The Sum of Two Lives Unlived: Lessons from the Trenches Case Studies Series

The Sum of Two Lives Unlived

Lessons from the Trenches- A Narrative Case Study Series

Copyright 2017 Teresa Meehan, Ph.D.

Published by Teresa Meehan, Ph.D. at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Prologue

Case Study One- Baby Boy, Code Blue

Case Study Two- Déjà vu?

Conclusion

References

About Dr. Teresa Meehan

Other books by Dr. Teresa Meehan

Connect with Dr. Teresa Meehan

Acknowledgements

To the cast of vulnerable humans, whose moments of crisis form the educational basis for these case studies, I humbly and graciously thank you.

The names of all the characters in the case studies have been changed to protect the privacy of the participants and to acknowledge the personal and sensitive nature of this work.

Introduction

The case stories described in this series, Lessons from the Trenches, are based on real life events. They are told in the first person because they are reflections from my personal experiences.

The purpose of this series is to bring to life some of the vulnerabilities of the human experience and start a discussion about how we can best contribute to a movement of compassionate intervention. My hope is that you will read through the case studies and notice the dynamic interchange of emotions that occurs between all of the participants, patients and professionals alike. So often in early training programs in the human services fields, major emphasis is placed on teaching students they must learn to set aside their personal beliefs, values and emotions when helping others. While this is an admirable goal, it is not always realistic nor is it always helpful. What is most important is learning to recognize the emotions in yourself and in others to foster meaningful connections through empathy and compassion.

After each case study presentation, there are two follow-up sections. The first one, Lessons Learned, highlights at least one particular area of the case that stands out as informational, transformational or both. One advantage to working in the field is that new experiences provide the foundation for new insights. Sometimes I learn about details and facts relevant to the event that I either didn’t know before, or never thought to apply to various situations. Often times, I observe things or experience emotions I call transformational because they not only contribute to my personal growth as a helping professional but they often challenge me to move forward on my spiritual path.

The second follow-up section, Thought Questions, are intended to provoke further inquiry and discussion. They are not intended to be all-inclusive. I’m sure many more questions could be generated, which is the point. The best way to learn from case studies is to ask all the why questions you can imagine because any and all eventualities are possible in the trenches.

Finally, in reading these case studies, I hope you will gain a new appreciation for what it means to be vulnerable. Since these case studies are based on my real-life experiences, including the thoughts and feelings that occurred at the time of the event, I am allowing you into my heart and mind. Please be respectful of them. Every situation can always be handled a hundred different ways, but you don’t know exactly how you will manage until you are face-to-face with a crisis in the trenches. There is always a dynamic interchange that occurs between the participants that can never be adequately predicted. This is why the first goal of a helping professional should be to gain the skills necessary to provide compassionate intervention.

Prologue

A Typical Day in the ER

The emergency room in a small, rural hospital is the go-to place in a community where resources