Leave A Light On Podcast
Welcome to "Leave A Light On Podcast," the podcast that brings you inspiring stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges in their lives. Join us as we delve into the lives of individuals from all walks of life, exploring the adversities they face and the resilience they demonstrate in overcoming them.
In each episode, we'll introduce you to a new guest—a parent, a teacher, a healthcare worker, a student, a veteran, or perhaps your neighbor next door. Through heartfelt interviews and candid conversations, we'll uncover the personal battles they've fought, whether it's overcoming illness, navigating through loss, breaking free from addiction, or facing societal barriers.
From tales of triumph over adversity to stories of perseverance in the face of hardship, "Leave a Light On Podcast" celebrates the human spirit and the strength found within each of us. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and most importantly, you'll be inspired by the resilience and determination of these everyday people who refuse to be defined by their struggles.
So, tune in and join us on this journey of hope, empowerment, and the celebration of the human spirit. Because in the end, it's the stories of everyday people that remind us all that we are capable of overcoming anything life throws our way.
Leave A Light On Podcast
S2 Ep10 - Brain Battles: Kristina Cook's Fight Against a Rare Tumor
Kristina Cook's story will stop you in your tracks. Diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, an incredibly rare brain tumor affecting just 0.02% of the population, her journey reveals what true resilience looks like in the face of overwhelming odds.
For six years, Kristina struggled with symptoms misdiagnosed as depression and anxiety before an MRI revealed the truth. What followed was unimaginable – five brain surgeries (including two emergency operations just days apart), a stroke that left her with right-sided weakness, vision loss, and the challenge of relearning to walk. Add to this a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder combining schizophrenia with bipolar symptoms, and you begin to understand the mountains she's had to climb.
Yet sitting across from us today is a woman who radiates positivity. Working full-time as an early childhood educator, tackling CrossFit four days a week, and speaking openly about her journey, Kristina embodies what it means to refuse to be defined by your diagnosis. Particularly moving is the relationship between Kristina and her husband Dave, who serves as her "memory keeper" due to her fragmented recall of many traumatic events. His unwavering support through her darkest moments offers a profound lesson in what partnership truly means.
Kristina's wisdom is beautifully simple yet powerful: "No matter how dark it gets, just keep walking." Like Dory from Finding Nemo, she just keeps swimming, showing us that even with the heaviest burdens, forward movement is always possible. If you're facing challenges that seem insurmountable or love someone who is, Kristina's story will remind you that light exists even in the darkest places – you just need to keep walking toward it.
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Hello and welcome to Leave a Light On Podcast, a show that looks to tackle the everyday struggles in our everyday lives. It's time to shed some light on it. Leave a light on podcasts not a licensed mental health service. It shouldn't be substituted for professional advice or treatment. Things discussed in this podcast are general in nature and may be of a sensitive nature. If you're struggling, please seek professional help or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Here's your hosts Yo yo yo.
Speaker 2:What's happening? Good evening, good morning, good afternoon. Wherever you are joining us in the world, welcome to Live Aloud a podcast. My name is Shane and with me today the one and only.
Speaker 1:Boydie. Hello, hey Shane, how are you mate?
Speaker 2:Give you the normal clapping. I feel like maybe If I had to come up with something else for you, I've done the air horn one. I mean I could do that. I don't know if it would be really good, though it's the air horn, I'll give it the air horn. Okay, let's try it again. Welcome the one, and only Boydie. Hey, hello, that was a bit better. Well, welcome. Another episode of Leave a Line on Podcast. I'll give it a horn. Okay, let's try it again. Welcome the one, and only Boydie. Hey, hello, that was a bit better. Well, welcome to another episode of Live Alive on Podcast. Today is a doozy.
Speaker 1:We have a massive one today.
Speaker 2:Everyone's a doozy though. I keep saying that Everyone's good, I say, oh, this one's really good, but everyone is really good. So I just want to start off by that today is the first official episode where you are joining me as host. Yes, that's true.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I am yeah, so you are now part of the more of part of the family, More of part of the family. I'm off the bench.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you were a producer, now you're a producer extraordinaire.
Speaker 1:I'm producer and on the mic yeah, you're a manager on the mic.
Speaker 2:So, boydie, welcome. Thank you for joining me once again.
Speaker 1:That's my pleasure. Shane, thank you for always good having you.
Speaker 2:Thank you again for all the work you do in the background. I know we thank you sometimes on this podcast, but I want to thank you. You do an amazing job on the outside and we've got some really exciting news coming in the next, probably by by the time this comes out. It will be very soon, it will be very soon, very soon.
Speaker 1:It's a bit early to mention right now but we've got some very exciting news. Really exciting news so thank you for having me too. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Keep your ears listened. Keep your ears listened Keep your ears listening.
