Podcasts about health story collaborative

Dr. Annie Brewster is a both a physician and a patient and in this week's episode, we explore the incredible (and I dare say surprising) healing power of storytelling. We cover Dr. Brewster's personal experiences and the ensuing work that she and her colleagues have done to empower, inspire, and... to heal. Her work is meaningful and will, I hope, help you to consider your own personal journey as well.We also touch on issues related to physician burnout, the lack of integration within our current health care system, and ways that this work might benefit our listeners and their organizations.Dr. Brewster founded the Health Story Collaborative, linked here. On this website, you can also find information about her outstanding book, entitled: "The Healing Power of Storytelling".

Today we're talking to three authors—Jean Duffy, Bev Boisseau Stohl, and Laura Beretsky—and the writing group that provided them with the support and encouragement to keep them going. What makes the Page Six Writing Group so special? While usually only 1-2% of writers get their books published, three of its six members published a book in the same year. The Page Six Writing Group also includes writers Susan Schirl Smith, Marcie Kaplan, and Maggie Lowe.Looking for a writing community? Join our Facebook page. BONUS! Today, you'll find a tip sheet from The Page Six Writing Group on this page about making a group like theirs work.Watch a recording here. The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform.To find the debuts mentioned in this interview and many books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page. Laura Beretsky is a writer who lives in Somerville with her children, husband and two cats. She recently published Seizing Control: Managing Epilepsy and Others' Reactions to It, a memoir about the challenges facing those who live with perceptible health conditions. Her work has appeared in Health Story Collaborative, The National Library of Poetry, and Cognoscenti. More at https://lauraberetsky.com/published-essays/Bev Boisseau Stohl is a non-fiction writer whose blog grew into Chomsky and Me: A Memoir, (from OR Books) published in July of 2023. Her book tells the story of her 24 years as assistant to linguist, activist, Professor Noam Chomsky at MIT, and the unexpected bond that developed through a shared humor and compassion. You can find Bev with her wife walking her two rescue dogs in Watertown, and at www.instagram.com/ChomskyandMeAMemoir.Jean Duffy is a nonfiction writer whose first book, Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World (Rowman & Littlefield), was published in 2023. Jean can be found on the soccer field in Lexington, Massachusetts, where her team, the Lexpressas, have been playing for some twenty years. She lives with her husband in Somerville, Massachusetts. More at https://jeanduffy.comPhoto by Chang Duong on Unsplash This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com

In this podcast, hosts Dr. Grant Cooper and Dr. Zinovy Meyler engage with Professor Jonathan Adler to explore the profound impact of narrative on human psychology, mental health, and identity. Adler sheds light on how memories act more like stories rather than factual records, and how altering these narratives can enhance mental well-being and foster resilience. The discussion further navigates the nuances of personal and societal narratives, illustrating how coherence within these stories may simplify complex realities and how notions of hope and redemption contribute to our understanding and growth post-adversity. By bridging psychological research with real-world examples, this podcast provides insightful perspectives on narrative therapy, the therapeutic effects of storytelling, and the dynamic interplay between personal growth and the stories we tell ourselves.(00:00) Introduction(01:50) Diving Deep with Jonathan Adler on Narrative Psychology(04:38) Exploring the Power of Narrative Identity(07:09) The Cultural and Intergenerational Impact of Narratives(10:04) Challenging Gender Norms through Storytelling(13:53) The Science Behind Narrative Identity and Well-being(16:39) Narrative Changes Preceding Mental Health Improvements(22:57) The Potential of Narratives in Therapy and Beyond(30:52) Exploring the Principles of Constructing Better Stories(41:15) The Role of Agency in Personal Narratives(43:46) Exploring Agency and Response to Life's Challenges(45:07) The Role of Narration in Personal and Mental Health(45:56) Co-Narration and the Influence of Others in Our Stories(48:31) The Power of Cultural and Personal Narratives in Shaping Identity(50:15) Navigating Personal Narratives and Mental Health Strategies(54:07) The Impact of External Narratives and Seeking Alternative Stories(54:37) Revising Personal Narratives for Better Present and Future(55:44) The Complexity of Memory, Truth, and Storytelling(01:03:36) The Evolution and Adaptation of Personal and Cultural Narratives(01:12:48) Concluding Thoughts on Narratives, Hope, and RedemptionProfessor Jonathan M. Adler is a distinguished academic in the field of psychology, serving as a Professor of Psychology at Olin College of Engineering and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. He is deeply involved in the interdisciplinary study of how personal narratives influence psychological well-being and identity development. Adler's research uniquely blends qualitative and quantitative methods to explore themes such as resilience, meaning-making, and the psychological impact of life challenges, including illness and disability.Beyond academia, Adler engages actively in the arts and community service. He is a theater director and playwright, having co-written a play that premiered Off-Broadway. Additionally, he holds the position of Chief Academic Officer at the Health Story Collaborative, where he works to enhance the role of storytelling in healthcare. His scholarly work is well-recognized, leading to his role as editor of the Personality and Social Psychology Review and his contributions are frequently featured in major media and scholarly outlets.Professor Adler's Website: https://www.jonathan-adler.com/Socials:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPNCI1-HBSZmiHNAlAjiIwWebsite: https://www.performanceinitiativepodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performanceinitiativeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@performanceinitiative

