We often get lost in books because reading is the only way we slip, inadvertently, often helplessly, into the lives of others. One such book is When Breath Becomes Air, written by Paul Kalanithi and published in 2016. It is a memoir about the author's life and illness, battling lung cancer. One day he was a doctor caring for the dying and, in the blink of an eye, a patient struggling to live. This book includes various philosophical, medical and social issues that the author encountered, experienced and hoped to share with readers. Among the issues mentioned in the book are two medical issues that will be discussed in this report, including lung cancer and its diagnosis, and Parkinson's tremor and its causes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To begin with, the first medical problem concerns stage IV lung cancer. Paul Kalanithi, the author of the book, was a neurosurgeon of 36 years of profession and passion, on the verge of seeing his dream come true and on the verge of making great contributions to the world. Unfortunately, he witnessed a cruel twist of fate; he was rising through the ranks as a neurosurgeon when weight loss and fierce back pain forced him to limp to the doctor's office. The x-rays looked good, so he ignored the symptoms. A few weeks later, bouts of severe chest pain and a persistent cough developed, accompanied by more rapid weight loss, forcing him to visit the doctor again. This time, Kalanithi knew what was coming before the scan results were even revealed. The diagnosis was obvious: the lungs were covered with priceless tumors, the spine was deformed, a complete lobe of the liver obliterated. Cancer has spread widely. From a normal life with the possibility of death in the back of his mind to a life where that possibility is at the forefront of everything he does, Kalanithi decided to face death with words as cancer invaded his life. life of a neurosurgeon. as a disease in which the body's cells grow uncontrollably. Lung cancer starts in the lung and can spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body. It is generally grouped into two main types: small cells and non-small cells. These guys grow up differently and are treated differently. Because there are very few nerve endings in the lungs, a tumor can grow without causing pain or discomfort. When symptoms are present, they are different in each person, but can include a cough that does not go away, hoarseness, and constant chest pain. Some symptoms only appear when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, including: weight loss, loss of appetite and headaches. In the book, Kalanithi suffered from symptoms that developed gradually over time, ranging from mild to major, and the oncologist advised him to start chemotherapy. Besides lung cancer, another medical problem mentioned in the book is Parkinson's tremor. Kalanithi had to treat a patient's Parkinson's tremor by placing an electrode nine centimeters deep into his brain. The target was a tiny almond-shaped structure, the subthalamic nucleus. Its different parts provide different functions: movement, cognition, emotion. He concluded that the shaking seemed to have improved after turning on the power to, 45(3), 413-420.