Living with transplant
Organ transplantation is often held to epitomize the power and promise of biomedicine. Yet life after transplant does not so clearly mark an ‘after’ to illness, and instead requires close monitoring and treating for organ rejection, graft failure, or the side effects of medication regimens. Such med...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Edinburgh Library
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Medicine Anthropology Theory |
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| Online Access: | http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/5004 |
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doaj-6844a2a7f76e4ab49c809777765979742021-04-22T08:40:38ZengUniversity of Edinburgh LibraryMedicine Anthropology Theory2405-691X2020-06-017210.17157/mat.7.2.6935004Living with transplantLaura L. HeinemannOrgan transplantation is often held to epitomize the power and promise of biomedicine. Yet life after transplant does not so clearly mark an ‘after’ to illness, and instead requires close monitoring and treating for organ rejection, graft failure, or the side effects of medication regimens. Such medical domains are counterbalanced, in turn, by relations of kinship, friendship, home and work life. In this Position Piece, I call for attention to the interconnected tensions among these domains, focusing on one illustrative case example: that of Janet, a three-time kidney recipient. By detailing Janet’s lifelong imbrication of daily life with vulnerability and biomedical intervention, I delineate the mismatch between popular imaginings of transplant as ‘cure’ and the realities of living a life that is never quite beyond illness.http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/5004organ transplantationpost-transplantmedicinecomplications |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Laura L. Heinemann |
| spellingShingle |
Laura L. Heinemann Living with transplant Medicine Anthropology Theory organ transplantation post-transplant medicine complications |
| author_facet |
Laura L. Heinemann |
| author_sort |
Laura L. Heinemann |
| title |
Living with transplant |
| title_short |
Living with transplant |
| title_full |
Living with transplant |
| title_fullStr |
Living with transplant |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Living with transplant |
| title_sort |
living with transplant |
| publisher |
University of Edinburgh Library |
| series |
Medicine Anthropology Theory |
| issn |
2405-691X |
| publishDate |
2020-06-01 |
| description |
Organ transplantation is often held to epitomize the power and promise of biomedicine. Yet life after transplant does not so clearly mark an ‘after’ to illness, and instead requires close monitoring and treating for organ rejection, graft failure, or the side effects of medication regimens. Such medical domains are counterbalanced, in turn, by relations of kinship, friendship, home and work life. In this Position Piece, I call for attention to the interconnected tensions among these domains, focusing on one illustrative case example: that of Janet, a three-time kidney recipient. By detailing Janet’s lifelong imbrication of daily life with vulnerability and biomedical intervention, I delineate the mismatch between popular imaginings of transplant as ‘cure’ and the realities of living a life that is never quite beyond illness. |
| topic |
organ transplantation post-transplant medicine complications |
| url |
http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/5004 |
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AT lauralheinemann livingwithtransplant |
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