Cover7I"ePageCcpvrigKEditorSNOteEDigraDhFCrrWordbyAbrdhGnWqhcsePiologuePartI:InPelfeCtHealthIBeginPaIlII:CeaSeNOttillDeathEpiloguebyLUCyKabnithiDediCa"onAckncwkdgmcnfsAbouttheAuthorContentsEVENTSDESCRIBEDAREBASEDonDr.Kalanithi,smemoryofreal-worldsituations.However,tlιenamesofallpatientsdiscussedinthisbook—ifgivenatall—havebeenchanged.Inaddition,ineachofthemedicalcasesdescribed,identifyingdetails—suchaspatients,ages,genders,ethnicities,professions,familialrelationships,placesofresidence,medicalhistories,and/ordiagnoses—havebeenchanged.Withoneexception,thenamesofDr.Kalanithi,scolleagues,friends,andtreatingphysicianshavealsobeenchanged.Anyresemblancetopersonslivingordeadresultingfromchangestonamesoridentifyingdetailsisentirelycoincidentalandunintentional.Youthatseekwhatlifeisindeath,Nowfinditairthatoncewasbreath.Newnamesunknown,oldnamesgone:Tilltimeendbodies,butsoulsnone.Reader!thenmaketime,whileyoube,Butstepstoyoureternity.—BaronBrookeFulkeGreville,uCaelica83”FOREWORDAbrahamVergheseITOCCURSTOME,asIwritethis,thattheforewordtothisbookmightbebetterthouglitofasanafterword.BecausewhenitcomestoPaulKalanithi,allsenseoftimeisturnedonitshead.Tobeginwith—or,maybe,toendwith—IgottoknowPaulonlyafterhisdeath.(Bearwithme.)Icametoknowhimmostintimatelywhenhe,dceasedtobe.ImethimonememorableafternoonatStanfordinearlyFebruary2014.He,djustpublishedanop-edtitled“HowLongHaveIGotLeft?”inTheNeWWrkTimes,anessaythatwouldelicitanoverwhelmingresponse,anoutpouringfromreaders.Intheensuingdays,itspreadexponentially.(I'maninfectiousdiseasesspecialist,sopleaseforgivemefornotusingthewordviralasametaphor.)Intheaftermathofthat,he,daskedtocomeseeme,tochat,togetadviceaboutliteraryagents,editors,thepublishingprocess—hehadadesiretowriteabook,thisbook,theoneyouarenowholdinginyourhands.Irecallthesunfilteringthroughthemagnoliatreeoutsidemyofficeandlightingthisscene:Paulseatedbeforeme,hisbeautifulhandsexceedinglystill,hisprophet,sbeardfull,thosedarkeyestakingthemeasureofme.Inmymemory,thepicturehasaWrmeer-Iikequality,acameraobscurasharpness.Irememberthinking,Wumustrememberthisfbecausewhatwasfallingonmyretinawasprecious.Andbecause,inthecontextofPaul,sdiagnosis,Ibecameawareofnotjusthismortalitybutmyown.Mfetalkedaboutalotofthingsthatafternoon.Hewasaneurosurgicalchiefresident.Mfehadprobablycrossedpathsatsomepoint,butwehadn,tsharedapatientthatwecouldrecall.HetoldmehehadbeenanEnglishandbiologymajorasanundergraduateatStanford,andthenstayedonforamaster,sinEnglishliterature.Wetalkedabouthislifelongloveofwritingandreading.IwasstruckbyhoweasilyhecouldhavebeenanEnglishprofessor—and,indeed,hehadseemedtobeheadeddownthatpathatonepointinhislife.Butthen,justlikehisnamesakeontheroadtoDamascus,hefeltthecalling.Hebecameaphysicianinstead,butonewhoalwaysdreamedofcomingbacktoliteratureinsomeformAbook,perhaps.Oneday.He±oughthehadtime,andwhynot?Andyetnowtimewastheverythinghehadsolittleof.Irememberhiswry,gentlesmile,ahintofmischiefthere,eventhoughhisfacewasgauntandhaggard.He,dbeenthroughthewringerwiththiscancerbutanewbiologicaltherapyhadproducedagoodresponse,allowinghimtolookaheadabit.Hesaidduringmedicalschoolhe,dassumedthathewouldbecomeapsychiatrist,onlytofallinlovewithneurosurgery.Itwasmuchmorethanafallinginlovewiththeintricaciesofthebrain,muchmorethanthesatisfactionoftraininghishandstoaccomplishamazingfeats—itwasaloveandempa...
