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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, 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 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 grandmother or 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: abdominal symptoms and limitation on your activities.
Your doctor’s goal, which you share, is to arrive at a diagnosis and eliminate 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 unpleasant symptoms. In that case story you tell and story your doctor tells are much 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 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.
