"None of this is your fault": Managing the PhD with a Chronic Health Condition with Louise LePage
About this episode
Louise LePage discusses managing a PhD while living with a chronic health condition, sharing personal experiences and practical advice.
Louise LePage was in her 30s when she did her MA in Drama and Performance (University College Dublin) and fell in love with academia and performance. Immediately afterwards she undertook a PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she was also a Teaching Fellow. She has since held positions at University of Reading and University of York. In this episode we explore the challenges of navigating academia whilst managing a chronic illness like ME/CFS. Louise reflects honestly on her own lived experiences and offers tips on self-advocacy, managing expectations, and taking an active role in shaping your PhD She explains how finding a supportive supervisor can be a game changer and talks about the role of community and acceptance. Louise also offers golden advice for managing deadlines. Louise's YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/@FiftyShadesofTired1971 Louise recommends Facebook groups relating to the work of Dr Sarah Myhill and the Long Covid & ME/CFS healing through Creativity group. You can read the transcript of this episode here: thephdliferaft.com If you would like a useful weekly email to support you on your PhD journey you can sign up for 'Notes from the Life…
People in this episode
Host: Emma Brodzinski
Guest: Louise LePage
Topics covered
- chronic illness
- PhD journey
- self-advocacy
- academic challenges
- community support
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University College Dublin, Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Reading, University of York
Books & works: Fifty Shades of Tired
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- Develop Research Leadership within Your PhD with Cilla Harries
- Making PhD Dreams a Reality with Cynthia Fasola
- Managing big changes in your PhD with confidence with Kay Danes
- If you are thinking of quitting your PhD, listen to this first! with Gordon Morrison
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