Initially trained as a reconstructive plastic surgeon, Nadine Semer shifted her focus ten years ago into the world of palliative medicine. She and her team see the challenges and day-to-day realities of patients having to navigate our healthcare system while dealing with a serious illness. It's hard, for everyone involved. This book represents insights Dr. Semer has gleaned over the years. Through discussion of vignettes based on actual patients, her goal is to help healthcare providers connect with their patients to counter the current challenges of our US healthcare system, which sadly often impedes the development of an effective and therapeutic provider-patient relationship. Dr. Semer's hope is that the information conveyed in this book will benefit patients, families, and healthcare providers alike. Nadine Semer, MD, began her medical career as a reconstructive plastic surgeon. She worked in a wide variety of settings, from large academic medical centers and inter-city hospitals to smaller community hospitals; from a two-person private practice office to a partner in large multi-specialty medical group within an even larger healthcare organization. Perhaps most rewarding of all, she has volunteered her services in resource-poor areas of the world. About ten years ago, she became more interested in hearing her patients' stories and helping them really understand their illness and treatment options, than in doing another operation. This led her to take a new path into palliative medicine. Now Dr. Semer is a full-time palliative medicine provider in a district hospital in Central Coast California.