Lucy Burls - Does Giving 110% Give Us More Of A Life?

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In this episode I reference a previous episode with Dr Madlena Kantscheff, who also received a fatigue and cancer warning. The episode is S1: E3 - Dr Madlena Kantscheff - Should We Listen Before Disease?


In this episode I am joined by Lucy Burls, a friend and colleague from my estate agent days. Around 12 years ago, we worked together in our early 20s with no idea how much we’d struggle with our health in later years after giving too much out and not putting enough back in. We recently reconnected and shared our stories.

We discuss what can happen when we are ‘trained’ as children to give 110% in everything without the awareness of self-care.

In this particular episode we focus on Lucy’s story. From her early 20s working hard and partying hard, Lucy has transitioned into a very different way and quality of life in her mid 30s. 

For Lucy, 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year with Covid-19 restrictions being the least of it. Despite this, she’s a lot more positive in her current situation than she ever has been before. She recognises the need for the life lesson.

Lucy had a life plan. Lucy was just about to try to start a family. Then one after another, Lucy experienced blow after blow.

We discuss:

-PoTS - Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) - NHS

-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / M.E. 

-Giving up a dream job due to illness

-Breast cancer

-IVF preparation due to risk to ovaries

-Stopping her menstrual cycle for chemo treatment

-Chemo & radiotherapy

-2 family members also being diagnosed with cancer

-2 unexpected deaths of her ‘inner circle’

We discuss what happens when you think you will have children, and then you have your menstrual cycle stopped being put into early menopause for cancer treatment. When you can’t go out for dinner and if you do, you can’t carry out a day’s work. When health means cancelling as bridesmaid for your best friend’s wedding and your new husband takes the strain of financially supporting you because you can’t work due to health.

Many of us grow up thinking that if we want something and work towards it enough, we can have what we want. That is all very well except when your health doesn’t allow it. We often don’t plan for or consider this. As Lucy so nicely recaps it “health is wealth”.

We discuss how once upon a time humans lived in a different way where holistic education wasn’t needed in the same way.