DeepSummary
In the podcast episode, Maya Feller and Kavita Patel discuss the challenges of navigating a serious illness and its impact on one's identity and relationships with author, journalist, and artist Suleika Jawad. Suleika shares her personal experiences with leukemia, documenting her journey through writing, and finding meaning during life's interruptions.
Suleika reflects on the importance of being an advocate for oneself in the healthcare system, trusting one's instincts, and not shrinking in the face of medical authority. She also discusses the misconceptions and fears surrounding serious illnesses, and the isolation that often comes with them.
The conversation touches on the role of social support, the pressure to maintain a brave face, and the need for open and honest communication during difficult times. Suleika emphasizes the value of embracing vulnerability, accepting the porousness of wellness and illness, and finding grace in the present moment.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Navigating a serious illness requires self-advocacy, trusting one's instincts, and embracing vulnerability in the face of medical authority.
- Open and honest communication about fear and vulnerability is crucial during a serious illness, rather than maintaining a brave face.
- Finding meaning during a life-altering illness involves embracing agency and understanding one's experiences on one's own terms.
- Social support and having advocates during a serious illness is essential, as the isolation can be more painful than the physical effects.
- Wellness is not a binary state, but rather a state of grace and radical acceptance of the present moment, embracing the porousness of wellness and illness.
- Documenting one's journey through writing or other creative outlets can be a powerful way to process and find meaning during life's interruptions.
- Misconceptions and fears surrounding serious illnesses often lead to isolation and avoidance from loved ones, which can exacerbate the emotional toll.
- Prioritizing eulogy virtues, such as kindness and humility, can guide one's days during a serious illness, rather than focusing solely on traditional measures of success.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “If you want to write a good book, write what others might not. If you want to write a great book, write what you might not know about yourself.“ by Suleika Jawad
- “What meaning came to mean to me was finding agency over this thing that had happened to me and understanding it on my own terms, in my own words.“ by Suleika Jawad
- “The ability to say, I'm terrified. And for someone to just listen or even to chime in and say, I'm really scared, too.“ by Suleika Jawad
- “Wellness, to put it succinctly for me, has come to feel synonymous with grace and a kind of radical acceptance with wherever I am that day, with whatever body it is that I'm existing in in the moment.“ by Suleika Jawad
Entities
Company
Product
Person
Book
Tvshow
Episode Information
Well, Now
Slate Podcasts
6/5/24