Healing Through Stories

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Healing Through Stories

by Vicki Rackner MD

Stories are powerful. How many times have you heard a child

beg, *Tell me a story.* Scientists say we are wired to learn

through stories. In fact, the first three polysyllabic words

your child spoke are most likely Mommy, Daddy and story.

Story-telling is an important activity when seeing your

doctor. Your doctor’s question -- *How do you feel?* -- is

your doctor’s way of saying, *Tell me your story.* Your

doctor can diagnose your medical condition most of the time

just by listening to your story.

Sometimes doctors have difficulty interpreting your story.

That’s because you and your doctor have different

perspectives. Imagine how different Little Red Riding Hood

would sound if told by the grandmother or the wolf.

For example, you may have episodes of abdominal pain and

bloating. You never know if it will be a good day, or if you

will stay home from work with cramping. In your experience,

you have two pains: the abdominal symptoms and the

limitation on your activities.

Your doctor’s goal, which you share, is to arrive at a

diagnosis and eliminate the source of your pain.. If you

have gallstones or an ulcer, you can be cured; so both you

and your doctor will be gratified to see an end to the

unpleasant symptoms. In that case the story you tell and the

story your doctor tells are much the same: *I had an ulcer

and my doctor cured it with medication.*

However, doctors don’t always have a *cure*. You may undergo

an exhaustive series of tests to learn that you do not have

a serious medical condition. Your doctor tells you that you

have *irritable bowel syndrome*, a poorly understood

condition that is not curable, but rather managed.

When your doctor cannot cure you, it can feel as if your

doctor is telling you that your pain is not real. It’s like

a parent saying to a child, *You can’t be hungry. You just

ate an hour ago.* You might even think your doctor has lost

interest in working with you because you cannot be *fixed.*

This is when your story becomes even more important. Even if

your doctor can’t cure you, your doctor can listen to you

and offer recommendations that will enhance the your quality

of life. This will assure you that your doctor cares and

will be there to minimize your suffering. Knowing that

you’re not going through this alone offers comfort.

You can use your story as a way of establishing the caring

relationship that you want with your doctor. Here’s how:

Know your story.

You may know the doctor’s version of your story. *I have the

following medical conditions that has been treated by...*

While this is an important version, I encourage you to tell

your own version of your story. What is your experience of

living with this medical condition? What challenges have you

faced and what have you learned as a result of going through

it? You may have never done this before. You can either

record it in a journal or tell it to a friend.

Ask for the time you need with your doctor.

Telling your story takes time. So ask for it. When you call

to make the appointment ask, *How do I schedule a half-hour

appointment?* Offer to pay for time your insurance company

will not cover.

Understand that you and your doctor tell different stories.

After a brief time of telling your story to the doctor, your

doctor may interrupt and guide the story to a diagnosis. If

it's important to tell the story your way, say, *I would

like just three more minutes to tell my story my way, then

you can ask your doctor questions.*

Tell your doctor how you’re feeling.

Your doctor may understand how the gastro-intestinal system

works, but you are the expert on what you feel. Your

feelings convey information that is as important as any lab

test or x-ray. If your doctor doesn’t understand how

important something is to you, speak up! If you tell your

doctor about the nausea with your new medication and your

doctor brushes it off and moves on to the next topic, say,

*For me, nausea isn’t just a little annoyance. It’s a big

deal. Are there other medications that will work?*

Recognize the healing power of having someone listen to your

story.

Have you ever had the experience of simply listening to

someone and hearing the other person say, *Thanks I feel so

much better having told you my story. Thanks for listening.*

Some say healing means accepting the past as it is, not

needing to change it.

Pain and illness are part of the human condition. You make

choices that determine if pain will lead to suffering. When

you’re sick, your goal is to restore the quality of your

life. You - not your doctor - know what that means for you.

After all, you’re the one living your story.

Your personal health story, as distinctive as your face, may

be the most important story you ever tell. Dr. Vicki's

Personal Health Journal is a place to store and organize

your medical records and your account of your story.

http://www.medicalbridges.com/products.html

Copyright © 2005 Vicki Rackner MD

Vicki Rackner, MD, president of Medical Bridges, is a board-

certified surgeon who left the operating room to help

employees become active participants in their health care.

She is a consultant, speaker and author of the *Personal

Health Journal*, author/editor of *Chicken Soup for the

Healthy Heart Soul* and author of the lead story for

*Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Soul.* Dr. Rackner can

be reached at http://www.MedicalBridges.com or (425) 451-3777.

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