Narrative Medicine

Narrative Medicine Monday: Narrative Gatherings

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The first Medical Humanities Twitter Chat, or #medhumchat, happened January 2nd and was curated by Dr. Colleen Farrell, an internal medicine resident. Although I wasn’t able to fully participate (bath time for my three kids, as often is the case, was not a well-controlled event that offered much down time for a Twitter chat), I was able to go back and read the lively conversation.

Farrell notes in this follow up post the role the humanities play in helping “make sense of the seemingly senseless suffering and heartbreak I witness daily as a doctor.” This seems a common sentiment among medical providers today, as varied opportunities in narrative medicine expand.

Farrell’s blog post lists the Medical Humanities Chat readings and questions, along with a few responses from participants. It’s an interesting format to interact with medical professionals and patients from all over the world.

The next Medical Humanities Chat will be this Wednesday, January 16th at 9pm EST, on the topic of Racism & Medicine. I’m hoping, bath time willing, to be able to participate in this important discussion.

Locally, I recently attended the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative‘s inaugural Seattle event, a medical moth with the theme of “My First Time.” The event sold out in just a few weeks and the stories told were varied, often humorous, and resonant with the crowd of both medical providers and the general public.

The next Seattle NW Narrative Medicine Collaborative event is yet to be announced, but I know is already in the works.

The popularity of these opportunities to share our stories, consider a narrative, process the intimate and at times wrenching role we as medical providers play in health and illness, highlights the thirst for such contemplation and conversation among increasingly burnt out physicians and frustrated patients. I find myself, ten years into my own career in primary care, seeking out such community, eager to help cultivate ways to gather and share.

I hope, wherever you are, you can find or foster similar opportunities to share your story, consider your patients’ narratives, and use the humanities as a tool for further introspection and connection.

Writing Prompt: Consider reading the pieces Dr. Farrell selected for the first #medhumchat and answer the questions posed in written form. Were your answers similar to the ones posted during the live chat? Did you gain a different perspective after reading through the conversation? Did any of your answers or reactions to the readings surprise you? Write for 10 minutes.

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Narrative Medicine

Narrative Medicine Monday: The Art of Translating Science

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Lise Saffran emphasizes the importance of meaning in public health communication in “The Art of Translating Science.” This conversation is imperative amidst a culture where many important topics become highly polarized and politicized. Saffran argues that it is important for scientists to not just speak more plainly, but emphasize understanding of a concept. She notes that this is more challenging today because “when it comes to politicized topics, our ability to understand is often overwhelmed by our inability to hear.”

As a primary care physician, much of what I do in my daily practice is translational work: explaining a diagnosis, a lab test result, the need for a certain medication, the risks and benefits involved in preventive screening. The goal is to ensure the patient understands the meaning of the medicine, not just the facts. As Saffran notes, “a single word may change the meaning of the whole story.” A physician is also interpreting the patient’s story, taking the narrative they provide about their illness and using this information to determine best next steps toward diagnosis and improving their health. A scientist communicating about public health issues needs to convey concepts on a much broader scale. Our ability to translate effectively will dictate our health as individuals and as a society going forward.

Writing Prompt: Think of a time when you didn’t fully understand what a physician was saying to you. Perhaps it involved a specific diagnosis or importance of a new medication prescribed or test ordered. Did you get the facts but miss the meaning? If you’re a medical provider, think about a time that you missed a significant part of a patient’s narrative. Did that lack of understanding affect their diagnosis or treatment plan? Alternatively, consider a time you read an article on a public health topic such as climate change or vaccinations. Did you understand the underlying purpose of the piece? Have you had a conversation with someone who disagrees with your viewpoint on such topics? What might have increased your ability to understand each other? Write for 10 minutes.

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Ramblings

KevinMD

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Excited to share my post on the importance of narrative was published on KevinMD.com this week. KevinMD is a widely read blog that shares “the stories and insight of the many who intersect with our health care system, but are rarely heard from.” Grateful for the work done by KevinMD to give voice to those who work within and are cared for by the health care system, as well as serve as a platform for discussing important current issues. 

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Ramblings

Narrative Matters

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As I struggle with how best to respond to recent events, one thing has become clear to me: narrative matters. People’s stories matter. Words and how they are presented in written and spoken form matter. I am just a mother, just a doctor, just a writer. My daily life consists of changing diapers, getting my kids to school, managing diabetes in my patients, picking up scattered toys, treating depression, doing laundry, writing blog posts, weathering tantrums, listening to the news. It’s mundane. It’s commonplace. It feels insignificant beyond my family, beyond my little corner of the world. But recently I’m seized by the enormity of the need to respond, of the urgency to do something. It feels as if we’re ushering in one of those times: a time that tests our resolve, our character, our unity, our faith. What can one person do?

I remind myself: I am a mother, I am a doctor, I am a writer. I am a citizen of this nation and of this world. My words matter. My stories matter. My voice matters. And so does yours. This is what the world needs: our stories. I am the daughter of an immigrant and a person who welcomed a young Iraqi refugee family into her home. This family, made up of brave, intelligent, hardworking people, left behind what remained of their home, of their family and friends to come here to build a better life for their children. Their story matters. And if you sat with this father, who wants to pursue graduate level studies in the U.S., who cares about what food he eats and laughs easily and plays soccer on a grassy park lawn on a summer day with his son, maybe his story would change your perspective and mitigate your fear.

So we must start here, with our stories. Share your story. Listen to one another. Narrative is needed to break down walls and build bridges of empathy; stories are required to combat fear and xenophobia. Words matter. Truth matters. Listen to words, discern truth, share stories. This is the antidote to being paralyzed by indifference, it is the cure to saturation with propaganda, it is the remedy to “alternative facts.” Narrative is the answer to the call of such a time as this.

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Ramblings

White

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Due to the holiday week, I’m taking a break from Narrative Medicine Monday and sharing a favorite: River Teeth’s Beautiful Things. This narrative nonfiction journal posts a short piece of prose each Monday, highlighting a different “beautiful thing”. Today’s piece by Jennifer Bowen Hicks, entitled “White” captures a moment between her and her son as she walks him to school on a cold winter morning. I encourage you to check out River Teeth’s complete series; these short pieces never fail to inspire.

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