Here is a powerful story of beautiful and sad things: love, loyalty, and loss. Lawrence Krubner recounts two episodes, first, the events surrounding his father's death from cancer, second, the time his mother nearly died of pneumonia. He concludes that his family would have been better off if they'd had a professional patient-advocate with them. The pain of losing a loved one never really fades. Even years later, many of us still long to have one more conversation with those we have lost. For Lawrence, the loss of his father was the loss of his best friend. Reconstructed from the messages Lawrence sent friends at the time, this is a story of events that every family must someday face. Loyal in the face of grim odds, Lawrence sought to ease his father's pain during the final days. Krubner then recounts the struggle to protect his mother when she developed pneumonia. Again, disagreements emerged among the medical staff and the family. When two doctors offer conflicting advice, whose advice should the family rely on? When one doctor suggests a plan of action that seems reckless and poorly thought out, how should the family proceed? After recounting these deeply personal stories, the book ends with an essay in which Krubner suggests a possible reform to the medical system: for better integration of all the many specialists who interact with a patient, a professional patient-advocate would help a family understand how to interact with the modern medical bureaucracy, how to get the right resources, at the right time, and when to trust a doctor, versus when it is important to seek a second opinion. Have you faced a difficult situation in the modern American medical system? Join the movement: We Need Patient Advocates http://www.weneedpatientadvocates.com/