Leave it to writer Buchwald to bring humor to hospice. Last February, the famed satirist was diagnosed with terminal kidney failure, given three weeks to live, and transferred to a hospice for a quiet goodbye. Then the unexpected happened. His kidneys almost miraculously started working again. The poisons in his blood that were supposed to carry him out in peaceful slumber(死亡) washed out of his system, leaving instead a funny bone stunned and amused by the absurdity of the situation. It’s not every day that someone flunks hospice. Seasoned author that he is, Buchwald turned the irony into a book.
Only 10 months ago, he was a sad, 80-year-old man with a newly amputated(切除) leg and kidneys on the fritz(发生故障). Despite his family’s pleas, he entered a hospice facility, at ease with his Choice to die naturally.
Most people don’t know much about hospice, the place. It doesn’t cure; it cares, relieving physical pain and mental anguish. Most often, cancer or cardiovascular(心血管病) disease carries hospice patients to their end, usually in weeks. But some are put on hold like Buchwald. Buchwald left after five months. In one large study, 6 percent of hospice patients improved enough to be taken off the terminal list and sent home.
Buchwald was shocked when the big sleep didn’t come. Before Buchwald became the hospice’s superstar, he had been the poster boy for depression. But with the help of physicians and medication, he didn’t drown.
Laugh or cry. Facing natural death, he now offers a message many of his contemporaries need to hear. Older men, particularly those in their 80s, have the highest rate of suicide. Risk factors for them notably include health issues. In fact, suicide often comes soon after they’ve seen a doctor. On that point, Buchwald notes the medical dearth of smiles and laughter." Look at how often doctors and nurses walk into a patient’s room all serious," he says. His prescription They" need to go to Disney World to be trained."
Laughter, of course, is the best medicine, and some studies even show humor is a biological stress reliever. As Buchwald sees it, many humorists use it as therapy to block out periods of hurt or anger.
You would not know there were hurts or anger judging by his hospice time. Friends and family smothered Buchwald with love. VIPs beat a path to the hospice door. And they all came bearing food, lots of cheesecake. He thrived. After he planned his funeral, he started up writing again and found he could write wonderfully.
Buchwald is now teaching all of us how to live--and to die. Yet he’s quick to add," I have had such a good time at the hospice. I am going to miss it.\
What had Buchwald experienced before entering the hospice（）
A. he was diagnosed with terminal heart failure
B. the poisons in his blood caused kidney failure
C. one of his legs fractured for lack of calcium
D. he was depressed and wanted to die naturally