Episode 13 - Lucy

Episode 13 of 24. A reading from the book Policies of Exclusion, Poverty & Health: Stories from the front. Compiled, with Introduction and Reports by Chrystal Ocean. Copyright 2005. Lucy's is a very powerful story told with a frankness which is refreshing. As with Glenna's story, you'll find yourself cheering, crying and guffawing all within a space of a few sentences.

All these Ministries have their code word du jour, so now they have this dual diagnosis: depression + diabetes. Dual diagnosis is a crock of shit. It’s one thing. Poverty. Welfare puts you on such a diet you can’t afford fresh fruits or vegetables, you can’t afford any high protein. You’re stuck eating Welfare Diet... That many carbohydrates turn you into a blimp. Well eventually, as a blimp, you get diabetes and in the process of losing everything that you are, were, could have been, should have been, used to be, could have had, should have had, would have had... you lose yourself.

After listening to this episode, PLEASE RATE and comment. (To do this, you must have the episode window open and scripting must be enabled. If you are reading this from the channel's homepage, click on the episode title to open the new window.) You'll see a comment form at the bottom of the page. To rate, pass your mouse over the stars and click the star representing your choice. Podcast channels with the highest ranking and number of ratings attract more listeners! Regarding comments, I'd be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.