Type of Submission: Health Story

Historias de la vida real de personas que tienen diabetes durante el embarazo

A woman who was diagnosed with gestational diabetes learns to take this diagnosis seriously because of possible effects on the baby. This story emphasizes the importance of prenatal doctor's visits and may be best suited for a community group. Medical Spanish courses might talk about health education for Spanish speaking communities.

Covered-19

Artist describes the work displayed on this page this way: "COVERED-19 | CONVITE-19 COVERED19 is a live painting series influenced by the experiences of quarantine. Participants are invited to send a full body photograph that represents their thoughts and feelings about the COVID19 pandemic. The photograph is used to inspire the artist, Ibraim Nascimento, to create an original painting through a live video with the participant. By creating a virtual space for discussion, COVERED 19 allows the individual to tell their story. This series explores the concept of the 'new normal' and the abnormal, changes in day-to-day behavior like wearing masks, and self-reflection about the future. What will be the 'new normal'? Can we go back to our way of life post COVID-19?" Paintings could be used to discuss visual narratives, who tells stories of illness for others and how, and how people make meaning of visual representations versus oral/written storytelling. This could be done in Spanish classes from lower intermediate up, or English classes in many disciplines: health studies, media, writing courses.

Narratives of prevention and redemption in opioid overdose obituaries

This journal article could be used as an example of social scientific study of naturally-occurring health narratives: those found in obituaries, an uncommon source to look for stories of opioid overdose. Raises topics of how overdose and other stigmatized health conditions are (and are not) discussed; might be combined with a literary account of addiction to show humanities vs social science understandings of a phenomenon. Abstract: Obituaries of people who died from an opioid overdose represent a new territory for understanding cultural narratives of the US opioid epidemic. Drawing on textual analysis of 30 opioid overdose obituaries published on Legacy.com between 2015 and 2020, we describe a prototypical narrative conveyed through opioid overdose obituaries, which renders symbolic meaning through the voices of the bereaved. Obituary authors reimagine their subjects as tragic heroes and reconstitute opioid addiction as a curse, plight or affliction that befalls its victims. Many of these obituaries invoke the language of public health, calling for reform, action or general awareness so other families might avoid the havoc and heartbreak of opioid addiction. We argue that obituaries contribute to broader cultural narratives of opioid addiction by reproducing tragic storylines, vindicating and humanising the deceased, framing opioid addiction as a societal, rather than individual, problem, and medicalising addiction as a brain disease beyond a persons control. Obituary texts thus intertwine a personal story with a broader societal health crisis, transforming stories of the deceased into cautionary tales and public health warnings.Data are available upon request.

“She Didn’t Think Fat Women Deserved to Have Children”: Memorable Messages From Healthcare Providers in the Context of Fat Pregnancy

Infertility is physically, emotionally, psychologically, financially, and socially challenging. For people in larger bodies, infertility challenges are intensified as providers often blame them for their inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term. Authors used a strategy common in communication research for 30+ years to elicit "memorable messages," all of which have to have a story behind them. Primary themes in these messages were (a) body size is a primary reason for infertility, (b) weight loss will lead to a successful pregnancy, and (c) denial of care. The method might be used or modified as a way to elicit health narratives. Particularly useful for a research methods course or to document fat-shaming from participants' perspective.

Viaje Alrededor De Mi Cabeza. Una Historia De Mi Calvicie

Alejandro Badillo talks about his baldness and how being bald is not only a medical condition but also a cultural condition. When he was 17 years old, Alejandro's hair began to disappear. The technical term for his condition is androgenic alopecia. Among the descriptions of how to be bald, Alejandro includes a lot of historical, philosophical, and cultural information on baldness. His personal story has deep connections to the experiences of other bald people.

Y Si Ya No Puedo, ¿Qué Hago?: Un Relato De Infertilidad

This story (10 minute read) describes the reality of being infertile when a woman yearns to have children. Patricia Cruz Pineda is a rare case (currently one in a million) who cannot have children naturally or using IVF. She and her husband divorced because his frustrated desire to be a father led to him start drinking heavily. She will never have children, and focuses on advice for women in her situation: focus on family, friends, and the community, and avoid events like children's parties and baby showers for a while. Most useful for a community group focused on women's health issues. Written in Peninsular dialect and very directive, which might draw mixed reactions from Latinx/Latin American readers.

Historia de una cicatriz

Melania Mosteiro is a Spanish life coach who bases her perspective and approach in her experience of having been born with a minor deformity that makes her face appear slightly crooked. She was very ashamed of this deformity and when she was 17 years old, she underwent an operation to correct it. The operation didn't change much, but as she waited for the next operation, her point of view changed. She realized that her scars are a part of her, and she was finally satisfied with her appearance. 8 minute read; upper intermediate Spanish readers. Useful to discuss body image.

Bipolarations

David Martinez tells of his experience with bipolar disorder through childhood flashbacks that detail his family's desire to deny that anything was "wrong," their wariness of therapy, his placement in a classroom for "troubled" youth, his dropping out and his drug use. He describes the relief it was to receive, at age 32, a diagnosis and prescription medication for his condition and his subsequent work to integrate "the boy" he was and the college professor he is now. His story provides insight into how he experiences the "highs" and "lows" of his bipolar condition. He includes self-portraiture to tell his story. A recurring theme is uncertainty about what is "real"--his euphoric and dysphoric experiences, his diagnosis--and the distinction between internal experience and how one appears to others. The essay could prompt discussion about the role of family in encouraging or discouraging treatment for mental health issues, the reasons why people may not take medications, the ways people mask or express mental health experiences. This essay appeared in Please See Me, an online literary journal that features health-related stories by members of vulnerable populations, and those who care for them.

Please See Me

Online literary journal that features health-related stories in the form of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art, as well as the occasional film and interview. Issues include multiple works around a specific theme (e.g., Pain, Hope, Mental Health, Women's Health). Work features voices of patients, providers and "healthcare consumers" from their own experiences and perspectives. Written submissions are 4000 word maximum. Examples of featured works include: A mixed media art piece on pain, grief, and hopelessness from an artist dealing with loss and addiction (lil peep in Issue #2: Pain), a poem about medical debt ("Johns Hopkins Sues Patients, Many Low-Income, for Medical Debt" in Issue #9: Open Call), and a mother’s experience raising a son with intellectual disabilities and grappling with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis (Forgetting Aiden in Issue #1: Conversation).