoken about in this episode include: Philadelphia, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Moulin Rouge, Love & Other Drugs, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame and Bubble BoyGet in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your non-compliant body storiesat @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected]. In this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Writer and perfromer Kaitlyn Blythe, formerly Kaitlyn Plyley, is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne and Silvi and Izzie's respective home offices. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere. Sound effects sourced from SoundSnap andKlankbeeld.Transcript

A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that Halle Berry is diabetic? Izzie's dad once told them that and they've never fact-checked it. They think he meant it to be encouraging, like, “Hey, you’ll be okay, see? Catwoman has diabetes,” but unfortunately that movie was terrible. In this episode of Pill Pop, hosts Silvi and Izzie speak with writer and performer Kaitlyn Blythe about media representation of chronically ill people.

Sadly, Lara Irvine passed away before this episode was released. The interview is being released in accordance with her family's wishes and to honour Lara's memory.

Lara Irvine and her dog

So you’ve got your diagnosis down pat, you’ve found a doctor – or team of doctors – who have helped get your illness under control, and you’ve worked out you’re too sick to work (in the traditional sense). Now’s the time to apply for government assistance, and that’s an easy process that’s not dehumanising, right? Of course not! That would be a much shorter interview! Many disabled and chronically ill people find themselves having to become experts in navigating the bureaucracy of government support just to get the help they need to survive. In this episode of Pill Pop, hosts Silvi and Izzie interview one such person: Lara Irvine.

Lara Irvine was a writer from Ballarat who dealt with a number of chronic conditions including scleroderma, which almost completely shut down her digestive system. The year before she died, she told us about her experiences of trying to prove to the NDIS that she qualified for the support she needed.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of severe illness, hospitals, medical trauma.

Please note: In this episode, the following acronyms are used: NDIS – National Disability Insurance Scheme; DSP – Disability Support Pension.Further reading

'People are worse off': NDIS funding gaps leave many without care in Victoria by Dominic Cansdale and Kirsten Diprose, ABC Ballarat, published 26October2017

Drastic pre-wedding diets. Would you do this? by Lara Irvine, Mamamia, published 20 April 2012

Get in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your stories of navigating government support systems at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected]. 

In this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Writer Lara Irvine is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne and Silvi and Izzie's respective home offices. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet', 'Thought Bubbles' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere. Sound effects sourced from freesound.org.Transcript

A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hayden Moon — Photo: supplied

Whether you’re negotiating a medical certificate for time off work, or you're back in the clinic every fortnight because this latest medication works a bit better than the last but you’re wondering if the dry mouth is worth it – you’ve been to a doctor. Maybe it’s been fine, maybe it’s been … less than fine. And if you're not a white, cis-het able-bodied person with no history of mental illness, your experiences of the medical system could range from being excellent to being very bad indeed.

In this episode of Pill Pop, hosts Silvi and Izzie interview Hayden Moon about navigating the medical system as a chronically ill Brotherboy – and about the best and the worst they’ve seen in the medical system.

'They've gone to the doctor for a cold, or because they've hurt their wrist – and the doctor asked them, "What's it like … being a lesbian?"'Hayden Moon

Hayden Moon (he/they) is a Wiradjuri Brotherboy, PhD candidate, Pinnacle scholar and competitive Irish dancer. He has worked with the Trans and Gender Diverse Community Advisory Group (ACON), TransHub and Trans Action Warrang to ensure young trans and gender diverse people have the tools they need to navigate their transition and beyond.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of transphobia, racism, severe physical and mental illness, hospitals, and medical trauma.Further reading

ACON

TransHub

Trans Action WarrangGet in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your best and/or worst doctor stories at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected] this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. PhD candidate, trans activist and Wiradjuri Brotherboy Hayden Moon is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne and Silvi and Izzie's respective home offices. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet', 'Thought Bubbles' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere; Night In Venice by Kevin MacLeod under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Sound effects sourced from freesound.org.Transcript

A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacinta Parsons

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: a chronically ill person walks into work after an extended flare-up. Their coworker asks, grinning, ‘Where have you been?’, to which they reply: ‘I’ve been at home in bed’. The coworker’s eyes grow wide and the grin gets bigger. ‘Oooh!’ they exclaim, ‘I’d just love some time off!’

Jacinta Parsons is a broadcaster, radio maker, writer and public speaker who currently hosts the Afternoons programme on ABC Local Radio Melbourne. In this episode of Pill Pop, she talks to hosts Izzie and Silvi about what it’s like to be working while chronically ill.

Jacinta is an ambassador for the Crohn’s and Colitis Association, and speaks and writes about the impact of living with chronic illness. She has also been an active member of the arts and music community, and is a board member for Melbourne disability theatre company, Rollercoaster.

She has written a book, Unseen – on living with invisible chronic illness – that will be published in September 2020.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of severe physical and mental illness, hospitals, medical trauma.Further reading

Jacinta Parsons at ABC Radio

‘Illness can morph you without your consent’ by Jacinta Parsons, Sydney Morning Herald, accessed 15 July 2020

Get in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your stories of working while chronically ill at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected] this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Radio maker, writer and Crohn’s ambassador Jacinta Parsons is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere. Sound effects sourced from freesound.org.Transcript

Download a transcript of this episode here (Adobe PDF format).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex McFadden

Okay, your life is different now – you’ve accepted that. But the question remains: who do I complain to? Do you take this to Twitter? Talk to your family? Say 'fibromyalgia' really loud in a public place, and see who turns around?

Alex McFadden is a writer and performer living with fibromyalgia. We had a chat with them about support networks: where to find them, how to make them, and how to support (and how not to support) your chronically ill friends.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of severe physical and mental illness, hospitals, medical trauma.Further reading

Alex McFadden's blog

Get in touch

We want to hear from our listeners! Tweet us your stories of chronic illness support at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected] this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Writer and performer Alex McFadden is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere.

Sound effects sourced from SoundSnap.Transcript

Download a transcript of this episode here (Adobe PDF format).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ferris Knight

So, your chronic illness has been (correctly) diagnosed. You’ve memorised your mile-long prescription list. But, you’ve started to notice something – everything around you is exactly the same. There’s no extra seat on the tram for young-people-who-are-sick-but-don’t-actually-look-it. And no amount of smiling is turning the stairs at your job into a ramp. How do you go about asking for the help you need?

Ferris Knight is a writer, producer and performer living with chronic illness and disabilities – bipolar 1 and hypertensive peristalsis, to name but two. She’s had more than a few run-ins with frustrating social barriers, and has gone to great – and painful – lengths to show everyone else just what it’s like to live in her body. Even so, she finds herself tempted to deny that anything is wrong. Asking for help can feel weirdly humiliating … but, as we’ll discover, it’s an absolute imperative to living with chronic illness.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of severe physical and mental illness, hospitals and medical trauma.Further reading

'My Bipolar Story' by Ferris Knight, Ramona, published 6 August 2018Get in touch

We want to hear from our listeners. Tweet us your stories of denial at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at [email protected] this episode

Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Writer, producer and performer Ferris Knight is our guest.

Recorded at Studio 757, Melbourne. This series is produced in partnership with the Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary.

Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet' and 'More on That Later' by Lee Rosevere.

Sound effects sourced from SoundSnap.Transcript

Download a transcript of this episode here (Adobe PDF format).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.