Annie Brewster is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, a practicing physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and the founder and executive director of Health Story Collaborative. She is also a person with multiple sclerosis. Listen as they discuss how being a patient shifted Dr. Brewster's perception of medical care, and what inspired her to share her own personal story in her book, "The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma and Loss.” Join the conversation on our MS forums: www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/forums/ Follow us on social media: Instagram - www.instagram.com/msnewstoday/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/multiplesclerosisnewstoday/ Twitter - www.twitter.com/msnewstoday For more news on Multiple Sclerosis visit: www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/

http://suzannekoven.com/ Health Story Collaborative https://thenocturnists.com/ http://suzannekoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Literature-and-Medicine-List-2.pdf   Bio/Show Notes:Shownotes  Letter to a Young Female Physician    Suzanne Koven was born and raised in New York City. She received her B.A. in English literature from Yale and her M.D. from Johns Hopkins. She also holds an M.F.A. in nonfiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars. After her residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital she joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School and has practiced primary care internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for over 30 years. In 2019 she was named inaugural Writer in Residence at Mass General. Her essays, articles, blogs, and reviews have appeared in The Boston Globe, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The New Yorker.com, Psychology Today, The L.A. Review of Books, The Virginia Quarterly, STAT, and other publications. Her monthly column “In Practice” appeared in the Boston Globe and won the Will Solimene Award for Excellence in Medical Writing from the American Medical Writers Association in 2012. Her interview column, “The Big Idea,” appears at The Rumpus. Suzanne conducts workshops, moderates panel discussions, and speaks to a variety of audiences about literature and medicine, narrative and storytelling in medicine, women's health, mental healthcare, and primary care. Suzanne's essay collection, Letter to a Young Female Physician, was published by W.W. Norton & Co. in 2021. Excerpts from podcast interview:   This conversation really starts with your 2017 essay describing the challenges faced by female physicians. Resounding message:  “Dear young colleague, you are not a fraud. Your training will serve you well. Your humanity will serve your patients even better.” Did it surprise you that this book still needed to be written some 30 years after your training experiences involving sexism and imposter syndrome? In the book you reference a NYT op-ed by a female anesthesiologist w/ 4 kids to asserted that “women physicians who work part-time are betraying their patients, their full-time colleagues, and the taxpayers who subsidized their medical education.”  You trained at Johns Hopkins and Harvard, were you an outlier among female colleagues since you chose to practice medicine part-time very early on in your career and do you think that was part of why you were constantly feeling like you needed to prove yourself?    Throughout the book you shared your incessant struggle with body image and dieting – revealing your family nickname “Big Tush” and joking “If I ever knew as much about medicine as I know about dieting, I would win the Noble Prize!”   One of my favorite passages towards the end of the book is your ultimate self-acceptance: “I now see that everything I have ever felt good about- in my marriage, my parenting, my writing, and my doctoring- has been the work of the loud, curvy, curly headed girl, operating on instinct and without self-consciousness. And every wrong turn I've ever taken has been in pursuit of …the woman I thought I was supposed to be. CURVY CURLY always wins. Always.”   Trend in med schools to accept more humanities students and to focus on BOTH competence and compassion in medicine. Reminds me of Dr. Kate Treadway's course for 1st year med students: “Introduction to the Profession”  Students are sent out into the hospital to speak with patients. They can ask anything, but REQUIRED to ask: “What advice would you give me as I begin my career?” #1 answer patients give: “I JUST WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO ME”? Do you think it's becoming easier to integrate humanities and storytelling into our practice and how does that change the way we see patients?  As much as it is a letter to other physicians, your book  is very much a personal memoir. The portrayal of your relationship with your mom was so vivid, all the way to her final stages of life after suffering from a stroke. There was something you wrote which I think can be really helpful to young stressed out professional moms: “ I was reminded of something my mother, not at all inclined to self-pity, said to me near the end of her life when I asked what I could do for her: “Bring me back my husband, my friends, my career, my health- that's what you could do.”   SUCH a Reminder that whatever stress you think you have now, you're going to miss it!    Was that also a wake up call for you to appreciate the busyness of life?    Describing another female physician who was a friend, but had a tendency to compare herself unfavorably to you… “She marveled at how I'd simultaneously served her coffee and cookies, cuddled my daughter in my lap, offerd my son, who lay on the floor in a car seat a bottle, and swatted away our Chesapeake Bay retriever who was determined to lick milk dribbles off the baby's face- all while we gossiped about work. “You should have seen her, She was a Goddess.” P. 120  In the book you write about your son's at one point intractable epilepsy and how terrifying it was despite BOTH your and your husbands training.   “People ask “Is it easier or harder to have a sick child when both parents are doctors?” But this is the wrong question. There is no hard, no easy. Only fear and love, panic and relief shaking and not shaking.”  Can you share one of your unforgettable PAGING DOCTOR MOM MOMENTS with us, a time that's etched in your mind when trying to balance medicine and motherhood collided?

