My Mother's Illness Narrative

My mother has been one of the most inspirational women in my life. Although we have always had a very close relationship my mother is a very strong woman and does not show her weaknesses often, especially to me. Her strength developed throughout a very taxing childhood. She is one of five children whom lost both parents at an early age due to alcoholism and tobacco use. This has led her to want the best for me, even if it meant sheltering me from such weaknesses. She has always kept the persona ‘everything is ok’ despite her struggles in order to raise me in the best possible environment. This interview was not only meaningful to me because I was learning her formation of her illness narrative, but it also allowed us to open up to each other …show more content…
As learned in class; narratives reveal attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and wishes whether that be to healthcare professionals or peers. They can be delivered orally (as seen in my interview), through written text, via social media, or through art. Narratives give meaning to experiences undergone by individuals. Sharing or constructing narratives help individuals cope with illness. As mentioned in class, narratives become the building blocks of public knowledge. This remains a vital component of adhering to the bio-psychosocial model in health care. If healthcare professionals work to understand their patients’ narratives in order to treat them then healthcare will begin to shift away from the biomedical model and focus more on enhancing communication and understanding on all levels. Furthermore, narratives depict the social construction of illness in a given culture. As for my mother’s narrative, a woman’s body image is highly revered in our society which ultimately affected her feelings towards losing her breasts due to the double mastectomy. If we can utilize narratives to reveal the social construction of an issue, then we can formulate ways to overcome barriers such as stigmas to optimize …show more content…
I have always regarded my mother as a very healthy woman. She has always provided our family with a healthy diet (there was never any junk food in the house much to my dismay), she has always stressed the importance of abstaining from alcohol and tobacco use, and she has always instilled in our household the idea of being proactive about your health. Not only did her narrative enhance our relationship and our understanding of each other, it helped me realize that life can suddenly be altered significantly no matter what lifestyle you choose to live, we are not invincible. Additionally, her narrative helped me realize that often times when we see a physical sign of an illness we assume the personal is unhealthy or weakened. My mother’s hair loss was a physical announcement of her cancer. Even though she was facing a threat to her health, she combated that threat with mental and spiritual strength. Thus being said, this experience instilled in me that health is not exclusively