Book Review "When Breath Becomes Air"

 I came into this book with an open mind and was actually had it assigned to read for one of my classes. After finishing the book, I realized just how hardworking and difficult the life of a doctor can truly be. The book is a memoir for Paul. Besides being a doctor, he is a great man and eventually a great husband and father. Reading about his upbringing brought to mind the importance of experiences and upbringing.

A person's family and environment truly do play a large role in a person's career choice and mentality. Paul worked hard to become a great doctor and pay off as much of medical school as possible. I didn't read much about student loans or debt, but I'm assuming these were all implied to come with the territory.

I admired his persistence to finish school and become a great neurosurgeon. He was always striving towards a big goal for him and his wife to become better. 

The biggest fears were soon realized with cancer. No one really sees it coming and it truly is something to be feared because it taxes an individual both physically and mentally. Besides the slight bits of humor in the book, I feared all of Paul's experiences with fighting this disease through use of medications and chemotherapy. My heart was humbled and I could barely stand to hear about his feelings of loss for taste in food plus consistent vomiting. What kind of life is this? A difficult one. These thoughts reminded me to treasure our gifts. Never take a moment with loved ones for granted. Always strive towards your goals despite circumstances. Have a backup plan and ultimately do your best to provide value for others.

At the end of this life, we should start thinking about what types of contributions we can make to this world. To this short existence that slowly withers away overtime.

I recently finished a hospital rotation at a local hospital so all of these images felt very real to me. I've been studying some of the cancer medications for my school and the book definitely solidified an important aspect of the study: chemo is deadly. End of Life treatment seemed inevitable too. I learned about this while working rounds at the hospital so I was surprised to see it mentioned in the book. 

This book is definitely worth reading whether you're in the medical profession or if you're curious about what a memoir about cancer is like. How someone who became the best fought this difficult battle that is constantly being fought even today. I've participated in multiple Relays For Life and hearing about the pain this disease has caused people is agonizing. We must do more research to one day find a cure. 

During these times of coronavirus, it may seem like this is a minor issue but it's not. In fact, treating cancer victims has become even more essential than ever because the weakened immune system can increase susceptibility towards the disease. 

Stay humble and count your blessings.