Welcome to To the Moon and Back. I’m Lisa Wright, and with me is Portia Turbo — iconic Sydney drag queen, trivia queen, perfume oracle, and a bestie of almost 15 years. We met at one of her infamous trivia nights and have spent years wandering art galleries, laughing ourselves silly, and navigating life’s unexpected twists together.
In this first episode, we talk honestly about friendship, joy, and my recent diagnosis of ALS — and what it means to face something big with humour, love, and the people who hold you up.
Send us Fan Mail This week, Portia and I sit down with Steve Fearnley to talk about EFT, or tapping. Now, if you're picturing someone gently thumping themselves on the forehead while chanting "I'm calm, I'm calm, I'm calm"—you're not alone. I went into this conversation with plenty of questions myself. But as Steve explains the science, the nervous system response, and why so many people find it helpful, what initially sounds a bit quirky starts to make a lot more sense. As often happens on t...
31 May 2026
ALS: To The Moon and Back — Episode 18
Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode is a big one. We’re joined by Heather Plude for a deep dive into mould, mycotoxins, chronic illness, stress, nervous system responses and the absolutely wild rabbit holes people end up travelling when they’re trying to work out why they’re sick. Heather shares the extraordinary story of her son becoming critically ill as a child, the discovery of toxic mould in their home, and how that experience completely changed the direction of her life. We talk ...
18 May 2026
ALS - To The Moon and Back — Episode 17
Send us Fan Mail This episode starts with one of those brutally honest check-ins that probably sums up life with ALS better than anything polished ever could: “Yeah, so when I said I was good… I lied.” Lisa talks openly about the strange balancing act of feeling hopeful and encouraged by genuine improvements — better coordination, less spasticity, stronger core function and positive signs from physios — while also navigating the absolute exhaustion that comes from simply trying to keep ...
13 May 2026
ALS - To The Moon and Back — Episode 16
Send us Fan Mail This episode starts with us talking rubbish about bin chickens, bad politicians, Barbie dolls, drag queens and whether double-dipping chips should actually be illegal in Australia. Completely normal behaviour. Then, somewhere between laughing ourselves stupid and discussing “important Australian words” that apparently need to be voice banked forever, things get a bit deeper. We talk honestly about something that’s started happening for me recently — ALS beginning to aff...
4 May 2026
ALS - To The Moon and Back — Episode 15
Send us Fan Mail This one kicks off like most of our chats do — a bit of banter, a few sideways comments about the state of the world, and then… we take a proper turn. I share some recent test results that honestly stopped me in my tracks, looking at mould exposure, toxins, and what might be going on behind the scenes with my health. It’s one of those moments where you start joining dots you didn’t even know were there, and go, “hang on… this could actually matter.” We get into the real...
19 Apr 2026
ALS - To The Moon and Back — Episode 14
Send us Fan Mail This one starts exactly where you’d expect us to begin… microphones, crockery, and a bit of light chaos before we even get to ALS 😄 From there, we head straight into my trip to Uluru — which, honestly, turned into something far more meaningful than I expected. There’s airport moments (including a very honest rant about accessible toilets), unexpected kindness from strangers that absolutely undoes me, and a Qantas flight attendant who may or may not now be part of our extended...
7 Apr 2026
ALS - To The Moon And Back Episode 13
Send us Fan Mail ALS to the Moon and Back — Episode 13This episode kicks off the way all great conversations do… With smugness over a 10-minute morning routine and a deep philosophical question: 👉 Can you feel better after just 10 minutes? Answer: no. But you can feel superior. And honestly, that counts. Then we get into it… Somehow (as always), we cover: Teeth, mercury fillings, and why Lisa now has a gap — with a surprisingly good backstory The wild world of dentist...
31 Mar 2026
ALS - To The Moon And Back Episode 12
Send us Fan Mail New Episode: ALS to the Moon and Back – Episode 12 Ohhh my… this one’s a bit of a ride. Portia and I kick things off completely off track (as usual), wander through grief, a bit of politics, a few strong opinions, some questionable humour… and then eventually remember we’re meant to be talking about ALS 😅 We get properly stuck into what I’m calling the “why we can’t” attitude — especially in healthcare. You know the one… where the answer’s no before anyone’s even had a crack ...
23 Mar 2026
ALS - To The Moon And Back Episode 11
Send us Fan Mail This week Lisa and Portia joined by Katrina Small, and honestly, this episode has everything. Katrina shares her wild health journey — from trekking the Kokoda Track and picking up a gut parasite, to years later getting long COVID and feeling like someone had literally switched her brain off. Not “a bit foggy”. Not “a little tired”. More like: successful professional woman suddenly wondering where half her cognitive filing cabinet has gone. We talk about: ✨ the gut–brain c...