Speaker 1:Keep an eye on social media. Keep an eye on social media. We'll release it out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, smell the roses honestly. Um, anyway, let's get into today's episode. Um, today'sa. Yeah, it's probably the first one we've had where it's not mental. Well, it is mental, but it's also a lot more to do with the physical side of things. Yeah, absolutely yep, um. So today's uh guest, we have the one and only christina cook. Christina cook um, we actually work with her husband, david Cook, in the mines and we heard Christina's story and we thought, wow, incredible inspiring story.
Speaker 2:So, without further ado, let's look at it. So she was actually diagnosed with a brain tumor, which we'll get it. It's craniopharyngioma, that's right.
Speaker 1:Craniopharyngioma, or we could also shorten it, yeah, or we could just call it crania, which we will be calling it crania. Yes, let's call it crania.
Speaker 2:So, for those of you who don't know what craniopharyngeoma is, it's a rare brain tumor. It has bar modal age distribution, which means it peaks within two age groups and are very far apart, the first one being children, which between the years of five and 14 years old, and then adults, between the ages of 50 and 75 years old. Yes, so, as you can see, it's massive disparity between the two, where they kind of pick their heads. It also accounts to 0.5 to two cases per million, so that means it's a 0.2%. Is it even 0.5 to 2 cases per million? So that means it's 0.2%. Is it even 0.2?
Speaker 2:It's 0.02% chance of people getting this, which is insane.
Speaker 1:And so it's also not just, it's not an actual cancerous brain tumor. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:So, for those of you who want to know what this is, it's basically I don't know Let me get you the definition. Actually, google that, I'll Google it, google it. So craniopharyngeum is a rare, benign, non-cancerous brain tumor that develops near the pituitary gland. It's often cystic and slow growing and, while it does not spread, it can cause problems by pressing on nearby structures like the optic nerves and pituitary gland. This obviously comes to play, which Christina will talk to us more.
Speaker 2:Basically, it's a cyst that develops on the brain or near the brain, and when it gets liquid in it it causes a lot of issues.
Speaker 1:And I think when you listen to Christina's story, it wasn't diagnosed at any of those times that we just mentioned before. Yeah, it actually was something that was misdiagnosed for a number of times before they basically pushed to say there's something wrong, you need to help.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, so it causes a lot of things like headaches, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, so obviously, um, you might have partial blindness, like christina does, and then endocrine disturbances as well. Um, so this plays out big time and christina's story is actually really, really relevant in the fact that, uh, like we, like you'll hear, she's been through through more than I would say most people I know. Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And five surgeries I think she's nearly up to yeah. Five surgeries and massive, huge, huge surgeries.
Speaker 2:And so to walk the journey that she's walked and come out smiling. I mean, she was sitting in front of us. She's a beautiful person, absolutely, absolutely beautiful person, so inspirational she just came. Beautiful person, absolutely, absolutely beautiful person, and so inspirational.
Speaker 1:She just came out of a separate surgery, which you'll hear about only a week ago. So just what she's doing and she was sitting here talking to us and it was just amazing. So definitely inspiration.
Speaker 2:So we really hope that listeners will get a real I don't know, I want to say an eye-opening kind of reality in terms of how incredibly lucky some people are with their health, with their fitness, with just their normal life and then just to really just treasure the moments that they have.
Speaker 1:And to be able to come out the other side and be able to look in the bright side and be able to go. These are the things that I can still do. Yes, I've got these issues or I've got these concerns that still come up, but I'm going to go and do.
Speaker 5:A.
Speaker 1:B and C, and I'm going to make sure that. You know life is the best that it possibly can be, which I think is obviously the mantra for what we do, is we want to make sure that everyone's getting the best out of their life and have the best opportunity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So we can't wait for you to hear her story. And without further ado, let's not drag it on any longer.
Speaker 1:Yes, let's go.
Speaker 2:Let's hear it from the horse's mouth or from her mouth. Should I say, christina, we give you Christina Cook. Christina, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for joining us. It's really exciting to have you here. I mean, I just want to start off by saying, wow, your story that we've obviously spoken about before this has just been incredibly inspiring in so many ways. I think you're probably the most unique guest we've ever had, absolutely In terms of the walk that you've had to walk through. You've had a very unique struggle compared to a lot of guests that we have, in the fact that not only has your struggle been in the mental field, but your struggle has also been very much in the physical. So, without further ado, before we go too far into that, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for joining us. Appreciate having you.
Speaker 4:Thanks for having me, guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good. So first of all, let's start off. Who are you?
Speaker 4:Well, I'm Christina. I was born and raised in Newcastle. I was a nurse, now a childhood educator. Yeah, that's about it. Really, I was a nurse, now a childhood educator. Yeah, that's about it really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, that's amazing. Firstly, and the fact that number one childhood educator, so you're obviously passionate about kids nowadays.
Speaker 4:Yeah, they're pretty good, you can ask my kids. I've got several best friends.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's all good. That's awesome RN. So you were a nurse as well. How long was that for?
