A Few Good Words.

Abstract

On Being a Doctor19 April 2016A Few Good WordsChristopher Moriates, MDChristopher Moriates, MDFrom University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M15-2198 Audio Reading - “A Few Good Words” Audio. Michael A. LaCombe, MD, Annals Associate Editor, reads "A Few Good Words," by C. Moriates. Your browser does not support the audio element. Audio player progress bar Step backward in current audio track Play current audio trackPause current audio track Step forward in current audio track Mute current audio trackUnmute current audio track 00:00/ SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail “Do you have any questions?” I asked. My team of residents and medical students standing around the bed began to slump a bit. We had 10 more patients to see this morning, and we were already falling behind. As I asked the question, my brain immediately began chanting, “Please don't, please don't, please don't.” I thought the chant was quiet enough that only I could hear it, but my patient seemed to read my mind. She was an elderly woman with cancer, admitted with shortness of breath due to fluid that had built up around her lung. This stubbornly progressive ... Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.Corresponding Author: Christopher Moriates, MD, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, M1287, San Francisco, CA 94143-0131; e-mail, [email protected]ucsf.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement Audio Reading - “A Few Good Words” Audio. Michael A. LaCombe, MD, Annals Associate Editor, reads "A Few Good Words," by C. Moriates. Your browser does not support the audio element. Audio player progress bar Step backward in current audio track Play current audio trackPause current audio track Step forward in current audio track Mute current audio trackUnmute current audio track 00:00/ FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byTrust-Based Partnerships Are Essential — and Achievable — in Health Care ServiceRole of Kindness in Cancer CareWhen Patients and Their Families Feel Like Hostages to Health CareWhat Adult Cancer Care Can Learn From Pediatrics 19 April 2016Volume 164, Issue 8Page: 566-567KeywordsArmed forcesBrainDyspneaElderlyHabitsLung and intrathoracic tumorsPatientsPerceptionPleural effusionShoulders ePublished: 19 April 2016 Issue Published: 19 April 2016 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2016 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...