Aiden Kong’s Reviews > When Breath Becomes Air > Status Update

WHY DID IT METASTASIZE TO HIS BRAIN. Also I just realized that Dr. Emma was lowkey his therapist and he should’ve been seeing one if he wasn’t

It’s crazy that he went back to surgery, but it’s good that he’s still trying to live. I know how this book ends, so it’s bittersweet seeing him regain strength.

I feel so bad for him, his life got nuked in a few days. I think the dilemma of how to spend the possibly little time left is quite compelling, as well as how to think about the future with a spouse and family. I also understand why Emma didn’t want to mention survival curves.

He’s less arrogant now, more grounded, ultimately doing what’s best for the patient. Neurosurgery residency sounds insanely difficult, so you just have to do your best and continually strive for perfection. I’m so angry that Jeff killed himself, physicians need more support, especially surgeons.

His decision to pursue neurosurgery was kind of blindly motivated, it’s true that your specialty should feel like a calling, but the resident that quit entirely shows that anyone functions best when they’re happy and not constantly exhausted. Also he ran on red bulls and ice cream sandwiches, that plus the stress and sleep deprivation is a recipe for health issues. Still well written, he’s just a bit arrogant.

Paul has good prose, and I like how he leads with curiosity and searching for meaning. I wonder how much he considered his relationship with his father when he decided to pursue medicine. I also like how his visit to the care facility for people suffered TBIs showed his naivety and changed his perspective.