This summer was a terrific tour of fantastic festivals! From Brighton to Edinburgh, Glasgow to Cheltenham, I had a complete blast!
My next couple of dates are Norwich Science Festival, in an After Hours show on Friday next week (the 27th October). Then I’m off to Mumbai for the Tata International Literary Festival in November. Can’t wait to have some great discussions, and see lots of interesting speakers at both!
Emma Byrne, Science Writer and Broadcaster 
As an elder woman in US, living with tremendous pain, cancer patient with special needs – in last several years of chaos and insanity of trying to navigate the America’s shit-storm medical, specifically Medicare, I have found a rage arise within me – sadness hurts too much, anger doesn’t hurt, as necessary defense and protection. However th fallout has been devastating, has got toned me profiled and blackballed from care because I have been labeled as an angry patient. You better believe I’m angry, I’m fucking outraged. Can you offer help? Direction? Advocacy? I hope so very much.
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Her Marcia,
That sounds so fucking shitty – I’m so sorry to hear about your battles with the system as well as with cancer.
How about taking a copy of Richard Stephens’s paper about pain and swearing wigh you might help (or that chapter of the book on pain and swearing, and the one on gender too!) to explain why the swearing is helping you. Also, here in the UK we have something called a Macmillan Nurse: these are specially trained nurses to help with the emotional, financial, and practical burdens of cancer. Is there something similar in your state? If not do have a look at the Macmillan website as I know they have some really useful resources that can help your healthcare providers, and those close to you, understand better what’s going on!
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