dr. ronald e. mcnair acknowledgements - University of St. Thomas

Oluwademilade Adediran
Psychology Mattering
Section one
Themes
Doctor did not consider the patient’s
whole life
Section one
Doctors did not understand music was a
big part of the patient’s life:
Doctors did not understand their patients
Section one
Lack of intimacy and sensitivity by staff:
IMPORTANT MATTERING QUOTES FROM PARTICIPANTS
The following quotes below are behaviors exhibited by healthcare
professionals patients felt were cold or aloof. The main finding in this section
was patients felt the doctors could have done more to make them feel more
comfortable and like they cared for their wellbeing outside of removing the
cancer. i.e. seeing how cancer treatment would affect their music playing
Quotes from patients
“Well, when we talked about the Taxol the doctor was so non-understanding, so
uncompassionate about it. “The doctor said if you want to live you got to do this,
without any understanding of what it was for me to live, you know, what it took for
me as a human, as a person, as an individual. If I couldn’t have my music, or if I
couldn’t have… and for some other people who are passionate about something if
they don’t have that in their lives anymore, how are they going to adjust and how
are they going to survive. Because piano to me, or my music to me is really my
coping mechanism for everything else that I do. And to be left without it I don’t
think that there’s enough understanding about that.”
“They [doctors] don’t know, they don’t know what’s necessary, they don’t know how
those parts work. Aa, aa. I remember long ago going to an ear, nose, and throat
specialist, um, who did not understand musicians and he was one of those who was
more interested in getting off to his weekend trip so told me there was nothing
wrong with my voice when I couldn’t sing above an F, you know, in my upper range.
He said my speaking voice was just fine so he thought.”
“The first thing that happened? They gave me a book at the library. What they do
when someone is newly diagnosed is they give you a bag with a bunch of stuff in it
like a satin pillow case, when your hair falls out, and you know, the people that
replaced your eyelashes and stuff like that. They give you a book which actually
scared the (*****) out of me.”
“I got to tell you it’s like a parallel universe were I was treated. They kind of function
like the New York City Board of Ed in that they have so many nonmedical personnel
around there, the way the Board of Ed. It continues to astound me how many noneducation
people they have there. Taking up space, taking up payroll, taking up
money. The hospital I went to was that way also. You know, you’d go outside and
you’d see all the uniforms out there standing around on a cigarette break and I’m
thinking this is a (*****) cancer hospital. I bet I mean I had to deal with so many
nonmedical people when you went for radiation, there were like six people standing
around, you know. And here I’m lying down with my breast hanging down being
ready to get shot up and they were like wearing uniforms. They looked almost like
airline attendants. And I thought why do they need all of these people around here.
You know, I mean maybe I should be grateful that these surroundings were pretty,
you know, like with flowers and nice painting and nice carpeting, but all I could
think of was, god dam, this is why they charge so much. You know, thank God I
had insurance because I know people who didn’t.”
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