11 Mar 2026
ALS to the Moon and Back — Episode 10
Send us Fan Mail In Episode 10, Lisa shares a hard but important breakthrough with her infusion treatment, after another draining run-in with hospital bureaucracy. There’s also a big win: a new walker that is already making everyday life easier, plus a chat about advocacy, clinical trial confusion, swimming, old Sydney memories, leeches, and the strange art of keeping your sense of humour when life gets very real. Support the show Thank you for listening to ALS - To the Moon and Back. I...
4 Mar 2026
ALS to the Moon and Back — Episode 9
Send us Fan Mail Episode 9 starts with pirate patches and a nostalgic detour into Photios Brothers — Sydney’s legendary costume and fabric wonderland — before Lisa shares some genuinely good news: several key blood markers are finally moving back into normal range. From there it’s the usual Lisa and Portia mix of laughter, frustration with the medical system, and celebrating the small wins that keep you going. Support the show Thank you for listening to ALS - To the Moon and Back. If th...
23 Feb 2026
ALS to the Moon and Back — Episode 8
Send us Fan Mail An eye sty, a half-built microphone, and Lisa recording from an actual zero-G “hospital bed” setup… and then we get into the big one: dead-end moments with ALS. Lisa shares what hit hardest after a visit from MND NSW, why the system can make you feel boxed in, and how perspective can mess with your head (especially when you’re convinced you’re declining and your physio’s like, “Mate… you’re doing great.”) They cover the tools that help: swimming, meditation, singing, sorting ...
16 Feb 2026
ALS to the Moon and Back — Episode 7
Send us Fan Mail ALS to the Moon and Back — Episode 7 This one is a classic wandering chat. We start with biblical rain, leaking dams, and a surprisingly detailed conversation about vetiver (yes… the grass 😅), before moving into what’s really been on my mind lately. We touch on the equipment block — that frustrating space where funding might exist on paper, but actually accessing the right consumables and support is a whole different story. It’s one of the realities of living with ALS that do...
27 Jan 2026
ALS - To The Moon And Back Episode 6
Send us Fan Mail New episode of ALS to the Moon and Back 🎧 This one starts exactly how most of our chats do — with absolutely no plan — and then somehow lands in some pretty honest territory. Portia and I talk about easing back into movement, why water feels so good right now, the weird emotional hangover that can come with New Year, and what happens when you stop brushing things off and actually let yourself feel them. There’s laughter, swearing, a bit of reflection, and the discovery that s...
14 Jan 2026
ALS - To The Moon And Back Episode 5
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of ALS to the Moon and Back, Lisa and Portia ease into the post-Christmas slowdown with warmth, humour, and the kind of conversation that only happens between people who truly care for each other. The discussion then turns to the “provider wall” Lisa encountered while trying to access Edaravone treatment close to home. Lisa shares what happened, why she was blocked, and how navigating treatment can become unexpectedly complex — especially outside major cities....
28 Dec 2025
ALS - To The Moon and Back - Episode 4
Send us Fan Mail ALS to the Moon and Back — Podcast Intro Recording’s in progress… and before we get into anything remotely sensible, Portia Turbo is over here singing “We wish you a Merry Christmas” and casually wishing everyone a “happy new gonorrhea”, which feels… on brand. I’m Lisa Wright — I live out at Mount Murray Farm in the Southern Highlands, I’ve got dogs that refuse to let anyone have a serious conversation uninterrupted, and I’ve recently found myself living in a world I never pl...
20 Dec 2025
ALS - To The Moon and Back - Episode 3 Timelines
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of ALS to the Moon and Back, Portia and I finally get to the thing we were always going to get to… timelines. You know the ones. The point scores. The predictions. The question people ask — sometimes quietly, sometimes not — “How long have you got?” I talk about the timelines I’ve been given since being diagnosed with ALS, why I don’t see them as a fixed truth, and how I actually live alongside that information without letting it run the show. We talk about ...
7 Dec 2025
ALS - To The Moon and Back - Episode 2 Access Denied
Send us Fan Mail Access Denied In this episode of ALS to the Moon and Back, Portia and I get stuck into something pretty raw and, honestly, a bit outrageous — what actually happened when I was prescribed Edaravone and then couldn’t get it, even though it was on the PBS and everyone was telling me how “great” it was going to be. We talk about the quiet side of ALS/MND that doesn’t get spoken about much: the people who haven’t even told their families yet, the pressure to stay small and “not ma...
29 Nov 2025
ALS - To The Moon and Back - Episode 1
Send us Fan Mail To the Moon and Back is a new podcast hosted by Lisa Wright and iconic Sydney drag queen Portia Turbo — two longtime friends exploring life, love, art, perfume, dogs, grief, humour, and the unexpected twists that shape us. In Episode One, Lisa shares her recent diagnosis of ALS and the two talk openly (and often hilariously - we thinks so anyway) about how life changes when everything changes — and how friendship becomes the anchor that gets you through. Raw, real, thoughtful...
Contact ALS -To the moon and back
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of ALS -To the moon and back?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
