Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

Toby began Karting with Russ Mead to help him overcome depression, give him a new focus and a chance to escape from dealing with fertility issues. In 2019 Toby started a campaign to raise awareness for fertility with the goal to end the stigma of fertility through motorsport and the same year he claimed his first podium at Donington Park. In 2022, Toby joined Porsche to compete in the Porsche Visit Cayman Island Sprint Challenge in the Pro category. He is continuing with SVG Motorsport taking the step on the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid. In 2023, Toby joins Redline Racing for season four of Racing For Fertility with the goal to attack the title for the top step.

In this episode Toby talks about his successful career as a racing driver and how this has been affected by his infertility. He wants to remove the stigma and taboo and get guys talking. After Toby was in a BBC documentary, in 2019 he started his campaign, Racing For Fertility, is to ensure everyone knows about male fertility and infertility. He loves it when he gets the commentators and the fans at the racetrack talking about fertility. Katie and Toby had two unsuccessful rounds of IVF before Toby was diagnosed with a varicocele – a large vein in the testes. Toby and Katie have a happy story, as they have a little boy conceived naturally after Toby had surgery. Next time the lads are in the pub – we would love them to talk about their balls, sperm, and fertility.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://joyceharper.com/podcasts/

Date of episode recording: 2023-05-10
Duration: 56.12
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Joyce Harper
Guests: Toby Trice
Producer: Joyce Harper

Laura Spoelstra has been involved in the fertility sector as an expert in donation issues for almost 15 years. During that time, she was involved in various national policy working parties including the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the Nuffield Council on BioEthics and the Joint Committee on the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill. More recently she has been focusing on wellbeing of young people and mental health. And she’s been a listening volunteer for Samaritans, a national organisation providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide.

Laura is a Samaritans Branch Deputy Director, a Regional Officer and a qualified Mental Health First Aider. Mental health is, in a sense, the same as physical health. It’s intrinsic to who we are, and it’s our ability to cope with life. A third of illnesses are caused by poor mental health as this can impact our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. And as we go through life, we face different challenges that affect our mental health. Covid caused a big spike in mental health issues. Young people are facing huge challenges for their mental health, with pressures from social media and hectic lifestyles. Suicide has increased over recent years and the data shows that men are more likely to commit suicide than women, at all ages. But there are ways to improve your mental health, including talking to people if we have issues, but also lifestyle changes such as being outside, exercise, nutrition good sleep and friendships. There are also several medications that can be used. The Samaritans are there ‘’Whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. We're here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." https://www.samaritans.org/

Transcription link:

www.joyceharper.com/podcasts

Date of episode recording: 2024-05-09T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00.49.03
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Joyce Harper
Guests: Laura Spoelstra
Producer: Joyce Harper

Dr Neil Stanley started working on sleep when he was 16 – working at the neurosciences division of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine in Farnborough. Since then he has been involved in numerous research studies, a notable one being a study in Pakistan where the team recorded sleep in 8 people for 6 nights at 18500 feet. In 1993 Neil took up a position in the human psychopharmacology research unit, university of Surrey, where he became the director of sleep research. There he created and ran a 24 bed trials sleep laboratory, primarily doing clinical trials into the effects of medications on sleep. He also set up and developed the sleep service at the London Clinic. If Neil is not talking about sleep, he is writing about sleep, if he is not writing about it, he is reading about it, and if not reading about it – he is probably asleep. He is author of the book – How to sleep well. The science of sleeping smarter, living better and being more productive which I highly recommend – as well as being full of evidence-based information about sleep – it is very funny. His latest book is coming out on 24th Feb 'Sleep Divorce: How to Sleep Apart, Not Fall Apart'. Everyone needs to sleep. Virtually every major disease has been linked to sleep. Sleep affects our work, school performance, relationships, emotional wellbeing and our health. But in today’s society we take in so much information - the need for good quality sleep is key to our wellbeing. In this podcast we discuss what happens when we sleep and how much sleep we should get - 8 hours a night is a myth. We are all individual and what works for us is what is important. What is your sleeping environment like and what do you do before you go to bed? How can coffee, alcohol and tech affect our sleep? Neil says that the issue with blue light is a myth. What about sleep during the life course? Should babies cry themselves to sleep? Are teenagers nocturnal? What about the perimenopause? And do we need less sleep as we age? There were so many questions to discuss, this is my longest podcast to date. Sleep well.

Date of episode recording: 2024-02-22T00:00:00Z
Duration: 01.23.46
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Joyce Harper
Guests: Dr Neil Stanley
Producer: Joyce Harper
Transcription link: https://joyceharper.com/podcasts/

In this episode, we discuss the definitions of perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. Susan, being an endocrinologist, which is someone who studies hormones, is a world expert on menopause hormones. Is the menopause a hormone deficiency disorder? Susan explains that it is if menopause happens early, it should be treated with hormones, but it is not a "deficiency disorder" if menopause happens at the average age.. We talked about symptoms and treatments, and how not everything that happens in mid-life is due to the menopause. Why does Susan refers to hormone therapy as menopause hormone therapy (MHT) and not a replacement therapy (HRT). What about testosterone? Susan explains that it will not improve energy or cognition. We discuss the problem we are seeing in the UK with some doctors prescribing high doses of MHT and Susan explains why this is dangerous and should not be done. She explains the lack of evidence that taking MHT will decrease the risk of some long-term conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia. This episode really does address many of the myths that have sprung up about menopause. Susan was happy to set the record straight as she is so often misquoted in the UK. We should be listening to the endocrinologists such as Susan and Annice who was on episode 3 of my podcast.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://joyceharper.com/podcasts/

Date of episode recording: 2023-09-04T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00.46.34
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Joyce Harper
Guests: Professor Susan Davis
Producer: Joyce Harper

Dame Lesley Regan is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College, St Mary’s Hospital, London. Having graduated from the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London in 1980, Professor Regan pursued her career at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, where she first became enthused by clinical & laboratory research, completing an MD on miscarriage, the commonest complication of pregnancy. She went on to set up the world’s largest recurrent miscarriage clinic at St Mary’s. Professor Regan was the 30th President (2016-2019) of the RCOG, during which time she co-chaired the national Women’s Health Task Force and published the RCOG Better for Women report which highlighted the need for an NHS led women’s health strategy. Lesley was awarded a DBE for her services to women’s health in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List. She was appointed chair of the WoW charity in October 2020 and became the first ever Women’s Health Ambassador for England in July 2022, to help implementation of the Government’s recently launched Women's Health Strategy to improve the health and wellbeing of girls and women nationally.

In this episode we discuss some of the key topics in women’s health as Lesley’s interests span from the cradle to the grave. As well as her pioneering work on miscarriage, Lesley has been helping women with menstrual issues, fertility and infertility and menopause. She has been trying to deal with the many obstacles and myths around women’s health. In 2009 she presented a TV series called Professor Regan Investigates looking into how some companies use science to sell. This issue is even more important now, as women’s health tech has become a booming industry. Through her work, education has been key for Lesley to ensure all women lead their best and healthiest lives.

Date of episode recording: 2024-03-15T00:00:00Z
Duration: 01.14.35
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Joyce Harper
Guests: Professor Dame Lesley Regan
Producer: Joyce Harper