“No talk about prognosis since before roundone.”Now hospitalized with infection, round threehad not been won. A short conversation later, his goals clearlydefined.“No more cancer treatment,” he said as hedeclined. “Would round three have been endured” Ithought in my mind“if this conversation occurred in three monthsless time?”

“Humor is healthy coping” I remember in mymindAs the laugh of my attending comes frombehind He shows us a video of a person addicted tosniffing compressed airThe fate my young patient unfortunatelyshares His death almost certain and his parentsweepingMy mind wonders if this is coping worthkeeping