Speaker 4:Well, I did my degree. I didn't actually work as an RN. I did my degree before I was diagnosed with my brain tumour. Yeah so yeah, that period was a bit blurry, so yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, which I think we'll get into the reasons why it was a bit blurry, but yeah, so how old are you now, christina?
Speaker 4:I am 38.
Speaker 2:38 years old. You don't even look a day over 20, honestly. Also, I will just start by adding in the right in the beginning that you've actually had surgery two weeks, not even two weeks ago now.
Speaker 4:Yeah, weight loss surgery Weight loss surgery.
Speaker 2:So recovering from that and looking fit and fine and healthy Doing fine actually, yeah, really good, yeah, good job. Let's just start off by let's talk about some of your passions, because there's one passion on there that I'm really, really excited about.
Speaker 4:What is something that gets you out of bed in? The morning at the moment.
Speaker 2:Well, besides my animals and maybe Dave oh maybe Dave.
Speaker 1:I enjoy CrossFit, awesome, yeah. So how many days a week are you going to CrossFit?
Speaker 4:So I try to do four days, but but yeah, it's usually after work, yeah, which is probably the best time for me, as I decide I'm not much of an exerciser in the morning anymore.
Speaker 2:And what is it about CrossFit that you like so much?
Speaker 4:Just the weights and people telling you what to do.
Speaker 2:Well, you have Dave. I'm sure he loves doing that. Yeah, All right. So born and raised in Newcastle.
Speaker 4:That is, yeah, interesting. Well, I was lucky enough to live 10 minutes from both schools I went to growing up, which was good, so it was just walking distance. So, yeah, I have two brothers and a sister. I grew up with, well, mostly my brothers. My sister came later on but, yeah, I did a lot of things with them growing up and, yeah, I was of mixed race. So, yeah, it was a lot of learning new things as well as learning about your culture and stuff from your family and being from two different communities. It was a bit um of like I don't know, eye-opening because you've got one Asian culture and one European culture. And, yeah, growing up with different like dynamics of who runs the household, who sets the rules and yeah, who gives the discipline.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that's interesting considering. Obviously these two cultures are Kalani. Did you find that you had to find like a medium in between the two cultures?
Speaker 4:Well, I was lucky enough to have grown up with friends who were of the same culture on both sides. So, like their dad was Croatian, their mum was Filipino. So a lot of the time a lot of those families mixed together at social things.
Speaker 2:Was there any struggles that you found during this period? What were some of the most challenging things when it came to these culture clashes that you can remember?
Speaker 4:Probably just learning the language because it wasn't as such spoken at home, whereas when you're in the community they'll speak. You know the dialect or whatever.
Speaker 2:Interesting, so obviously, two brothers and a sister that came in later. How connected, how close are you with your family?
Speaker 4:I was pretty close to my siblings well, my brothers growing up More my sister now as we're getting older. But yeah, it's just like the usual thing time and work and family and all the responsibilities that make it hard to see them more often. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you find you prioritize things that are more important to you now?
Speaker 4:Yeah, in the last few years. It took a very long time because I was a very people person and I kind of gave more to the people than to myself. So yeah, I had to learn how to look after me first.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And so can you tell us about the relationship with your mum? I know that you've given me some notes, which is amazing that you brought those, but just tell me about the relationship with your mum.
Speaker 4:It was hard, I think, because I was the firstborn. I was born preemie. First born, I was born preemie. I was cottonwalled, a lot with things and certain things in my eyes I wasn't allowed to do, whereas my siblings were able to do these things and yeah, just, I don't know, being the oldest, I had to be responsible for the younger ones, so kind of had to, you know, be a leader.
Speaker 2:But I wasn't really much of a leader to begin with, like yeah, it's quite a common thing actually when it comes to the older child syndrome, and that's why there's studies now that are coming out that are showing that the oldest child generally has a higher IQ than the younger ones. But yet the younger ones are considered higher risk takers because in the relationship the oldest sibling is considered the teacher. So they always teach the younger siblings like what not to do, what mom and dad told them not to do, things like that, Always teaching this is what you should do, blah, blah, blah, Whereas the younger ones they feel like, as you say, they're not considered in the same kind of boundaries as the older one. Parents tend to relax more as they have more and so they take more risks, and so that leads on into life, where they now take more risks in business, take more risks in life as older things. So it's quite interesting to hear you say that and now see that actually play out, like you say in general.
Speaker 2:But let's get into the real stuff and the real reason why I want you to share your story with us today. Life took a big turn for you, Probably. When was it 19 years old?
Speaker 4:Yeah, 19 when I started my nursing degree.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how did that? What happened? Explain the situation?
Speaker 4:My nursing degree. Yeah, how did that, what happened, explain the situation? Well, pretty much I was struggling with uni, like doing the work and concentrating and everything, and I was getting depressed. And so I went to the GP I had at the time saying that I was having all these issues and I wasn't sleeping and stuff like that, and he put me on sleeping pills to try to help relieve some of the sleeping issues, which it didn't really work. And then on to antidepressants and I tried a few. Then I eventually got one that did work for a very long time.
