The Laura Dowling Experience

Laura Dowling
  • 4.9 (9)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

Conversations about health, science, wellness, life, love, sex and everything in-between. Laura is a Pharmacist who loves to talk to interesting people about their unique life and work experiences. See @fabulouspharmacist on instagram for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. #171 Pamela Deasy | Trusting Her Gut: A Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Story

    3d ago

    #171 Pamela Deasy | Trusting Her Gut: A Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Story

    Pamela Deasy was in her early 40s, working full time and volunteering with the RNLI, when fatigue started dragging her back into bed in the middle of the day. Her bloods were clear. She was told it was perimenopause, then depression. Months passed before a kinesiologist, of all people, pointed at her pancreas — and within days she was in a Cork hospital being told she had a tumour. In this episode, Pamela sits down with Laura to walk through what happened next: the chemotherapy that made her legs turn to jelly, the five and a half weeks of daily radiotherapy that put her on her back in hospital, and the Whipple surgery that took out the head of her pancreas, part of her stomach, part of her intestine, her gallbladder and her spleen. Then the slower, quieter battle that came after — the seven and a half stone she lost, the survivor guilt nobody warned her about, the Survive and Thrive programme that helped her step back into the world, and the small camping toilet she now keeps in her car because that is the honest reality of life after Whipple surgery. Pamela also shares why she co-founded Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, what the signs of pancreatic cancer actually look like, and why "listen to your gut and keep going back" might be the most important sentence you hear this week. 🔑 Key Points Why fatigue was Pamela's only consistent symptom — and how easy it was to put down to a busy life, perimenopause and then depressionThe signs of pancreatic cancer worth knowing: persistent tiredness, pain in the tummy that radiates to the back, floaty stools, dark urine, jaundice, an itch with no rash, new pre-diabetesWhat Whipple surgery actually involves, and why it is described as life-saving but life-alteringThe realities of life after a rewired digestive system, from packing a change of clothes to always knowing where the toilet isThe chemotherapy side effects that have lingered for years — neuropathy, Raynaud's, cold intoleranceSurvivor guilt, the drop-off in support after the "all clear", and finding her way back through the Survive and Thrive programmeWhy pancreatic cancer is projected to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030Pamela's everyday philosophy: advocate for yourself, listen to your gut, and treasure the ordinary days 📚 Resources Pancreatic Cancer Ireland Survive and Thrive ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome 00:27 — Blackrock Health Women's Health Centre 01:34 — Introducing Pamela and trusting your gut 02:13 — 2018: fatigue, busy work and the RNLI 03:04 — Going back to the GP again and again 05:01 — A kidney scan and "the good news is there's no cancer" 06:00 — Being told she might be depressed 06:16 — A kinesiologist who pointed at her pancreas 07:17 — Jaundice and the alarm bell 08:51 — Friday 7th December: into hospital in Cork 09:22 — "You have a tumour in your pancreas" 12:02 — What Whipple surgery actually is 13:00 — Six rounds of chemotherapy 13:30 — Side effects: falling, neuropathy, Raynaud's 17:48 — Radiotherapy, gemcitabine and six weeks in hospital 21:51 — Whipple surgery on 15 August 2019 23:20 — What was removed during Whipple 24:17 — Losing seven and a half stone and severe cachexia 26:14 — Ascites and the slow road back 29:48 — From patient to survivor 30:23 — Survivor guilt and finding therapy 31:11 — The Survive and Thrive programme 31:38 — Life after a rewired digestive system 34:55 — Pancreatic cancer statistics in Ireland 36:00 — The signs and symptoms worth knowing 42:00 — Setting up Pancreatic Cancer Ireland 47:58 — Where to find Pamela 49:25 — Advice for younger people, and the meaning of life 51:38 — Blackrock Health Women's Health Centre Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  2. Bitesize Moment: "The Second Christmas Nearly Broke Me." — Dr Mary Ryan on grief

    5d ago

    Bitesize Moment: "The Second Christmas Nearly Broke Me." — Dr Mary Ryan on grief

    In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, endocrinologist Dr Mary Ryan opens up about losing her husband unexpectedly while raising three small children, and what grief actually looked like for her in the years that followed. She tells Laura about the shock, the anger, and the long fog of those first two years — and the small, practical things that helped: leaning into bonding routines with her kids, accepting help from family, friends and even her own patients, and letting people in when every part of her wanted to push them away. 🔑 Key PointsWhy grief, in her experience, takes around two years — and why the second Christmas is often the hardestThe "dark hole" she fell into, and what slowly pulled her outHow she kept life moving day-to-day for three young childrenThe quiet role of family, friends and patients in keeping her goingA gentle, honest take on how you don't really "get over" loss — you come through it 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min
  3. #170 Caroline Foran | The Nervous System, Anxiety & PDA Parenting

    May 21

    #170 Caroline Foran | The Nervous System, Anxiety & PDA Parenting

    Anxiety author Caroline Foran joins Laura for a deeply personal conversation about parenting a young son recently diagnosed as autistic with a PDA profile, alongside her own long history with anxiety. Caroline talks openly about the years before the diagnosis, the blame she turned inward, and everything she has had to unlearn about parenting. She explains what PDA — Pervasive Drive for Autonomy — actually looks like day to day, why traditional approaches can make things worse, and the social pressure of being seen to "manage" a child whose nervous system is set on high alert. She also shares her own anxiety story, from a frightening breakdown at sixteen in Italy through to the severe physical anxiety that took over her twenties. Caroline talks about medication, CBT, and the years of work behind her new book Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety, and why so much of recovery came from showing her body safety rather than trying to outthink her own mind. 🔑 Key Points Discovering a PDA profile — Caroline explains Pervasive Drive for Autonomy and what it means for her son's nervous system day to day. Why traditional parenting backfires — Holding firm boundaries can push a PDA child straight into fight or flight, even at five. Lowering the demands — A low-demand, declarative-language approach has reshaped everyday life at home. Performative parenting — The urge to respond to her son for the benefit of onlookers, even with close friends. The years before the diagnosis — A bumpy COVID start, severe separation anxiety and two preschool attempts that left him distressed. Caroline's anxiety story — A breakdown at sixteen in Italy and a severe physical episode at twenty-five. Medication, CBT and self-compassion — Prozac, behavioural therapy and learning to respond to anxiety with kindness rather than self-attack. Showing the body safety — Why walking, rhythm and bottom-up regulation worked better than trying to master her thoughts. The cost of constant stimulation — Social media, the pleasure–pain balance and collective anxiety since COVID. 📚 Resources Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety Owning It PDA Society Casey Ehrlich (Peace Parents) Dr Anna Lembke — Dopamine Nation ⏱️ Timestamps 02:00 — "Is he non-verbal?" introducing her son 02:30 — Autism with a PDA profile 03:00 — What PDA stands for 04:30 — Nervous system disability and perceived demand 06:00 — Why traditional parenting can backfire 08:00 — Performative parenting in public 10:00 — A pillow on the grass and what dysregulation looks like 13:00 — Blaming herself before the diagnosis 17:00 — Sensory overwhelm and rethinking exposure 20:00 — Preschool, school and what comes next 30:00 — Family life, marriage and never a date night 33:30 — Caroline's anxiety story begins in Italy 39:00 — A severe breakdown at twenty-five 45:00 — Starting medication and what Prozac actually did 51:00 — CBT, behavioural experiments and getting her life back 56:00 — Showing the body safety 59:00 — Social media and the pleasure–pain balance 01:04:00 — Caroline's new book 01:05:30 — Advice and the meaning of life Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 8m
  4. Bitesize Moment: "I Thought I Was Fine. I Wasn't." — Kyla Cobbler on getting sober

    May 19

    Bitesize Moment: "I Thought I Was Fine. I Wasn't." — Kyla Cobbler on getting sober

    In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, comedian Kyla Cobbler shares an honest, no-frills account of how her drinking quietly turned into dependency — while she was still training, working, and gigging five nights a week. She tells Laura how being a regular performer in Barcelona blurred the lines between socialising and self-medicating, and how Dry January cracked the whole thing open. What started as a simple challenge ended in withdrawal, therapy, AA, and a completely new relationship with fear, nerves, and joy on stage. 🔑 Key PointsHow "high-functioning" drinking can hide a much bigger problemThe cycle of running, gigging, free drinks — and waking up groggy every single morningWhat withdrawal actually felt like by day two of Dry JanuaryWhy it was never about the red wine — it was about wanting to feel differentPerforming sober for the first time, and learning to feel everything instead of numbing it 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min
  5. #169 Barbara Scully | The Things They Don't Tell You About Getting Older

