Health Archives

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi—Life Lessons

What is the book When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, and what is it about? When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi recounts the life of Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon diagnosed with lung cancer during his last year of residency. With elegant and beautiful prose befitting a novelist more than a doctor, the When Breath Becomes Air author guides readers through his life before and after his diagnosis, a life marked by a search for understanding life, death, and meaning.

The Doctor-Patient Relationship: Paul Kalanithi’s Approach

Paul Kalanithi studied both biology and literature, and felt deeply that language was the path to connectivity. Paul’s specific approach to the doctor-patient relationship was one where he tried to understand the person as a whole, and their identity. He called this method human relationality. He applied human relationality as a doctor, and experienced it as a patient with Dr. Emma Hayward. Below, Paul explains how he came back to his view on the doctor-patient relationship after years of overlooking it in favor of statistics and numbers, and how holding onto this philosophy later helped him as a patient.

EGFR Mutation of Lung Cancer—One Patient’s Hope

What is an EGFR mutation of lung cancer? How does it affect diagnosis and treatment? Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with lung cancer May 2013. A Stanford educated neurosurgeon, Paul understood a lot of the medical technicalities in his diagnosis. During his diagnosis, Paul finds out he has what’s called an EGFR mutation of lung cancer. The EGFR mutation of lung cancer can increase life expectancy, and Paul found that this bit of good news was enough to give him some hope for the future.

What is Chemotherapy Like? Paul Kalanithi’s Experience

What is chemotherapy like? While this experience differs from person to person and depends on the illness and treatment a person is receiving, reading about firsthand experiences can be valuable. Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2013. Chemotherapy is a common treatment for many types of cancer. Though it was not the initial course of treatment for Paul, he did undergo chemotherapy later in treatment. In this section, Paul describes what chemo is like for him.

Dr. Emma Hayward—How She Helped Paul Kalanithi Live Fully

Dr. Emma Hayward is an American oncologist. She treated the cancer of Dr. Paul Kalanithi, and she was featured in the book When Breath Becomes Air.” Paul Kalanithi was a respected doctor in neuroscience and worked with many other reputable doctors. But when Paul was diagnosed with lung cancer just as he was preparing to reach his career goals, he found himself on the other side of the doctor-patient relationship. Throughout When Breath Becomes Air, Paul discusses how his doctor, Emma Hayward, helped him frame his diagnosis differently and live a better life.

The Stages of Grief and Cancer: Paul Kalanithi’s Experience

Grief can come in many forms from many places. Experiencing the stages of grief in cancer diagnoses is common. The stages of grief are considered: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Faced with a devastating stage IV cancer diagnosis at age 35, Dr. Paul Kalanithi turned to his support systems and his writing as a way to cope. Dr. Kalanithi, a respected doctor with big plans for his future, discusses how he experienced the five stages of grief with cancer as he mourned the life he planned, and tries to envision a new one.

Memory Loss from Drinking—Why It Happens, Why It’s Dangerous

Why do people experience memory loss from drinking? What’s happening in the brain? What are the consequences? The effects of alcohol on memory are startling. At a blood-alcohol level of approximately 0.15, the hippocampus shuts down entirely. At that point, all memories disappear completely and there is nothing to recall. Even in this state of total blackout, when the hippocampus is entirely shut down, it is possible for the drinker to continue to function like a “normal” drunk person. In fact, it can be impossible to tell when someone else has reached the point of blackout. Learn more about drinking and

Effects of Stress on Memory: Lessons from PTSD Research

What are the effects of stress on memory? Are the effects severe? Long term? Stress affecting memory is a huge problem in everyday life, and a particular problem for people who need to obtain crucial information under stressful circumstances, such as interrogators. We’ll look at the effects of stress on memory in the military to understand how stress might also affect us in less acutely stressful environments.

What Happens When You Black Out? You Become Another Person

What happens when you black out? What are the stages of a blackout? What are its consequences? When a person drinks an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time, the hippocampus in the brain is affected. The hippocampus is responsible for memory, which is why excessive drinking often leads to a state of blackout. Blackout refers to a state in which some or all of your memories are lost. Learn what happens when you black out.

Doctors Make Mistakes; Checklists May Be the Solution

Doctors make mistakes. How can those in the medical community avoid the avoidable errors that sometimes cost patients their lives? The answer is the checklist. We’ll cover studies that show how a simple checklist can help doctors avoid making avoidable mistakes.