What if your gut knows what you want, but everyone else keeps telling you otherwise?

When Louise was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer, she knew she wanted both breasts removed and didn’t want breast reconstruction. But holding onto that decision wasn’t easy. She faced pressure from her surgeon, pity from others, and the weight of social ideas about what women should want.

Louise shares what it was like to trust her instincts anyway and choose what felt right for her body.

She also reflects on how running marathons topless has become a way of reconnecting with her body, reclaiming her right to live a full, visible, joyful life, and inspiring a crew of global 'flatties' to do the same!

You can find Louise's book Going Topless and links to you connect with her in the episode blog on my website.

Please take care of you while listening. This episode includes references to breast cancer, mastectomy surgery, body image and mental health.

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Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode will help you spot medical billing red flags before they cost you.

In Part 2 of my chat with Dr Margaret Faux, one of Australia’s leading experts on Medicare and medical billing law, we get practical. Margaret shares simple things patients can do to question fees, quotes and item numbers, and explains why so many women’s real out-of-pocket costs do not match the official data.

You’ll also hear the simple sentence that could save you money if you need regular healthcare.

We also talk about the hidden charges, vague wording, referral confusion and surprise bills that can leave women paying more than they expected at some of the most vulnerable moments in healthcare.

If you’ve ever felt unsure about a quote, a bill, or whether something was charged properly, this episode will help you understand what to look for and what to ask next.

You can find Margaret’s book 'How to Avoid the Medical Bill Rip Off!' and links to you connect with her in the episode blog on my website.

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Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nobody should be yelled at, bullied or gaslit for asking questions about healthcare costs.

In the previous episode, we talked about how patients can be protected by consumer law, but paying for healthcare is not really like buying a tin of beans.

In this bonus episode of Regarding Me, Dr Margaret Faux shares two powerful examples, including her own experience, that show why medical billing is never just about money.

It’s also about how vulnerable patients can be when they rely on professionals to do the right thing both clinically and financially.

In the next part of my conversation with Margaret, we go deeper into what to do when something doesn’t look right.

Subscribe so you don't miss it!

You can find Margaret’s book 'How to Avoid the Medical Bill Rip Off!' and links to you connect with her in the episode blog on my website.

Connect with Luan:

• Sign up for Luan's personal newsletter
• Email Luan
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• Visit Luan's website

Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Australians think they understand Medicare. Many of us don’t.

Dr Margaret Faux helps unpack the medical billing terms and systems that shape what you pay for healthcare in Australia, including bulk billing, private health, rebates, out-of-pocket costs and the Medicare safety net.

This conversation helps explain why so many of us feel confused by medical billing, and why that confusion can have real consequences when money is already tight.

Margaret is a nurse turned lawyer and one of Australia’s leading experts in Medicare and medical billing law. We break down how the system is meant to work and why understanding a few key terms can help you ask better questions and protect your rights as a patient that save you money.

This is a practical conversation about money, rights and understanding the system you’re already paying into.

In Part 2 we look at red flags, real billing examples and what to do when something doesn’t look right.

You can find Margaret’s book 'How to Avoid the Medical Bill Rip Off!' and links to you connect with her in the episode blog on my website.

Connect with Luan:

• Sign up for Luan's personal newsletter
• Email Luan
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• Visit Luan's website

Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mackala had lived with pain for years before she was diagnosed with endometriosis. But the diagnosis didn’t bring the relief she'd hoped for.

What followed was a different kind of struggle: trying to function while managing pain, inconsistent care, and the feeling that she still had to explain and prove what was happening in her body.

Her story raises bigger questions about what happens when women are finally diagnosed but still left without clear support, proper follow-up, or care that makes sense of their pain.

There is also a turning point in this conversation, when Mac describes the difference it made to be met by someone who listened, explained things clearly, and helped her feel held.

Listener note: This episode discusses chronic pain, medical dismissal, emergency care experiences, and the emotional impact of ongoing pain. Please take care while listening. Support is available through Beyond Blue's free online resources, or by calling 1300 224 636.

Connect with Luan:

• Sign up for Luan's personal newsletter
• Email Luan
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• Visit Luan's website

Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever been dismissed by a doctor and wondered if it was just you?

In this episode, award-winning journalist and Health Editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, Kate Aubusson, shares what their medical misogyny investigation uncovered.

The series revealed clear, systemic patterns of dismissal, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, including what Kate describes as “nightmare fuel” — cases where women were diagnosed with psychiatric conditions and involuntarily admitted to psychiatric wards while experiencing serious physical illness.

The investigation has already led to changes in policy and practice, showing what can happen when these experiences are recognised at scale.

This episode discusses experiences of dismissal, misdiagnosis and psychiatric misdiagnosis in healthcare.Please take care while listening and reach out for support if you need it. Beyond Blue has a range of free resources online, or you can call them 24/7 on 1300 224 636.

Connect with Luan:

• Sign up for Luan's personal newsletter
• Email Luan
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• Visit Luan's website

Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the events Tammy shared in Part 1, her treatment was delayed, with significant impacts on her wellbeing.

This episode is Part 2 of Tammy’s story. Check out Part 1 — Doctor, Have I Done Something to Offend You? — before listening to get the full story.

