My Nine Lives as an Academic

Abstract

In this article, I describe my experiences 72 hours after I was told I had a life-threatening medical condition. My experience as an autoethnographer and my interest in embodied knowing put a unique spin on the narrative that developed in those three days. What I present here is an autoethnographic story of my experience, which culminated in a “miraculous” life-saving procedure that probably saved my life—but left me with multiple questions about what it means to live it. As I interacted with professional health providers, friends, and loved ones, I became vividly cognizant of the many character roles I play and narratives I participate in my life as an academic. In this essay, I present nine role-changing moments, illustrating how my various constructed personal and professional identities emerged and changed during my brief, clarifying, brush with death.