Healing Through Stories

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 © Vicki Rackner MD, 2005

You have permission to publish this article in its entirety electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web site, free of charge as long as no changes to the content are made and you include my byline, copyright, and resource box. Please notify me of publication by sending an email with a copy of your publication to: DrRackner@medicalbridges.com Thanks!

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.

---

How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic

Most dictionaries define pandemic as "an epidemic that is geographically widespread; occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world."Recently, Klaus Stohr, the coordinator of the global... Read More

What Exactly is Alternative Therapy and How Does It Boost Your Health and Well-being?

My first yoga retreatI never wanted it to stop. It was a wonderful feeling of joy, love compassion and connection to everyone who was there with me.... Read More

Fixing it with Hypnosis

There are many fears and misunderstandings about the use of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, and the myths and mystery that surround it are totally undeserved. This page will... Read More

Nerve Pain: Try Using Visualizations And You May Get Some Relief

"Neuropathic" means nerve damage and refers to nerve pain. So far there's very little that science can do about it. But it's possible that your subconscious may... Read More

Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy is a massage session that takes place in a warm, comfortable and quiet area as you lie on a specially-designed table. Sometimes, soft music is... Read More

ADD May Carry the Gifts of Intuition

ADD/ADHD is a neurological disorder. According to the National Institute of Health, between 3% and 5% of the population in this country are affected by ADD/ADHD. The... Read More

How Brewer?s Yeast and MSM Clear Constipation

Brewer's yeast can help to ease, reduce, or clear your constipation. If you can handle the taste, add it to your juices morning and night.Brewer's Yeast contains... Read More

Herbal and Home Remedies that Prevent Memory Loss

Even a single family member who is senile or afflicted with Alzheimer's is enough to make anyone dread the possibility. Since women have always lived longer than... Read More

Alzheimers Disease: Notes from a Medical Intuitive?s Casebook

In my medical intuitive practice, I have often been consulted by family and friends of those whose parents or loved ones have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.... Read More

Why Most People Dont Really Want to Heal (Part 2)

The story so far...At a metaphysical lecture facilitated by Guy Williams, Guy made the comment that most people don't really want to heal. What most people want,... Read More

Bodily Attributes!

The revolution is indeed underway. Money married to desire, imagination and necessity has produced a technological revolution which will see incredible changes and potential. This is not... Read More

Fruits, Juices, and Food for Relieving Hemorrhoids Part II

Eating the right kind of food and following good eating habits will speed up your healing of your hemorrhoids. If you have a diet that is hard... Read More

What Type of Arthritis Do You Have?

Arthritis dates back to prehistoric times and is seen all through the ages in the joints of the skeleton remains.Most of you will have problems with your... Read More

Natural Remedies for Eliminating Warts Quickly & Safely!

Warts are a type of infection caused by virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). There are about 60 types of HPV viruses that cause various sexually transmitted diseases.... Read More

Liver Spring Cleansing

The liver is the second largest organ in the body and the skin is the first. Every year, you can make sure your liver is healthy by... Read More

A Grounded Look at the Nature of Healing

In "Evidence for the Sixth Sense", Hazel Courteney interviews an American scientist, Gary Schwartz, regarding the nature of energy and its relationship with the physical world. He... Read More

With A Little Help From Our Friends

The quality of one's life to a large extent is determined by the quality of our relationships with others. When we feel we have no choice but... Read More

Injured Athletes and Acupuncture

I have always been amazed at the clinical results that I have seen with injured athletes and acupuncture. For a while, my wife and I worked closely... Read More

Fight Cancer With Broccoli Sprouts

Mom was right to insist on us eating our vegetables. She knew they built health and gave us the minerals we need. Now scientists have found that... Read More

What is Hypnosis?

Before anyone experiences hypnosis and starts using it to make wonderful, beneficial changes in their life, this article is designed to perhaps to answer a few questions... Read More

Cure for Shingles

Shingles is a patch of painful blisters that appear on one side of the body. These blisters are filled with fluid. These blisters are caused by the... Read More

Aromatherapy Oils

Aromatherapy is a method of using the aromatic oils which have been distilled from plant sources to engender a feeling of well being both physically and psychologically.... Read More

Why Your Search for Pain Relief Needs a Strategy

If you're like most of us who have known chronic pain, you've tried one thing after another to ease your suffering. Here are three reasons why working... Read More

How to Clean-up Your Allergies with 2 Easy Home Tips

It's that time of year again when people who have allergies complain about nasal congestion, coughing, and wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, hives and other... Read More

Hypnotherapy ? Does It Really Work?

Okay, so some of you are familiar with hypnotherapy. You've heard it can be used for curing a number of ailments including stress, alcoholism and the like.... Read More

Emu Oil: Wonder Cure or Snake Oil?

In my search for at-home spa treatments and home herbal remedies, which I really enjoy playing around with, I came across a product called Emu Oil.The next... Read More