In Balance NT - Meghan Williams

18/02/2026

The Australian Institute of Criminology is Australia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice. We seek to promote justice and reduce crime by undertaking and communicating evidence-based research to inform policy and practice.

17/02/2026

Barry Du Bois a television personality amongst other things and a very thoughtful person write the following thoughtful words. They will resonate gor many of us

Before you read this I want everyone to know I am fine and healthy,

This morning I walked out of the hospital with tears running down my face.

For 14 years, every two months, I’ve handed my life to Dr Sam Milliken

A week before each appointment, I give blood and a urine sample.
Then comes the waiting.

If you live with an incurable disease, you understand this space.
You carry on.
You work.
You smile.
You regulate your mind.

But beneath it all, there is a quiet hum,

sometimes you ask yourself, is this the month things change?

In 2011 I was given three months to live.

Dr Sam Milliken became the lead in my medical team that day.
Since then, every two months, he has called my name from the waiting room.

We walk down the corridor.
I always say, “How are you?”
He always says, “Oh, okay.”

We sit.
We talk about Christmas.
He asks about my children.
Then he tells me my numbers.

For 14 years, he has delivered the most important words in my life:

“Stable.”
“No change.”
“We’ll keep watching.”
In 2017 he had to tell me that the cancer had spread from a single tumour to multiple Myaloma which has been tough but we work with it together.

Today my numbers were good.

And then he said,
“I’m retiring.”

In that moment, something inside me cracked.

Because this wasn’t just a doctor stepping away.
It was the realisation that someone who has symbolised survival — continuity — safety — was leaving the room.

We talk a lot about resilience.
About mindset.
About emotional regulation.

And yes — I teach those tools. I live them.

But resilience does not mean you don’t attach.
It does not mean you don’t feel.
It does not mean you don’t grieve transitions.

For 14 years, this man has been part of the machinery that kept me alive.

Not just clinically.

Humanly.

As I walked out of the hospital, my chest was pounding with the kind of pain that only comes when someone you love leaves your orbit.

We weren’t friends in the social sense.

But I love him.

Because every two months for 14 years, he carried the weight of my future in a set of numbers, and delivered them with steadiness.

Here’s what this moment reminded me:

In life, we all build quiet pillars of safety.
People who hold us when we don’t even realise we are being held.

A teacher.
A parent.
A partner.
A mentor.
A doctor.

And sometimes we don’t fully understand their significance… until the day they say goodbye.

If you are walking a health journey or any uncertain season and you feel deeply connected to someone who steadies you… that’s not weakness.

That’s humanity.

This journey is clinical.

But it is profoundly human.

Thank you, Dr Sam.
For 14 years of life.

Baz

21/01/2026

If you have a few $ to spare this beautiful boy needs help urgently

01/01/2026

31/12/2025

In Balance NT wishes everyone a New Year where your health is on the improve and eventually you don't need us

24/12/2025

In Balance NT wishes you all a safe and happy Christmas for 2025

16/10/2025

Be a friend, Tell a friend, Why breast screening matters
Encourage the women in your life to have a free breast screen with BreastScreen NT.
Small gestures can make a big difference in helping women get screened and it may just save their life.
Some ways you can support the women you care about to have their breast screen:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.
For women aged 50-74, a breast screen every two years is the best way to detect breast cancer early. A breast screen (also known as a mammogram) can find cancer before you notice a symptom. When breast cancer is caught early, there are more treatment options available, and there is a greater chance of survival. The reality is that the two biggest risk factors for developing breast cancer are simply being born female and getting older—9 out of 10 women diagnosed have no family history of the disease.

14/10/2025

Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!
To check your breasts, get familiar with their normal look and feel by visually inspecting them in a mirror for changes in shape or size, and then feel them using a systematic pattern with your fingertips. When feeling, use light, medium, and firm pressure to check the entire breast area, from the collarbone to the abdomen and under your arms, looking for any lumps, thickening, or other changes. It's helpful to check regularly, such as in the shower or while lying down, and to see a doctor for any changes you notice.

In front of a mirror
Stand with your arms relaxed at your sides and look for changes in shape, size, and skin appearance.
Raise your arms overhead and repeat the visual inspection. This can help reveal changes that might not be as obvious when your arms are down.
Place your hands on your hips and press firmly to flex your chest muscles, again looking for any changes.

While lying down
Place a pillow under your right shoulder and put your right arm behind your head.
Use the pads of your left hand to feel your right breast with light, medium, and firm pressure. Move in small circular motions, covering the entire breast and armpit area.
Gently squeeze the ni**le to check for discharge.
Repeat these steps for your left breast.

In the shower or bath
Use your right hand to feel your left breast, and vice versa.
With a lathered hand, use the pads of your fingers to feel your entire breast, moving in a systematic pattern like circles or up and down, from the collarbone to underneath the breast and into the armpit.

What to look for and feel for
Any new lumps or thickening.
Changes in the size, shape, or skin appearance of the breast or ni**le.
A ni**le that has changed position or is inverted.
Redness, swelling, rash, or puckering of the skin.
Any unusual pain or unusual discharge from the ni**le.

What to do next
Get to know your breasts so you can recognize what is normal for you.
If you find any new lump or notice any other changes, see a doctor to get it evaluated as soon as possible.
Regular mammograms and clinical exams are also important parts of breast cancer screening.

12/10/2025

ARE YOU UP-TO-DATE with your breast health?
MONTHLY - self-breast checks.
GP - breast checks
BIENNIEL - Screening
mammogram - FREE in Australia from your 40th birthday.
BREASTSCREEN 13 20 50

12/10/2025