What is it about?
This piece of prose is a narrative account told from the perspective of a medical oncology scribe. It juxtaposes the story of "Diane," a woman who is diagnosed with and eventually succumbs to cancer, with the life of a mourning dove and her chicks living in the narrator's backyard. The parallel narratives serve as metaphors for each other, exploring themes of struggle, survival, loss, and hope.
Featured Image
Photo by Brad on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The piece handles the subjects of illness, life, death, and grief - inevitable parts of the human experience. Rather than presenting a linear narrative of Diane and her disease, it intertwines her journey with a story from the natural world to give the story a broader context to human experiences.
Perspectives
This was one of the first experiences of patient death I experienced as a new person in healthcare. I think about this patient frequently. One of my goals with this piece was to emphasize the power of narrative medicine/storytelling in navigating complex emotions and experiences. Writing has the possibility to shed light on what is normally in the shadows. It is a way to find solace and strength even in the most challenging of times. I also wanted to nuance the perception of the public toward palliative care - that it is not giving up, but instead an opportunity to find agency in unimaginable situations. My hope is that interweaving the stories of Diane and the mourning doves provides a reminder of the resilience of life, even after death. Even when we are gone, the ripples we have left remain.
Brian Smith
Stanford University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Five visits with Diane., Families Systems & Health, June 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/fsh0000775.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
