Welcome to Taking the Pee Episode 8 conversations about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys.This time I speak to Phil Harverson about his journey with religion and we discuss our individual situations.Phil studied Geography at Manchester University then trained as a primary school teacher. He taught for 3 years, before spending a year teaching in Chongqing, China. Phil returned to the UK in 2004 to teach for another year. Phil then became full time with Oasis Church for 7 years, 5 years as the church leader. Then returning to China, where Phil worked at New Day foster home and with the Beijing International Christian Fellowship. Phil and his family returned the UK in 2017, after a short sabbatical, Phil started working as a self employed painter and decorator, which he continues to do. He is married to and has 4 children.For more content please visit alex-green.co.uk and please feel free to join the conversation. 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

Welcome to Taking the Pee Episode 7 conversations about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys.This time I speak to Gareth Marsh about education and ambition.Gareth Marsh is a freelance music educator in Thurrock, South Essex where he has more than 2 decades of experience using music as a tool to help people develop and grow. He has worked with all ages and abilities especially young people with behavioural struggles, who've been on the wrong side of the law or with physical and mental learning disabilities. He performs under the name Sensation Smith, loves mangling sounds on a computer and is a wannabe connoisseur of Islay whiskies.In this episode we also have a special guest who flies in for a brief appearance, so keep an ear out for them.I'd love feedback,  if you have any comments or would like to join the conversation please contact me via my website - 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

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

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

Welcome to Taking the Pee Episode 4 a conversation about life, health and overcoming the challenges we face on our individual journeys.This time I speak to Ade Atterbury about long covid.Ade is a Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist in the Department of Microbiology & Infectious Disease at The Royal Sussex County Hospital, he worked in both the pharmaceutical and food industries before joining the NHS.We have a good old converwaffle about how Ade contracted covid 19 in March 2020 very early  in the pandemic when much less was known about the virus. Ade discusses  how this has affected him at work as well as personally. Ade speaks candidly about his physical and neurological challenges and explains what it has been like for him, living with long covid, a condition which it seems many others are also having to deal with. https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/ 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

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-basicsWhat 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

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

In this episode of TTP I speak to Andre Vincent about his experience of cancer and the impact it had on his life as a comedian. We dive straight in to the topic, so this is a warning if you're sensitive to the C word.Andre has many credits to his name and has performed in theatre, circus, busking on TV in Films and pantomime. He has a massive passion for comedy history and has a website dedicated to remembering past masters called mislaidcomedyheroes.com Andre Vincent WebsiteWe have a good old converwaffle and also speak about the comedy circuit and what it's like working as a comedian.For more information about cancer support visit McMillanFor more information about diabetes visit Diabetes Community UKFor more information about kidney disease visit Kidney Care 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

Welcome to the Taking the Pee (TTP) Podcast, I'll be exploring midlife with medical conditions and finding some humour in there too. If you'd like to contribute please contact me, I'm looking forward to meeting some interesting people some well known and some less well known, like you or me. We all share a common bond of having to deal with a medical condition and make the most of our day to day lives. Hopefully you'll learn something, see how we can overcome even the toughest life challenges and have a laugh at us too. So listen, like, subscribe and join me and some friends on my ‘midlife crisis' journey. 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