In the Basement at the Va: Stories from a Cancer Doctor (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781589882133)

Short essays offer lessons in hope and compassion from a radiation oncologist.

In the Basement at the VA is a collection of pieces about cancer patients and communication: between patients and physicians, between patients and their families, and between physicians and other physicians. Naturally, patients talk to their cancer doctor about the state of the disease, but they also talk about family matters and personal history. Through this, patients show hope, gratitude, fortitude in the direst of circumstances, disappointment, and, sometimes, surprising indifference. With compassion and candor, radiation oncologist Patrick Tripp explores differences in points of view between the patient and the physician, how to talk about death and dying, spiritual life and God, the physician's necessarily imperfect decision-making, and times when no treatment is the best option.