Today I chat with Annie Brewster, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a practicing internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. She's also a patient, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001 at age 32.In response to the problems she experienced in healthcare, both as a patient and a provider, Dr. Brewster founded Health Story Collaborative in 2013. It's a nonprofit organization committed to empowering patients and their loved ones, building community, strengthening patient-provider connections, and transforming healthcare through storytelling. Dr. Brewster recently published The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and Loss, which tells her own story as a physician and MS patient, the science behind narrative medicine, and tips on how to heal and manage health issues through storytelling. For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Annie Brewster is an Assistant Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, a practicing physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, a writer and a storyteller. She is also a patient, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2001. In response to the disconnection she experienced in healthcare, both as a patient and a provider, and motivated by her belief in the power of stories, she started recording patient narratives in 2010. Integrating her personal experiences with the research supporting the health benefits of narrative, she founded Health Story Collaborative (HSC) in 2013. HSC is dedicated to helping individuals navigating health challenges find meaning, and ultimately heal, through storytelling. She is excited by interdisciplinary, cross-institutional collaborations that break through resistance to change. Annie lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband, teenagers and two dogs. She is widely published in the press and is author of The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and Loss (2022). www.healthstorycollaborative.org @HealthStoryCo

Dr. Annie Brewster is an internal medicine doctor, founder of Health Story Collaborative and professor at Harvard. Rachelle Alford is a former ER nurse, dancer and artist. Both live with chronic illnesses. Both strongly believe in the transformational power of sharing one's story. Story-telling heals. And by healing, we mean it empowers, connects and helps us find purpose and meaning through some of the hardest of times. When a doctor delivers a diagnosis, it’s usually the end of the story. But for the patient, a diagnosis is just the starting point. A patient must walk away and begin the long, winding journey of integrating this diagnosis into their life, relationships and identity. In this episode, Annie and Rachelle explore the power of patient narrative from the perspective as patients and as providers. Through sharing their health narratives and encouraging others to do so, they explore how they are turning their messes into messages, the barriers to listening and sharing in our current healthcare system, and how the process of story-telling helps us identify and articulate the new-found strengths and perspectives that are born from our brokenness. Research shows that storytelling is healing for both story sharers and listeners. The trials we endure could be someone else’s survival guide and ultimately remind us all that we are not alone.

Annie Brewster is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and a practicing Internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. She is also a patient, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2001. She has been collecting and sharing patient stories since 2010. In 2013, she founded Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering patients and their loved ones, building community, strengthening patient-provider connections, and ultimately transforming healthcare through storytelling.

