![]() ![]() The residents also empathize with the isolation experienced by seriously ill patients, which can lead to more compassionate care. When internal medicine residents and I discuss the memoir, we notice the intricacies, surprises, and challenges of respecting patient autonomy. By paying attention to his vulnerability, they helped restore his autonomy. They did this first by diagnosing and treating him, and second by finding ways to help Bauby express himself. Because it was virtually impossible to tell what Bauby was feeling or thinking, caregivers had to find a way into his diving bell. ![]() ![]() As Bauby’s memoir richly describes, autonomy is not simply a matter of having a will of one’s own it depends on our ability to communicate with others and on others’ willingness to listen and connect with us. His motionless body belies his desire to interact with others. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby tells the dramatic true story of a man living with locked-in-syndrome (LIS). First and foremost, patients with serious and disabling illnesses experience dependence because their ability to express themselves is compromised in some way. Respecting the autonomy of patients is complex and subtle. ![]()
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