Newsletter - September 2023

Welcome to my very first newsletter where I hope you will find something to inspire you. I will include snippets of running lore and how it helps me with my writing as well as some GP wisdom to keep you healthy and well.

I love reading about writer’s quirks, their processes, and their interests outside of writing and will let you into my world each month to give you an idea what happens behind the scenes in the life of a GP who writes and runs.​

Writers are generally avid readers so each month I will choose a recent favourite book and share it with you.

I am involved in two writers groups and spending time with the women in my writing families is one of my favourite things to do. I am the founder of Brisbane Scribes, a fabulous group of women with whom I share wine, books and all things writing. The group began after I coedited an anthology with good friend and experienced editor, Jane Connolly. After 'Stories from the Heart, a journey into the heart of the pandemic' was published by Queensland Writers Centre, we both decided the process had been so much fun that we wanted to continue creating writing projects.

We recruited a few more bookish and writerly women from a variety of backgrounds and were commissioned to put together another anthology, this time a social history celebrating seventy-five years of health care in the Camp Hill region. This book was launched at Customs House, Brisbane in September 2022, fortuitously on the same evening that Brisbane’s fireworks exploded over the river.

We meet monthly and are committed to sharing feedback on our many fiction and non-fiction writing projects. We also catch up at book launches and follow these with lively discussion over a meal. We are excited to be the judges for this year’s Sydney Hammond Short Story competition organised by Carolyn Martinez, founder and director of Hawkeye publishing.

My second writing group, Wolfpack started after Lori-Jay Ellis invited a few of us to write a novel in six months with regular catch ups, feedback, and support. We all found it so inspiring, we continue to meet monthly and still give each other feedback on our work.

If you are a writer or planning to write, I encourage you to join a writers group. If you can’t find one that suits your needs, then start one yourself. You won’t regret it.

If you need to boost your mojo, want to immerse yourself in writing and meet up with some other writers in a beautiful location then check out these incredible writing retreats run by Edwina Shaw. It may be that you make such close friends that you will continue to stay connected and give each other feedback on your work after you get home.

Running – Going the Distance

I never set out to run marathons. When I started running over thirty years ago, I was struggling through a medical degree, working to support myself on weekends, spending the days at lectures and the early mornings studying. It felt impossible to fit anything else into my life, but I was overweight, unfit, and unhappy, so decided that I had to do something to dig myself out of a rut.  I was, after all, becoming a health professional and a long way from setting an example for my future patients.

I stepped out one morning while it was still dark, wearing daggy old track pants, an old t shirt and a pair of sneakers that had seen better days. My running plan was to run for twenty minutes without stopping. I kept checking my watch (the old-fashioned sort with numbers and two hands) and could not believe it when I had huffed and puffed for what felt like an hour, only to find just five minutes had passed. The relief when I finished, sweaty and exhausted was unbelievable. I collapsed onto the purple shag pile of my cheap rental, muscles screaming in protest.

I wish I could say that it became easier, that a couple of months later I smashed a ten-kilometre event, but truth be told, I was a slow learner and just plugged along running my twenty minutes three times a week wearing my old gear. However, I did keep running, and was pleasantly surprised when I went to buy jeans a year later. My body was leaner, fitter, and I liked what I saw. I added some new t shirts, a couple of shorts and sports socks to my haul and felt motivated to keep going.

I didn’t run my first marathon until I was in my forties and still remember my kids running over the finish line with me. I have now completed fifty-nine marathons.

People often ask me, ‘How do you run a marathon?’

The truth is, I never run 42.2k. I run seven kilometres, six times.
The most important thing about running is consistency. Head out when you don’t feel like it, when excuses crowd your head, and you had that extra shiraz the night before. Run a shorter distance, intersperse it with walking but get those shoes on and get out the door. Running is about so much more than times, pace, and finish lines. It is trusting your body, listening to its rhythms, learning to stay in your own head and believing in yourself. It is a way of dealing with grief, with joy, a way of moving forwards and becoming a stronger person, trusting your intuition. When you cross the finish line of an event be it 5k or 42.2K, you realise that you are capable of anything you put your mind to.

Writing

Over the next seven newsletters, I will share seven pearls of wisdom that I have learnt in my own writing journey.

I hope that some of these will help you on your own writing path.

