The Sydney Traveler

I’ve been thinking a lot about pain lately. You see, my sister had a baby last week. It was a pretty emotional experience for everyone in my family to see her go through such intense pain. But what if you had to live with such pain every day of your life? How would you cope? The inspirational Renée Goossens will share her experiences in an upcoming series of emotional talks. 

Renée has dealt with pain her whole life. As a teenager, she dealt with the emotional pain of living in the shadow of a famous father. Her dad, Sir Eugene Goossens was the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor and the director of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Then at the age of 21, Renée learnt about physical pain when she was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. She was bound to an English hospital bed for nearly two years. Then more pain when, on her release, Renée’s husband left her for his pregnant girlfriend.

Confined to a wheelchair and raising a toddler alone, Renée could have easily given up. Instead she learned a lot about pain, and how to live with it.

For her latest book, Pain Management: Learning to Live with Pain, Renée interviewed more than 100 families in England, France, and Australia. She’ll draw from their lessons about pain, and her own experience, for these engaging lectures. Renée will speak about finding the right doctor or specialist, words and children, pets as therapy, and more. 

Dates: January 22 and February 16
Times: Noon (Jan 22) and 2 pm (Feb 16)
Location: Customs House Library (Jan 22) and Ultimo Library (Feb 16)
Address: Customs House Library is at 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay. Ultimo Library is at 40 William Henry Street, Ultimo
Cost: Free. Bookings are essential. Call 9243 855 (Customs House) or 9298 3110 (Ultimo) to reserve your place
Website: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Library/

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