Lying in front of me, motionless, was the red-haired woman whose brain had been ravaged by glioblastoma multiforme. What did I know about her other than that she had brain cancer? Was she a grandmother? Did she like to travel? Did she have hobbies? I told myself that I had just been too busy to learn about such things, but the truth is that I just wasn’t interested. I was too focused on the procedures I had to learn. I knew she had undergone extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Did she have other medical problems? I couldn’t remember clearly.
While I was pondering these questions, our professor entered the lab and told us that the patient had written us a letter. I began to read:
Esteemed friends,
One wonders how much time will have passed at the point when you are reading this letter. Two weeks? Two months? Two years? One year ago, I thought I had all the time in the world. I was beginning to think of retirement and 20 years to spend with my two sons and their families. I’ve always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, too. It looks like those may be dreams to go unfulfilled.
I suppose I should start with an introduction.
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— — Lt Brent W. Lacey, MD
This article originally appeared in October 2011 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
