ABSTRACT
This chapter presents sections of a palliative care narrative which are taken from the author's PhD thesis, in which she wrote a narrative exploring her role as a spasticity specialist nurse. The aim of narrative methodology is to produce a text that resonates with the reader and encourages them to reflect on, and consider changes to, their practice. The narrative concerns a patient who was suffering from bed sores on his backside and had difficult in swallowing food. The wife is the patient's main carer, yet despite his high level of disability, they choose to have very little support from other agencies. They always portray an image of coping; the management of the patient's multiple sclerosis (MS) and associated symptoms are merged into their daily lives and do not appear to dominate. Laughing for someone with poor respiratory support for speech can lead to coughing and shortness of breath.
