I am grateful to many people for making it possible to tell the stories within this book.
The generosity of Jack and Dorothy Byrne has enabled our Palliative Care Service at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to take root and give the best care we can to many people who are in the midst of the worst time in their lives.
The leadership of Dartmouth-Hitchcock has continued to support our program amid competing priorities and intense financial pressures that pervade American health care in recent years. My department chair, Tom Dodds, has encouraged our team to pursue the goal of extending palliative care to seriously and critically ill patients throughout our health system.
My colleagues, the members of DHMC’s Palliative Care Service, inspire me through their own high standards and unspoken commitment to give every patient and fam-
ily the best care they can. The individuals who comprise this team are: Sharona Sachs, Frances Brokaw, Diane Palac, Lisa Stephens, Peggy Bishop, Marie Bakitas, Margaret Hahn, Linda Piotrowski, Donna Sol- tura, Patricia Parker, Briane Pinks on, Wendy Sichel, Yvonne Corbeil, Kim DeVillers, Andrea Maile, and Sandra Knowlton-Soho, as well as our extended family, Deborah Steele, Lisa Harbus, Marv Klassen-Landis, and Rebecca Gottesman.The No One Alone volunteers do so much for patients and families. They expand our team in ways that deepen our services and lift all of our spirits.
Every day, patients and families entrust our team with their care. It is a privilege that bears the weight of responsibility. I am grateful to the many patients and families whose experiences contributed to these chapters.
A number of patients, colleagues, relatives, and friends are named within these pages: Antonia Altomare, Perry Ball, Hervey and Joan Durocher, Marc Ernstoff, John Gem- ery, Jeanne Goldberg Gider, Edith Glikin, Sandy and Jenny Glikin, Susan Glikin Olan, Stuart Gordon, Hal Manning, Herb Maurer, John Mecchella, Letha Mills, Nancy Nye, Marc Pipas, Greg Ripple, Richard Schramm, Margaret Stephens, Michelle
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Stuhl, Clare Wilmot, Hope Nye Yeager, Bassim Zaki, and Mickey and Sandy Zimble. I am grateful to them all.
I have not met Jeff Corwin, but I want to say to him, “Thank you very much!” for giving “Sharon” one of the best days of her life.
Gail Ross is my literary agent and friend whose belief in my writing has encouraged me to persist in this avocation. During the long development of this project, Gail and her partner, Howard Yoon, spurred me to explore new ways of making the unvarnished facts of dying and caregiving accessible and compelling.
Kenneth Wapner, my friend and writing colleague, contributed his invaluable creative perspective, and skillful word craft during the first drafts of the proposal. His steadfast affirmation and support fortified my confidence in writing this book.
Behind the scenes, Carol Parks masterfully coordinates my lecturing, consulting, and travel. Her patient ability to organize myriad details enables me to focus on doctoring and writing.
I have been fortunate to have Lucia Watson as my editor. Lucia saw the polished sculpture within the material and helped me to refine the shape and arc of the book.
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Her keen ear kept my voice in tune, enabling me to speak my mind more clearly.
Yvonne Corbeil, my wife, dearest friend, and closest colleague, has been integral to every phase of this project from its inception as an idea, through the research, interviews, writing, and serial revisions of the manuscript. As with so much else in my life, this book would not have been possible without her.