DrJacs

@tiwaiwaka

Ngāpuhi, Prof of Māori health, surprised terminal cancer survivor - 3 years so far. Toitū te Tiriti, equity etc etc. My memoir, Ngākaurua, is coming out in 2026 via Cuba Press - woohoo!

150 Siguiendo212 Seguidores1158 Publicaciones

Bluesky

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y tiwaiwaka.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· 21d

For no particular reason other than I love her weird underbite. Not sure what she wanted me to do, but I definitely disappointed her by coming back to work

My weird shitzu/foxy cross girl - white shaggy hair with black nose, ears and eyes. Staring at me with an expectant look and her lower teeth showing

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· 23d

You've been murdered. Who do you want on the case

Idris Elba wearing a herringbone suit (I think), blue shirt and loosely tied red tie - in full detective mode, looking focused and wonderfully intense

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Jun 21

Expert advice please whānau. I'm awful with plants! I got given this wee treasure last week (coke can for size ref). It looks ... tender. I'm in Napier where we're expecting frosts. Our yard is mostly full sun, not ideal for kawakawa. How/where/when do I plant her? WHAT DO I DO SO I DON'T KILL HER?

A kawakawa plant in a black polythene bag surrounded by a hessian wrap. It's not much bigger than the coke can it sits next to, but has lots of tiny pale green leaves. It's just a baby!

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Jun 18

Book cover is blue, with an image of a bird (dove) holding an unfurling purple ribbon. The title is Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Cancer, with Gail Garvey as Editor in Chief. The second image in this post is of the title page with the signatures of Lisa Wop, Leah Bill, Nona Scott and a couple that I can't quite make out.

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· May 20

😂🐕

Pawdacity (n): The level of disrespect a dog shows by staring directly at you while deciding your recall command doesn't apply to them today

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· May 19

I found this on another site. I'm not so much in the pain space, but definitely so exhausted that I can't figure out whether it's emotional, spiritual or physical. I'm having awful nightmares though, so suspect that it's the first two battling it out inside my tinana. Fun. Currently 6, heading for 7

Split into 5 rows, each with a number range, header and explainer.
1-3 'The Quiet". A rare window of lightness. I am genuinely present, not just performing. Energy feels accessible rather than managed.
4-5 "The Baseline (Happy Normal)". My everyday. I am functional, productive, and in control. I've mastered living here, but I am still making strategic choices to protect my energy.
5-6 "The Mask". The 'social hangover' or a physical flare. I'm smiling and 'fine' for the world, but I'm secretly calculating every movement and counting down to my heating pad.
7-8 "The Wall". The physical toll is taking over. Brain fog is heavy. Conversations are exhausting. Pushing through is no longer a choice; it's a battle.
9-10 "The Shutdown". The mask is too heavy to hold. Total survival mode. The 'Polite Patient' has left the building. Rest is the only priority.

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· May 9

This session is gorgeous ❤️❤️❤️

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 29

Word of the day stolen from another place …

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 24

This little guy kept nibbling on me when I got home - after 14 hours of sleep I feel almost normal but he’s still keeping an eye on me. 4 days away felt like forever 🥰 (um I missed Tony too but he didn’t feel the need to nibble 🤣🤣)

Jack Russell terrier lying on a pillow in a patch of sun

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 23

Our CE 🥰👌🏻

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 23

Ardija!! 🥰🥰🥰

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 23

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 21

1st plenary today - this ISN’T the question they actually asked 😂. Jonathon Koea & Whaea Donna tested how western medicine could move aside for rongoā

Panel onstage with a slide asking ‘why conduct a clinical trial of rongoā?

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 20

Over 700 delegates gathered this morning for our World Indigenous Cancer Conference pōwhiri #WICC2026

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 14

Stolen from another site, but so true! I'm reading the last of the Heated Rivalry series & I'l be grieving the loss of Ilya tomorrow.

Pick background with white writing that says I love reading for 30 minutes before bed. It's the best 3 hours of the day!

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Apr 1

Boosting this a bit (hard to do with my very curated list of interactions here!) along with an invitation to come to my book launch if you can - there's still space. It's free & there will be wine 😜. I'd appreciate it if you would share with your networks of anyone who might be interested!

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Mar 6

Look what arrived today! One for daughter who has 3 kitties, and one for daughter-in-law who has 2. They're both crafters, so I'm looking forward to sending these on! @kats-garden.nz

Photo of two of Kat's Nip catnip toy felting kits

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Feb 26

I'm nervously working on sending a 'save the date' email for my book launch. If you're one of my pocket friends (or would like to be) could you please drop your email into my DMs? Any emails from my account will be BCCs. Pls also share with any other lovely folk who might be interested.

An image of a book cover. I'm sitting outside with my scruffy dog Penny on my lap. The text says 'Ngākaurua. My experience of cancer, identity and racism in Aotearoa. I stand on the shoulders of my tūpuna to speak out, to look back towards their strength as I step forward in my search for equity and justice.'

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Feb 26

Lunchtime break - Parker and I watching a clip from The Dog House 🥰 He loves watching TV!

A busy work desk with a screen showing a tiny dog being walked through a park. Jack Russell terrier Parker is standing on a chair beside the desk, carefully watching the screen!

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Feb 4

CEOWorld don't give data details & have a $$ focus. They measure infrastructure; skill & number of clinical staff; medication accessibility & affordability; Govt ability to respond to crises, regulate & invest in prevention; & access to clean water etc. We're 21 of 110 countries they ranked.

