At age 71, with a fatal illness limiting my lung function, every day in the clinic is a gift. I share why I still choose to spend my “days off” seeing patients and how facing my own mortality has fundamentally changed the way I practice medicine and value human connection.

Writing an autobiography is a naturally self-absorbed act. I dive into the difficult process of looking back at my “misspent youth” and my professional highs to determine where confidence ends and narcissism begins. It is a raw look at the demons we all carry and how we can choose to channel them for good.