Lose weight by hacking neuroplasticity. No diets, counting calories or willpower required. Just time. And knowledge.

I’ve been on prednisone for 8 years. It’s first line, and effective treatment for many dangerous autoimmune diseases, including my own (graft versus host disease – THE side effect of my bone marrow transplant). But it’s horrible in many ways. It disrupts your sleep, your attitude. It gave me diabetes. But arguably the worst for many is how it makes you gain weight.  After my bone marrow transplant, I went from a healthy, fit 80kg (180lb), 6’1” young man, to, at my peak, a morbidly obese 114k (a 75 pound increase), in 9 months. I went from looking like this.. […]

Bone Marrow Transplants – The ENTIRE Process. How They Work. A Patient Guide and Story.

bone marrow transplant

Bone Marrow Transplants are scary. And they’re a unique procedure whose impacts can last longer than many regular organ transplants. But they also save lives. I’ve had 2 myself. Both were allogeneic transplants, the focus of this blog post, which is where you receive your cells from a donor. I’m a medical student and tumor vaccine researcher, but I wrote this out to outline the process for a fellow patient recently – so it’s in plain English – and it’s also more patient focused. I found, personally, that a fellow patients’ words just stuck more. So I thought I’d share it […]

Thank you RNSH Hospital ICU for Saving My Life. #OnTheBrink

So last week was one of the most tumultuous of my already tumultuous life. I was diagnosed with leuakaemia at 17, and given a 10-20% chance of surviving, I’d relapsed the year later and been told palliative care might be my best option, I’ve lost an eye, and nearly been blinded in another 3 times since, developed a third, fortunately benign tumour (though it didn’t look that way) in my 4th right rib, and arguably worst of all, faced 2 years of agony. Suicidal. Completely void of hope due to chronic pain. And then there was last week.   I’ve […]

So I’m Speaking At Ted-X Sydney…

I just found out today that I’ll be pitching at TedX Sydney for a $40,000 grant to back my lifesaving startup – Get to Sleep Easy! It’s a competition called St George Kickstart, and TedXSydney is one of the biggest franchises of Ted out there. It’s such an amazing honour! When I started out trying to find a solution to this invidious problem of #preventablecomplications (falls, pressure sores and pneumonia), I knew it was a big problem. When we started talking to nursing homes and hundreds of caretakers, doctors and nurses homes, we knew our Smart Inclining Bed would save lives. And […]

It’s been a while… But I’ve been working hard.

So it’s been a while since I posted something here. A LONG while. Sorry to all of you! So where have I been? What have I been up to? Well, I’ve been working hard. Promise. I’ve nearly finished my research degree – the one I decided to complete while I waited for my immune system to strengthen, so I could do medicine again. Hopefully I’ll get some publications and formally contribute to science and human development!    But I’ve also been busy on this startup. One I think could make a huge difference, and hopefully, save many lives.  So, what […]

Why and How are Doctors and Medical Students so Depressed? And What Can WE Do About it?

The day I got into medicine, was the greatest day of my life.  I’m sure many medical students and doctors would tell you the exact same thing… For me it was personal.  I’d always wanted to study medicine. What better job was there? You could save lives and live in relative comfort your entire life. I’d get to emulate my childhood hero growing up, Captain Hawkeye Pierce from M.A.S.H.  But after leukaemia struck my life… it became personal.  I wanted to help people as I’d been helped. It was my doctor’s words; that “The Good News Is You’re 17 and […]

Cancer For A THIRD Time. When Will It Learn, IT CAN’T MESS WITH ME!

So… what’s been going on you ask? What’s with that chemo drug you were talking about on Facebook? I thought you said it wasn’t for cancer… and now you posted this? Well, let me explain. Recently I started a “chemotherapy” drug, but not for cancer. It’s called rituximab  – and it’s not only in brackets because it’s technically, in my case, not a chemotherapy, as it’s not “A chemical agent used in the treatment of cancers” (it was given for another condition I have – a side effect of my bone marrow transplant; chronic graft versus host disease. I’ll explain […]

How to build self confidence and become the happiest version of yourself!

I was diagnosed with leukemia at 17 and given a 10, maybe 20 percent, chance of living. And I was devastated… as any human being would be. But after a while I started to dislike that feeling. The constant depression. The tears. The gut-clenching dread. I wanted this to all be over. I wanted a way out of the hole that I’d found myself in. But with chemotherapy, uncertainty, and probable death in my future, there wasn’t much to really look forward to. In the end, what ended up helping me most wasn’t this spark of inspiration or willpower or bravery after watching some […]

Your Mind is the best way to Lose Weight and Get Fit. Not crazy, unsustainable, diets (or bootcamps!)

I talked about this topic on radio recently. Have a listen to it if you want (it’s at the bottom) Heaps of people around me have been saying how much thinner and healthier I’ve started looking, and almost all of them have been asking me how or what I was eating or doing to get there… a few even asked if everything was okay… healthwise. Well, no, I’m totally fine, and I did mean to lose this weight.  To be honest though… it wasn’t really that hard at all. Everyone talks about how they can’t stay on a diet and […]

Cancer Patient Plays Well, and Wins Big For Charity.

Last post:                                     My Story:                                         Next One Recently, I was given some pretty bad news. I’ve got bronchiolitis obliterans, a lung manifesation of the graft versus host disease that plagues me after my bone marrow transplant. Essentially, it’s my donor’s immune system (in bone marrow transplants, you inherit the blood making cells of your donor, which includes their white blood cells) attacking me. This time though, in the lungs. […]