Speaker 2:Did you feel depressed?
Speaker 4:Oh, at times I did, yeah, I was really down and, yeah, I didn't have a very big social network either at the time. So, like I, yeah, I didn't really talk to anyone but the counsellor I saw.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, how did you, when you were obviously prescribed these antidepressant tablets or sleeping tablets, as you've said did you feel a big difference in the beginning?
Speaker 4:Not so much in the beginning not with the first few, but with the one that I was later put on. That worked. It did make me feel better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so did you feel like that was another solution to your problem? Did you feel like you were getting better?
Speaker 1:In a way I was, but also not yeah, but you still knew there was something wrong.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah okay, why did you think there was something wrong?
Speaker 4:Oh, just because I just didn't have the connections with people that, yeah, that I wanted, basically.
Speaker 2:Okay. So how did this all play out for you, with people that, yeah, that I wanted, basically Okay, so how did this all play out?
Speaker 4:for you Just a lot of struggling and trying to meet people and talk to people and stuff like that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay. So obviously you realized something was still wrong. The antidepressants weren't necessarily working. You felt like there was something more that was going on. It wasn't just the mental side of things, that there was something wrong with you physically.
Speaker 4:So I don't know, just I was getting headaches, just nosebleeds, just feeling tired. Yeah, just not controlling things emotionally, and that was still six years after, when you were still on the antidepressants.
Speaker 1:Six years later, based on your notes that you've given us, yeah, yeah, pretty much. Okay, and so did you have to keep pushing with the doctor about there's still not something right, or did they sort of feel like there was something not right as well?
Speaker 4:So during this period I met Dave, who is now my husband.
Speaker 1:Big shout out to Dave.
Speaker 4:David.
Speaker 1:Cook.
Speaker 4:So he helped me a lot, like on the emotional aspect. So he saw me like my mental health and all my struggles, ups and downs and everything, and yeah, I was just yeah, I was getting to the point where I was doing a lot of random things at times, like sleeping a lot and for like excessive amounts of hours not eating just um, getting ready for a job that I wasn't working at anymore and yeah, things like that and taking bus trips around mainlandaitland.
Speaker 2:Yeah right. So yeah, it's fun riding the bus sometimes you never know when you might need to get off. I'll often just look at it and go I just have to jump on it and go around for a bit of a ride.
Speaker 1:See what happens. It's always fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, always fun.
Speaker 1:And so you obviously went back to the doctor, or you and Dave went back to the doctors with me and questioned all these issues.
Speaker 4:There was something going on here and his mum had inkling there was something going on as well, because she was a former nurse and she's like I've worked with people with similar issues and stuff like that, so it should be checked out. So we actually did get a scan done, an MRI done on that and, yeah, they found my brain tumour which is very hard to pronounce.
Speaker 1:It is very hard to pronounce. It is Shane. I think you should say it the first time.
Speaker 2:All right, I'll give it a go. It's called craniopharyngioma Pharyngioma.
Speaker 4:Yeah, craniopharyngioma. Craniopharyngioma I say it way too fast, so there's no point in asking me. Craniofaringioma.
Speaker 1:There we go. From now on, you have to say the word okay. Because I don't want to even try.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going to just call it cranio, actually no cranio, that's what Dave calls it All right to shorten stuff, so let's call it so. The medical definition for craniofaringeoma is it is a rare, virtually benign tumor of the central nervous system. So break it down for us. What did this mean for you?
Speaker 4:well, it's. For me the tumor, from what I understood was, it was um a protruding tumor which is in the brain which controls your hormones, and it was between that and the hypothalamus, which is like the functioning side of the brain. I'm pretty sure, and yeah, it was just sitting in there for a long time.
Speaker 1:So did you feel when you got that diagnosis? Did you feel like, oh my God, I'm not going crazy, there is actually something wrong? Did you have that moment of diagnosis? Did you feel like, oh my god, I'm not going crazy, this is, there is actually something wrong? Did you have that, that moment of truth where you were like I'm not going crazy, um surprisingly no, because I couldn't remember oh, okay, um what actually went on.
Speaker 4:There's like there's bits and pieces in my memory that I remember, but I couldn't remember what was going on. So there, I'm sure countless nurses and doctors would have seen me a bit erratic yeah, that's what.
Speaker 2:That's what. I think that's a big reason why you keep Dave around, because Dave's memory is pretty incredible yeah so he, he becomes your, your, your memory side.
Speaker 4:He's my go-to person, yeah absolutely no.
Speaker 2:No, it's yeah. Things don't make sense now, dave.
Speaker 1:So just for everyone, so everyone knows Dave actually works with Shane and myself. Yeah, so that's the connection, so everyone knows where that's come from.
Speaker 2:So I know his memory it's pretty good. Yeah, it is pretty good he doesn't forget a thing Everyone goes to Dave when they want to know something about some of the machines that work as well.
