The Plumber, His Missus, & Her Brain Tumours

The Plumber, His Missus, & Her Brain Tumours Wife with a wheelchair
CNS tumour advocate

I STILL CALL AUSTRALIA HOMEIn August of this year it will be 30 years since I arrived in Australia, November it is 20 ye...
19/06/2026

I STILL CALL AUSTRALIA HOME

In August of this year it will be 30 years since I arrived in Australia, November it is 20 years since I became a citizen.

I love and miss New Zealand, particularly my family. But I made the decision that if I was going to live here and raise my children here that I had a moral obligation to become a citizen.

That obligation also extends to giving back to the community I live in. As an able bodied person the opportunities to do so were endless, as a wheelchair user not so much.

Additionally I wanted to increase visibility & representation of disabled people in every facet of society.

So this morning the Plumber & I went to the local court and I made an affirmation that confirmed me as a Justice of the Peace (JP).

My thanks to Robert Dwyer MP who signed off on my application, and immense gratitude to the always supportive Luke Hadfield, President of Camden Haven Chamber of Commerce who has offered space for me to carry out JP services locally.

Photo credit John Thorpe
Photo description Rach sitting in her wheelchair wearing a floral dress & denim jacket. Behind her is a building that says Port Macquarie Courthouse.

WHEN YOU MAKE AN ASSUMPTION I spent several hours at the hospital this week. I've got a biopsy thing on Wednesday and ge...
16/05/2026

WHEN YOU MAKE AN ASSUMPTION

I spent several hours at the hospital this week. I've got a biopsy thing on Wednesday and general anaesthetic is a bit of an issue, there were some conversations around that.

Anyway, because I haven't been to this particular hospital before they had to create a new file which involved the very nice nurse asking me a ton of questions. Which was fine until we got to the employment bit.

Nurse: obviously you don't work.
Me: that's incorrect, I do actually work a few hours a week. Can I ask why you made that assumption?
Nurse: well you said you received the NDIS, so I naturally assumed.

Therein lies part of the problem. The NDIS is NOT a welfare scheme. I do not receive any money from them. They pay expenses I wouldn't have if I wasn't disabled eg a wheelchair. I have the same living costs as anyone else; access to the NDIS (and 3 incredibly understanding bosses) enables me to work a small amount every week to help with those costs. Additionally, some disabled people work & some don't. There's no one size fits all.

On a lighter note, my beautiful cousin Leesa & I are heading off to a musical. Any guesses as to which one? Quote below is a clue.

"Yeah, well maybe that's because if I did, your boyfriend would remove my lungs with a spoon."

Photo

Selfie of Rach & Leesa smiling at the camera with a body of water behind them.

SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED FAIRYBREADNot long after I was diagnosed I went to a retreat in Geelong, and while I was there I...
06/05/2026

SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED FAIRYBREAD

Not long after I was diagnosed I went to a retreat in Geelong, and while I was there I met a sweet young lady named Lauren, and her mum Kerri.

In 2020 the evil beast that is brain cancer took Lauren from all who loved her. Over the years Kerri & Lauren's sister Sophie have kept in touch and I have so enjoyed seeing photos of everything they do to honour and remember Lauren.

Lauren loved elephants and fairy bread. So when I saw spoke guards for my wheelchair that had fairy bread on them, I just had to have them. And every time someone comments on them I'm going to tell them they were inspired by Lauren.

May is brain tumour awareness month. If you have some spare $ please consider one of the charities below.

Cure Brain Cancer
Brain Tumour Alliance Australia (BTAA)
Cancer Council Australia
RCD Foundation-Robert Connor Dawes
Peace of Mind Foundation



Photo credit Jasper Peady

Rach sitting in her wheelchair with the water [and her awesome EP] behind her. She has covers on her wheels which are purple and have fairy bread on them.

There has been a lot of fear amongst NDIS participants in relation to proposed cuts to social & community participation....
02/05/2026

There has been a lot of fear amongst NDIS participants in relation to proposed cuts to social & community participation.

There's also confusion over what that funds. To be clear, it funds the time/labour of a support worker. I pay for all activities/entry fees/food/tickets.

I work very hard to be as independent as possible, but the bottom line is I'm disabled & often require help.

A friend overseas did me a big favour & I wanted to buy her an Australian made gift to say thank-you. So I went to some markets with a support worker.

This involved a ramp that was too short, therefore too steep, which then meant I couldn't propel myself up it & had to be pushed.

Then I needed to pay for parking, but the screen on the machine was too high & the sun was shining on it so I couldn't read the screen. Again my support worker had to step in.

Many of the stallholders wanted cash (which I don't object to), but I didn't have any and the market ATMs were in a trailer, meaning you had to go up a step. So I'd have to give my support worker my card & PIN (breach of banking regulations) to get the cash.

This is daily life, without funding for social & community participation I wouldn't be able to do the basic things many people take for granted.

