The New York Times ran an article and blog posting yesterday about the words and emotions of cancer. The most common metaphor for cancer is that patients are fighting a war on cancer. But a war metaphor may not be appropriate for the experience of all patients. The public is used to, and has come to expect, that famous cancer patients, such as Patrick Swayze and Senator Ted Kennedy, express optimism and bravado in the face of their cancer diagnosis. The expectation of stoicism, and even optimism, from cancer patients can make some patients believe they cannot express the pain, fear and sadness that a cancer diagnosis and treatment can bring. The desire to appear optimistic, to protect their friends and family, may keep them from expressing their own anxieties. Ultimately, this expectation of optimism may be a disservice to the patient, that only adds to his burden in a time of already great difficulty.
Ultimately, there is no cookie cutter answer to communication with cancer patients. Cliches are rarely effective in general, and while convenient, they are not helpful when talking with cancer patients. Genuine communication and sharing between two people takes more thought than the nearest cliche. It may be uncomfortable to talk about realities, but it's worth it if that is what the patient wants.
You can find the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/health/01stoical.html?ex=1370145600&en=78723bd41cb12ce7&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
And the blog and comments here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/cancer-emotions-upbeat-stoic-or-just-scared/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment