Conflicted relationships don’t need to stay that way
A recent TED talk features a woman whose blood was a perfect match for her sister’s bone marrow transplant. This woman Elizabeth Lesser had a complex connection with her sister a love-hate relationship dating back to early childhood. They had hobbled along throughout life sharing some happy times as well as misunderstandings betrayals and conflicts. Now she was in a position to give her sister her blood the gift of life.
However a bone-marrow transplant is fraught with danger. The patient’s bone marrow must be destroyed with massive doses of chemotherapy and then replaced with several million healthy marrow cells from a donor. Sometimes the donor’s marrow cells attack the patient’s body or the patient’s body rejects the new cells — either way death can result.
Elizabeth recognized that her relationship with her sister was fraught with both attack and rejection. Might this pose a risk for the procedure? She didn’t want to take a chance.
She shared her concerns with her sister and the two agreed to embark on a brief course of therapy targeted to help them — for the first time in their lives — share their true feelings reveal their wounds and admit their wrongdoings.
Create a free account to keep reading.
