I read with great interest Dr Miriam Divinsky’s editorial on narrative medicine. I also was saddened to hear of Dr Divinsky’s death, a profound loss for the family medicine community.
Although I was not familiar with narrative medicine, I am intrigued by itspromise andintend tolearn moreabout it.
My own experiences over the last 2 years have led me to believe that the medical professions, including family physicians, are badly in need of a boost in their abilities to offer compassion and empathy to patients and colleagues alike. During this time, I have had to cope with the illness and death of my wife from cancer (she died at about the same age as Dr Divinsky).
I have many stories to tell of this ordeal. Our experiences with the oncologists involved with my wife’s care were not pleasant, as her needs—especially her emotional needs—were never fully addressed. She was made to feel as if she were being “written off” (my wife’s words) without being offered some limited form of hope, even in the face of advanced disease.
Thankfully, during the late stages of her illness, she was cared for by a palliative care physician who treated her with professionalism and compassion. (Yes, this combination is possible!)
After her death, I received great support from close colleagues from my various involvements, including from the palliative care group (of which I was part before my wife became ill), from the nursing home where I provide care, and from my family health network. I also received wonderful support from others, including specialist colleagues, nurses, and many of my patients.
I remain troubled, however, by the lack of support from many other physician colleagues, some of whom I have known for 20 years or more, some even since medical school. Many did not attend the funeral or the shiva (the Jewish wake), nor did I receive cards or calls from these individuals. I have tried to understand this lack of support, and remain more puzzled than hurt by it. Did the years of medical school and practice destroy the empathy in these colleagues, as Dr Divinsky suggested? I do not know the answer with certainty, but I must conclude that this could well be the case. If so, I welcome initiatives like narrative medicine that aim to rekindle the passion and caring that is a necessary part of our profession.
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