The Disability Diaries With Steven Vine

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Davina is a young woman who was born with classic bladder exstrophy and lives with a Mitrofanoff catheterizable channel. She openly shares her experiences online, helping educate others and showing that living with a rare congenital condition does not have to stop you from pursuing your dreams.

At just 20 years old, Davina is already making her mark as a singer, songwriter, pianist, dancer and performer in Los Angeles. Her passion for music and performing is inspiring, and she is using her social-media platforms to share both her artistic journey and her experiences living with bladder exstrophy. Her YouTube channel includes educational content about how she manages catheterization with bladder exstrophy.

'God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers'

Davina Azzi | Official Website

Meet Davina Azzi, a bladder exstrophy advocate, singer, and Los Angeles performer whose story reflects courage, creativity, and community.

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What happens when getting sober means losing the very people you thought would stand beside you?  In this very personal episode Steven talks with Penn Street of the Blind Chick Podcast (and episode 16), for an honest conversation about alcoholism, addiction, disability, and the difficult road toward recovery.

Both Penn and Steven have firsthand experience navigating addiction while living with blindness. They discuss how alcohol can become a way to numb emotional pain, avoid accepting a disability, and escape feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Penn discusses her journey of 39 years of sobriety, including how friendships and relationships changed (or ended), and the freedom she discovered when she decided that addiction did not define her life.

Steve offers a different perspective on recovery - and how he wanted to change his dependency and relationship with alcohol. Recovery doesn't always look identical for everyone. This episode is a reminder that recovery is possible, asking for help is a sign of strength, and finding people who understand your journey can change everything.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-blind-chick/id1589864901

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Erica lives in Ottawa, Ontario and describes herself as a nurse, a doula, a student, a mother, a public speaker, and a disability advocate. Erica has a disability known as Myasthenia Gravis. If you have not heard of this rare neurological disease, you are likely not alone. You will need to listen to Erica describe her diagnosis, as it is as unique in all individuals as snowflakes are unique. Some of the symptoms of her condition are chronic fatigue and sensitivity to the cold. Her condition can also react differently depending on the weather. She has spent many occasions where she became bedridden. Erica has also started a podcast with her friend Susie Schwartz called: 'I See You, the Podcast'. Wonder if you are the only one crawling through the cracks of this ableist world? Well, you aren't. If you spend more time with the medical system than your friends (or love someone who does) this podcast is for you. 

Myasthenia gravis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

The Art of Taking Up Space | Invisible Illness fighting for disability justice in Canada

I See You The Podcast | invisible illness | The Art of Taking Up Space

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We are honored to have a very special guest with us today. Dr. Joel Gagnon has taken time out of his busy schedule to talk about his work as a Vascular Surgeon. You expect to have a unique relationship with your surgeon, sometimes you may only have one or two visits or encounters with them, but Steve has had multiple procedures done by Dr. Gagnon. He is very challenged by his field of surgery and is always researching new 'tricks & tips' to learn to make improvements in his procedures. Dr. Gagnon started out in General Surgery, but he liked the complexity and sense of urgency of vascular surgery. This is a very interesting conversation; Dr. Gagnon shares a lot of fascinating information. And who knew that Steve and Dr. Gagnon (and Albert Einstein) would have something else in common, in their shared interest and curiosity in history! Thank you, Dr. Gagnon. 

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In this episode, the patient is someone who was referred to by a Doctor as a 'Ticking Time Bomb'. In other words, you may have another medical emergency, without warning, but it has been suggested that you just get on with your life and good luck. When you have had a previous medical emergency, it's probably a good idea to have screening and appointments done on a predetermined basis to make sure your health is still in check and not deteriorating. The patient usually knows their own body and state of health, and to be aware of signs that medical attention may be necessary. Sometimes it may also be a good idea to get a second or third opinion; especially if you question the medical advice that you have been given. This episode is a personal journey of one person and is not meant to give advice or to use someone else's medical opinion for your own situation. 

