Smoke

“Live your life in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
– Will Rogers

There was a crowd gathered on the steps of the funeral home as I arrived. The sky was threatening and the mourners were trying to keep warm and dry as they waited to go in to say good-bye to the young man who had been my long-term patient. His mother, who faithfully cared for him through his final illness, was one of the few family members I recognized. I waved as I came up the sidewalk. I wondered why so many were huddled outside…was the entrance locked?

As I approached, his mother looked at me with mild horror and panic. She tucked her hand behind her back, trying to hide her cigarette. It was then that I realized that the only reason that the entrance was crowded was the funeral home’s ‘No Smoking’ policy. Most of the family members were having a last smoke before going inside to celebrate and remember the young man’s life.

His mother finally gave up trying to hide the cigarette and crushed it on the step. She took me inside to show me photographs of a younger, healthy, smiling man. A poster board held pictures from Packer games, picnics, parties, and family events. A few feet away, my patient served as a stark reminder of the potential devastating effects of smoking.

I feebly offered my condolences and headed back out the door through which I had entered. More relatives and friends were gathering for the memorial service. Hugs, tears, warm handshakes, laughter, regrets, backslaps, memories, plumes of smoke. “How odd,” I remember thinking. How odd.

Bruce H. Campbell, MD, FACS
Professor of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences
Chief, Division of Head and Neck Oncology
Interim Director, Froedtert & Medical College Cancer Center

"Reflections" is a collection of essays by the health professionals of the Medical College of Wisconsin.