Photo

Market ATM up on a trailer with a step in front of it.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SWAP PLACES WITH ME? Imagine that you had a house (body) that you were comfortable in. It was familiar...
24/04/2026

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SWAP PLACES WITH ME?

Imagine that you had a house (body) that you were comfortable in. It was familiar & held memories.

You paid insurance premiums (GST, income tax) in the knowledge that in the unlikely event your house (body) was damaged you'd be covered.

There's an incident. Your house (body) is damaged. You just want it back the way it was. The insurance company (NDIS) informs you that you will have to spend 6-12 months filling in reams of paperwork & answering intrusive questions about how you live your life in your house (body.)

You go through all of that and your insurance (NDIS) claim is accepted. But then the insurance company (NDIS) tells you that how your house (body) is repaired is entirely up to them. You have no say in how your insurance claim (NDIS) funding is spent. Faceless executives who don't know you will decide.

Then the insurance company CEOs (federal government) tells you that even though you paid your premiums (GST, income tax) they think they might means test you, and if they think you have too much money they won't pay out your claim.

And in the mean time the media tells everyone you're rorting the system, and you're a drain on the economy, and society. And social media jumps on board with people talking about how their husband's cousin's neighbour's hairdresser heard about someone getting a Caribbean Cruise through NDIS funding.

Meanwhile you're just hoping you can get funded for a wheelchair that fits you (4 years and waiting.)

I completely agree that the scheme needs some serious adjustment, but next time you share a meme or talk about cost blow outs, please remember there's individuals like myself who are looking in the mirror this week & asking if society values us at all.

I would give up these so called perks in a heartbeat if it meant a return of independence, autonomy, & most of all dignity.

If you relate to any of this please feel free to share it.

ENJOY RETIREMENT When you take your support worker out for a farewell dinner at the best ever Italian restaurant, becaus...
18/04/2026

ENJOY RETIREMENT

When you take your support worker out for a farewell dinner at the best ever Italian restaurant, because she is abandoning you to travel around Australia in a motorhhome living her best life.

Blah blah. What about ME??

Seriously though, I have been beyond fortunate to have had Nichole supporting me for the past 18 months. We've laughed together, cried together, & solved the problems of the world together. A fantastic support worker is worth their weight in gold.

And while I will miss her empowerment more than she will realise, I'm stoked that she's finally heading off on adventures.

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Photo credit Saskia Anderson

Nichole in a boho green dress kneeling next to Rach who has a bright pink top on & is sitting in her wheelchair. Nichole has her arm around Rach & they are both smiling. There is a bookcase behind them.

DIGNITY OF RISK/MY BODY-MY CHOICEIt is common for society to be overprotective of disabled people, and while that often ...
12/04/2026

DIGNITY OF RISK/MY BODY-MY CHOICE

It is common for society to be overprotective of disabled people, and while that often comes from a good place it can still be frustrating.

Dignity of risk is the principle that individuals have the right to make their own choices, including those that involve reasonable risks, as a fundamental aspect of personal dignity and self-determination.

So, while it is ok to point out perceived risks [the same as you would for a non-disabled person], we still have a fundamental right to make choices.

One of my favourite things to do in a manual wheelchair is to throw my arms in the air and free wheel down a hill or slope. Is there some danger? Sure. As there is with everything in life e.g. a car trip. But I mitigate it. I have done extensive wheelchairs skills training; I don't do it on rough ground or if there are obstacles such as people in front of me. I don't do it in the rain or if my hands are sweaty and slipping on my push rims. Nor would I do it if I wasn't feeling 100%.

But that feeling of speed and freedom is one of the few thrills I still get.

Photo credit Saskia Anderson
Photo description
View of me from behind with my arms in the air going down our driveway. Waiting at the bottom is my long-suffering support worker Nichole Budin who is wearing a pretty dress and a face that indicates she hopes I don't run into her. Or her car.

SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDSThere are periods of time where I feel like I have to constantly justify the validity of my existe...
29/03/2026

SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS

There are periods of time where I feel like I have to constantly justify the validity of my existence as a disabled person. That the accommodations I need to to survive are incompatible with societal expectations. I would give up the so called 'perks' like disabled parking permits in a heartbeat if it meant getting my old life back.

But even as I plumb the depths, unexpected people create cracks of light.

Amy from Bower On Lake who is determined to make her beautiful shop accessible.

Annette Holley author of Rosie’s Wheels [you need to buy this book] who gave me a copy of her fabulous book on a day that had been challenging in so many ways.

Sarah Eade, Gemma Byrnes, & Amber Thessenhaler who I joined for a lovely dinner at Delizioso, where the staff quietly and without complaint helped get 4 wheelchair users into a comfortable space for our delicious mealS.

It's a reminder that there are more amazing people than there are unpleasant ones. That life has bright points amongst the grey. That we all matter in our own way.

Photo description

Photo 1
Rachael & Amy outside her store

Photo 2
Rachael, Amber, Sarah, & Gemma outside Delizioso.

Address

North Haven, NSW

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