Dr. Annie Brewster found herself frustrated as a primary care physician. There simply was not enough time to hear her patients’ stories and feel that she got to know them. Her belief in the meaning of stories and the healing power of narrative, as well as her own experience as a patient after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, have animated her career, as she went on to found an organization, the Health Story Collaborative. The Health Story Collaborative aims to collect, share, and honor stories of illness and healing, with the goal to create a forum for story sharing to make the process of navigating illness less isolating, and to empower individuals and families facing health challenges. Annie joins us today to talk about her career and the healing power of narrative. Dr. Brewster regularly writes for WBUR’s Commonhealth Blog, and you can see her talk about her work here. If you enjoyed the show, please give us 5 stars wherever you listen. Tweet us your thoughts @RoSpodcast and leave us a message on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/reviewofsystems. Or, you can email me at audreyATrospod.org. We’d love to hear from you, and thanks for listening.

Jonathan M. Adler, Ph.D. is Chief Academic Officer and Co-Director of Healing Story Sessions for Health Story Collaborative, an amazing organization that champions the use of story and medicine as a tool for connection, healing, and action. Jonathan Adler has a Ph.D. in clinical and personality psychology from Northwestern, he is a clinical psychologist, member of the editorial team of the Journey of Personality and professor at Olin College. His research focuses on how we make sense of challenging experiences in the way that meaning-making impacts our sense of self and psychological well being. Jonathan Adler uses his personal  narrative as a vehicle for studying meaning-making and identity, with a special interest in the experience of illness and healing.   In this outstanding episode, Jonathan Adler deeply shares his passion and knowledge about narrative and how it is intricately involved in every part of human life, even recognizing our ability to tell stories as the most distinctive human adaptation. Jonathan brings light to the fact that people find meaning and identity when telling stories; and how at the same time in the act of narrating, connections are being made among individuals and with society as a whole.   Key takeaways: [:37] Jonathan Adler’s career briefing [2:05] How did Jonathan Adler enter this particular space? [4:15] Science and stories. [5:21] How do we use stories for healing? [6:54] Narrative is everywhere. [7:42] Narrative is the tool we use to make sense of our lives. [8:00] What has Jonathan Adler learned about himself in this work? [9:36] Master narratives: What a culture believes is supposed to be narrated. [10:18] Why U.S. narrative is so focused on redemption? [13:16] Narrative is the nexus between self and society. [14:10] Finding compatible narratives. [15:17] Every political movement has its own narrative. [17:03] Jonathan Adler’s work with illness. [19:35] Telling your story is an intervention itself. [21:35] Many people go into medicine because of the relational aspect with their patients. [23:31] We need more space for the connections that only stories can provide. [24:04] How can someone start in storytelling? [26:02] Stories of people that acquire major disabilities in adulthood. [28:16] Rapid-fire questions.      Mentioned in this Episode: Relational Rounds at Primary Care Progress Primary Care Progress on Twitter Elizabeth Metraux on Twitter Email Jonathan Adler: jadler@olin.edu Health Story Collaborative

