Dignified Dying – The Story of My Father

Posted on by Richard Stone

Richard Stone tells the story of his father’s hemorrhagic stroke and his family’s difficult decision of continuing treatment or turning to palliative care. The video illustrates how our culture does not always equip us with understanding how to handle the process of death. With his story, Stone acknowledged the patient voice principle of dignity, and how this is so important when it comes to dealing with this life process.

Stone is a nationally recognized speaker on the power of storytelling and its applications in healthcare. He got his start more than 20 years ago with the creation of the StoryWork Institute, where he developed story-based training programs for team building, leadership development, and diversity training for healthcare institutions. He has worked with organizations such as Novant Health, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and MedStar Health, as well as training hospice volunteers and staff around the country through his program, “Journey Into the Healing Power of Storytelling.”

Stone has authored many books, including “The Healing Art of Storytelling,” “Stories: The Family Legacy,” and “The Kingdom of Nowt.” He is also the co-author of “The Patient Survival Handbook.” Prior to joining Synensis, he was the StoryAnalytics Master for the IDEAS Innovation team, where he [...] continue the story

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Kay’s Story

Posted on by I Decide

It’s been almost a year since my friend Kay and I had our car accident. We were only two years out of college and had just finished work. Both of our families lived far away so we were “it” for each other. We carpooled often, and that day was her turn to drive. It could have just as easily been me behind the wheel. The light turned green, and we started to cross the intersection. A driver was texting on his phone, ran the red light, and smashed into our car. I have no memory of what happened after that.

People tell me that Kay and I were pinned in the car, and that it took a while for the paramedics to get us to the ER. Kay was in critical condition with a severe head injury, her heart stopped several times, and they had to perform CPR on her.  We both hadgone into a coma.

Although I eventually woke up, Kay suffered severe brain damage. For days, doctors did everything they could to keep her alive – breathing machines, stomach tubes, and all the other “extraordinary measures.”  When her family finally arrived and found her advance medical directives days later, they [...] continue the story

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How Patrick Swayze died: Why we should care

Posted on by Barron H. Lerner

By Barron H. Lerner, MD

When I finished my book on famous patients, the most common question I received was “Are the stories of sick celebrities really relevant to other patients?” My answer was that yes, with some caveats, these experiences are well-worth knowing.

The same can be said for the story of Patrick Swayze’s terminal pancreatic cancer, which has now been told by his widow, actress Lisa Niemi Swayze, in a new book, “Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss and Moving Forward.” Patrick Swayze, a dancer and actor best known for his roles in the films “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” was diagnosed in January 2008 and died of the disease in September 2009 at the age of 57. He was originally told he would live only a few months.

First, the caveats. Like most celebrities, Swayze had the means, as his wife says, to “think outside the box.” He enrolled in a clinical trial at Stanford University, traveling regularly to Palo Alto from Los Angeles for experimental chemotherapy. Swayze also was a VIP patient, getting first-class attention from top doctors and hospital staffs. Most patients experience greater hurdles.

Nor should pancreatic cancer patients who read “Worth Fighting For” assume that they, like Swayze, can [...] continue the story

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