TY - JOUR AU - Dobkin, Patricia Lynn PY - 2019 DA - 2019/08/07 TI - Walk with Me JO - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine SP - 050 VL - 04 IS - 03 AB - The author writes a genuine story using a narrative medicine writing style [1]. She relates how she applied mindfulness awareness and meditation practices to accompany her best friend, Abigail* , who struggled through stages 3 and 4 breast cancer, including its noxious treatments and upsetting side effects. Clinical practice can be enhanced with narrative competence in that it helps the author recognize, interpret and be touched by patients’ stories, including all aspects of illness experiences. [2] The author, a clinical psychologist, has treated patients living with chronic diseases as well as clinicians who care for them for 27 years. Herein, she integrates what she teaches – both to patients and clinicians – into her story, including a postscript pertaining to coping with profound grief. Her intention is to share “both sides” of being with suffering – the other person’s and her own. Rather than act as a healer, in this narrative she is simply a person trekking through grievous passageways with Abigail, from life to death. * Abigail is a pseudonym. SN - 2573-4393 UR - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.1903050 DO - 10.21926/obm.icm.1903050 ID - Dobkin2019 ER -