Being Patient

Carlin, Chappell and O’Sullivan

Na’ama Carlin, Louise Chappell and Siobhan O’Sullivan all received the diagnosis everyone dreads – cancer. These three smart, confident women were used to speaking up and being listened to. But in Cancer World, as they call it, they found it much harder to find their voice as they negotiated a system consisting of ‘god’ surgeons, ‘scanxiety’, ongoing treatment and confronting diagnoses – in Na’ama’s case, a devastating breast cancer diagnosis when she was 29 weeks pregnant. In Being Patient Na’ama, Louise and Siobhan share their own stories and interview other women (cis and trans), non-binary people and trans men, with a diversity of backgrounds and experience, about their experiences as cancer patients. They also interview oncologists, nurses, surgeons, radiologists and researchers to gain valuable insights into the people delivering these life-altering diagnoses and treatments.

Release: Apr-2026

ISBN: 9781742237916

RRP (AUD): $39.99

Pages: 256

Format: Paperback & ebook

Carlin holds a PhD in Sociology and is an award-winning teacher at the UNSW. Chappell is a Scientia Professor at UNSW where she researches gender justice in relation to politics, policy and law. O’Sullivan was Associate Professor of Social Policy at UNSW. Siobhan died in June 2023