Speaker 1:He's like a walking manual book, the Komatsu guy Okay, let's get back to yours, Christina. So when you've got that diagnosis, your notes here say that you had to go straight to hospital to have an operation.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was basically an emergency operation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and do you remember what that was to actually do, that first operation? Because I know you've had a couple, but what was that first one?
Speaker 4:It was to remove the tumour as much as they could, relieve pressure in the brain and take any fluid that was around the tumour.
Speaker 2:Can I ask how did you feel like finding this information out? Because this would be a big blow for anyone.
Speaker 4:This would be more afterwards. I was amazed at it. Yeah, I only rely on like information from Dave and his parents because they were around so much. Just that I was quite like positive when I came out of surgery. Okay, Like yeah, so, but that changed, I don't know not long after, where I had a bleed which caused me to go back into surgery again, and that reset the clock, so yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, so you had the first surgery, then you had a bleed and you had to go in for a second surgery. Yes, what was the timeframe between these two surgeries?
Speaker 4:It wasn't very long, I think Three days.
Speaker 2:Three days is the information that Dave is sharing.
Speaker 2:So that's incredible. So you have. I mean, most people would go through brain surgery and be like that's amazing on its own, but then to do it again in three days is just astounding actually, to think that you've just gone through something so incredibly massive and come out the other end and just been like, oh, it's just brain surgery. At the end of the day, um, how did you so? After the second surgery, how did you feel when it came to? Did you feel like, okay, that there's time, now that I have to process what's happened, I can start this healing journey, because the thing about obviously, your condition craniofaringeoma how good was that? I got it first time, nailed it, nailed it.
Speaker 2:So the thing about this condition is that there's no cure for it. You can't remove the tumor because obviously it's in a pretty dangerous position. So all you can really do is manage. What you would like to say is, when it grows in terms of the liquid side of things because it gets obviously full of liquid is to go in and drain it. Yep, so I mean, that's quite hard to like take in to know that there's no real cure for this condition.
Speaker 4:You've kind of just got to manage it for the rest of your life. Exactly, and I suppose I'm a lot of, I'm a more stronger person for it. But yeah, I don't know how other craniaries feel, but yeah, I know that a lot of them deal with it and they don't get as much out of life as I've got. Like, I can work still, I can still exercise without an issue. I do complain, but I can still exercise.
Speaker 2:Everyone complains.
Speaker 1:Everyone complains no one wants to exercise.
Speaker 4:I can still socialise with other people without a problem, I still talk quite normally and, yeah, there's a lot of things a lot of people can't do because Is there anything that prevents you from not doing?
Speaker 2:Is there something that said that, okay, this condition says you can't do this?
Speaker 4:Well, no, it can't really prevent you from anything, really.
Speaker 2:You can't operate heavy machinery, though. Oh, that's why.
Speaker 4:Well, if that's what Dave says. You probably don't want to anyhow, yeah no, no, no, I don't yeah, and I can't do shift work anymore, so that's about it, perfect.
Speaker 2:That's good. So what are some of the things that you do to manage the condition? Because obviously, like I said, there's no cure for it, and you've gone in for a total of five surgeries. From what you were telling us before, four of those were brain surgeries, which is huge. And then obviously, you've had the weight loss surgery, like you said, which was also not just because you wanted to look fit and healthy.
Speaker 4:It totally was.
Speaker 2:But it was also part of the fact that, health-wise, you needed to do it.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, the weight loss surgery comes into it because of the hormone issues that I've got which cause weight gain, which wasn't really wasn't told by anyone exactly to my family that overfeeding me with yummy food could make me gain weight. So yeah, so it was a bit of that, and medication, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:And so you needed to go in for this weight loss surgery and then that would then help with.
Speaker 4:Yeah, help me lose weight and regain fitness and mentality.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good, okay, so life is pretty normal for you now.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's normal as it can be.
Speaker 2:So physically, this would be quite a lot to take in with anyone else. But this also affected you mentally, Obviously, in some of the things you've spoken to us. You've spoken about some of the things you've struggled with, schizophrenia being one of them, depression, anxiety. How did these all play out in life for you?
Speaker 4:So I was always a big advocate for mental health growing up anyway. So yeah, I always thought a good place to go if you need help is go to a professional. If, yeah, if you have no one else to talk to, not necessarily go on medication straight away as such. But yeah, I was in hospital, like I suppose, during the bleed and stuff I had a psychotic episode. They had to sedate me and stuff and of course security had to tackle me, which was unusual. That would have been a tough one.
Speaker 2:So yeah, At least six of them. I tried to escape. So, yeah, oh, did you? Yeah, okay. And of course, security had to tackle me, which was unusual. That would have been a tough one.
Speaker 5:So yeah, At least six of them. I tried to escape, so yeah, oh, did you yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 4:And yeah, so I was diagnosed by the psychiatry team there that I had schizoaffective disorder, which is pretty much a combination of schizophrenia and a mood disorder, which can be either bipolar or depression, which I am looking now. I've got the bipolar side due to the manic episodes where I just like constantly start cleaning things during the night, just randomly get up and start doing stuff.
