A sharp interrogation of why we retreat from other people’s illnesses
People who are very sick can be reduced to their diagnoses by others
Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
Being Ill
Neil Vickers and Derek Bolton (Reaktion Books)
In 1979, when endocrinologist David Rabin was diagnosed with an incurable neurodegenerative condition, he understood only too well the pain ahead. What he didn’t anticipate was the response from his medical colleagues at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee, who were deeply discomforted by his diagnosis to the point they started avoiding him. On one occasion, Rabin fell and a passing colleague pretended not to see him sprawled on the ground as they walked…
