Art & Medicine Archive – 2022
October 19, 2022
The Game of Life
by Krista Machovina
Navigating cancer, artist Krista Machovina felt like she was playing a board game, one that made no sense, with no rules guaranteeing a win. Like the game of Clue, except she had NO CLUE: where this came from, how it would go, or what she should do to heal.” After a protracted bout of thyroid cancer in her 30’s, Krista received a second diagnosis in 2020; an extremely rare type of cervical cancer. After treatment, Krista’s art shifted, combining the two modes of her work into a checkerboard-like grid and evolving to incorporate imagery from board games, compartmentalizing and finding playful meaning in her experience.
Event Recording
Dr. Marcia Ciccone, MD.
August 31, 2022
Shaken but not Broken
by James T. Walker
At age 51, James was diagnosed with lateral Parkinson’s Disease, effecting his right ride. “I could not use my right hand to write or draw. The diagnosis destroyed me. I asked God for help. I was determined not to give up my art. I went to the art store and bought a sketchbook, and taught myself to draw and weight left-handed.”
Event Recording
Dr. Jennifer S. Hui, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology
May 18, 2022
A Cry for Help
by Cathy Immordino
Artist Cathy Immordino recalls how one ever told her about the dark side to pregnancy. The experience was always glossed over with deadly complications left undiscussed. She had always seen the happy soon-to-be mom preparing the nursery and smiling for the day to meet her child. Well, that’s not even close to how this played out. Somewhere between rare blood antigen complications and hospital germs, both her and her child almost died.
Event Recording
Dr. Sigita Cahoon MD Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
and Dr. Elizabeth Hur MD, Maternal Mental Health Fellow
February 4, 2022
Because I Have To
by Carolyn Strauss
In August 2019, Carolyn Strauss was diagnosed with an interstitial lung disease: Pulmonary Fibrosis. The decision to make art, a new type of art was on the table. “I knew that I should allow myself to trust the process, but had not previously struggled so profoundly.” Carolyn had to adapt to her new reality and so did her work. Subject matter, location and media all had to conform to her new pulmonary condition.
Event Recording
Dr. Purush Rao Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine