We interrupt this discussion of ASCO abstracts to bring you an article from the always excellent Mary Elizabeth Williams, cancer patient and Salon writer, called "Listen up, doctors: Here’s how to talk to your patients."
I've linked to Williams before -- I think she is probably the best writer out there is terms of describing what it feels like to be a cancer patient. (And did I mention that I emailed her to tell her how much I liked her work, and she emailed me back? Imagine -- being a groupie at my age.)
This article offers some advice to doctors for how they should talk to patients. All of us -- cancer patients or not -- have dealt with doctors with nasty bedside manners; it gets worse when the situation involves cancer, or some other dire (or seemingly dire) situation. Williams' practical advice for doctors would help all of them, whatever their specialty, and whatever their patients' situation.
It's blunt, too: the first piece of advice is "Get your hand off the goddamn doorknob already." As in: we know you're in a hurry. We can see how crowded the waiting room is. But if you're already focused on the next patient, you aren't paying attention to us. Plus, it makes us feel less than valued, as if our problems don't matter. So have a seat and hear what I have to say.
There's other good advice, too. And the comments from readers are also worth reading.
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