RUNNING HEAD: ROGERIAN LETTER 1

Rogerian Letter: I Want You to Put Me in the Grave with All My Limbs: The Meaning of

Active Health Participation

Elizabeth Keran

April 30, 2017

Louisiana State University

Authors Note:

This letter is written from the perspective of Joanne Hewlett, which practices an active patient

lifestyle. The case study that this letter is written on is I Want You to Put Me in the Grave with

All My Limbs: The Meaning of Active Health Participation. This particular case study

communicates the importance of building a relationship between the physician and the patient in

order to create an effective medical treatment. This letter has been prepared for Ms. Coco for English

2001 at Louisiana State University.

ROGERIAN LETTER 2

910 Ben Hur Dr.

Baton Rouge, LA 70820
Phone: 985-785-5173
Fax: (985)-783-7394
Ekeran1@lsu.edu

April 30, 2017

Jim Hewlett
748 South 24th St.
Kingsville, TX 78363

Dear Family Member:

As you know, I fight a continuous battle with diabetes daily and have been for years now. With
our family having such an extensive medical history, I knew diabetes was just always going to be
apart of me. As soon as I was diagnosed with this disease, I felt helpless and scared like most
people would. It is a communal idea to feel powerless to a disease that can seem so controlling. I
did not know what this disease was going to change for me and my lifestyle, but I knew I had to
remain in control if I wanted to be comfortable with my life.

Uncle Jim, I understand how it is respectful to strictly abide by the doctors advice for your
healthcare. It is apart of your character to never want to step on any ones toes or push your ideas
on others. Sometimes, at the doctors office, the time pressure is apparent and it feels like as a
patient, I am rushed for time with my physician. I know this is a feeling a lot of patients
experience from time to time. It can feel as if we are on a conveyor belt with a production-line-
oriented doctor (Goold and Lipkin 1999). When I feel pressed for time in the doctors office, it
can be hard to stop and ask questions or feel the need to share extra information, and I
understand that others feel this way as well. I would hate to feel as if I am wasting the doctors
time and knowing you, Im assuming you feel the same way. It can be difficult to remain
respectful, yet effective in the doctors office.

My main concern for our family in fighting this disease is being as healthy as possible. We need
to fight the curse together. We cannot allow ourselves to let diabetes take parts of us away like
it did for my grandfather or my dad. We cannot sit back and accept that this disease will cause
amputation, kidney failure, and a short lived life. For your medical treatment, I want to
encourage you to be active in making decisions along side your doctor so that you could ensure
you are in the best health possible. I have never felt in more control of my life and health care as
I do with Dr. Winner, my endocrinologist. My doctor opens the floor to questions and stories that
I have related to diabetes to get to know me and my lifestyle better. He talks to me about lifestyle
issues and other sorts that promotes for me to share personal information with him (Tips on
Building Doctor/ Patient Relations). I explain to him that I am a competitive person and so he
pushes me to try and race others walking to work so that I can get in my exercise without even
noticing. Without Dr. Winner knowing I was competitive, he could not advice me to do this in
ROGERIAN LETTER 3

my everyday life; although, it does make a drastic difference in my medical treatment. Doctors
often take control of the conversation in the doctors office by giving more directives, asking the
questions as opposed to the patients asking the physician questions, and interrupt more often
(Truog 2012). Dr. Winner on the other hand, treats me as if I am a team member in creating my
medical treatment. He allows for me to be a partner in developing my health care, and I hope the
same for you and your doctor.

I suppose that revealing more to my doctor allows for me to make a medical treatment that I am
happy with. I was extremely upfront wit Dr. Winner about this disease and the treatment plan I
wanted. Dr. Winner knew that I was not going to allow diabetes to control my life and that I
wanted the best health possible. I feel as if my doctor knows me personally because I am an
active patient when it comes to treating my diabetes and share details about my life that pertain
to my disease. I trust him fully which allows him to give me the best advice for my health care.
Do you feel it would be more beneficial to be active in your doctors office compared to passive?
Do you think that you trust your doctor enough and have a strong enough relationship for him to
provide you with the best care?

I know that my condition requires plenty of attention and effort to maintain a balanced life, and I
am appreciative to Dr. Winner to be willing to work with me on coming up with a specific plan
for me and not treating me as just another patient on a conveyor belt. I, also, understand how
intimidating it can be addressing a doctor in the health care setting. It can feel unnecessary
telling the doctor your whole life story, but including personal examples and important details in
your daily life can alter the physicians advice drastically and can ultimately result an improved
medical treatment. I am happy I take an active approach to addressing my health care for I feel
more in control of my life than I ever have before, and I hope for you the same.

With love,

Joanne
Joanne Hewlett
Niece of Jim Hewlett
jhewlett@cox.net
ROGERIAN LETTER 4

References
Goold, S. D., & Lipkin, M. (1999, January). The DoctorPatient Relationship: Challenges,
Opportunities, and Strategies. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1496871/

Sharf, B.F., Haidet, P., & Kroll, T. (2009). I Want You to Put Me in the Grave With All My
Limbs: The Meaning of Active Health Participation. In Ray, E. B., Health
Communication in Practice (pp. 39-51). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Inc.

Tips on Building Doctor/ Patient Relations. (n.d). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from
http://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/medical_education_residency/fmig/tips_relat
ionships.pdf

Truog, R. D., MD. (2012). Patients and Doctors The Evolution of a Relationship. Patients
and Doctors The Evolution of a Relationship. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1110848#t=article