The Disability Diaries With Steven Vine

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Steve interviews Lisa Gausman, a fellow ostomate, and an amazing human being. Lisa noticed she may have had an illness in her teenaged years. Her mother decided to pursue intervention for Lisa, and she was immediately diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She had 15 abdominal surgeries after that diagnosis. She was put on some serious medication at the age of 16. Things started to get worse, and she had 17 more surgeries - leading to getting the ileostomy, and then a serious medical incident - leading to the removal of 17 feet of her GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Lisa shares a lot of personal stories of how her condition, her chronic pain, and prescription medication affected her life and her relationships. Fast forward some years later, and Lisa decided to do some advocating for Ostomy, and became the editor of Ostomy Canada magazine. (which is currently experiencing an uncertain future) She also did some work for the Ostomy Canada youth camp; this was truly her passion for 19 summers - that one week every summer fueled Lisa's internal gas tank!

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Steve and Chris talk with Dr. Marla Inducil, the Director of Medical Research at BC Diabetes in Vancouver. Marla's work focuses on diabetes research, but the three of us talk about various topics including: Type 1 vs. Type 2, eating, shopping and portion control. Exercise, fasting and making good choices at the grocery store. (We previous talked about this topic with Tristan Elliott in Episode 23). The bottom line is: we are all responsible for our own health and making sensible choices to ward off Diabetes, and some of the current medication available to assist the patient. This may be a very serious topic, but we have a bit of a casual light hearted talk while still giving solid information.

BCDiabetes - British Columbia Diabetes Care, Research, and Education

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In this episode, Steve talks with Monica Gartner and Walt Lawrence about Faith, Spirituality and God. This discussion is far from preachy - but rather offering some personal perspectives on how people can find their own ways to cope with disabilities; whether it is within their own hearts, in a church, or in their own community. You may recognize Monica from a previous episode - as the Dynamo in a Wheelchair. Monica offers a thoughtful perspective from her own personal experiences. Walt also speaks to his open mindedness as he works as a counsellor at GF Strong to newly disabled individuals. We hope that you will listen to this episode with an open mind and an open heart.

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In this episode, Steve talks with Mike Bolland, who has his own podcast entitled: 'We're not Stumped'. Mike's podcast serves as motivation to share survival stories, recovery journeys, and real-life success stories from the limb loss and disability community. Mike is a one handed cancer survivor and the first person with limb loss to compete on the PBA Tour (Pro Bowling Association), Mike is also a speaker and stand up comedian, using humour and real life experiences to challenge the perceptions around disability. We're not stumped. Not by limb loss. Not by fear. Not by anything life throws our way. We’re Not Stumped | Motivational Podcast Featuring Survival Stories, Recovery Journeys & Disability Stories - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

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In this special episode, Steven welcomes Dr. Michelle Hewitt and Dr. Ricky Manhas to talk about MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying). Michelle gives her perspective as the spouse of a patient who used MAID last year. Michelle is also the Chair of the Disability without Poverty non-profit organization. Dr. Manhas gives his perspective as a Family Doctor who has guided patients who have made this request, and he's also Steve's GP.  It's a very thought provoking episode with a thoughtful discussion outlining the guidelines for MAID, Track 1 vs. Track 2, the compassionate vs. medical aspects of this decision and how it affects patients and their families. We would be interested in hearing your thoughts if this controversial topic has touched you or your family in some way. 

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In this special 50th episode of the podcast, Steve talks about the writing of his new book: 'Beyond Green Eyes: The Day I Died, the Life I Began'. The episode starts out with Chris reading the Prologue of the book. If you're interested in hearing more from the book - it is available to purchase on Amazon. (Hardcover, softcover or Kindle)  Beyond Green Eyes: The Day I Died, The Life I Began: Vine, Steven: 9781997730835: Books - Amazon.ca

Steve would like to thank Life Sized Publishing for publishing this book. As a blind person, 'writing' the book was a challenge - but Umer and his team guided Steve along the way and even supported him while he unexpectantly landed in the hospital for 2 months in the middle of this process. Book Publishing Services for Authors | Life Sized Publishing

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Steve talks with Thomas Exler from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who was born with a very rare congenital birth defect known as bladder exstrophy. As Tom describes it, his bladder was like a balloon on the outside of his body. He had to have this removed at the age of 4. His mother created the first ostomy group in the world for caregivers of children with this condition. Bladder exstrophy brought Tom numerous challenges, including multiple surgeries and long hospital stays as a child. Yet, it also offered him countless blessings—chief among them, the opportunity to become a lifelong advocate for others living with similar conditions. In 2010, Tom established Courage to Shine™, a patient-centered initiative that honors individuals born with genitourinary birth defects who have grown to become outstanding role models. The project also serves as a platform for motivational presentations and global outreach.

Bladder Exstrophy, Resilience, and Global Advocacy: The Journey of Thomas Exler – Courage to Shine™

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Steve interviews Jared Taylor, from Washington state. In his younger days, Jared's life consisted mainly of construction and skiing. He decided to buckle down and pursue a career as an EMS, working as an emergency medical technician and firefighter. In 2012 he sustained an injury as a trail runner, as he loved the outdoors. While running one day, he experienced a misstep which led to a life changing injury. He required a below the knee amputation in 2015. While going through the process of adjusting to the amputation, Jared found that there was limited support in his area. He went through a difficult time of pain, surgeries, referrals and wheelchair use before he finally got the amputation. In 2024, he decided to start his own podcast: 'Amputee for Life'. His podcast focuses on testimonials from amputees, family members, and professionals in the limb loss community. Steve and Jared talked about their shared commonalities - besides the amputation, pain, medication, and they were both avid runners. If you are an amputee or have some involvement in this topic, please feel free to contact Steve or Jared for support. 

Amputee For Life - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

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In this episode, Steve talks with Dr. Ghobadi about medical screening. He has experience working in emergency medicine, medical clinics, as well as screening, diagnosing and patient care. He did his schooling and training in his home country of Iran but moved to Canada a few years ago and is continuing to pursue medicine. Steve wanted to talk about this topic, because he feels if he had more screening done for himself, it may have lessened the severity of some of his disabilities. Screening is a great tool to determine if preventative treatment would be useful and helpful.  Dr. Ghobadi describes some of the most important medical screening procedures, when and why they should be performed. Always consult with your family doctor, a medical clinic or a hospital as to what is right for you, as these are guidelines only.

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Linda Siegel is a retired professor from the University of British Columbia, who taught educational psychology. In this episode, Linda talks with Steve about dyslexia because she feels this is a very important condition to talk about. Her quote is from a 10 year old boy with dyslexia, which Linda elaborates more in her conversation with Steven. Linda did a lot of research about children and how they struggled with reading, and she also worked in schools trying to help children with their dyslexia. She did her research over 45 years ago, but she finds there can still be improvements even to this current day in helping people to manage their dyslexia by getting the right tools at an early age.

Dyslexia Canada