Speaker 2:Penny, I'll do that.
Speaker 4:And then I'd have the depressive side, which I'd like lay in bed and not move for days or something like that, or just not move in general off the couch and just mentally down all the time Like everything was black and yeah.
Speaker 1:So were you taking medication for that now to help with that, or is it more your exercise and other things?
Speaker 4:So I am on a. Only in the last few months I started on a medication called Cymbalta, which is an antidepressant, but it's also a nerve pain treatment which I was suffering from nerve pain from the stroke and stuff like that, so it relaxes your nerves. Yeah, and that's been very effective in my mood being more positive about things and stuff like that. Yeah, like I'm able to de-escalate being upset about things quite easily, compared to how I was before, where I'd just break down and cry for hours.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, so do you think you now manage your responses and your emotions a lot better? Yeah, now I do, yeah.
Speaker 4:Whereas before not so much.
Speaker 2:Okay, and that was due to obviously not only with the condition that you had with the craniofaringeoma. Yes, I'm getting good at saying this now. I'm just going to call it cranio. I don't know why.
Speaker 1:I keep saying the whole name. Just call it cranio, let's call it cranio.
Speaker 2:So not only due to the fact that you had the cranio, but it was based on the fact that, first of all, you had depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar, as you said, man, you have had and you've had a stroke. Jeez, I didn't know that, that's incredible yeah wow, christina, how did that happen?
Speaker 4:So supposedly this was after surgery. I was informed like not me but Dave would have been that I had a stroke, but it was prior to brain tumour diagnosis. So, I had something happen and didn't even realise and just went on with life. Wow, yeah. So I've got right-sided weakness which is controlled now, like the pain side of it's controlled, but yeah, so and you mentioned before to us that you have some vision issues.
Speaker 1:Is that right?
Speaker 4:Yeah, peripheral damage in both my eyes on the left side.
Speaker 1:Okay, wow, and some of your notes just mentioned that you um stayed for a couple of weeks at the hunter brain um injury service. How did you? How did you find that? What was? Did you find that beneficial? Were they just there to help you, guide you through that feeling better stage?
Speaker 4:and so I went to first off. I went to rankin park after being like that was for rehab Yep. And I did rehab there for two weeks. But they said I could have gone straight to the brain injury service and do my stint there and stuff. So pretty much what I did was relearn just basic skills and get my mobility going as well.
Speaker 1:Wow, so did you have to go back and learn basic tasks, for example like walking. And is that what you're talking about?
Speaker 4:Yeah, pretty much yeah. I did that in hospital because of like the weakness and stuff.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so basically it was just relearning basic things, just getting things stronger and better so you can function in the real world.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:I'm actually Dave. Can you come up to the microphone here with Christina and I'm going to ask I actually want to ask from your perspective as a partner and I'm going to ask you to speak in the microphone for me as a partner. Obviously Christina like leaned quite heavily on you, as she's just said, not only for emotional support but like remembering things for her. Physically, you would have obviously had to help her with a lot of stuff. I mean, that's quite a load to take on. And you came into the relationship knowing that obviously Christina was struggling with a few of these issues. Did it ever occur to you that this was too much?
Speaker 5:Look at the time. I just did what any partner would do and I was supportive. Many people tell me oh, it's so good you stuck around and I thought what kind of piece of shit would I be if I didn't honestly.
Speaker 5:But people just look at me and say you'd be surprised. And now, with everything that we went through together, I had to be there for her. So I ignored myself and, looking at, as a result of all that, I do believe I have PTSD. I haven't really diagnosed it but I showed all the signs. But it's just because all the traumatic events we went through with that. So yeah, it was very full on.
Speaker 5:I was just very fortunate at the time that I was in the mines but I was still a trainee so I had annual leave I could take, because we were already on one income due to her finishing uni and we thought she couldn't work as an RN straight away and so she quit her job. Anyway, there was no such thing as a full-time contractor back then, so they were all casual. So I was just lucky I was still a trainee and had heaps of leaves, so I was able to take six, seven weeks off and be with her through it all. But yeah, it's quite traumatic. I mean we were just at the point of starting to try for kids.
Speaker 5:We're at that point in our relationship and then we find out there's a tumour in her hormone gland and that can't happen, not without a lot of doctor's intervention. So that for me was quite another big knock as well on top of it. And then, of course, yeah, as far as the operations go, what I went through with that the first surgery was 10 hours. So sitting there for 10 hours waiting's a big deal. Christina came out of that she won't remember. She came out of it very bright and happy and clear. We saw a clarity in her that we'd never seen.
Speaker 1:Wow, and that was basically straight away. That was straight away.
