Max Rodriguez

…ich examined the sensations of emotional pain that people feel when they’ve been socially rejected. Emotional and physical pain overlap so closely that one can exacerbate the other — and, spookily, can also be alleviated the same way: in a 2010 study, Dr. C. Nathan DeWall’s team at the University of Kentucky showed that popping acetaminophen could quell the pain of a negative social experience.

The newest nurse, Mike, was beautiful. He came to my room on the third afternoon as I was reading The Best American Poetry, which I’d found…

Seeing someone grow from a position of being in need of help, to a position where the same person is helping other people in need, is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.