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 9: Sue’s Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). In our last episode, Sue shared her story of living with Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). LAM is a rare, chronic, progressive lung disease in which the lungs fill up with cysts. In today’s episode, she shares her story of infertility. This story began before her diagnosis with LAM but came to be shaped by her disease. Fueled by estrogen, LAM would progress rapidly during pregnancy due to the high levels of the hormone, accelerating her lung destruction. Having been trying to conceive a child with her husband, Sue now had to explore alternative ways to have children. In speaking with Health Story Collaborative, Sue describes her journey to accepting her diagnosis of infertility, and how she and her husband were still able to build a family. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the healing power of stories. To learn more about Sue’s story, and to find resources on LAM and infertility, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 8: Sue’s Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). In 2008, Sue R. Levy was diagnosed with Pulmonary Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) at the age of 37. LAM is a rare, chronic, progressive lung disease in which the lungs fill up with cysts. The result is gradual destruction of the normal lung architecture, compromised breathing, and in many cases, eventual lung transplant. Fueled by estrogen, LAM primarily affects women in their childbearing years. Having been trying to conceive a child with her husband, Sue was forced to redefine herself as someone with a chronic disease and confront her own mortality. In addition, she had to let go of some of her dreams, first and foremost her desire for pregnancy, as the high levels of estrogen associated with carrying a child would accelerate her lung destruction. In speaking with Health Story Collaborative, Sue describes her journey to accepting her diagnosis and new way of life. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the healing power of stories. To learn more about Sue’s story, and to find resources on LAM, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 7: Vinnie’s Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). Vinnie is a self-described “toothless, sixty year old junkie.” Thirty years ago he experienced a head injury which left him blind in one eye and debilitated by chronic migraines. To manage his pain, doctors prescribed him various opioids, including oxycodone and dilaudid, and gradually increased the dosage as time passed and he developed a tolerance. Soon, Vinnie became addicted. His life began to revolve around finding his next dose of narcotics, which damaged his relationships with his family and friends. In 2015, Vinnie began suboxone therapy in an effort to reclaim his life. Months later, he spoke with Health Story Collaborative about his brave climb out of “the foxhole of hell” which was his addiction. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the healing power of stories. To learn more about Vinnie’s story, and to find resources on opioid addiction, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 6: Zachary's Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). Zachary was born one of three identical triplet girls. But very early on in his life he realized that he was not meant to be a girl. He was a boy living inside a girl’s body. His biological sex did not match his gender identity. In this episode, Zachary tells the inspiring story of how he both discovered and embraced who he truly was. He is now a confident, happy, inspiring young man who encourages people to educate themselves about what it means to be transgender. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the healing power of stories. To learn more about Zachary’s story, and to find resources, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 5: Tiron’s Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). In this segment, we hear from Tiron, whose wife, Marie, was featured in our last episode. Marie was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer in 2007 at the age of 45, and lived bravely with the disease for nine years. In December of 2016, the cancer took her life. In this episode, Tiron offers his perspective on the challenges of marriage and parenting amidst chronic, and ultimately fatal, illness. He demonstrates tremendous flexibility in adjusting to his “new normal,” the new responsibilities and new expectations for the future brought about by his wife’s diagnosis. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the healing power of stories. To learn more about Marie’s story, and to find resources on colorectal cancer, please visit http://healthstorycollaborative.businesscatalyst.com/audio_stories/marie-living-with-cancer. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 4: Marie’s Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). Marie Pechet was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer in 2007 at the age of 45. Living with the disease for nine years, she had to come to terms with the fact that she would be on chemotherapy for the rest of her life, and that her disease would ultimately kill her. She did so with grace. Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, over 27,000 men and over 23,000 women will die from colorectal cancer in 2017. In this episode, Marie speaks with HSC about living and parenting with a terminal illness. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the healing power of stories. To learn more about Marie’s story, and to find resources on colorectal cancer, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

(Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog) The pressure to be thin in our culture is enormous, especially for girls. For Lyzz, a 19 year old college student, this pressure has translated into struggles with issues of weight and self-love since childhood. Growing up, she watched her mother struggle with anorexia and endure multiple hospitalizations, feeding tubes, and seemingly endless suffering. Lyzz didn’t want to end up this way, but despite her best intentions she developed Bulimia by the time she was a teenager. She is not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 10 million people in the U.S. have an eating disorder, 90% of which are women. In this episode, Lyzz bravely shares her journey with Bulimia and self-image, and her ongoing discovery of “true beauty”. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a non-profit organization that harnesses the healing power of stories. To learn more about Lyzz’s story, and to find resources on eating disorders and treatment options, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 2: Sara's Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog) Sara and Kerry met as students at Bates College in 2001. They were together for eight years, and planned to get married in August 2010. Just two months before the wedding, Kerry committed suicide. He was 27 years old. Suicide is a major public health problem, as the 11th leading cause of death overall and 4th leading cause of death for adults 18 to 65 in the United States per 2007 data. Everyday, approximately 90 Americans commit suicide. In this episode, we hear from Sara about her experience of Kerry’s suicide, and about trying to move forward in the face of such a tragic loss. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a non-profit organization that harnesses the healing power of stories. To learn more about Sara and Kerry’s story, and to find resources on suicide and suicide prevention, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.

Health Story Collaborative Podcast Episode 1: Colleen’s Story (Originally aired on the WBUR Commonhealth Blog). In this episode, Colleen Lum, a mother of two, shares her experience of living and parenting in the face of terminal cancer. More than a decade ago, Colleen was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer – an insidious disease that is often asymptomatic until it is quite advanced, resulting in five-year survival rates of under 50 percent. Despite beating these odds, Colleen has recently decided to end treatment. This podcast is a product of Health Story Collaborative, a non-profit organization that harnesses the healing power of stories. To learn more about Colleen’s story, and to find resources on ovarian cancer and end of life discussions, please visit www.healthstorycollaborative.org. Music by Jack Broza Lawrence, www.jackbroza.com.