Making Rounds and Oscar (2010) (18 page)

Acknowledgments

I HAVE BEEN TRULY BLESSED IN MY LIFE TO FIND MYSELF
surrounded by patients, colleagues, friends, and family who I learn from every day. A full list of acknowledgments would be simply too long to print, but I would specifically like to thank the following individuals for their assistance during this project:

First, I'd like to offer a special thank you to Sean Elder for believing in the project and helping me pull out what was good in the manuscript and make it better. I couldn't have done it without you.

I'd also like to offer my profound gratitude to the family members of Oscar's third-floor patients, past and present, who spent signficant time with me throughout the writing of this book. Some of you allowed me to use your names and stories in the book, while others provided background but asked for privacy. I can't possibly tell you how much I am indebted to the fact that you entrusted me with your innermost thoughts and personal demons. I apologize to all of you for any unintentional mistakes I have made in the presentation of the facts, for any liberties I have taken in telling your stories, and for any additional sorrow that I may have caused as we sifted through the memories.

Thank you also to Mary Miranda, who helped me collect many of the stories that appear in this book. Mary, it is through your eyes that I first saw how much good there was in Oscar, and the wonder in your eyes as you discussed each story was truly infectious. A special thanks also to the rest of the staff at Steere House and Home and Hospice of Rhode Island. Though your work is often underappreciated, I hope this book does something to correct this travesty. You are all the true Heroes of long-term care and perform your duties with more passion, love, and attention to detail than countless other professionals--including us doctors, who receive more praise and financial reward.

Special thanks also to Dr. Joan Teno for our many discussions about end-of-life care, the meaning of Oscar the cat, and your thoughts at every stage of the writing process. Please know that your mentorship, passion, and belief in the importance of end-of-life care have been profoundly inspirational to me. Thank you for being my sounding board over the years and, most importantly, a dear personal friend.

Thanks also to my other medical colleagues at Steere House, at Brown University's Center for Gerontology, the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and within the division of geriatrics. I have been fortunate to work with so many talented individuals over the years.

As any writer will tell you, there are hundreds of talented people behind the scenes who make each book come to life.

To Brenda Copeland, thank you for being my "cat guru"--not to mention a fabulous editor. Thank you for taking the leap of faith that a first-time author with a good story could pull this off. You were always so complimentary and knew exactly how to take a newbie under your wing. From here on out until the day I die, I will always remember to "jump right into the story" and I will never--ever--forget to use contractions! Thank you also to Ellen Archer, Will Balliett, and the rest of the staff at Hyperion for your valuable insights into the manuscript and for coaching me through the process at each step of the way.

To my agent, Emma Sweeney, and her colleagues Eva Talmadge and Justine Wenger--you're a first-class organization. Thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow as I've learned to navigate these uncharted waters. You've always steered me in the right direction. As they say in the movies, "I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

In closing, I'd like to offer a heartfelt thanks to my family. To my "grandparents" Eva and Jan Rocek--thank you for your love, wisdom, and all of your life stories. I will always treasure those summers together at the lake house--even if I had to stay out of Puma's way. To Mellissa, thank you for being such an important part of our family. To my brother, Peter, and my parents Noemi and Stefan--thank you for your love and unconditional support through the good times and the bad. You are my role models in life, and I couldn't be luckier. Finally--and most importantly--to my children, Ethan and Emma, and my loving and supportive wife, Dionne. You are my reason for living and you inspire me daily. In sickness and in health, for better or worse, please know that I will love you always. And by the way, at the end of my days, I prefer the cat over the ICU.

Copyright

MAKING ROUNDS WITH OSCAR
. Copyright (c) 2010 David Dosa. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Hyperion e-books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

EPub Edition (c) December 2009 ISBN: 978-1-4013-9496-7

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