Portugal is listed above us, and Italy, Hong Kong and Denmark are below. Our percentages are Health Care Index: 50.15, Medical Infrastructure: 73.53, Medicine Availability and Cost: 62.22, and Govt Readiness Score: 74.19

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Feb 4

Quote: "These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 5 years." For NZ that is 361 people who visited the site from Akl, Wtn & Chch. No other places were recorded. Rankings on the WHO webpage use this info, but also use CEOWorld

Component of health care surveyed plus satisfaction%
Skill and competency of medical staff: 72.43
Speed in completing examinations and reports: 61.20
Equipment for modern diagnosis and treatment: 72.07
Accuracy and completeness in filling out reports: 68.42
Friendliness and courtesy of the staff: 79.32
Satisfaction with responsiveness (waitings) in medical institutions: 46.42
Satisfaction with cost to you: 68.41
Convenience of location for you: 76.49
Contributors: 361

Last update: 12 December 2025

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Jan 23

My little work buddy, fully splooted and waiting for me to be done with this annoying computer. Those back legs are very ready to propel him towards the next poor sod who walks past our fence. How dare they! One more hour, then I'm off for the long weekend 🎉

Small Jack Russell terrier, white with brown splotches, is lying with his back legs extended and head on his front paws. He's lying next to the base of my standing desk. Posture is ... resigned, waiting, but ready to go!

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Jan 21

In case the link doesn't work for you, I've attempted a screenshot

A picture of a post by The Cuba Press showing my book cover - me sitting with scruffy shizhu cross Penny on my lap. The book is called Ngākaurua.

The intro reads: We’re excited to announce our first book of 2026! In stores in April.

Jacquie Kidd, Ngāpuhi, has spent a lifetime standing with whānau Māori, who battle a health system designed for others and are twice as likely to die from cancer as Pākehā. Now sixty-two and facing her own terminal cancer diagnosis, Jacquie has written her story to better understand herself and her whakapapa, and to share what she’s discovered working with people who are dying after they’ve been diagnosed too late – most importantly, that a health and social system designed around whānau Māori allows everyone to flourish.

After struggling with her early education and dropping out of nursing school, Jacquie drew on the rage she felt at inequities in Aotearoa to make a second attempt at a nursing career and further study, eventually becoming a professor of Māori health in her fifties. In the end stage of her illness, Jacquie’s focus is on leaving behind a world where her students and mokopuna can thrive. A hope for something better for Aotearoa shines through the story she delivers with the honesty, humour, courage and drive for social justice that are the pou of her phenomenal life.

I'm humbled to have an endorsement from Tania Roxborogh that reads: "Fierce, funny and candid". Plus one from Hinemoa Elder that reads: "A testament to the lessons of living so close to dying".

The blurb at the bottom is a quote from the book: "I stand on the shoulders of my tūpuna to speak out, to look back towards their strength as I step forward in my search for equity and justice"

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Jan 12

How can anyone look at this land and think it's a good option for a subdivision? I know I only did 5th form geography, but doesn't that look like a perfect example of flood lands on the Napier coast?

A beach with waves coming up, with a long flat valley behind it. Hills flank the valley, and can also be seen in the distance. Just like a perfect channel for water that either comes down from the hills or comes in with the tide. Some twat has staked out building sites in the valley

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Dec 8

I'm proofreading the final version of Ngākaurua before it goes off to the printer. I wanted to share this for everyone who has supported me and assured me that it's a story worth telling 😘. Very special mention to @taniaroxborogh.bsky.social @eloquentsonia.bsky.social @queenoliviaiii.com 🥰🥰🥰

Photo of a part of my acknowledgements. It reads: To my ‘pocket friends’ over on Bluesky and on the previous
not-to-be-named platform, your assurances that you’d read a
book if I wrote one kept me going in my many moments of selfdoubt.
Your irreverence, rants and genuinely informed takes
on the state of Aotearoa keep me coming back to social media.
I’m especially grateful to the authors who hang out there, for
tolerating my anxiety and questions – Tania and Sonia for their
enthusiasm and edits on my first draft, and Queen Olivia III
for their fearless joy during their own publication journey. You
were all inspirational. I hope you like it!

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Nov 13

The words I start my day with 😂

A white and brown smooth coated Jack Russel pup, stitting in front of an internal door. He's looking at the camera with interest, possibly plotting mischief

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Nov 9

I take her collar off so the only noise is if she shakes or yelps in her sleep, which doesn't happen very often.

Two photos of a fluffy orange blanket in the corner of a bedroom. There is a soft dog lead attached to the wall and has a slip collar at the other end

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Oct 5

As I head into another shitstorm of a week, posting this to remind myself that yesterday morning was perfection 👌🥰

A bed covered in a light blue waffle blanket with a white sheet. There is a bump where my knee is. A kindle rests on my knee. On the right, snuggled into my knee and draped over my blanket-covered lower leg, is a sleeping white and brown jack russell terrier with a red knitted coat on and a red collar. Further down the bed is a shaggy shitzu-type dog wearing a light brown and cream coat, staring out the window.

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Sep 19

This showed itself to me when I was looking for something else in my files today - created by a wonderful poet whose words helped me to breathe. www.danushalameris.com/poems 💖

Small Kindnesses
Danusha Laméris
I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”

DrJacs@tiwaiwaka· Sep 18

Clearing my bookcase. Does anyone want these? I'm happy to bundle in any combination or singly. Free, but would appreciate a bit of postage. Some are a bit puppy-nibbled on the upper spine, but all in very readable condition.