(New York Times) – His wife paced the room as she talked, her tone pressured. She wanted to know what we were going to do next — surely, we would transfuse and restart antibiotics. I explained our care plans for the day but reiterated, as we did daily, that her husband was dying. His liver cancer could no longer be treated and had now caused other organs to fail.

She asked about a liver transplant. I told her he was too sick. I had the sense that she felt solely responsible for her husband’s outcome — that we would let him die if it were not for her advocacy. But he would die regardless. (Read More)