"How Little it Took" by Adina Greene
“My grandchildren call me Saba” my patient explains to me as I numb his leg with lidocaine.
“It’s just a pinch” I say. Attempting to distract the sharpness of the needle with a tapping finger. To remove the pain before the biopsy begins.
Two weeks later- you return. A healed scar on your leg, ready to be torn again with a sharp curette and burned with electrodessication.
Since you have left, so much feels like it has changed.
My Saba, gone. Your skin cancer, ready to depart.
Cut and burned away- how little it took to break.
Now, we heal.
Background of the piece:
Adina Greene is a fourth year medical student and wrote this piece inspired by a patient she met on one of her dermatology sub-internships. Adina connected with this patient over their shared culture and family. The poem is inspired by both Adina's interaction with this patient at their initial and follow-up visit and reflection during this rotation on her personal life.
Author Biosketch:
Adina Greene is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (UACOMP) pursuing dermatology. Adina completed her undergraduate studies in Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. During her undergraduate studies, she had a special interest in Greek and Roman literature which partially inspired her decision to pursue a Certificate of Distinction in Health Humanities with a focus on narrative medicine and poetry at UACOMP. Adina has published two poems previously and has been awarded the most meaningful poem award.
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