Episode #39 is here: The Story Behind the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum.
If you’re autistic and you’re diagnosed with cancer, will your care be impacted by your unconscious wish to be the perfect patient? Or will it be impacted by an abusive spouse or partner, the kind so many of us on the spectrum find ourselves with? We explore these questions and much more.
In this episode, we honour the life and legacy of Lindsey Carla Holmes, a late-diagnosed autistic woman, who passed away from metastatic ovarian cancer earlier this year.
Joining me is Dr. Paula Holmes-Rodman — Lindsey’s sister, caregiver, and collaborator — to discuss aspects of Lindsey’s life and the sisters’ co-development of the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum.
We explore Lindsey’s journey of self-discovery, her resilience and sunshiny disposition, advance care planning, and some of the issues that may leave many autistic folks vulnerable to abusive relationships.
Dr. Holmes-Rodman shares stories from The Lindsey Interview Project, the cat- and snack-filled Sunday afternoon chats that sparked the development of the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum — a Guide uniquely positioned to help autistic cancer patients everywhere.
This episode celebrates Lindsey’s hopes for the autistic community, the continued importance of self-advocacy, and the ways listeners can help support Lindsey’s vision for a better future.
Watch this episode on YouTube.
Find the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum on Autism Canada.
Watch The Lindsey Interview Project.
Transcript
Kristen Hovet
Hey everyone, welcome back to The Other Autism podcast. I have a bit of a cold today, but I wanted to make sure to get this out as I’ll be away next month. Today I’m speaking with Dr. Paula Holmes-Rodman, an anthropologist, consultant, writer, and practitioner of narrative-based medicine, based in British Columbia, Canada. But before I share our conversation, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Pam and Sanna for each buying me three coffees through the Buy Me a Coffee link. Thank you both so, so much. If you would also like to buy me a coffee, please check out the link in the show notes that says, buy me a coffee. And with that, please say hello to my guest for today, Dr. Paula Holmes-Rodman.
The Other Autism 