Ohio State University Medical Center Nursing Essay

Write a book review for “Cutting for Stone by Abraham Varghese” using the book review resources and outline in the “PowerPoints, Readings and Videos” folder for this week’s module.

• At a minimum you will want to provide a summary and a critical evaluation of the book. Use the resources provided in this module to select the areas/or questions you want to address and then develop your outline prior to writing the review.
  • The summary should not be the major part of the review but does need to establish the background for the book and identify the author’s thesis (purpose) for writing the book.
  • The critical evaluation should include your thoughts, reactions and responses to the book. This should include your evaluation of how well the author met or did not meet the thesis of the book and your evaluation of selected elements of the book. You do not have to write about every event or character in the book. However, you will want to make a connection in your book review to the Global Health themes that we’ve discussed throughout the course
• Minimum number of words for this assignment is 1,500 single spaced. Less than 1500 will have point deductions, more is acceptable
• Use APA style for both in text citation and in the reference section
• Cite all sources of information or data used in your review that are not your own
• If you quote from the book under review, simply follow the quotation with the page number(s) in parentheses.
  • • For example: The author argues that “American women seem to have preferred careers over parenting” (p. 345).
    • Quotes that go over three lines in length should be single-spaced in a “block quote” format with the page citation at the end of the block quote.
    • If you have to cite other sources for quotations or facts, use APA citation style.
    • Reviews should be written in a formal manner. As with other written assignments, be sure to avoid using colloquialisms (“a lot” or “etc.”), contractions (“cannot” instead of “can’t”) and avoid using the first person (I, you, we, us).
• Include references at the end of your report – especially the main book being reviewed.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/lett…

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/magazine/should-a-man-have-told-his-mother-in-law-that-she-was-dying.html?_r=1

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/being-mortal/

QUESTION 2

Response Post

Read one of your peer’s arguments for or against the “Claim” and provide a brief critique of their argument. Is their argument for against the claim clear and understandable? Why or why not? Do they show a clear understanding of the metaphors they selected and do the metaphors they selected provide appropriate support to their argument? Why or why not? The minimum number of words for the response is 200.

Amber Bates

Metaphors and other figures of speech are critical and important in explaining or describing an illness or disease.

COLLAPSE

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Are metaphors and other figures of speech critical and important in explaining or describing an illness or disease? I think in most situations they are. Metaphors are used to help describe a situation in a more people friendly way (Napolitano,2019). A metaphor can also help a patient relate to the disease or condition in a way that is relatable to most people. Medical conditions and disease process can be quite extensive. The information is not easy for anyone to just pick up and understand. In the book, Illness as a Metaphor getting cancer is described as a scandal to one’s life, and that the patient is “invaded” by alien cells (Sontag, 1978). Cancer is at the very core an abnormal growth of cells that invade healthy cells. Describing cancer as an invasion of the body from alien cells can help a patient relate to what is occurring. Some examples of how metaphors can help people understand a complex medical subject are found in the book Cutting For Stone.

In the Chapter “The Missing Finger” the author uses this metaphor, “The orange dye transformed the digits into an oversized lollipop” ( Verghese, 2016 pg 26). The metaphor creates a picture even for the non-medical professional of what it looks like when antiseptic is used. Normally you would only picture this if you had worked in an operating room prior to reading this story. The author gives a metaphor that everyone, including non-medical people, can visualize creating a better understanding of the situation. Another metaphor Found in Chapter nine, “More Blood! For God’s sake pour it in” ( Verghese,2016 pg116) . This metaphor immediately provides an image of blood needing to be poured in, like a pitcher pouring water into a cup. This allows the reader to understand the severity and importance the blood plays in the situation. Importance and understanding are the exact reasons we use metaphors to help educate our patients in healthcare.

In my own career I use metaphors to help a patient visualize what is occurring in their body. I feel the better a patient understands, relates, and connects to the illness the more compliant they are. For example, when I am dealing with a patient who has or is newly diagnosed with diabetes, I often describe what is happening in their blood stream using a visual of a straw and thick sugar water. Many patients with diabetes do not fully understand that elevated blood sugars can affect any organ in the body that blood touches. I once had a diabetic who had visual troubles related to prolonged uncontrolled diabetes. They did not understand how their vision was harmed because they had high blood sugar. I explained, like thick sugar water can become slow and sluggish in a narrow straw clogging at the smallest meeting point, the same is for your blood vessels and elevated sugar. I would ask them to picture adding more and more sugar to a small amount of water. What happens over time the water is sludge and easily can clog an opening like a straw. It is harder to suck the water because it has become so thick. The same thing occurs in the tiniest blood vessels in diabetes. They eye, kidney, heart, and feet are damaged because they have smaller blood vessels it becomes harder for them to suck the oxygen and nutrients needed from the blood for function. Explaining the disease process in a way that anyone can see and relate to makes it easier to understand.

Diabetics are also more at risk for infections, my metaphor for this is because bugs like sugar. When a patient can visualize that their elevated sugar is actual creating the food for the virus or bacteria, they are more likely to be complaint and better at managing their disease because who wants to have bug food? Educating our patients in a way they understand is providing great care.

I think all healthcare providers know the more educated our patients are the better the outcomes. Now there are always outliers to any plan. Although I feel that metaphors are critical and important for education and better outcomes, some diseases do not allow for this process. An example of this is autism. Many autistic patients take everything very literally, so a practitioner must be acutely aware of how they explain and discuss things to them. Like the metaphor in Illness as a metaphor, “In cancer the patient is “invaded” by alien cells” (Sontag, 1978). The autistic patient might think an alien is coming to invade their body. In this situation it would not be helpful to our patients. As health care professionals we need to be aware of the type of patient we are educating and talking to when we decide to use metaphors.

Health care is never a one sided plan works for everyone. It is knowing your patient and being able to adaptively use different communication skills to serve the one you are caring for. While I do think in most situations’ metaphors are a great tool to help increase a patient understanding of the disease process, I recognize that not always is it the tool required, such as in autism.

References

Napolitano, S. (2019, February 28). Metaphors in healthcare: To better comprehend and to improve awareness. MedicinaNarrativa.eu. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.medicinanarrativa.eu/metaphors-in-heal…

Sontag, S. (n.d.). illness as metaphor. Sontag, S. (1978) illness as metaphor. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., Toronto. – references – scientific research publishing. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkozje))/…

Verghese, A. (2016). Cutting for stone: A novel. Alfred A. Knopf

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