The phoenix: A 20-year patient-doctor journey

In a previous story (“On Blindness and Blind Spots”)¹ I sought to understand the psychological causes of a long-time patient’s myriad of seemingly inexplicable symptoms. Since then, I learned more of her story, which helped me understand my patient with a new perspective. Dana shared with me, and now with the readers, short poetic pieces she has written to describe her traumatic experiences as a child—and the efforts she makes as a grown woman to heal, like the phoenix rises from its ashes. The value of belief in one’s patient, alongside patience and the opportunity to build a trusting relationship over many years—as the truth has a pace of its own—are underscored.