There was a very interesting part where Kalanithi talked to his doctor and was wanting certainty for time. She said she couldn't give him that. He said if he knew he had two years left to live, he would spend them writing, if he had ten he would go back to work. He just wanted to know. That's a privilege he's not afforded and he's frustrated but understands.

This is off topic to the book but on topic to the philosophical points as well as the time a person has. So often even though none of us know when we will die the less marginalized are working with such limited time in a way that the wealthy, unless terminally ill like Kalanithi will never truly understand. I'm reminded of immigration cases (my own families) where the lawyers can't give a definitive date or length of time for how long something will take. "It can be two weeks, it can be three years, it can be five, or it can be ten. We usually say anywhere from 2 weeks to ten years. We just can't give you a time frame only they can." They being consulates and government officials. Then they're just expected to plan without even knowing for how long. How do you prepare for an unknown number of years?

Wealthy people get to bypass all of that. In immigration cases as well as in other aspects. They don't have to wait in long lines at airports. They don't have to wait long for proper devices that help their bodies as they deteriorate due to illness. Here, maybe for the first time in his life Kalanithi has no buy out from time in a way he's probably grown accustomed to. Even when deciding to have a child, it's not "how will we afford this? How can my wife afford this on her own?" Questions that are so often asked and create judgment for low income people. "Why have a baby if you know you can't take care of it?" Yet here, two wealthy people aren't met with those questions. Money even buys you compassion and sympathy. Of course you want a child. For you it makes perfect sense!