Good Summer Reads Part 1

When Breath Becomes Air…

Are you looking for a good summer read?

I always say I “grew up” as a nurse in pediatric oncology. This was my start. I had daily exposure to the heroes and angels living among us. I was in my early 20’s. Looking back, I realize when considering end of life care, I spent most of my mental energy focusing on death rather than living.

I received the gift of perspective this past year when a friend gifted me the book, When Breath Becomes Air, the memoir of Paul Kalanithi.

In his memoir, Dr. Paul Kalanithi describes in intimate detail his diagnosis with a rare form stage IV metastatic lung cancer and his life journey towards death. As a neurosurgery resident at one of our country’s most prestigious medical programs, Kalanithi brings a unique perspective. He had spent nearly a decade preparing to be a neurosurgeon. He shares with great transparency his transition from doctor to patient. Like, many of us he and his wife had carefully planned their future, their career, their family. They were focusing on tomorrow until they were unapologetically confronted with today.

Paul walks us through how he carefully and thoughtfully considered how to live in the face of death. This book is a product of his choice to live. A choice to share. He poignantly reminds us that until we die, we are still living.

This book deepened my appreciation for the power of medicine, and the value of living. His story reminds us that we each have this same responsibility to our patients. We have a responsibility to find out what matters most to them. To help them write their LIFE story. No matter how long or short. So, ask yourself and ask your patient “What matters most to you today?”

This book will do more than change the way you view death, it will change the way you live life. It is a must read for everyone.