To learn how to be love is part of our path this lifetime. In this podcast, for a change, my husband, Ian Demack, interviews me, Karen Joy, about recent health challenges and my journey to be love.
Most likely, you know from the previous podcast, that I have struggled with some recent health challenges. About six months ago, the Vascular Medical team at the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital gave me a shocking diagnosis. Without medical intervention, my life would be short.
Soon after, the chief vascular surgeon, with one of the other doctors from his team, carefully interviewed me to see if I was an appropriate candidate for surgery. Fortunately, I do not smoke or drink and I am very careful about what I eat, making nutritious food a priority. Also, apart from this one health major issue, I was in reasonably good shape,
During the interview, I realise that this operation is not common. There are risks – the major one being lower body paralysis from critical arteries being blocked during the operation. As well, the vital organs (including the kidneys, liver and intestines) need to be permanently protected. Therefore, my surgeons decided to use highly specialised multi-branched stents to maintain blood flow to these areas.
Learning how to BE love
In the podcast, Ian asks me several challenging questions, for example:
- When you had emergency open heart surgery in 2019, how did you cope?
- Was this later diagnosis in August 2023 a shock?
- Did you have pain?
- What did you learn about pain?
- What helped you get through the operations?
- How did you cope facing your mortality?
- Did you have any regrets when looking back on your life?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What did you learn about life?
- What is important to you now?
My answers to these questions are true and heartfelt. I love doing my work taking people into regressions that change their lives. I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue doing that sacred and privileged work as I gradually grow older.
Note: Now, three years later in 2026, I am updating my website blogs. I am adding a recent relevant update. Since the operation, my surgeon and his team discovered that, although the operation was generally successful, there were two small leaks in the many stents inserted in my body. Therefore, the resulting aneurysms caused me constant pain and compromised my general health and activity. In early 2026, one attempt to close them failed. Fortunately, a later attempt in May 2026, which included the radiography team, succeeded. This has made a major difference to my health and well-being. Now I feel younger, very closely connected to my guides and deeply loved and loving.
Thank you Karen for sharing your recent story of illness and recovery in episode 37 podcast. Your husband’s interview was fantastic, the questions were so interesting with very insightful responses from you. I am going to relisten as there was many treasured insights.
I’m so glad you are recovering well and look forward to hearing many wonderful more podcasts.
Dear Jennie. Thank you for your positive response to the podcast. It is always so uplifting to know that people appreciate what is shared. Funny how such a challenging health issue could be so enlightening but that is how it works down here. I have really integrated that lesson now. Our challenges are really gifts.
So glad to have you back Karen. You’ve certainly been through the wringer but have come out the other side seemingly stronger and even more attuned to the love of the divine.
May you continue to receive all the blessings in your life
Thank you, Fiona, for sharing your thoughts and blessings. Your heart is in the right place.
Karen, hearing of your deep experience through a well structured process with Ian, is just amazing.
Ian gently teased out more than the timeline of your medical journey. He led you to examine how you felt.
From hearing you both working together to tease out the subtext of your experience, was for me, a window into core elements belonging to the spiritual being.
It has prompted me to re-examine and understand the nature of my spirituality.
Can we numerically label the strength of our soul? Sounds ridiculous to me when I put it that way. But I’m pondering whether that is what I do try to do.
Perhaps an alternative would be to perceive our soul as eternally perfect, always was, always will be.
Perhaps it is through experienced challenges, that the veil slips and reveals the perfection of our soul.
I believe this is what is commonly known as self love.
THIS type of love, which is self emanating, is the most pure to me.
Externally felt love is a catalyst, which may lead to understanding our better selves. Look on it as bonus that is available while we live this human life we have chosen. It has its place in our lives.
Internal love…self love, is its purest form. I think that is the key to peace and acceptance.
Stillness with focus is what I seek, to open my eyes to the soul I already am.
Thanks to you both, for the honesty and integrity with which you have offered to me as a witness to your journeys.
This one has certainly been a precious gift.
Thank you Ricki. I am so glad that our podcast has opened up some thought and reflection for you. Yes, self love, knowing we are loved, seems to be fundamentally important in gaining an inner peace and sense of fulfillment. That is exactly what I am discovering. I am noticing those coming to see me are seeking this love and acceptance too. Some have felt despair about how the world seems to be and the behaviour of humans. But growing beyond that, with love and acceptance, is really the key I believe. Thank you for posting your comment.
Thank you, Karen and Ian, for this wonderful interview. Karen, I am so glad you’re feeling better. Thank you for sharing your experience with such honesty and wisdom. Sending love and best wishes for continued good health.
Dear Miriam. Thank you for taking the time to comment and send you kind thoughts. Your response mean a lot to me. I am so glad you enjoyed the podcast and I wish love and the very best for you too.