Year: 2017
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: A visit to most bookstores reveals at least a dozen cancer autobiographies, primarily those involving an ongoing or successful ''fight'' against one's illness.The few epilepsy autobiographies that exist have appeared in the past 10 years and show significant differences from earlier anonymous epilepsy narratives (Schneider & Conrad, 1983).In an analysis of published and unpublished epilepsy narratives, I noted a common scripted medical trajectory similar to that of cancer patients.That is, these individuals were assessed to identify the source of the illness (e.g., tumor, lesion, etc.) that is causing their symptoms (e.g., seizures) and that can be surgically removed.The identity of the illness as a whole is often taken on by this illness source (that is, for many their tumor is their epilepsy), and with its successful removal comes the conceptualization of a successful removal of the illness itself.This conceptualization shifts epilepsy from what is seen as a chronic illness to one that can be permanently ''conquered,'' despite the fact that many individuals continue to experience some symptoms after surgical treatment.This restitution narrative parallels many cancer narratives, where individuals are treated and considered cancer-free despite the possibility of side effects and recurrence.As such, both epilepsy and cancer can be seen as transient illnesses that can become visible unpredictably as well as go through periods of remission during which they are invisible.
Authors: Morey, Sarah, Steven, Alison, Pearson, Pauline
Institution: Aalborg University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,650
OpenAlex ID: W2883601245