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Just because a person has a disability, doesn't mean that they don't think about sex. 'Sex is something that you do, sexuality is who you are'. Join us as we delve into a conversation with sexologist Kate McBride.  Kate is a Clinical Nurse Specialist with the Sexual Health Rehabilitation program with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority; the only kind of recognized comprehensive program that exists in Canada. Kate got into this field because she was interested in helping people with sexual health, particularly when they have spinal cord injuries, but other disabilities are also counselled. The client can learn and consult at their own pace, the support is given and is available when they are ready to discuss and process it. The client may be going through a bit of a grief process, and if there may be a partner involved; it's a matter of communication and patience. Some stigmas may still be prevalent, because the disabled person may not be perceived as having sexual needs.

Services and resources | Vancouver Coastal Health

Home Sexual Health & STI Information in BC | SmartSexResource

Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability | Book by Miriam Kaufman, Cory Silverberg, Fran Odette | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

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Michelle Kam is 39 years old, she has multiple sclerosis (MS) and she lives in a long term care facility. She has to have a shower and go to bed when the schedule permits. Most days, she has to stay in bed until 10 am. She maintains a positive attitude about living in a care home, even though she is one of the youngest residents' there. Michelle has to rely on nursing staff to assist her, she needs to use a lift, and she is at the mercy of their work schedules and rules that are out of Michelle's control. Michelle tries to be independent and runs a couple of businesses from her suite. She refers to herself as a 'social beast', and she feels fortunate that she has friends in the facility, and she has many visitors. She was diagnosed with MS at 31 years old and she had to move out of her family basement apartment; she has a child also. Her mom also has MS, but she had reassured her daughter that MS wasn't hereditary. She relishes the idea of a more independent living situation but is tentative of the unknown and what might happen to her.

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The team presents the story of Rich who is married to Iris, as she suddenly loses all her vision, which makes Rich see things in a different light. Married almost 30 years, Iris lost her vision gradually about 20 years ago, until it took her remaining vision very quickly. (in about a months' time). Rich talks about Iris very proudly, how she adapted to her blindness, remains active and does volunteer work and is active in the low and vision loss community. They have 2 children, which they did not want Iris's blindness to affect them too much. Iris and Rich do a lot of activities, travelling, going to concerts, cooking, and spending time together. But Steve wanted Rich to address how he feels about being the spouse of a person who is blind. It may present some challenges, but overall - Rich takes into account the accessibility for Iris, but more importantly how they can adapt together. Be supportive and be patient is the message from Rich.

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Disability doesn't have to stop you. No need to be a superhero to Rise Disabled, you just need to give yourself a chance, everyday! Etienne was born with Cerebral Palsy. He had 3 careers in his adulthood; firstly - a computer programmer for the Canadian Government, secondly - a United Church Minister, and currently as a disability Life Coach. Etienne had a lot of challenges in his life, but he persevered and found the resources to live to his full potential. When he was younger, he didn't think that he was any different from the other kids, until someone pointed it out. He asked his doctors when they were going to cure him. He found his calling to be a minister but found the accessibility difficult in traditional older churches! He found a need in the disability community for coaching, counselling and helping with resources - so he developed the coaching career to help other disabled people. He started out as a Peer Mentor but eventually preferred to be a Coach. His core values are joy, compassion and growth, expressing these values gives Etienne energy. If you decided to work with Etienne as a coach, he would create a specific program for you, depending on the stage that you are in with your disability.

Rising Disabled - Disability Coaching to rebuild purpose

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When Josh was 2 years old, he was caught in and run over by a riding lawnmower. His right leg below the knee was severely damaged and had to be rebuilt. He adapted and dealt with those challenges pretty well through the years, but then when he was in his 30's he started to have heart problems - he had a few heart attacks, had stents put in and had a few strokes. He developed some issues in his right arm and is slowly losing the use of this arm. His doctors were baffled by his arm issue and that's why he attributes this to bad luck. He has bouts of chronic and debilitating pain which drains his energy and makes it hard for him to cope on some days. He fights through the pain on an almost daily basis with medication (34 pills a day) staying active and getting outside and walking his dogs. The pain in his right arm started in the late 2000's, he was losing muscle mass and finally decided to go to the Mayo Clinic in the US, a world-renowned specialized hospital. The doctors there had never seen a case like Josh's, so it could not be defined or properly diagnosed. Josh reflects with Steve on everything he has gone through with a surprisingly straightforward outlook and attitude.