Seven Pearls of Writing Wisdom

1. Start – don’t stop

You don’t have to write every single day, although many writing courses I’ve attended recommend doing this. There are times when planning a writing streak can be positive and motivating and you deliberately set your life up around the challenge for a limited time. Signing up to do NaNoRiMo (National Novel Writing Month) where you write a set number of words every day can be exhilarating. The aim here is 50K words but you can set your own goal to suit the time you have available. It may be 30K or even 20k. You don’t need to wait till November to do this, just set the challenge with your writing group or invite a writing buddy to do it with you to make you accountable. Even if you decide to write 500 words seven days a week for one month you will have 15K words at the end which is an accomplishment to be proud of.

You may prefer to try for an annual goal. Maybe aim to polish and submit three short stories to competitions in the next twelve months or to enter a competition like Furious Fiction where you write a piece of flash fiction on the first weekend of the month. Your goal could be to enter six times over the year.

Or set yourself a goal to complete the first draft of a novel in twelve months. If you aim for 70K words that comes down to 1500 per week which is achievable.

And don’t wait till January, start right now.

It is always better to set flexible goals. For example, aim to write 300 to 500 words three to five times a week. That way if life happens and one of your kids gets sick or work demands overtime, you may only meet the lower end of your goal and manage 300 words three times that week. If the stars align, you may write 500 words five days for a week.

In both instances, you have still managed to achieve your goal and can celebrate staying on track.

Make your goals SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Relevant.

Writing down, ‘I will write 500 words three to five times a week for the next three months,’ you are more likely to achieve your goal than saying, I will write my novel over the next year.

Give yourself room to breathe, set yourself up to achieve.

Just don’t stop.

GP wisdom

How to get the best out of your GP visit.

Since COVID, some practices have closed their doors and many GPs have closed their books and are not taking new patients. If you have had to wait two weeks or more for your appointment, you want to make sure you use your time with your GP well.

Most standard appointments are 15 minutes with any appointment over 20 minutes considered a long appointment. This is not a lot of time, so it is good to go in prepared. Make a list of the things you hope to discuss. If there are a dozen things on the list, your GP will work through the two or at the most three most important issues and get you to come back for another appointment. It is quite simply impossible to deal with more than that in fifteen minutes and to provide comprehensive care.

From the GP’s point of view, that fifteen minutes will generate additional work. If investigations like blood tests or x rays have been arranged, these need to be followed up and acted upon. If your issues are complex, your GP may need to do some additional reading to ensure they have not missed an important diagnosis or to understand the most effective treatment. All GPs are required keep up to date by accruing CME (continuing medical education) points to remain registered. This is done after hours.  GPs also need to make comprehensive notes of each consultation so that there is a record of everything discussed for future reference.

Every consult is meant to be an opportunity to provide preventative care. GPs are inundated with information about screening for smoking, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, skin cancer, cervical cancer, vaccination status and so on. As patients are more likely to present when they are unwell, it can be difficult to add in a quick health screen to ensure age- appropriate screening is up to date.

I have a few strategies now to reduce the risk of running late while accommodating someone who needs more time but has only booked a standard appointment. If the issue does not require immediate attention, I get them to come back and book them in for a long appointment. If they are distressed or have an urgent problem, I give them the time they need, but leave gaps in my schedule where I can catch up or squeeze in a sick child or other urgent issues. Please be patient as your GP is doing the best they can to deal with complex problems in a very limited time frame.

And before you leave, check the follow up. Does your GP contact you with your results or are you expected to ring up for these?

I send an SMS informing patients that their results are fine or ask them to book in so we can discuss their results in more detail. I make this clear during a consultation.

You want to leave satisfied that your concerns have been addressed, that appropriate follow up has been arranged and perhaps even some preventative health issues discussed.

Keep well.

What I am reading

At the Brisbane Writers Festival this year, I attended a session chaired by writer Edwina Shaw who interviewed two doctors Dr Ben Bravery and Dr Dinesh Palipana. They have each experienced life-changing medical diagnoses that involved navigating the health system over a prolonged period.

Dr Ben Bravery was a zoologist working in China and diagnosed with bowel cancer in his late twenties. After eighteen months of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, he made the decision to become a doctor with the aim of changing the patient experience. His book, ‘The Patient Doctor,’ was heartbreaking but filled with humorous moments and gave wonderful insights into the challenges of being a patient with a life-threatening illness. Sadly, I was able to relate to many of his experiences as a medical student where learning can be terrifying rather than inspiring. Unfortunately, in medical school, fear is often used as a teaching tool, where the humiliation of getting something wrong becomes the driver to learn rather than the desire to be a great clinician.

