For my creative piece, I chose to write a poem about a patient I met during my GP placement. The patient had various conditions including curvature of the spine from childhood. At the age of ten he spent six months receiving spinal treatment in hospital. Throughout his life he often worked in jobs requiring a high level of physical activity; his first job when he was sixteen was delivering for a garden centre and then later he worked for twenty years as a drayman. He viewed his work as a way of keeping active and strong and feels that it has helped his condition. 

The thing that struck me most about this experience was the patient’s positivity, resilience and attitude towards his life. A few times throughout the call he told us ‘I have no regrets’ and that he was very happy with his life. For me this was unexpected as I did not envision that someone who we may view as having a difficult life, would have a more positive outlook on life than a lot of other people.

I wrote a poem as I felt it was the best way I could demonstrate – how others may see him versus how he wants people to see him and also, how he sees himself.
When talking about how others may see him, I have personified his spinal condition and started most lines with ‘I’. This puts all the focus on the scoliosis and doesn’t give us a chance to hear his story. Beneath this is a poem from his point of view. I didn’t want to mention his condition in this part of the poem as he doesn’t let it define him so I focused on some of the positive things he talked about with us. Structurally, I have put the first half in a lighter colour and the second in bold, as well as having the title over the second half. This was done to make the second section stand out and be what the reader focuses on. I also used rhyme through the second half to make it lighter and more engaging in an attempt to make sure this is the part that is remembered and that people will view the patient how he views himself.

Through this clinical encounter and the making of this piece, I have learnt that many people, do not let health conditions define them. The patient enjoyed many of the things I do and just had to adapt to make sure he could still do them. He started using a mobility scooter as he struggled with walking, especially up hills, and said it was ‘a God-send’ despite initially being worried about the stigma surrounding it. He had always enjoyed being active, particularly cycling, and now uses an electric bike which means he can get out and enjoy himself.

I actually found the second half of the poem easiest to write as this was what he wanted us to see and through his positivity, it made it easier for me to see his condition in a positive light. Overall, I have enjoyed the process of this creative piece and this is a consultation that I will remember.