It is common that in healthcare, people's stories of illness are often overlooked in order to focus on the presenting complaint. In doing so, clinicians provide purely biomedical care rather than holistic care. By focusing on a patient's story, the clinician can simultaneously gather the information needed to present a conclusive diagnosis while addressing contextual issues that may influence the patient's recovery. To illustrate the benefits of engaging with a patient's story, a 60-year-old man of color – who will be called "Henry" to preserve his anonymity – kindly agreed to tell his story: he was diagnosed, lived with and ultimately defeat cancer. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay As he is a close family friend and his illness was not hidden, it was easy to arrange an interview face-to-face where he felt comfortable and openly described his experience. The essay will provide a brief definition of "narrative medicine" and why its application is necessary in health care practice, identify and analyze key themes appearing in the narrative with reference to various journal articles, and conclude by responding to the essay’s initial question “what is narrative medicine?” What is the value of engaging with a patient’s story and making sense of the healthcare delivery process? each individual patient as a person with their own individual story, rather than a set of symptoms” (PCC Institute for Health Professionals, 2017). Divinsky (2007) argues that the application of narrative medicine holds great promise as it aims to reduce the emotional exhaustion felt by healthcare professionals and nurture the empathy that often diminishes as one practical. This allows the clinician to refine their treatment suggestions and provide more comprehensive care. By hearing the patient's illness story, the illness is contextualized and the clinician gains a better understanding of the circumstances experienced by the patient. In January 2016, Henry began experiencing constant stomach pain. After seeing a GP, he was referred to Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) to have a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, as two years previously Henry had been suffering from throat cancer and the doctor was concerned that it is not a relapse. standard medications had no effect on relieving his pain. After the tests were done and the doctor got the results, Henry was told firsthand that he had stage four stomach cancer and that it had spread throughout his body, particularly to the liver. He was shocked by this diagnosis and was afraid to die, because he had more friends who suffered from cancer and did not survive than those who did. Henry then began aggressive chemotherapy in the hopes that it would reduce or ideally kill the cancer cells. However, he did not respond well and became very ill, losing around 36 kilograms (initially weighing 75 kilograms) and the cancer showed no signs of abating. He continued this treatment for 18 months (and remained bedridden throughout) until June 2017, when he was told it was very unlikely he would live beyond February 2018. However , he could perhaps “have 3 more months if he took treatment”. 17 additional sessions of aggressive chemotherapy.” Henry refused to spend his final months seemingly confined in ahospital, enduring treatment that did more harm than good for the slight possibility of living a few more months. He was released from GSH and returned home and decided to put his life in God's hands, choosing to use less conventional cancer treatments. Soon after, Henry miraculously began to gain weight, his appetite returned, and he had more energy. This trend continued and in March 2018 he visited the oncology department at GSH to see his former oncologist. Everyone was amazed at his recovery and when another scan was done, the cancer had completely regressed. By knowing the history of an illness, one can identify key themes in the patient's life and how they affect the experience of being chronically ill. Throughout Henry's journey to living with (and ultimately overcoming) stage four stomach cancer, five key themes presented themselves: fear, despair, family, spirituality and optimism. Being both a father and grandfather, the fear of leaving his family was always present, even to the point where he was afraid to go to sleep at night because he might not wake up. This is something he chose to keep to himself because he didn't want to burden his family. According to the American Cancer Association (2018), showing courage is a common occurrence among cancer patients because they want to protect their loved ones. see the pain they may feel. If clinicians are aware of these fears in their patients, they can provide the appropriate resources to help alleviate this feeling, thereby providing more holistic care. Although he hid this fear from his family, Henry relied heavily on them for motivation during this difficult time. Family was also extremely important during this time, as they not only provided him with irreplaceable support, but also motivated him to get up every day. They were a constant source of motivation to do whatever was necessary to get healthy. Having his family involved in managing his condition helped him stay positive and not feel completely isolated and provided him with a sense of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal situation. Thus, promoting family support in patients living with chronic illnesses contributes to creating a feeling of comfort while helping to preserve a sense of autonomy in the patient (Whitehead, et al., 2017), thus motivating the patient to adopt and adhere to positive health habits. With this in mind, it seems obvious that healthcare professionals need to incorporate the patient's family into their thought process when addressing treatment options – considering how the patient, together with their family, will be affected emotionally, psychologically and/or financially by certain treatments which the clinician may deem necessary. The more serious and/or chronic the disease, the more significant an effect it will have on the patient. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Also Get a Custom Essay The chronicity and severity of his illness led him to reflect on his mortality and resulted in a confrontation of his faith – he described arguing with God and discussing the illness until he concluded that it was time to put all his trust in the Lord. Being aware of one's mortality is often associated with a feeling of spirituality, particularly with regard to chronic illnesses (Mabena & Moodley, 2012). Fully surrendering to his faith led him to experience a sense of optimism that inspired him to try alternative medications once his poor prognosis was pronounced. This,.