Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: narrative

  • Letting go of logic

    Nimisha BajajColumbus, Ohio, United States “He’s here for aspiration pneumonia. He doesn’t want a G-tube even though we tried to explain to him that if he continues to eat and drink by mouth, this will keep happening and he will eventually die from it. Can you come down and see him?” The palliative care fellow,…

  • Ebola on this side

    Elisabeth Preston-HsuAtlanta, Georgia, United States In September 2014, my husband Chris boarded a plane from Atlanta, Georgia for the Democratic Republic of Congo, his first trip to Africa for work. We had just moved back to Atlanta two months before when he started a new career with the Centers for Disease Control. He would spend…

  • That reminds me of a story: The language of narrative in medicine

    Ann RedpathNew York City, United States Story is ubiquitous. It’s no wonder that it shows up in medicine.How does narrative feed medical language? “I have over 500 patients,” the heart surgeon raised her voice in exasperation. “I just want you to hear my side of the story,” the patient countered. Too late. The doctor had…