Taking The Pee Podcast

by Alex Green Looking at the world after exiting a cult and exploring how we find our beliefs

Panning for truth has always been a human pastime, since the ancient Greek philosophers started to think about the world around them to our modern world, having a good old think about life and the world around us helps make sense of the current state of the world. So lets have a converwaffle and chew over current popular beliefs and ideologies and see if we can make some sense out of them. xandman.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 03/15/2022

    TTP Episode 6 Multiple Sclerosis with Patti Bevilacqua

    Welcome to Taking the Pee Episode 6 conversations about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys. This time I speak to Patti Bevilacqua about multiple sclerosis. In September 1989, Patti started her dream job; teaching high school physical education. However, five months later, before the end of her first year of teaching, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Ten years later, she left the only job she ever wanted due to worsening symptoms of MS. In 2001, Patti went back to university to pursue graduate studies at the University of Toronto. Her ultimate professional goal was to teach and supervise others keen to enter the same profession. In 2005, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Teacher Development. Her research focused on the impact of chronic illness on teacher identity. However, she never secured a tenured position as a teacher educator and went on long-term disability in 2007. Fourteen years later, she discovered her life with MS was far richer when she focused on living each day as her best self. We chat about the impact of chronic illness on our lives and the changes required to shift our focus away from the struggles of dealing with a life changing condition to the wonder of being in the moment and just enjoying life in all its fulness. More information about Multiple Sclerosis from the MS Trust Visit Patti's Facebook Group MS Stands for Mindset Shift Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit xandman.substack.com

    45 min
  2. 01/25/2022

    TTP Episode 5 Surviving Covid with David Beddow

    Welcome to Taking the Pee Episode 5 conversations about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys. This time I speak to David Beddow about surviving covid. David grew up in Stamford, Lincolnshire, then moved to Buckfastleigh in Devon.He met his wife in 2001 while she was working in the UK and they got engaged in 2002. Her contract ended and she returned to South Africa, so David moved there where they got married. They returned to the UK in 2017 for his wife's work and their son was born in 2018. In March of 2020 the family returned to Cape Town just before lockdown restrictions came into force. David went into hospital for a routine course of antibiotics to treat a wound on his foot and during his treatment he contracted covid 19 and became extremely unwell. David subsequently became critically ill and spent the next few months in intensive care. David has made a remarkable recovery and can now share his experience with us. Please note that there are descriptions of medical procedures and frank discussion about suicide and a near death experience. So if you're sensitive to these topics be warned. I'd love to hear from listeners,  if you have any comments or would like to join the converwaffle please leave a comment. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ https://www.nhs.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit xandman.substack.com

    58 min
  3. 10/24/2021

    TTP Episode 3 Diabetes with Mark Farrin

    Welcome to TTP Episode 3 a conversation about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys. This time I speak to Mark Farrin about diabetes. Mark is a self employed guitar teacher working in and around Torquay. He teaches in schools as well as privately. Mark is also involved with music workshops for young carers. We've been close friends since childhood and shared lots of life's ups and downs, including births, deaths and marriages. We have a good old converwaffle about how Mark suddenly found out he was diabetic at the age of 39, the implications it had on his life and how he manages the condition. Just a warning we do talk about injections and needles, so if you're squeamish about those kinds of things. Towards the end of our conversation Mark asks me some questions about where I'm at and I share a bit of history and details of my kidney condition. To clarify I have Polycystic Kidney Disease and the operation on my arm is to make an AV fistula. There are links below with more information on the topics discussed. Linktree for Mark: https://linktr.ee/MarkFarrin Information about diabetes: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics What is an AV fistuala: https://www.kidneycareuk.org/about-kidney-health/treatments/dialysis/haemodialysis-access-arteriovenous-fistula/ What is a dialysis line: https://www.kidney.org.uk/dialysis-line-insertion Information about high blood pressure: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit xandman.substack.com

    38 min
  4. TTP Episode 2 Mental Health with Nick McGrath

    10/03/2021

    TTP Episode 2 Mental Health with Nick McGrath

    Welcome to TTP episode number 2 a conversation about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys. This time I speak to Nick McGrath about mental health. Nick is a freelance journalist and over the past 15 years he has interviewed hundreds of well known celebrities, it's pretty likely you will have read one of his interviews in a well known newspaper. You can read more of Nicks excellent journalism by heading over to his website. I met Nick on the Amused Moose Comedy course in July 2021.We got chatting and discovered some shared experience of growing up with some complicated family dynamics. We have a good old converwaffle about life, depression and our experiences of starting out as fledgeling stand up comedians. There's also a surprise soundbite from a famous comedian Nick interviewed during the comedy course. Nick is very candid about his mental health and how it has impacted on his life for the past 25 years. Please be aware that we discuss depression and suicide in depth, so this is a trigger warning for those of a sensitive nature. Nick McGrath Freelance Journalise: https://www.nick-mcgrath-freelance-journalist.co.uk/ If you need to speak to someone call the Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/ Mind is a mental health charity providing support: https://www.mind.org.uk/ Here is a description of Wake Therapy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_therapy Kidney Research UK: https://kidneyresearchuk.org/ More about me, Alex Green: https://alex-green.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit xandman.substack.com

    39 min

About

Panning for truth has always been a human pastime, since the ancient Greek philosophers started to think about the world around them to our modern world, having a good old think about life and the world around us helps make sense of the current state of the world. So lets have a converwaffle and chew over current popular beliefs and ideologies and see if we can make some sense out of them. xandman.substack.com