A Doctor's Self-Treatment

Old Chen spent thirty years in surgery, removing thousands of tumors and collecting a stack of IOUs from patients in his desk drawer. He never accepted bribes or owed anyone favors. He believed good deeds were rewarded, and that skill was a doctor's real confidence. At fifty-two, he was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer.

The cost of treatment, his daughter finding out, and endless arguments all came at once. Halfway through treatment, he suddenly decided to stop. It was only when he signed the papers refusing chemotherapy that he realized he'd spent his whole life as a doctor without ever learning how to be a patient.

This is the story of a doctor learning to be a patient, and of a man who spent his final months learning how to live. It's for everyone who keeps their head down and rushes through life, forgetting to look where they're going.