Denise Drysdale 'I'M NOT DONE LIVING...or laughing!'
New Idea|December 25, 2023
THE AUSSIE ICON HAS PLENTY OF REASONS TO CELEBRATE 75 YEARS YOUNG
Emma Vidgen
Denise Drysdale 'I'M NOT DONE LIVING...or laughing!'

Denise Drysdale has never been one for making a fuss on her birthday. But after living pain-free for the past 12-months, she had every reason to celebrate when she turned 75 on December 5.

"It's been a terrific year," Denise says. "I've worked non-stop with some of my best mates Normie [Rowe], Craig [Bennett], Jess [Rowe] on Studio 10 and lots of my own stuff." More than anything, it's Denise's health that's been a blessing.

"I finally feel on top of how I felt," she tells New Idea exclusively. "I don't think I realised how sick I was until I got better."

Regaining her mobility has been a joy for Denise, after spending much of 2021 and 2022 in excruciating pain following a trigeminal neuralgia (TN) diagnosis.

Inviting us into her Gold Coast home for a catch-up and celebratory photo shoot, Denise, one of our popular columnists, explains, "It was one of those things that cripple you. It changed how I walked, even simple things like how I got things out of a drawer.

"It felt like electric shocks. The pain was caused by the artery touching the nerve. Some mornings I'd just sit and inch my way out of bed because I knew as soon as I stood up it was going to start."

The TN diagnosis was the last in a slew of health problems, including a fractured shoulder that left Denise feeling rundown and exhausted.

"There was a period there where I thought, 'Geez, what else can He have in store for me? I mean, I say 'He' ... God might be a woman ... but if She is, She hasn't got a sense of humour," Denise says with a laugh.

Girls' day out

Esta historia es de la edición December 25, 2023 de New Idea.

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Esta historia es de la edición December 25, 2023 de New Idea.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.