    May 14

    #169 Barbara Scully | The Things They Don't Tell You About Getting Older

    Barbara Scully sits down with Laura for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with her own recent run-in with the medical system and opens out into what it actually means to age as a woman in Ireland today. Barbara talks about months of hip pain, a string of MRIs, a suspected stroke that turned out to be nothing, and the moment she decided to step off the treadmill of tests, hand back the prescription and rebuild her strength in the gym. She also shares her type 2 diabetes diagnosis in her mid-50s and the two years of remission she achieved through diet and exercise before her mother died and life became harder again. The conversation moves into menopause, brain fog, mood swings and the language used about older women. Barbara reframes brain fog as an information retrieval slowdown, makes the case that women's anger after menopause is real and warranted, and argues that being underestimated as you get older is closer to a superpower than to invisibility. There is also room for the story behind it all. Growing up tall in a male-dominated house. Becoming an unmarried mother in 1987 and listening to politicians and clergy describe women like her as a scourge on the radio. The close, unconventional friendship she had with her mother, who set up her own business teaching women word processing in the late 1980s. And the comedy career she fell into in her 60s, now touring with her one-woman show Older Bolder Wiser. Her best-selling book ‘Wise Up’ is available now in Irish bookstores nationwide & on Amazon.ie 📚 🔑 Key Points Trusting your gut with healthcare After months of MRIs and a hip replacement referral, Barbara declined the surgery and rebuilt her strength through physio and the gym. A diabetes diagnosis as a wake-up call A type 2 diagnosis in her mid-50s pushed her into healthier habits and into remission for two years. Brain fog reframed Women in their 60s have decades more information stored than younger people; what is labelled brain fog is information retrieval slowdown. Anger after menopause is real As life pressures lift, you have the headspace to notice ongoing inequalities, and that anger is not a hormonal mood swing. Underestimated, not invisible Being overlooked as an older woman gives you the element of surprise and the freedom to take risks without caring what people think. The cost of conformity A senior CEO told Barbara she would love to let her hair go grey but feared not being taken seriously at work. Becoming an unmarried mother in 1987 Barbara remembers her father going upstairs to be sick, three weeks of silence, then a quiet "we'll stand by you" on a snowy morning. A friendship with her mother Her mother bought her her first baby cham at 12, set up her own business in her 50s and was a collaborator throughout Barbara's life. 📚 Resources Wise Up — Barbara Scully Memoir reflecting on the years after menopause. Older Bolder Wiser Barbara's one-woman comedy show currently touring Irish theatres. Funny Women Ireland Set up by Orla Doherty and Val Troy to promote women in comedy. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Hip pain and the MRI run-around 03:00 — Stepping off the treadmill of tests 07:30 — Type 2 diabetes and remission 09:30 — Why brain fog is not what we are told 11:00 — Anger after menopause is real 13:00 — Underestimated rather than invisible 17:00 — Letting the hair go grey 22:00 — The freedom of getting older 28:00 — A first smear test in the 80s 36:00 — Growing up tall and the slow set 44:00 — Giving up red wine and finding gin 48:00 — Her mother as collaborator 56:00 — Losing her mother in 2022 Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 30m
  6. Bitesize Moment: "I Haven't Felt Right in Three Years." — Dr Sarah Callaghan on how perimenopause sneaks up

    May 12

    Bitesize Moment: "I Haven't Felt Right in Three Years." — Dr Sarah Callaghan on how perimenopause sneaks up

    In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, GP and menopause specialist Dr Sarah Callaghan explains why perimenopause so rarely arrives with a bang — and why so many women spend years "muddling through" before they realise what's actually going on. She tells Laura about the slow, sneaky creep of symptoms, the patterns she sees most often in clinic, and the women who mistake their perimenopause for postnatal anxiety, burnout, grief, or "just life". It's a powerful reframe: if something feels off, you deserve more than "just cope". 🔑 Key PointsWhy perimenopause symptoms rarely arrive all at once — and why that mattersThe fluctuating, "good week / bad week" pattern that makes women doubt themselvesCommon mislabels: postnatal anxiety, stress, grief, COVID, burnoutThe "I just don't feel like myself" phrase she hears in clinic over and overWhy you don't need to be in crisis to ask for help — even a 20–30% drop in functioning is worth investigating 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min
  7. #168 Maria Walsh | Deepfakes, Politics and Women's Health

