Patricia Prijatel

About

Patricia Prijatel is the E.T. Meredith Distinguished Professor Emerita at Drake University, the author of Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and The Magazine from Cover to Cover, both published by Oxford University Press, and a health writer for numerous national print and online publications. Her book, Burn Scars: A Memoir of the Land and Its Loss, was published in spring 2020. Her blog, Positives About Negative, has reached more than 1,400,000 readers and deals specifically with triple-negative breast cancer.

Books by Patricia Prijatel

Recent Posts

Facing Mortality Honestly

A Personal Perspective: Ten years after its publication, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande remains as relevant as ever. Perhaps more so.

As We Age, Are More Medical Tests Always the Right Choice?

A Personal Perspective: I have enough to worry about besides diseases I may or may not have and, if I did, may or may not be serious and, if they are, may or may not kill me.

How I Beat My Spelling Bee Addiction

A Personal Perspective: I chuckled at my need to reach the level genius. But they dangled a reward, and I chased it, eyes sparkling, eyelashes fluttering.

I Used to Be Young, but I Got Over It

All I ask of strangers in the store—don't judge me as being less competent because my hair is grey and my skin well-textured. I’m just out doing my best, as we all are.

Cell Phones 1, Civil Society 0

A Personal Perspective: Public phone calls smack of disrespect for the people around us. How do we settle our bigger problems if we can't show basic consideration?

Why Am I So Cranky?

How do you get through the day with so much global chaos? Emphasize the day,

Why Mary Richards's Second Apartment Always Bugged Me

Personal Perspective: During the “golden age” of women’s rights, a sitcom's choices fell flat.

A Call for Communal Living in Response to Climate Trauma

A Personal Perspective: I hadn’t even realized I was feeling threatened until I began to question why I, a woman who hates noise, suddenly embraced it.

What if Your Doctor Actually Talked With You?

Telling their stories can make patients’ lives more meaningful, and listening to them can help their health care team understand how to heal them.

Why Am I So Tired?

Noise is physically exhausting. It’s associated with fatigue at work, in the classroom, and at home. And in the urban U.S., it's everywhere.