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https://theconversation.com/i-can-see-the-characters-how-reading-aloud-to-patients-can-break-through-cancer-fog-211274>
Escapist fiction is just that: fiction that opens a door, shows the sunlight
outside
– Neil Gaiman
"If you were going through cancer treatment, wouldn’t you want to escape your
reality for a while? Reading a story can offer an alternate world, a chance to
catch your breath from the cycle of appointments and treatment, offering
imagined companions. Solace is an intangible bedfellow, but a good story weaves
a certain kind of magic.
However, a problem arises in the form of “cancer fog”, a frequent but unwelcome
side-effect of cancer and its forms of treatment. Cancer fog, also known as
cancer-related cognitive impairment, can affect problem-solving, concentration,
memory, motivation, navigation, keeping track of conversations, visual
processing and hence, reading.
Reading to oneself can become frustrating for those receiving cancer treatment,
so it’s often abandoned. This means the therapeutic benefits of reading are
denied at a time when they could be especially useful.
I previously worked in small public libraries in central Victoria and knew my
community well – so well in fact, that I noticed a pattern of regular readers
struggling with their reading, then abandoning it, in response to cancer
treatment.
This pattern and how to address it has not been studied before, so I began to
develop and evaluate a read-aloud program for people with cancer as part of my
PhD. During the trial of this program, people affected by cancer were read to,
using material chosen especially for them, by an experienced reader. Mostly,
short stories were read, although some narrative non-fiction and poetry was
included, alongside humorous tales and vignettes."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