    May 7

    #168 Maria Walsh | Deepfakes, Politics and Women's Health

    Laura sits down with MEP Maria Walsh for a wide-ranging conversation about women, power and what is shifting in Europe right now. Maria has just returned from the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, where for the first time in seventy years member states could not agree a final text on access to justice for women. She talks honestly about online misogyny, the deepfakes already circulating in Irish secondary schools, conversion therapy, and the website created about her during the 2019 election that is still live today. Alongside that, she opens up about internalised homophobia, the loneliness of political life, and growing up as the gay Rose of Tralee at a time when Ireland was shifting on marriage equality. The conversation also moves through period poverty, FGM, the underfunding of women's healthcare, the pink tax, and what it would take to close the gap on cardiovascular care, menopause and reproductive health. It is a frank look at the work still ahead and the toll it takes on the women trying to do it. 🔑 Key Points The UN couldn't agree on access to justice for women — For the first time in seventy years the Commission on the Status of Women failed to find consensus, after the US tabled eight late amendments including the definition of a woman. Deepfakes are already in Irish secondary schools — 99% of generated deepfakes are pornographic and 96% of victims are women and young girls, with nudification apps making explicit content from a single photo. Online attacks follow women in politics A website created during the 2019 election is still live, and Coco's Law catches those who share content but not those who build or host the apps. Conversion therapy is still legal in most of the EU Only eight EU countries have banned it, and Ireland's commitment sits inside the programme for government. Women's healthcare is underfunded More research funding has gone into male baldness than endometriosis, and there are only six menopause clinics across Ireland. Cardiovascular care is still built around men Heart attack symptoms are taught through male presentation, leaving women under-treated when it matters. The pink tax keeps quietly costing women Razors, dry cleaning and a 23% VAT rate on sunscreen all add up across a lifetime. Politics takes a real personal toll Maria speaks openly about loneliness, comfort eating, and learning to take up space in Brussels. 📚 Resources UN Commission on the Status of Women Coco's Law ILGA-Europe Belong To Women for Election See Her Elected Riley Hope Foundation Ruhama Esker House Her Last Search (Croí) ⏱️ Timestamps 03:39 — Back from the UN Commission on the Status of Women 07:33 — Why the US tabled eight amendments at the eleventh hour 12:37 — Deepfakes, disinformation and the 90% statistic 15:04 — Conversion therapy and the EU debate 19:23 — The Burke website that is still live 27:38 — Deepfakes in Irish secondary schools 35:43 — What policy needs to do, and Ireland's chance to lead 40:53 — Cardiovascular care and Her Last Search 45:06 — Pink tax, menopause clinics and the funding gap 49:29 — Why women are still underrepresented in politics 53:01 — Period poverty, Riley and Any Time of the Month 58:25 — Loneliness and learning to take up space 59:30 — Calcutta, Hope Foundation and human trafficking Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 19m
  8. #167 Michelle Flynn on Why Some Experiences Stay With Us

    Apr 30

    #167 Michelle Flynn on Why Some Experiences Stay With Us

    🎧 Episode Description In this episode, Michelle Flynn shares her deeply personal and professional insight into birth trauma, and why it’s not always about what happens, but how it’s experienced. Drawing on her own journey through pregnancy anxiety and her work as a perinatal psychotherapist, Michelle explains how trauma can live in the nervous system, showing up long after the moment has passed. From hypervigilance and intrusive thoughts to sensory triggers that bring the body straight back into the experience, she breaks down why these reactions happen and what they actually mean. Together, Michelle and Laura unpack the importance of feeling safe, seen and supported, both for patients and for healthcare professionals. This really comes back to understanding your body and how trauma can show up differently for each of us. 📚 Mentioned in this Episode Postnatal Depression A type of depression that can occur after childbirth, affecting mood, energy, and ability to care for yourself or your baby. Postnatal Anxiety A condition involving excessive worry, fear, or intrusive thoughts during the postpartum period. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) A mental health condition involving intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours, which can present during pregnancy or postpartum. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) A condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, including childbirth. Perinatal Mental Health Mental health during pregnancy and the early years after birth, typically up until a child is around two years old, when individuals may be more vulnerable to anxiety and mood disorders. Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine) A body-based trauma therapy focused on how the nervous system stores and processes traumatic experiences. The Body Keeps the Score - Dr Bessel van der Kolk A widely recognised book exploring how trauma is stored in the body and how it can be treated. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) A psychotherapy approach used to help people process and recover from traumatic memories. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) A structured therapy that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns. MBRRACE-UK Report A UK report examining maternal deaths and inequalities, including higher risks among Black and ethnic minority women. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - What is birth trauma 02:00 - Michelle’s personal pregnancy experience 04:00 - Pregnancy anxiety and early fears 07:30 - Feeling dismissed and unsupported 10:30 - Who is more vulnerable to trauma 20:00 - PTSD in healthcare professionals 24:00 - Communication and consent in care 28:00 - Can trauma be prevented 36:00 - The lemon experiment and body response 45:00 - Understanding somatic therapy 50:00 - Why CBT may not work for trauma Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Conversations about health, science, wellness, life, love, sex and everything in-between. Laura is a Pharmacist who loves to talk to interesting people about their unique life and work experiences. See @fabulouspharmacist on instagram for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Dowling
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    180
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Laura Dowling Experience
  • Show Website
    The Laura Dowling Experience

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