Welcome to our ninth issue of Medicine and Meaning, marking our fifth year in action. This month, we’re delighted to showcase the beautiful work of healthcare heroes from UAMS and beyond, including friends from Stanford University and the Netherlands. Our team has sifted through submissions to bring you the absolute best, and we hope you enjoy it..
In the nonfiction section, we have stories that will tug at your heartstrings. The section includes the story of a man whose wife gives birth to their first baby. In another story, a young mother discovers the long-term sequelae of head injury in her young child. In another story, a mother remembers the joy of playing with her son even while being “twisted up” in migraines and the likes. In “Flood,” a medical student recounts his experiences being “flooded” with new experiences, images, ideas, and procedures. In yet another story an immigrant physician from England to the U.S. recounts her experience with her father-in-law, himself an immigrant from India to England, in his dying days.
In the fiction section, we have the story of a young man with aches, pains, and incredible loss, experienced during a massive hike through the French Alps. We also present the story of a man and his dog bonded to each other forever, for better and worse. We also feature the story of an emergency room physician who appears to be okay but ends his shift by committing suicide. This story comes with a rejoinder to care for one another and with information about suicide prevention. The section includes a story about a woman who ends her alcohol addiction “in her own way” in a surprising manner.
In the poetry section we feature reflections on holding hands, running, blessings, hospice, waiting rooms, gold, quadriceps tears, a haiku for weight loss, and others.
Read the column on the history of medicine, where we spotlight Dr. Samuel Kountz’s groundbreaking work in kidney transplantation. Dr. Kountz was a graduate of UAMS and made amazing discoveries which transformed the lives of millions of people.
Short on time? No worries! Our 55-word stories pack a punch, offering snapshots of life’s highs and lows including sounds heard at the beach, a son witnessing his father age, and a three-in-one portrait of the stages of loss for a young woman with a disabling and fatal neurological disease.
Our conversation this month is with Dr. Joel Dickinson, who’s making waves with his missionary work in Ghana and his work in obstetrics and gynecology at UAMS.
Our two new images editors Bryan Clifton and Stephanie Trotter have put together a beautiful images section. Don’t miss it! Check out stunning shots of nature scenes, bees and honey harvesting on the UAMS campus, two days of snow in Little Rock, and a hilarious “going bananas” photograph.
We’re always on the lookout for new stories, so don’t be shy! Share your experiences with us, and who knows? You might just see your work in future issues of Medicine and Meaning.
Happy reading!
Paulette Mehta, M.D., MPH