Speaker 5:Yeah, but over the next three days she really regressed and I was telling the nurses, hey, something's not right. And they're like, oh no, no, this is normal, this is normal. Anyway, it wasn't until she had a psychotic episode and had to be basically hit with a tranquilizer tub and they're like, oh, there's a bleed there, something is wrong, we'll rush her back into surgery. So, and after that surgery she was actually catatonic. I don't know if you know what that is. Well, you can't really Pretty much in a coma.
Speaker 5:Yeah, you're in a waking coma and she was in ICU for a few days from there and she couldn't move and couldn't really talk for several days and it was rebuilding from that. As I said, she can't remember most of this. She's probably lucky.
Speaker 1:But for you, going through that journey, as you said, is a massive feat in itself, and you can't talk to it. You know you couldn't talk to Christina or anything.
Speaker 2:So that's up to you, Dave. What kind of effect did it have on you? Because obviously you're watching someone you care about go through something like this. How did that affect you?
Speaker 5:It really did. At the time I just focused in on her health. It affected me later, once I knew she was right. Then it all came flooding in. Now I don't recommend that for anyone because it was really hard when it did hit me, but at the time I just felt like I had to be there for her. I had to be strong and stable for her.
Speaker 2:So when it did hit you, what were?
Speaker 5:some of the things that you used to manage those emotions and those thoughts. I did talk to a counsellor. Luckily I didn't get to the stage where I had to get on e-medication or anything like that. I just managed to. I tried to. Basically, I believe it all came to a head during COVID even as well.
Speaker 5:So, it was pretty hard to get out of the house but I just did anyway. And yeah, yeah, I just focused on clearing my head, getting out of situations that would stress me out and, yeah, using, I guess, music and walking, going for long walks, probably helped me a lot.
Speaker 2:Because you both enjoy your music. Hey, you're both number one. Well, first of all, I think you were saying you both were in a band.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we were in a band together years ago.
Speaker 2:What was it called? What was it called?
Speaker 5:Kaleidoscopic.
Speaker 2:Kaleidoscopic. Christina were you the front row singer, the lead singer? Yes, yeah.
Speaker 4:Yes, I was.
Speaker 2:I can see, and you enjoy telling Dave what to do, don't you?
Speaker 4:Most times yes.
Speaker 2:I mean, you guys are just an incredible inspiration when it comes to just the relationship that you have with each other.
Speaker 2:Incredible inspiration when it comes to just the relationship that you have with each other. The fact that you show Dave as a partner, that you stand by your spouse through the hardest of times, I think is just beautiful. And then, christina, you're such an inspiration in the fact that, no matter what curve ball has come your way, whether it's going in for surgery, whether it's managing your medication, whether it's finding something to occupy your mind when it comes to your way, whether it's going in for surgery, whether it's managing your medication, whether it's finding something to occupy your mind when it comes to your career, I think you just you keep just hitting home runs left, right and center by the looks of it, and so your story is just one that I can honestly just say is so inspiring to so many. It doesn't matter how many times life knocks you down, just keep getting up. Let's share some of the things that now life looks like for you now. What does life look like for you now? You've spoken about your child, your early childhood educator early childhood educator.
Speaker 4:I work five days when I'm at work. I work at the moment, but, um yeah, I enjoy it. I enjoy my preschoolers. I enjoy all the children there. I've got an understanding team.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, so yeah yeah.
Speaker 4:Which is good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you speak about the fact that obviously you used to be very ashamed of the fact that you struggled with mental health and your disability, and you're not ashamed anymore.
Speaker 4:No, I've realized there's no point. Like, if I talk to people who have similar issues, I can at least you know, give them comfort and if they want advice, give them advice, or point them to someone that can give them advice, um, because there's no point in hiding yourself from the world, um cause that's not living.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, what are some of the biggest advocates that you would have for life now in terms of you would recommend to someone who is either struggling with something physically, something mentally, that maybe they can relate to your story. What was some of the best advice that you would be able to give to them?
Speaker 4:So just keep moving on. Just look up, there's always lights to look at, stars to see. It's like that.
Speaker 2:Finding Nemo fish story.
Speaker 1:Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, that's all you've got to keep doing.
Speaker 2:I mean, christina, it's been a phenomenal story and I think a lot of people who have known you would be able to advocate for the incredible person you are just to walk through. I mean, even as you sit in front of us today, mick, and I can honestly say it's just. No one would ever think that this beautiful human being who is here has walked through half of the things that they've walked through. So it's been incredible. I mean, yeah, you've got the war wounds to prove it. Yeah, that's right, and you wear them with pride, which is amazing. So I think, from our side, we just have to have to oh, definitely.
Speaker 1:We have a tradition on this show Anyone who we feel has had an incredible story, who has inspired us, gets a beautiful clap beautiful clap it's a standing ovation and one person gets really into it, yeah, so and I think that you are really inspiring and I think for our listeners to hear that you know what you've gone through as we've said earlier, someone going through one um surgeries be you know difficult enough, let alone going through five different surgeries, and I don't even think that includes your weight loss surgery, does it?
Speaker 5:Oh, it does Sorry, so it's still just incredible, and I'm so.
