“Letting Go”, not only a very strong story but a story in which it motivated me to become a better writer. I just want to harp on the opening paragraph, this blew my mind, the way it was constructed and placed out had me attached immediately. I as a young man who thinks writing is his strong suit, was highly motivated and was instantaneously attached to everything this reader had to say. I wouldn’t say that there was a friction between me and what the author had to say, there was friction between myself and myself. One reason is, I think that writing and speaking is something I am good at, but when I read this first paragraph I was swept off my feet and showed that I have a lot of work left to do in becoming the writer I want to be. Atul Gawande, basically held my hand and tugged me through every situation and feeling that Sara was put into in such a short and simple manner. I would personally like to dive deeper into the tactics and ways that this author used in the opening paragraph to grasp the attention of a reader. This is how I want to open up every essay or short story I write. This friction was not a bad friction, this friction ignited a spark of motivation, curiosity and interest that will further motivate me into becoming the writer I want to be.

Me personally am not a stranger to cancer whatsoever, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a good 5 years ago, and it was a very life shifting moment of my life. The switch from being an everyday pre-teen kid that played outside until the street lights came on and eating junk food and playing video games all night. Then immediately having to be put into the shoes of having to become the man of the house when my mom had to stop playing the dad roll and having to minimize her mom roll as well. One thing I find astonishing and highly disrespectful, is the mind-blowing amount of money that has to be spent not only by the patient with these diseases but along with the family members who get pulled into it as well. If these doctors and nurses are trying to save a patient’s life or prolong their time on this earth. Why put them in debt enough to cause enough stress to damage their life even more than it has already been damaged by a uncontrollable force. Maybe just maybe, there can be a solution to this mainstream problem, and if there is it needs to be put into play as soon as possible. Imagine if you were on your deathbed knowing you are going to die in the coming weeks and you get a check that will be left with your family that not even half of it can be covered by them. Yes, I find this as a very big topic and a very big issue, now that has started a friction between me and whoever writes these checks.

One of the most powerful and baffling subjects that were brought to my attention was the fact that these doctors were basically messing with her life towards the end of her road. At the point where these doctors develop the balls to tell a patient that he or she is going to die, from that point forward every decision about what the next step in is prolonging their life, should be placed in the patient’s hands. Sara’s situation was she wanted to die peacefully inside her home surrounded by all of her memories, good or bad. Surrounded by all of the people who helped her along the way during her war against the army cancer. These doctors poked her 1,000 times with needles on every part of her body possible, shoved tubes in her throat, gave her medicine with side effects that a person who isn’t going through cancer wouldn’t be able to bear, and they still can’t respect the women’s decision on how she wants to leave this earth. I feel like this situation is a perfect example on how important it is to place a person’s life into their own hands. If the cancer is not going to allow a person to live, then why try and force something on that patient? If I am going to die over something that I can’t control, or the doctors I am paying my life savings to try and get rid of whatever is attacking me, I would at least like to be comfortable in the place I die.