With the horrors of some his own experience fresh in his mind, Bravery has already made changes to the health system to ensure patients are treated with kindness and compassion.

Dr Dinesh Palipana was a lawyer and second year medical student when he became a quadriplegic after his car rolled in a puddle of water. Despite many bleak months of rehabilitation and medical complications, he was determined to graduate as a doctor and became the second person with quadriplegia to graduate from medical school in Australia.

His book is full of personal anecdotes about growing up in Sri Lanka, the complex process of getting ready to get out the door as a quadriplegic and navigating the prejudice he encountered at every step of qualifying as a doctor and then attempting to find work. He is eternally optimistic and even in his darkest moments finds something positive to hang on to.  I started highlighting some of the wisdom he used to encourage himself to push on when confronted with seemingly impossible barriers. He appreciates every kindness and support given to him and reminds readers that ‘to make a difference we don’t need to do big things, little things count. A simple act of kindness, generosity, even just a hello may make someone’s day.’

He was awarded the Order or Australia medal in 2019, was Queensland Australian of the year in 2021 and the third Australian to receive the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award in New York in 2019.

Both these books were so inspiring and reminded me what a great privilege it is to be able to work as a doctor.

And finally, one of my flash fiction pieces for you to enjoy.

This piece was short listed in a USA competition and deals with the tangled and complex issue of fertility and when and whether to have a baby.

It touches on something that is rarely discussed, reproductive coercion. This is behaviour that interferes a woman making autonomous decisions around her reproductive health.​

I hope you enjoy this piece of flash.

This beautiful painting is one of my favourites. It the first piece I bought from Kirstie Page, a local Brisbane artist. Do check out her webpage for more gorgeous art. She also sells boxes of cards which I regularly use when I want to send someone something special for an occasion or just to let them know I am thinking of them.

Banks of thick cloud gathered in the distance while Layla searched for a place to park. An arc of lightening split the sky, followed by a boom of thunder that vibrated the seat beneath her, echoing her turbulent mood.

            The rain started the minute she pulled into a vacant spot two blocks from the clinic. Great drenching sheets.

            Layla pulled her flimsy jacket over her head and ran for it. When she stepped inside, her sneakers squelched. Her saturated tee stuck to her body. She scanned the waiting room.

            He wasn’t there.

            It wasn’t surprising after their huge fight yesterday, but she had somehow imagined he might change his mind. She dropped her jacket beside the clutch of wet umbrellas near the door.

            The receptionist barely looked up.

            ‘Name?’

            ‘Layla Lingard.’

            ‘Fill in the form and hand it back in when you’re done.’

            Layla grabbed the clipboard with the pen dangling on a piece of string. She found an empty seat and started to tick boxes, scribble answers. It felt intrusive to be asked so many details about herself. Why did they need to know? She would never see any of them again after today.

            She handed the damp form back and sat down again. She glanced at the other women dotted around the room. They avoided looking at each other. Only one was here with a partner who sat awkward beside her.

            Layla thought about those early weeks with Rafe. He was the first man who made her bones ache, her skin flare. He was perfect except that he made it clear from the start that he didn’t want children. It seemed a mere detail when he crushed his lips onto hers with long lingering kisses, his hand knotted through her hair.

            Layla was careful. Most of the time.

            She didn’t even consider the possibility of pregnancy when the queasiness began. She blamed the leftovers she scoffed the night before. Except that her breasts ached, and the nausea kept coming in waves.

            ‘Layla Lingard.’

            She stood and followed the nurse through the door.

            ‘Strip off your clothes including your underwear and slip into a gown. The doctor will call you shortly.’

            Layla got changed and waited on the hard bench.

            The rain softened and faded. A diamond of light landed at her feet. She stood and peered out the single window onto a crooked set of palings. A mother magpie sat on the fence with her youngster, warbling into the fresh laundered sunshine. He nudged closer to his mum, beady eyed and tipped his head to listen.

            ‘Layla.’

            The doctor stood gowned and ready. Layla put her hand over her belly, imagined the tiny pulse asserting itself.

            ‘I’ve changed my mind.’

            Layla wriggled back into her sopping gear, tossed the gown on the floor and walked out.

            Rafe stood outside, waiting.

            ‘Sorry I’m late. Is it done?’

            She looked him in the eye.

            ‘Yes. We’re done.’

            She kept walking.