I spent several hours drawing the ear and choosing the words to accompany it. I found the experience very relaxing, and a pleasant change from biomedical revision. I listened to music whilst drawing which added to the therapeutic value of the experience. The poem is an attempt to compensate for the lack of success I experienced during the creative writing exercise.

I struggled with the creative writing exercise because I’m not a writer. I simply could not apply the pencil to the paper, and when I did, I drew. I drew an ear, but it was only when I thought about why I drew the ear did I realise how much of an impact the ‘Cancer Tales’ play had had on me. Not only did it bring back memories of incidents in my own life, but it highlighted new territory, something deeper, something that I’d never really thought about, let alone understood.

What I realised is that the root of the dissatisfaction in ‘Cancer Tales’ boiled down mostly to a simple lack of being listened to. For me, if I could communicate one aspect of Whole Person Care which I felt was most important, it would be listening to the patient’s story, their narrative, their individuality. By listening to the patient, not only do we unravel their story and it’s hidden parts, but we get a sense of where they stand emotionally, what are their fears? What level to engage with that patient. Does the patient feel vulnerable or strong?

Also through listening comes mindfulness, and exploration of the patient’s active systems. This may also help the patient to better understand their own situation, helping them to identify parts of their life that need adjusting, leading to self-healing and restoration of resilience. Yes, these are Whole Person Care concepts that are written in the notes – but I have quoted them to illustrate and emphasise that many of them can follow from listening.

Until viewing ‘Cancer Tales’, I don’t think that I really understood what Whole Person Care was about. But because the play brought back memories and really unearthed emotions in me that had been buried for some time, it suddenly became perfectly clear why simply listening, understanding, acknowledging and accepting the patient’s narrative can make a huge difference to their perception of being cared for.