The Washington Post chronicles the difficult story of Michelle Mayer, a nurse who tragically passed away from scleroderma. She had blogged at Diary of a Dying Mom.

As medicine has plenty of gray areas, patients sometimes have to challenge doctors to receive the best care. That means obtaining second opinions and doing your own independent research, which risks placing some tension in the doctor-patient relationship:

There is nothing funny about being a difficult patient, or dealing with one. In an era where Americans are increasingly expected to take responsibility for their health and make complex decisions and where medical information and misinformation abound — and doctors are feeling squeezed by time pressures — the line between “assertive” and “difficult” can be perilously thin.

As Mayer pointed out, it can be a delicate situation: “You can’t make doctors too angry, because you need them.”

Excellent piece that’s well worth reading.