Guiding Questions
Consider the following after reading the essay:
- What impact do the labels (e.g., “drug seeker,” “pain faker”) given to the poem’s speaker have on their sense of self and dignity? How does the poem challenge readers to reconsider the language used in clinical environments?
- In what ways does the speaker reclaim her voice throughout the poem?
- What does the speaker’s experience suggest about the intersection of race, gender, and health equity?
Story Behind the Poem
What does it mean for people living with sickle cell disease to be seen, heard, and understood? For this person, it meant finding–and using–her voice, to advocate for herself and for others. During our conversation she shared the huge difference between the way she was treated as a pediatric patient and the way she was treated in healthcare setting seeking care as an adult. Following one such negative experience in which she nearly died because of substandard care, she determined to no longer remain silent. With this poem I aimed to capture her growing sense of empowerment, even in the face of the disrespect and stigma of others.
About the Author
Yvette Perry, PhD, is a lover of music and books, an amateur photographer, and a collector of antique typewriters. She has a background as an administrator in medical school student affairs and admissions and currently is a medical school admissions consultant collaborating with the Association of American Medical Colleges. Yvette serves as a Listener Poet, Health Equity Programs Lead, and Co-founding Team member at The Good Listening Project, a non-profit organization focused on humanizing health care through the healing power of compassionate presence and poetry.