In Part 2, Tammy MacPherson shares what happened next.

She describes another difficult moment before her DIEP breast reconstruction surgery, which meant that a decision she had carefully made the night before about her treatment did not go ahead.

Tammy speaks about the grief and regret she has had to process since that moment, and how experiences like this can leave patients feeling that control over their own care has slipped away.

This conversation explores what informed consent can mean in practice, particularly when patients are vulnerable and decisions carry lasting consequences.

Tammy also shares the turning point in her care when she met a new plastic surgeon who approached her questions and concerns very differently and helped rebuild her trust.

Some listeners may find parts of this conversation difficult to hear. Please take care while listening and reach out for support if you need it. Beyond Blue has a range of free resources online, or you can call them 24/7 on 1300 224 636.

Connect with Luan:

• Sign up for Luan's personal newsletter
• Email Luan
• Follow Luan on Instagram
• Connect with Luan on LinkedIn
• Visit Luan's website

Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner or service. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients to help improve healthcare for patients.

Please read more in this Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tammy was told she had the earliest possible stage of breast cancer. But the decisions that followed were still confronting. Not helped my her experiences in the healthcare system.

In this episode, Tammy MacPherson shares what happened after a high-risk screening detected ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and what unfolded as she tried to understand the treatment decisions in front of her.

She also reflects on a moment in the pre-operative room that left her feeling humiliated, ashamed and scared. Unfortunately this wasn't the only moment that affected her deeply.

The conversation raises questions about diagnosis, decision-making and what can happen when women ask questions in healthcare.

Some listeners may find parts of this conversation difficult to hear. Please take care while listening and reach out for support if you need it. Beyond Blue has a range of free resources online, or you can call them 24/7 on 1300 224 636.

To understand how to give feedback or make a complaint about a surgeon in Australia, listen to this Rewritten Me episode explaining the RACS concerns, complaints and compliments process:

https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/breast-reconstruction-podcast/how-to-give-feedback-or-complain-about-your-surgeon-rhea-liang

This is Part 1 of Tammy’s story. Part 2 is out next week.

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https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/

Disclaimer

Guests share their personal experiences of healthcare. Individual clinicians or services are not identified, and the experiences discussed are not intended as allegations about any specific practitioner. Experiences are shared to explore broader patterns in healthcare and the impact they can have on patients.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-advocacy is encouraged but rarely explained or made explicit. And many women still don’t know they have the right to ask questions, get a second opinion, and offer feedback when it comes to their healthcare.

You don’t need permission to advocate for healthcare that meets your needs. But if you wanted a reminder, this is it.

In this timely episode of Regarding Me, I’m joined by Rebecca White, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Indigenous Health, and Women, to talk about self-health advocacy, not as a ‘bonus’ or nice-to-have, but as a right.

We unpack the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights, the importance of informed consent and shared decision-making, and what it takes to shift a healthcare system where women, especially younger women, are still dismissed or not taken seriously.

Whether you’re in Australia or elsewhere, this conversation will help you understand what you’re entitled to and how to confidently speak up for the care that fits your life.

You’ll hear:

• What your healthcare rights really mean and why they matter
• What the Australian Government is doing to support women's self-health advocacy
• How to use the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights as a tool
• What informed consent is – across all healthcare interactions
• Why second opinions are a right
• What to say when you feel dismissed or unsure what to ask
• The support services available to women from diverse communities
• How we can shift systems and support each other to speak up

“We are the only people we can depend on to be our own advocates when it comes to our healthcare.” — Rebecca White

🔗 Want to start now?

Download my free Six Self-Advocacy Steps (SSAS) guide, a practical tool to help you ask better questions and get the care you need.

For the links to all the resources mentioned in this show, go to the episode blog page.

Connect with Luan:

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Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host & Producer: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Sound engineering: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before she passed from metastatic breast cancer, Sarah’s mum gave her the greatest gift: knowledge that may help Sarah future-proof her health.

In this powerful follow-up conversation, Sarah Wallace opens up about what it means to self-advocate when you live with inherited risk factors for breast cancer but no diagnosis. For her, it’s a complicated space: considered ‘elective’ in the system, but a risk too great for her to wait.

And now she’s facing the prospect of accessing her superannuation again drawing from the little she’s managed to save since using every cent she had to fund IVF.

 Together we talk about:

• The inherited cancer risk space, and why it can leave women feeling invisible
• How her mum’s knowledge shaped Sarah’s decisions around genetic testing
• Why she feels risk-reduction surgery using her superannuation is her only option
• What it looks like to advocate for yourself in the gaps, between risk and prevention, system and self

Sarah’s story is a powerful reminder that advocacy is not only about facing a diagnosis. It is also about the courage to act before one comes.

⚠️ This episode includes discussion of fertility challenges, pregnancy loss and related experiences. Please listen in a way that feels safe for you. It’s always okay to pause or step away if you need to.

For the links to all the resources mentioned in this show, go to the episode blog page.

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Get Luan's free SSASy guide to Self-Advocacy

Sign up for Luan's Newsletter

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host & Producer: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Sound engineering: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.