CHEST Guidelines-The-Watcher

The-Watcher_chest

Pdf Summary

The document contains two poems published in the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians in 2012. <br /><br />The first poem, "Pectoriloquy" by Sarah Hartley, MBBChir, uses metaphorical imagery to describe the experience of monitoring a patient with severe daytime sleepiness via polysomnograms. The repeated clicking sound of her computer mouse symbolizes her role as an observer, akin to a fisherman or hunter, catching a "monster" responsible for her patient's disrupted sleep. Hartley, an English-trained sleep physician based in France, uses writing to maintain her connection to the English language.<br /><br />The second poem, "Croup" by Rabbi Rachel Evelyne Barenblat, explores a parent's emotional response to their child's struggle with illness, particularly croup, which causes labored breathing and distress. The poem intertwines themes of parental love, helplessness, and the wish for healing. Barenblat, a Rabbi with an MFA, wrote this piece as part of a series of "mother poems" during her first year of parenthood, reflecting on the early experiences of bonding and care.<br /><br />Both poems reveal intimate perspectives on health, illness, and caregiving through personal and metaphorically rich language, providing a poignant lens on the human aspects of medical experiences. Reproduction of this content is prohibited without permission from the American College of Chest Physicians.

Keywords

poems

American College of Chest Physicians

Pectoriloquy

Sarah Hartley

polysomnograms

sleep medicine

Croup

Rachel Evelyne Barenblat

parenthood

healthcare