This is an episode with Don Gillies I recorded for the Conversations With Code 9 Podcast which I, of course, love to share with you legends on this show too. 

We kicked off chatting about his time in Victoria Police initially followed by 37 years as a paramedic… and the reality of what that kind of life actually does to you. Not just mentally, but physically too.

PTSD, yeah… but also years of chronic pain that he just pushed through like most first responders do. Shoulder gone. Neck issues. Constant pain sitting at a low hum every single day… until one day it wasn’t a hum anymore, it was a full system crash on the side of the road. A moment that changed everything.

Don talks about the impact of chronic pain and it's relationship with mental health... He's just had FIVE surgeries in a short window. Neck fusion. Knee replacement. Eyes done. Thumb rebuilt. Basically, a full body overhaul… a process that was done with his psychiatric team in his corner every step of the way. 

And surprise, surprise… when the body started to feel better, so did everything else. A pretty powerful reminder that we can’t separate our physical health from our mental health… no matter how much we try.

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