what patients tell us

I did a clinical placement this fall at a big downtown hospital on a unit specializing in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The staff was great but I was even more blown away by the patients - mostly people with chronic bowel conditions who came from all over the place, from different ages and backgrounds and who shared with me such a broad range of their thoughts and experiences. I was so appreciative for the trust they had in me, and it was a huge privilege to be in the position to receive their stories and assist in some of the most intimate aspects of their care.

In thinking back on this, a quote from my course readings this semester resonated for me especially:

"I want to challenge us to keep the detail of families' lives present in our work; to find creative ways to incorporate context, history, and concerns that drive families forward in chronic illness; and to resist the forces that, in the name of science, strip our work of its life and detail." (from Catherine Chesla - "Nursing science and chronic illness: articulating suffering and possibility in family life," Journal of Family Nursing, 11(4), p. 384)

I chose to take this challenge literally: the words and images below are based on some of what patients said to me, with a few details changed to protect privacy. I'm especially interested in examining through these images and words the relationship between people's identities/beliefs and more traditional/medical notions of (their) health. (Future-note from 2015: I understand now that this all probably has something to do with the concept of "embodiment" that used to drive me crazy in nursing school.)

Together they were presented in poster form as part of a final project for my clinical course, dealing with the themes of family care-giving, coping, and experience as knowledge.

I haven't missed a hunt in 17 years. I'll have to be better by next season.

People tell me I look great because I've lost so much weight. I tell them yeah, it's called the Diverticulitis Diet.

I remember waking up in a pool of blood, and all I could think was: I have to clean up quick before my parents see!

In hospital, at least I sleep. At home the dog would come wake me every time my husband spiked a fever.

Since I was a teenager I've always taken myself to my appointments, even my surgeries. It's just how my family is.

I got this one after my first operation. After this one I'll get a 'No Exit' sign over my butt.

You know how much I pay for this TV? And there's nothing on.

They told me I couldn't go home yet and I was so upset. My blood pressure's been through the roof ever since.

Yeah, my friends visit me a lot. I can hardly keep them away.

I got sick right at the end of my degree, I barely finished my courses. I had to move back in to my Mom's after graduation.

After my surgery, I will be like a baby again.

The first thing I've held down in six weeks! Jello never tasted so good.

My pain is about the same as it was, I think I'm just handling it better.

You hear cancer and -- I just pray that my sons will have a father.

This is how you know it's love.