Speaker 1:You should be so proud of yourself and, dave, you should be so proud of everything that you guys have done and that you've contributed to so far, and I think that people will really resonate with your story and get an understanding and know that there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. And I think that's what's important for us for you to share your story that, even though you can have the most hardest challenges out there, you just got to stand up, do what you've got to do, fight the fights that you need to fight and live for another day and make sure you do all those things your jiu-jitsu and your CrossFit and things like that just to make sure that you're always feeling top of the world.
Speaker 2:I also just want to say thank you to you guys both of you. You guys have been incredible supporters of us since we started this. Dave, you were the first person to buy a t-shirt for us yes, he was. I even think you might have been the first person to download our first ever episode, and every time I see you whether a new episode has come out or something has happened on the podcast that you've heard about you're the first person to come up and either congratulate or say you guys are doing such a good job, or support us. I mean, you're part of our loyalty program that we have. You know, you guys are consistently sharing things that we post on your, on your Facebook or your Instagram. You guys are such a big advocate for us. We cannot thank you enough for that.
Speaker 2:I appreciate it and I feel like we are the ones who should be advocating for you in a way, because your guys' story is so inspiring.
Speaker 2:So it is so nice for us to tell your story that you guys have, and just to show, maybe, why you guys maybe do advocate for us so much because of the things that you've walked through and the support that you guys have received, which I'm sure has been it's been astronomical when it's come to, first of all, counseling, like you both have been to counselors to talk about it. We're big advocators for the fact that you need to go and speak about, like, where you're at and laugh, how you're feeling, um, whether it's even just friends hanging out with a community of people that that understand what you're going through. You know family, like you say, has been a big part of it. So I can only say from my side and I'm sure Mick will agree with me thank you so much From the bottom of our hearts.
Speaker 2:We can't thank you enough for all the support you give us, for advocating so much for us, and I hope that we are able to just give you that reassurance that we are trying to create the community with you that you guys are so wanting to be a part of, and you guys are the pillars and the foundation of what has started with us. So thank you so, so much. I can't thank you enough. We really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:And we really appreciate you rocking your T-shirts too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, walking down Hunter Street Mall rocking those T-shirts.
Speaker 4:I enjoy the pink T-shirt. Yeah, you were your t-shirts too.
Speaker 1:yeah, walking down hunter street mall.
Speaker 2:I enjoy the pink t-shirt yeah, yeah, you were the first person to take pink on board.
Speaker 1:I have to say, yeah, that's good, yeah, yeah, so keep out. Keep a watch out for the hoodie that's on its way. Oh yes, I love when mick just speaks, start thinking okay, keep warm and weak, yeah.
Speaker 2:So thank you so much guys. Christina, honestly I can't again. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I know that it's hard sometimes to talk about these things, not only when you're trying to manage your emotions of the things that you're trying to do, but also, as we've mentioned, with the memory side of things, trying to remember a lot of things that you can't physically remember. So I know Dave has played a big part in this and writing some notes and just helping. So, dave, I want to say thank you as much to you as I will to you. Christina and you guys are just an incredibly inspiring couple. So thank you so much for joining us today and we would love to just say to you however, we can support you guys, please. You guys are part of our family. We love you both so much and we appreciate you guys for everything you stand for and everything you do. So thank you so much for everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely A hundred percent.
Speaker 2:I can't say it enough. I could say thank you till the cows come home, just let them finish their course, yeah. Yeah, um, I'm going to, I'm going to'm going to just end this off by saying Christina, if anyone wants to ask more about you, I know, Dave, you've got Instagram. If they want to find out any more about what you got, Christina, you've got social media that they can reach to you.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've got Instagram, Facebook Instagram, that's.
Speaker 2:Christina Cook on Instagram and on Facebook. So if anyone wants to reach out, what we'll do maybe is also just on the description of this.
Speaker 1:We'll put that there for people who want to get hold of you we'll also put your details on our resources page of the website, just if anyone wants to, that can come through us first and then we can pass them on to you to talk to. So. I think, Advocate for anyone with.
Speaker 2:I'm going to leave the last, last word of the day to you, christina. Um, you have the last say. What would you like to leave our listeners with today?
Speaker 4:No matter how dark it gets, just keep walking. There's always people around if you need them and be good to yourself.
Speaker 2:Be good to yourself, love it. That's what we stand for. Leave a line on all the time. Thank you, christina, for joining us.
Speaker 5:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Dave, Really appreciate you guys. We love you and keep up the good fight. We will be with you, beside you, alongside you, supporting you, cheering you on From our side. Mick, thank you very much. Thanks, Shane.
Speaker 1:Another episode done. Another episode done. Check out our socials.
Speaker 2:Check out our website. All the information from from us Signing off. Thank you.
Speaker 3:Hey, thanks for listening. We hope you managed to gain some insight from today's episode. Jump onto our socials and reach out, and until next time, wherever you are, let's leave a light on.