Doctors Without Metaphors

As I spoke, the family seemed to relax visibly, and began to break into smiles. “Oh, that's wonderful news, wonderful news!” I smiled too, automatically, although I did not think my news—a biopsy finding of advanced glomerulosclerosis, irreversible kidney failure—had been so wonderful. It was true that this particular kidney biopsy had been done because of heavy proteinuria and newly diagnosed kidney failure in an older man with a lung nodule;...